Achievements
- Founded Mason in 2015 to simplify IoT hardware deployment
- Mason joined Y Combinator’s Winter 2016 batch, a major startup milestone
- Built Mason into an AWS/Azure-like infrastructure for IoT developers
- Led a company based in Seattle with a team of around 65 employees
- Gained enterprise experience at Microsoft and deep tech expertise in wireless with vibeglobe and Nexlink Communications
- Leveraged venture capital experience at Detroit Venture Partners to shape startup growth
Peep this legend Jim Xiao
Real talk, let me break down Jim Xiao, this guy’s a straight-up tech hustler and a total visionary. He’s the founder and President of Mason, a company that’s basically making it super easy to get smart devices and IoT stuff out to the world. Think of Mason as the AWS or Azure for IoT, like the infrastructure layer that helps other startups and big companies jump into smart hardware without all the bullshit setup. They started back in 2015, and by Winter 2016, they were part of YC’s batch, which is a big deal ’cause YC only takes the best. Now, Mason’s based in Seattle, and they’ve grown to about 65 folks, not tiny, not massive, just the right size to crush it.
But who’s Jim, really? Well, his background’s stacked. He’s been around the block with stints at Microsoft, so he’s got serious enterprise chops. He also dipped into venture capital at Detroit Venture Partners, which means he’s got that investor hustle, knows what it takes to spot a winner and build one. Plus, he’s been deep in the wireless game with companies like vibeglobe and Nexlink Communications, so he’s got hands-on experience with the tech that powers our connected world.
What’s wild is how Jim’s process screams passion for building stuff that actually matters. He saw the pain points in IoT, how hard it is to get hardware to market fast, and decided to build Mason as the ultimate infrastructure to solve that. He’s not just about making money; he’s about changing the game, making it easier for innovators to bring their ideas to life without drowning in bullshit tech problems.
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Talk to herHis story’s all about hustle and vision. From Microsoft’s corporate world to VC and startup grind, Jim’s been pushing to make IoT more accessible. It’s clear he’s driven by a desire to simplify and speed up hardware innovation. He jumped into the startup scene, crushed it with Mason, and now he’s shaping the future of smart devices.
Long story short? Jim Xiao is one of those guys who saw a real problem, knew he could fix it, and went all-in. He’s built a company that’s gonna be a big deal in the IoT space, and honestly, he’s the kind of founder who’s just getting started. No cap, he’s the real deal.

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