Technology
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka
Partner / West Coast
Since 2015
With engineering roots, Rayfe leads Canaan’s frontier tech investments in AI/ML, Edge Computing, Space and Robotics, as well as vertical AI software. He has prior work experience in strategy consulting, data science, and hardware engineering. Rayfe earned an M.S. in Electrical Engineering at Stanford University and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California.
Rayfe in 5
Origins: Grew up in the pineapple fields of Mililani, HI
Talent: Eating a lot (SERIOUSLY, A LOT)
Family: Always comes first
Dream Job: Professional surfer
School Days: Graduated USC in 3 years (Rank #1 in EE dept.), NCAA champion
Investments
Latest
AI's shift to efficiency
TechCrunch: Kepler Communications closes $92M Series C to grow real-time satellite data relay network
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka: AI/ML: Data Trojan Horse
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka: Building the internet of space – Announcing our investment in Kepler Communications
The Globe and Mail: Toronto nanosatellite internet startup Kepler Communications raises US$60-million as investor interest in space economy grows
CNBC: Startup Kepler raises $60 million to expand in-space data communications network
TechCrunch: Fireflies.ai raises $14M for its meeting transcription and automation service
VentureBeat: Fireflies.ai puts $14M into its AI videoconferencing assistant
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka: The biggest opportunity in machine learning is tiny – Announcing our Series A investment in Edge Impulse
Forbes: Toyota selects Apex.OS to underpin automated vehicle platform
TechCrunch: Toyota taps Apex.AI for its autonomous vehicle operating system
WSJ: Midwest labor markets shake off Covid-19 downturn
Canaan promotes Laura Chau and Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka to Partner
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka: The enterprise “edge”
Entrepreneur: These founders built a perfect remote-work product ... without realizing it
TechCrunch: 9 top space tech VCs on the market's opportunities and challenges
TechCrunch: Volvo invests in autonomous vehicle operating system startup Apex.AI through its VC arm
Forbes: Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka named to 30 Under 30
VentureBeat: Fireflies raises $5 million for its AI assistant for meetings
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka: Fireflies makes collaborating after a meeting suck less, like Dropbox did for files and Slack did for messaging
Reuters: Veteran German auto boss joins board of U.S. self-driving software startup
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka: The shift to an 80/20 robot-first world
Reuters: Ex-Bosch engineers aim to strengthen self-driving car software
TechCrunch: Apex.AI raises $15.5 million for autonomous vehicle software
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka: The safest car you will never drive
Maha Ibrahim & Dan Ciporin: Next generation investors for next generation entrepreneurs
Fortune: The summer of venture capital promotions isn’t over yet
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka: The era of AI-first companies
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka: How to cut through the AI hype
Deepak Kamra: Capella Space: Getting the full picture
Martech’s next frontier: the B2C marketing cloud
Rayfe in 5
Origins: Grew up in the pineapple fields of Mililani, HI
Talent: Eating a lot (SERIOUSLY, A LOT)
Family: Always comes first
Dream Job: Professional surfer
School Days: Graduated USC in 3 years (Rank #1 in EE dept.), NCAA champion