Steve Lee
Steve Lee is a co-founder and managing partner of Neoclassic Capital, a venture capital firm focusing on Web3 and digital assets. Throughout his career, Lee has been influential in bridging the gap between the US and Asia in the financial technology and cryptocurrency sectors, promoting investments in blockchain and digital asset technologies. [1] [2]
Early Life & Education
Steve Lee was born in South Korea and has spent significant periods living in Japan, the United States, and Singapore. He pursued higher education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a Master of Science in Material Science and Engineering. [1]
Career
Early career
Steve Lee began his career in 2008 as a Product Engineer at The Dow Chemical Company, where he worked on the development of electronic materials for semiconductor manufacturers, including Intel and Samsung Electronics. In 2010, he joined Deloitte as a Research Analyst, contributing to mergers and acquisitions projects involving large South Korean business groups, which served as the basis for later work with blockchain.
Goldman Sachs (2010–2018)
In 2010, Lee joined Goldman Sachs Asset Management (GSAM) in Singapore as a Senior Analyst. His work included portfolio analysis, risk management, and operational support for portfolio managers and traders based in New York, London, and Tokyo. He also coordinated processes involving trading, sales, operations, compliance, and technology teams, while handling requests from institutional clients across Japan, South Korea, China, and Australia.
Lee transferred to Tokyo in 2014 and became a Portfolio Manager and Trader. In that role, he managed portfolios consisting of equities, fixed income, private equity, and hedge funds. His responsibilities also included executing foreign exchange and derivatives transactions and providing trading solutions for Japanese institutional clients, including pension funds, financial institutions, and third-party distributors.
BlockTower Capital (2018–2022)
Lee joined BlockTower Capital in 2018, where he served as Investment Director and Head of Asia-Pacific. His responsibilities included investments in publicly traded cryptocurrencies and private companies operating in the financial services and consumer sectors.
As Head of Asia-Pacific, he managed relationships with investors and market participants across China, South Korea, Japan, and Singapore, including cryptocurrency exchanges, over-the-counter trading firms, mining companies, and service providers.
Career break (2022–2023)
Between October 2022 and December 2023, Lee took a career break. During this period, he worked as an angel investor and advised startups and institutions involved in the digital asset sector while preparing the launch of a new investment firm.
Neoclassic Capital (2024–present)
In January 2024, Lee co-founded Neoclassic Capital and became its Co-Founder and Managing Partner. The firm focuses on investments related to Web3, blockchain technology, and digital assets, including projects connected to the entertainment industry.
His work at the firm includes investment activities involving digital asset infrastructure, Web3 technologies, and companies operating in Asian markets.
Industry activities
Lee has participated in conferences, panel discussions, and industry events related to digital assets and blockchain technology. His public appearances have covered topics including cryptocurrency regulation, market conditions, and policy developments.
He has also maintained a public presence through industry and social media platforms, where he shares updates related to cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, Web3, and companies associated with his investment activities. [6] [5] [4] [3] [2] [1]
