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Lip-Bu Tan

North America, California, United States, San Jose

Description

Lip-Bu Tan is a highly influential figure in the global venture capital landscape, best known as the Chairman and Founder of Walden International, a firm he established in 1987. His extensive career spans over three decades in venture capital, complemented by his significant operational experience as the CEO of Cadence Design Systems, a leading electronic design automation (EDA) company. This unique blend of deep industry knowledge and investment acumen positions him as a strategic partner for technology startups, particularly those in the semiconductor, enterprise software, and deep tech sectors.

Walden International, under Tan's leadership, has cultivated a reputation for identifying and nurturing disruptive technologies from early to growth stages. The firm's investment thesis often revolves around companies leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, the Internet of Things, and advanced materials. Tan's personal network and insights, stemming from his role at Cadence, provide Walden International with a distinct advantage in evaluating and supporting complex technological innovations.

Over its long history, Walden International has built a diverse portfolio, investing in over 500 companies worldwide. The firm has achieved remarkable success with more than 100 IPOs and M&A exits, underscoring its ability to pick winners and guide them towards significant liquidity events. While Walden International's typical initial check sizes can range from $2 million to $10 million, they are known to participate in larger syndicated rounds and provide substantial follow-on funding, demonstrating a commitment to their portfolio companies' long-term growth. Tan's strategic vision and hands-on approach are central to the firm's enduring success and its capacity to navigate the complexities of the global technology market.

Investor Profile

Lip-Bu Tan has backed more than 28 startups, with 4 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 2 rounds, about 7% of its total and boasts 1 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Series A, Series B rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, Israel, Canada.
  • Strong thematic focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Software, Machine Learning.
  • Typical check size: $2M – $10M.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (50%)
  • Series A (21%)
  • Series B (11%)
  • Series C (7%)
  • Series Unknown (7%)
  • Series D (4%)

Country Focus

  • United States (82%)
  • Israel (7%)
  • Canada (4%)
  • Indonesia (4%)
  • India (4%)

Industry Focus

  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Software
  • Machine Learning
  • Information Technology
  • Semiconductor
  • Generative Ai
  • Internet
  • Embedded Systems
  • Big Data
  • Biotechnology
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does Lip-Bu Tan frequently co-invest with?

First Round Capital
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 2
AV
North America, California, United States, Sunnyvale
Co-Investments: 3
SCB 10X
Asia, Krung Thep, Thailand, Bangkok
Co-Investments: 3
Emerge Education
Europe, England, United Kingdom, London
Co-Investments: 2
BRM Capital
Asia, Tel Aviv, Israel, Tel Aviv
Co-Investments: 2
SV Angel
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 3
Amplify Partners
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 3
Intel Capital
North America, California, United States, Santa Clara
Co-Investments: 3
Koch Disruptive Technologies
North America, Kansas, United States, Wichita
Co-Investments: 3
Fidelity
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Boston
Co-Investments: 4

Which angels does Lip-Bu Tan often collaborate with?

DH
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
BA
Europe, Ile-de-France, France, Paris
Shared Deals: 2
DF
North America, California, United States, Penngrove
Shared Deals: 2
AG
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 6
SG
North America, California, United States
Shared Deals: 3
RC
North America, New York, United States, New York
Shared Deals: 2
AN
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
Gary Gannot
Asia, Israel
Shared Deals: 2
AB
North America, California, United States, Redwood City
Shared Deals: 2
AK
North America, California, United States, Palo Alto
Shared Deals: 2

What are some of recent deals done by Lip-Bu Tan?

Pokee AI

Bellevue, Washington, United States

Pokee AI is an AI company that offers an interactive, personalized, and efficient AI agent that helps in planning, reasoning and tool usage.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)SaaSSoftware
SeedJun 10, 2025
Amount Raised: $11,929,999
Aurascape

Santa Clara, California, United States

Aurascape enables businesses to innovate fearlessly in the age of AI through a security platform engineered for AI interactions.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Cyber SecurityInformation TechnologyInternetNetwork SecuritySecurity
Series AApr 8, 2025
Amount Raised: $26,200,000
Celestial AI

Santa Clara, California, United States

Celestial AI develops an optical interconnect technology platform for data center and AI computing solutions.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Data CenterMachine LearningSemiconductorSoftware
Series CMar 11, 2025
Amount Raised: $250,000,000
Contextual AI

Mountain View, California, United States

Contextual AI offers a pioneering approach to generative AI for the workplace.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Generative AISoftware
Series AAug 1, 2024
Amount Raised: $80,000,000
SiMa.ai

San Jose, California, United States

SiMa.ai is a developer of machine learning technology to deliver a software-centric platform.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Embedded SystemsMachine LearningSemiconductorSoftware
Series CApr 4, 2024
Amount Raised: $70,000,000
Lamini

Palo Alto, California, United States

Enterprise AI platform for Expert AI, enabling every enterprise to safely, quickly, and cost-effectively build their own Expert AI.

Series AApr 1, 2024
Amount Raised: $25,000,000
Lamini

Palo Alto, California, United States

Enterprise AI platform for Expert AI, enabling every enterprise to safely, quickly, and cost-effectively build their own Expert AI.

SeedApr 1, 2024
Guardrails AI

Menlo Park, California, United States

Guardrails AI empowers humanity to harness the unprecedented capabilities of foundation AI models.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)
SeedFeb 15, 2024
Amount Raised: $7,500,000
Asato

Saratoga, California, United States

Asato is developing an AI-powered enterprise copilot platform for CIOs.

Information TechnologyInternet
SeedDec 5, 2023
Amount Raised: $7,500,000
Gravel

Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia

Gravel is a technology company that makes it simple for you to find qualified and trustworthy construction workers.

Internet
Series UnknownDec 4, 2023
Amount Raised: $13,949,281