Investor profile

Aileen Lee

Founder & Managing Partner, Cowboy Ventures

Coined the term "unicorn" and built one of the first data-driven seed funds.

Aileen Lee spent over a decade at Kleiner Perkins, working hands-on with companies from Series A through IPO, including Bloom Energy, Rent the Runway and Trendyol.

In 2012 she founded Cowboy Ventures, a seed-stage fund backing teams reimagining work and personal life. In 2013 she published the research that coined "unicorn" for billion-dollar startups, turning a loose pattern into a dataset the industry still cites.

Notable

Coined the term "unicorn" for billion-dollar startups.

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Facts here reflect public reporting at time of writing — roles and fund affiliations change; verify current details directly with Cowboy Ventures.

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