Lydia Jett
{{Short description|American venture capitalist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lydia Jett
| image = Lydia Jett.jpg
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1980|11}}
| birth_place = Portland, Oregon
| citizenship = United States of America
| alma_mater = Stanford Graduate School of Business, London School of Economics and Political Science, Smith College, Mountain View High School
| occupation = Venture capitalist, Investor, Board Member
| known_for = Businessperson
}}
Lydia Jett (born 1980) is an American venture capitalist and former executive at SoftBank Vision Fund.{{cite web |title=Softbank Vision Fund Americas Managing Partner to Depart |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-19/softbank-vision-fund-americas-managing-partner-jett-to-depart |website=Bloomberg|date=19 February 2024 }} Ms. Jett is an independent board member at Walmart-owned Flipkart{{cite web |title=Former Softbank Managing Partner Lydia Jett Rejoins Flipkart's Board |url=https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/former-softbank-managing-partner-lydia-jett-rejoins-flipkart-s-board-124070101223_1.html |website=Business Standard}} and Fanatics.{{cite web |title=Fanatics Announces Appointment of Lydia Jett and Jonathan Mildenhall to Board of Directors |url=https://www.fanaticsinc.com/press-releases/fanatics-announces-appointment-of-lydia-jett-and-jonathan-mildenhall-to-board-of-directors |website=Fanatics.com}}
Jett has also held executive positions at Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc. and M/C Partners.
Career
In 2015, Jett joined SoftBank Group to launch their growth equity efforts. In 2017, Jett was a founding member of the Softbank Vision Fund, where she became Managing Partner and Head of the Consumer Internet Sector. Jett was the first woman named to Investing Managing Partner,{{Cite news |date=2021-11-22 |title=SoftBank's Vision Fund Adds New Leaders, First Woman Managing Partner |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-22/softbank-vision-fund-adds-new-leaders-first-woman-managing-partner |access-date=2024-02-27 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}} and Investing Partner{{Cite web |date=2019-03-22 |title=SoftBank's Vision Fund Promotes Lydia Jett to Partner |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/softbank-apos-vision-fund-promotes-010927565.html |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Yahoo Finance |language=en-US}} at Softbank Vision Fund.
Jett led investments in and represented Softbank on the Board of Directors of the firm’s global eCommerce investments including:{{Cite web |date=2023-06-16 |title=Delivering Alpha 2023 Advisory Board: Lydia Jett |url=https://www.cnbc.com/lydia-jett-da/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=CNBC |language=en}} Coupang,{{Cite news |last=Wang |first=Selina |date=2018-11-20 |title=SoftBank to Invest $2 Billion in Korean E-Commerce Site Coupang |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-20/softbank-to-invest-2-billion-in-korean-e-commerce-site-coupang |access-date=2024-02-27 |work=Bloomberg News |language=en}} Fanatics,{{Cite web |last=Loizos |first=Connie |date=2017-09-06 |title=Given an assist, sports e-commerce giant Fanatics closes that $1 billion round led by SoftBank |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/09/06/given-an-assist-sports-e-commerce-giant-fanatics-closes-that-1-billion-round-led-by-softbank/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} Flipkart{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Jon |date=2017-08-10 |title=SoftBank's Vision Fund backs Flipkart in record India tech investment |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/10/softbank-flipkart/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} and GoTo,{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Jon |date=2018-12-12 |title=Indonesia e-commerce leader Tokopedia raises $1.1B from Alibaba and SoftBank's Vision Fund |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/11/tokopedia-raises-1-1b/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} collectively the top returning portfolio for Softbank Vision Fund I.{{Cite web |last=Konrad |first=Alex |title=The Surprise Investors Who Scored Billions From Coupang's IPO |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2021/03/15/rose-park-softbank-big-winners-in-coupang-ipo/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Forbes |language=en}}
Additionally, Jett and her team led investments into and represented SBIA{{Cite web |title=Lydia Jett, Managing Partner |url=https://visionfund.com/team/lydia-jett |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=SoftBank Vision Fund |language=en-US}} on the Board of Directors several companies including: Andela, Embark, Klook,{{Cite web |last=Hamdi |first=Raini |date=2019-04-09 |title=Klook Receives $225 Million SoftBank Investment in Nod to Tours and Activities |url=https://skift.com/2019/04/09/klook-receives-225-million-softbank-investment-in-nod-to-tours-and-activities/ |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Skift |language=en-US}} LTK,{{Cite press release |date=2021-11-22 |title=LTK Announces SoftBank Vision Fund 2 Investment |url=https://onbrand.shopltk.com/en/latest-news/ltk-announces-softbank-vision-fund-2-investment |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=LTK |language=en}} mmhmm, Pacaso, Weee!,{{Cite press release |title=Ethnic E-Grocer Weee! Raises $425 Million Series E Round Led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ethnic-e-grocer-weee-raises-425-million-series-e-round-led-by-softbank-vision-fund-2-301491051.html |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=PR Newswire |language=en}} Bytedance,{{Cite web |date=2018-09-28 |title=Bytedance to raise money from SoftBank at $75bn valuation |url=https://www.ft.com/content/d7d1eff2-c307-11e8-95b1-d36dfef1b89a |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Financial Times}} ezCater,{{Cite press release |title=ezCater Raises $100 Million to Scale Corporate Food Solutions and Redefine Food for Work |url=https://www.ezcater.com/company/press-release/ezcater-raises-100-million-to-scale-corporate-food-solutions-and-redefine-food-for-work/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=ezCater |language=en-US}} Aleo,{{Cite press release |date=2022-02-07 |title=Aleo Raises $200M in Series B to Expand Private-by-Default, Blockchain Platform {{!}} Aleo Blog |url=https://www.aleo.org/post/aleo-raises-series-b/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Aleo}} and Quantstamp{{Cite web |last1=Ryan |first1=Aiden |last2=Clark |first2=Kate |date=2022-07-21 |title=An 'Exceptionally High' Bar: Investors Shift Focus in New Crypto Deals |url=https://www.theinformation.com/articles/an-exceptionally-high-bar-investors-shift-focus-in-new-crypto-deals |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=The Information}} amongst other investments. Bloomberg reported Jett was departing Softbank in 2024.{{Cite news |last1=Tan |first1=Gillian |last2=Lee |first2=Min Jeong |date=February 19, 2024 |title=SoftBank Vision Fund Americas Managing Partner Jett to Depart |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-02-19/softbank-vision-fund-americas-managing-partner-jett-to-depart|work=Bloomberg News |access-date=2024-03-08}}
Prior to launching SBIA, Jett was a senior member of the investment team at Softbank Group Corporation International (SBGI) where she helped lead SBGI’s Series D investments in Guardant Health,{{Cite news |date=2016-01-07 |title=Guardant Health Raises Nearly $100M in Series D Funding |url=https://www.genomeweb.com/molecular-diagnostics/guardant-health-raises-nearly-100m-series-d-funding#.YxDmNy-B2Rs |url-access=registration |work=GenomeWeb}} 10x Genomics{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Nick Paul |date=2016-03-21 |title=10X Genomics scoops another $55M to fuel commercialization of long-read tech |url=https://www.fiercebiotech.com/it/10x-genomics-scoops-another-55m-to-fuel-commercialization-of-long-read-tech |work=Fierce Biotech}} and Series A investment into Fetch Robotics{{Cite press release |date=2015-06-17 |title=SoftBank Leads $20 Million Investment in Fetch Robotics |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150617005326/en/SoftBank-Leads-20-Million-Investment-in-Fetch-Robotics |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Business Wire |language=en}} (sold to Zebra).{{Cite web |last=Crowe |first=Steve |date=2021-07-01 |title=Fetch Robotics acquired by Zebra Technologies for $290M |url=https://www.therobotreport.com/fetch-robotics-acquired-by-zebra-technologies-for-290m/ |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=The Robot Report |language=en-US}}
Jett served as an Independent Board Member on the Board of Directors of Coupang, Fanatics,{{Cite press release |date=2023-05-05|title=Fanatics Announces Appointment of Lydia Jett and Jonathan Mildenhall to Board of Directors |url=https://www.fanaticsinc.com/press-releases/fanatics-announces-appointment-of-lydia-jett-and-jonathan-mildenhall-to-board-of-directors |access-date=2024-03-08 |website=Fanatics Inc |language=en-US}} Flipkart and Ozon.
Jett has been recognized by Forbes as “generating one of the largest cash generating returns ever for a start-up investor,{{Cite news |last=Konrad |first=Alex |date=May 15, 2021 |title=The Surprise Investors Who Scored Billions From Coupang's IPO |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2021/03/15/rose-park-softbank-big-winners-in-coupang-ipo/?sh=2cb730bb4e24 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-03-08 |work=Forbes}} published work in Fast Company,{{Cite news |last=Jett |first=Lydia |date=2021-03-11 |title=Look out, Amazon. Asia-based companies such as Coupang are leading the next e-commerce revolution |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90614066/look-out-amazon-asia-based-companies-like-coupang-are-leading-the-next-e-commerce-revolution |url-status= |access-date=2024-03-08 |work=Fast Company}} been recognized as one of Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women.{{Cite web |last=Hinchliffe |first=Emma |date=2019-10-21 |title=Inside Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit: The Broadsheet |url=https://fortune.com/2019/10/21/inside-fortunes-most-powerful-women-summit-the-broadsheet/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-02-27 |website=Fortune |language=en}}
Previously, Jett worked as an investment banking analyst at JPMorgan in New York, before working at Goldman Sachs in the Principal Investment Area and M/C Partners.