JL

Julie Liao

Partner at Yes Investor (ex Sidewalk Labs

San Francisco Bay Area

Overview 

Julie Liao is a Partner at Yes VC, with a background that includes roles at Sidewalk Labs, True Ventures, and E&Y. She specializes in strategic initiatives, relationship development, and venture capital, focusing on sectors such as Smart Cities/UrbanTech and Digital Health. Highlights of Julie's career include her experience as COO at Sidewalk Labs (Part of Google) and her role as a Partner at Yes VC, where she invests in diverse sectors and stages, including Seed and Pre-seed startups.

Work Experience 

  • Venture Partner

    2024 - Current

    Backing founders building AI for Energy Infrastructure and Energy for AI

  • Partner and COO

    2025

  • Fractional Exec (COO/CFO)

    2022

  • Board Member

    2023

Public Goods is a direct-to-consumer brand that sells eco-friendly essentials in the grocery, household, and personal care categories.

Raised $21,800,000.00 from 500 Global and Knockout Capital.

  • Partner

    2023 - 2024

    We're a team of founders/ operators who create and invest in early stage tech (pre-seed /seed), currently focused on energy, dual purpose technologies, AI, health & longevity, and climate solutions. Some amazing companies we support include: Steady Energy, Tau Motors, AssemblyOSM, Oura, HelixNano, Flexnode, and Heirloom Carbon. At Yes, I lead new investment opportunities in clean tech, deep tech, and enterprise B2B, and work closely with our portfolio companies for all things capital raising, financial strategy, and network. I also lead firm-wide finance, operations, compliance and HR. Portfolio companies I worked closely with and/or led the investment of: - Public Goods (Board member) Membership-based sustainable, well designed home goods - Primary Diagnostics (incubation/exit) Modern public health infrastructure - AssemblyOSM (seed) Fabricating more sustainable, well designed high rises - Flexnode (pre-seed) All-in-one lifecycle solution for data compute, storage and networking - Clinikally (seed) India's digital clinic for skin and hair care - Tau Motors (seed) Software-enabled electric motor and powertrain - Heirloom Carbon (seed) World's most cost effective direct air capture solution - Gradual (pre-seed) An all in one community platform - Treeswift (seed) Next generation forest monitoring systems

  • Principal

    2021 - 2023

  • Founding Member

    2021 - 2024

    A grassroots community for operators to build their networks and learn from each other. I built out our systems and processes and helped recruit our first 100 paying members.

Journey CxO is a private membership community provides Finance, Accounting and People Operations.

  • Operator LP

    2022 - 2024

    FOG Ventures was created to invest and support innovative founders that are helping create toolbox 2.0 for the modern day Office of the Operator (CEO, CFO, COO, People/Talent, Biz Ops, Strategy, RevOps). Unlike most VCs, we’re not just investing in what we believe in — as active operators, we’re investing in products we actually use.

  • Founder

    2021 - 2024

    consultant and advisor to founders in all things strategic finance, business operations, HR, community and customer success. Clients included Lunchbox.io (Coatue, 645 Ventures, Primary), Cube Software (Mayfield, Bonfire), Journey CxO and Column.us (Lux Capital), and Yes VC

  • Director, FP&A and Business Operations

    2020 - 2021

    Impact Tech is a B2B SaaS + Marketplace partnership management platform transforming the way enterprises manage and optimize all types of partnerships. I led business planning, new pricing initiatives, M&A and managed a global team of 5 across business intelligence and finance.

  • COO, Coord

    2018 - 2020

    Coord is a digital curb management software platform. I led the spin-out from Sidewalk Labs/ Alphabet, built out our business infrastructure, raised Series A financing as well as manage the launch of our product into 15 new cities/markets (i.e. partnerships, hiring and field operations). I learned what it's like to go through product market fit cycles, raise early stage money and have fun with engineers.

  • Head of Finance & Business Operations, Coord

    2017 - 2018

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