# Carra Wu

> Carra Wu is a Partner on the a16z crypto investment team, where she leads investments in gaming, media, consumer, and infrastructure. She became the youngest check signer in the firm's history at age 23, ascending from intern to deal partner in under a year - a trajectory that started with a six-sentence cold email to Arianna Simpson. A Harvard applied math dropout fluent in three languages, former HoloLens AR/VR engineer at Microsoft, and one-time ballet dancer, Wu brings a builder's instincts to some of crypto's biggest bets, including Axie Infinity, Friends With Benefits, Yield Guild Games, Story Protocol, and CCP Games.

- **Role:** Partner, Crypto Investments at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z crypto)
- **Organizations:** Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a16z crypto, Gold House
- **From:** Chicago area, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** Applied Mathematics, Computer Science & Economics (did not complete), Harvard University
- **Known for:** Youngest check signer in Andreessen Horowitz history, reaching Deal Partner at age 23, First intern ever hired by a16z's crypto investment team (March 2021), Advanced from intern to partner in under 12 months at one of the world's top VC firms

## Career timeline

- **2016** — Enrolled at Harvard University studying applied mathematics, computer science, and economics; joined Harvard Ballet Company
- **2017** — First exposure to crypto while working at a data analytics startup
- **2018** — First leave of absence from Harvard; joined Apptimize as Chief of Staff to the CEO (7 months); company later acquired by Airship
- **2019** — Interned at Microsoft Garage, building AR/VR applications for HoloLens; worked as consultant at the U.S. Air Force's Kessel Run software factory
- **2020** — Interned at Apple working on video game strategy for the App Store; sent a cold email to a16z crypto's Arianna Simpson at year-end
- **2021-03** — Joined a16z as its first-ever crypto team intern
- **2021-07** — Promoted to deal analyst
- **2021-10** — Closed first investment: Pith project
- **2022-03** — Promoted to Deal Partner at age 23, becoming the youngest check signer in a16z history
- **2024** — Co-led a16z crypto's $80M Series B investment in PIP Labs (Story Protocol)
- **2025** — Co-led $15M seed investment in Poseidon, decentralized AI training data layer

## Achievements

- Youngest check signer in Andreessen Horowitz history, reaching Deal Partner at age 23
- First intern ever hired by a16z's crypto investment team (March 2021)
- Advanced from intern to partner in under 12 months at one of the world's top VC firms
- Led or co-led investments in Axie Infinity, Yield Guild Games, Friends With Benefits, CCP Games, Story Protocol ($80M Series B), and Poseidon ($15M seed)
- Recognized on Gold House's A100 list of most impactful Asian Americans
- Authored published research on AI x crypto crossovers, including proposals for blockchain-based webcrawler compensation for content creators
- Top NYC investor ranking by Signal NFX in Web3/Blockchain and Crypto sectors

## Latest updates

- **2025-07** — Co-led a16z crypto's $15M seed investment in Poseidon, a decentralized data layer for AI training coordination
- **2024-08** — Co-led a16z crypto's $80M Series B in PIP Labs, developer of Story Protocol - a blockchain for programmable IP licensing
- **2025-01** — Published research on AI x crypto crossovers, including a proposal for blockchain-based payment systems for AI webcrawlers to compensate content creators
- **2025-01** — Appeared in a16z crypto's 'Trends 2025' podcast discussing AI agents, DePIN, and proof of personhood

## Links

- Website: http://carrawu.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrawu
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/carrawu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carrawu/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/carra-wu
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-09