Jay Zhao is the Founding and Managing Partner of Leonis Capital. See sector focus and contact routes.
Jay Zhao is the Founding and Managing Partner of Leonis Capital, a research-driven venture firm in San Francisco he established in 2021, with over ten years of prior experience at Walden Venture Capital, Granite Ventures, and T Fund. His investment thesis focuses on early-stage AI-native enterprises and the automation economy, targeting technical founders in enterprise, mobile, fintech, and cloud computing sectors. While specific check sizes and lead/follow behavior are not publicly detailed, he is recognized as an angel investor and early-stage VC who collaborates with founders at the earliest stages. Notable portfolio companies include MaintainX, Method Financial, Motion, Spectro Cloud, Lime, and Sleeper. Zhao distinguishes himself through a research-driven approach to AI investing, serving as a guest lecturer at Tulane and Stanford and slated as a case study speaker at Harvard Business School in 2024 to highlight his methodology. He emphasizes backing immigrant founders and has expressed contrarian views on starting a VC fund, as discussed in public interviews.
Every field above is read from the StartupFundraising investor directory — disclosed location, recorded investments and stated focus — and re-checked as filings arrive. Founders pair it with investors in San Francisco when building a target list.
Investors like Jay Zhao · Full investor directory · Investor access · Company funding database