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Draper
Investment Company

Draper Investment Company trends the impact emerging entrepreneurs can bring to the global market.

Switzerland

Renowned venture capitalist William H. “Bill” Draper III founded Draper Investment Company in 2001 to focus globally on emerging technologies. The firm, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, specializes in funding early-stage information technology, telecommunications, and software enterprises. In addition to providing venture capital to entrepreneurs with vision, energy, and experience, Draper Investment Company offers contacts, support, and advice in such areas as operations, strategy, executive recruitment, and raising additional capital.

In his long history in venture capitalism, Bill Draper served as a founding investor in a number of successful companies, including Apollo Computer, Inc., Measurex, LSI Corporation, Dionex Corporation, Integrated Genetics, Inc., and Xidex Corporation. Some of the firms Draper invested in later were acquired by such heavyweights as Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., ITT Corporation, Eastman Kodak Company, and Eli Lilly and Company. Today, the Draper Investment Company portfolio features cutting-edge firms such as plista GmbH, C2Call GmbH, Imagini Holdings Ltd., and Dialcom Networks. Draper Investment Company has guided many of its portfolio companies to IPOs, mergers, or acquisitions, including Plazes AG, which was acquired by Nokia; Marketworks, acquired by ChannelAdvisor Corporation; and Skype Limited, acquired by eBay Inc.

The Draper Investment Company follows a lengthy line of venture capitalism firms owned by the Draper family, starting with Draper, Gaither & Anderson, founded by General William H. Draper, Jr. in 1958. His son, Bill, opened Draper & Johnson Investment Company in 1962, and Sutter Hill Ventures in 1965. Bill Draper also established Draper International in 1995, Draper Richards L.P. in 1996, and Draper International and Draper Investment Company in 2001. In 1985, Bill Draper’s son, Tim, founded Draper Fisher Jurvetson. This third-generation Draper venture capitalist became a founding investor in Upside Publishing Company, Parenting magazine, MSN Hotmail, Baidu, Inc., and several other companies.

In 2002, with two partners, Bill Draper of Draper Investment Company co-founded the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, which funds social entrepreneurs for three years with $100,000 per year. Targeted at those working in the nonprofit field, the fellowships go to approximately 1 of every 100 applicants. In addition to financial support, the foundation provides expertise and guidance to foster the nonprofit organization’s growth, the same service Draper Investment Company provides to early-stage firms.


Draper Investment Company's Publications

  • The Draper Investment Company: C2Call GmbH and the Power of Accessibility , Draper Investment Company
    November, 2011
    A global venture capital firm, Draper Investment Company concentrates on supplying early-stage technology companies with the investments they need to grow their business. Over the course of its long history, Draper Investment Company has helped numerous renowned information technology firms establish powerful presences and takes great pride in watching its investments flourish, disrupt and change the world.

    Among the various entries in Draper Investment Company’s portfolio is FriendCaller, a powerful online tool that allows users to make and receive calls over Internet connections, via the web-browser, using C2Call GmbH’s technology. Draper Investment Company invested in this company not only due to the technology C2Call GmbH employs in FriendCaller, but because of the technology’s accessibility, which greatly broadens its appeal.

    Upon visiting FriendCaller.com, users will immediately notice the plethora of options that enable users to make calls: through web browsers powered by Windows, Mac OSX, and Linux operating systems; Apple iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices; and other smartphones. Taking advantage of these options begins after registering for the site and receiving a CallMe link. By sharing their CallMe links on social networking services such as Twitter and sending them to contacts through e-mail and instant messaging programs, FriendCaller users can make calls to other FriendCaller registrants.

    Once users receive their CallMe information, they can make calls using the FriendCaller product of their choice. For example, download FriendCaller for iPhone by opening the App Store and searching for “FriendCaller,” or make a call through Firefox or other popular web browsers. Draper Investment Company is proud to support C2Call GmbH’s powerful FriendCaller technology, which makes staying in contact with friends and family simpler than ever before.