Lan Xuezhao

Xuezhao earned a M.A. in Statistics (2008) and a Ph.D. in Psychology (2009) from the University of Michigan. Her doctoral research focused on quantitative cognitive science, and she has published findings in leading academic journals, including Science.

After completing her Ph.D., Xuezhao founded a startup developing brain-training games for children, which was later acquired. She subsequently worked at McKinsey & Company as an engagement manager. In 2013, she joined Dropbox, leading the Corporate Development Strategy team and overseeing mergers and acquisitions strategy.

In 2017, Xuezhao founded Basis Set Ventures (BSV), a venture capital firm that invests in AI and automation-focused startups. She launched the firm with over a hundred million in funding, emphasizing a data-driven approach to venture investing. BSV developed internal tools such as the AI system “Pascal” for sourcing potential startups and the HyperGrowth platform to connect portfolio companies with mentors.

Under Xuezhao’s leadership, BSV expanded with subsequent funds of $165 million (2021), $185 million (2023) and $250 million (2026), bringing total assets under management to over $850 million. The firm invests primarily in AI-driven enterprise software and infra-first consumer companies. Notable portfolio companies include Scale AI, Path Robotics, Workstream, Ergeon, Quince, Cusp and Drata.