Technology
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka
Partner / West Coast
Since 2015
With engineering roots, Rayfe brings technical knowledge to Canaan, focusing on deep tech investments including AI / ML, IoT, Space and Robotics, as well as enterprise and infrastructure software. Rayfe previously worked as a Senior Associate on Cloud and IoT projects at Keystone Strategy. Prior to that, he was a ML engineer for Wolverine Trading and ASIC designer at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems. 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
READY and NVIDIA Make Robotics Easier for Toyota
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
Forbes: As factories struggle with how to automate, READY Robotics, spun out of Johns Hopkins, raises $23M For robotic O/S
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka: READY - Programming the next robotic automation
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