# Kevin Lin

> Kevin Lin is a Taiwanese-American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and co-founder of Twitch.tv — the live-streaming platform acquired by Amazon for ~$970 million in 2014. Serving as COO for 12.5 years, he helped grow Twitch to 90%+ market share, $1.5B annual revenue, and 2,000+ employees. After departing in 2020, he co-founded Metatheory (a Web3 gaming company backed by a16z), launched Lifelike Capital (an early-stage VC fund), and co-created the Ikigai Launchpad accelerator in Taipei — all while staying deeply rooted in his Taiwanese heritage and AAPI community through Gold House.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at Metatheory; General Partner at Lifelike Capital; Managing Partner at 886 Studios
- **Organizations:** Metatheory, Lifelike Capital, 886 Studios, Ikigai Launchpad, Gold House, Twitch (former)
- **From:** New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- **Nationality:** American (Taiwanese-American)
- **Education:** Bachelor of Science, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University
- **Known for:** Co-founded Twitch.tv, the world's dominant live-streaming platform with 90%+ market share in gaming, Helped grow Twitch to $1.5 billion in annual revenue and 2,000+ employees, Led Twitch through Amazon's $970 million acquisition in 2014

## Career timeline

- **1982** — Born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Taiwanese immigrant parents
- **2004** — Graduated from Yale University with a BS in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- **2004-2007** — Worked at NYC Tourism + Conventions, Adina for Life beverage brand, and briefly in venture capital
- **2008** — Joined Justin.tv as COO after college friend Michael Seibel recruited him
- **2011** — Co-founded Twitch.tv as a gaming-focused spin-off of Justin.tv (launched June 6, 2011)
- **2014** — Amazon acquired Twitch for approximately $970 million; Lin continued as COO
- **2018** — Stepped down as COO of Twitch; transitioned to Culture, Strategy & Innovation role; co-founded Gold House
- **2018** — Returned to Taiwan to explore startup ecosystem opportunities
- **2020** — Served as Visiting Partner at Y Combinator (W20 and S20 batches)
- **2020** — Departed Twitch after 12.5 years, publishing farewell post 'I Will Build Again'
- **2021** — Co-founded Metatheory, a Web3 interactive entertainment company; launched DuskBreakers game franchise
- **2022** — Metatheory raised $24M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z); co-founded Lifelike Capital VC firm
- **2023** — Organized Sundance Film Festival: Asia in Taipei; spoke at Milken Institute Asia Summit
- **2024** — Co-founded Ikigai Launchpad accelerator in Taipei with Kai Huang; became Managing Partner at 886 Studios

## Achievements

- Co-founded Twitch.tv, the world's dominant live-streaming platform with 90%+ market share in gaming
- Helped grow Twitch to $1.5 billion in annual revenue and 2,000+ employees
- Led Twitch through Amazon's $970 million acquisition in 2014
- Built Twitch's partner/creator program from scratch, enabling streamer monetization
- Co-founded Gold House, a leading AAPI community organization reshaping representation in media
- Metatheory's DuskBreakers sold out 10,000 Genesis NFTs in six days at launch (December 2021)
- Raised $24 million Series A for Metatheory from a16z, Pantera Capital, and FTX Ventures
- Former Chairman of the Board for OURA (smart ring company valued at $5B+)
- Angel investor in 51+ startups including Cruise Automation (acquired by GM for $1B+)
- Board Director at Krafton / PUBG
- Recognized by Taiwan's Asian Silicon Valley Development Plan among 11 entrepreneurs who created $10B+ market value companies
- Co-founded Ikigai Launchpad, offering $100K investment and Silicon Valley access to Taiwan startups
- Organized Sundance Film Festival: Asia in Taipei (2023)

## Latest updates

- **2024-01** — Co-founded Ikigai Launchpad accelerator in Taipei with Guitar Hero creator Kai Huang, offering $100K investment and 12-week program for Taiwan startups
- **2023-09** — Spoke at the Milken Institute Asia Summit 2023 as a featured speaker
- **2023-01** — Organized Sundance Film Festival: Asia in Taipei under three-year licensing agreement
- **2022-05** — Metatheory raised $24M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z)
- **2021-12** — Metatheory's DuskBreakers sold out 10,000 Genesis NFTs in six days
- **2021-01** — Co-founded Metatheory, a Web3 interactive entertainment company
- **2020-11** — Departed Twitch after 12.5 years, published farewell post 'To the Twitch Community' with the promise 'I Will Build Again'

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinlin3/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/kevinlin
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinlin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/supervinlin

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/kevin-lin
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-29