This Week in Startups ANGEL: Laurie Yoler on investing early in Tesla, strategic partnerships, and her VC career | E1701
Mar 17, 2023
Laurie Yoler, a General Partner at Playground Global and a founding investor in Tesla, shares her journey from the tech industry to venture capital. She discusses her groundbreaking investment in Tesla and the strategic partnerships that shaped her career. Yoler reflects on her time at Qualcomm, the impact of the pandemic on her investments, and her views on the evolving AI landscape. With insights on fundraising and automotive innovations, this conversation offers a unique perspective on early-stage investing and technological advancements.
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First Investment
- Laurie Yoler's first investment was in a German security company called Brocap in 1996.
- This happened while working at Sun Microsystems in Europe and interacting with Index Ventures.
Sun Microsystems Ventures
- Laurie Yoler returned to the US in 1999 to start Sun Microsystems Ventures.
- Sun Microsystems offered her this opportunity after expressing interest in venture investing.
Tesla's Genesis
- Laurie Yoler's colleagues at Packet Design, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, were brainstorming consumer product ideas.
- Eberhard's frustration with gas mileage on high-performance cars sparked the initial idea for Tesla.