John Backus

John Backus is the co-founder and managing partner of PROOF, a venture capital firm. John has over 25 years of experience in the aviation and technology industries.

John began their career in the aviation industry, holding various positions at World Airways and Key Airlines. In 1987, they transitioned to the technology industry, joining Intelidata as CEO. During their time at Intelidata, John made a number of successful investments, including a $5M investment in Home Financial Network that returned $50M when it was sold.

In 1998, John co-founded US Order, an electronic banking pioneer. John took the company public on NASDAQ in 1995 and merged it with Colonial Data Technologies to form Intelidata in 1996. John ran the combined company as CEO until 1999.

In 1999, John joined Draper Atlantic as a managing partner. John helped grow the firm's portfolio of companies and investments, and also served on the board of directors for a number of companies.

In 2009, John co-founded PROOF Acquisition Corp I, a special purpose acquisition company. John served as the company's COO until it was acquired by KBW Ventures in 2019.

John Backus received their MBA in finance from Stanford University Graduate School of Business and their BA in economics from Stanford University.

Some individuals on their team include Melanie Ness - Controller, Maggie Varona - CFO, and Man Nguyen - Tax Manager.