Ann Miura-Ko

Bio

Ann brings expertise in highly technical investments, backed by her PhD in mathematical modeling of cybersecurity from Stanford. Her father's career as a NASA rocket scientist inspired her early interest in technology. She studied electrical engineering at Yale and participated in the Robocup Competition in Paris.

Her investment portfolio spans healthcare (including a $1B+ exit for SmarterDX in 2025), consumer commerce, marketplaces (notably Lyft from 2010–2023), and software for small businesses. She has led seed and pre-seed rounds in AI companies including Counsel Health, Hebbia, and ReadyOn.

Beyond investing, she lectures on entrepreneurship at Stanford, co-directs the Mayfield Fellows Program, and co-founded All Raise, focusing on diversity in venture capital. She served on the Yale Corporation Board of Trustees from 2019 to 2025.

My Story

I've always been someone who loved being different. Being different has always felt like an advantage.

I co-founded Floodgate in 2008 during the financial crisis, recognizing that founders were accepting unfavorable valuations when smaller seed rounds could prove just as viable. "$500k would be the new $5M" — reflecting the lean startup methodology I learned assisting Steve Blank at Stanford.

My first year proved intense: I gave birth to my second child, defended my PhD thesis six weeks later, and made my initial investment in TaskRabbit. I'm known for being a straight shooter who has an uncanny eye for talent and a sixth sense about the path to product-market fit.

I don't think of myself as an investor. I'm a co-conspirator to the founders I work with.

Interests

Piano, Robots, and Gastronomy.