An unexpected cold front has hit Beijing, but that has not stifled the excitement brewing at TechCrunch Beijing, coming up in just one week, when some champion VCs will head to the show, along with the rest of the tech and startup scene. Check out some of these investors before you catch them at the event!
Steven Ji–Parter at Sequoia Capital China
Steven Ji’s area of expertise is the mobile internet, culture and entertainment. Prior to joining Sequoia in 2005, Steven worked with Walden International, Vertex Management and CIV Venture Capital, and competed various successful projects including Tuniu, and Meituan-Dianping. One of the first employees of Seagate Technology in China, Steven currently is a member of the board of Tuniu and Noah Holdings
Bruce Yu–Partner at GGV & and Founding Partner of GGV’s RMB fund
Joining GGV in 2008, Bruce Yu is now partner at the firm and the founding partner of GGV’s RMB fund. He was one of the first investors in China to have a strong interest in smart technology, and over the years, he has bet on projects robotic surgery, underwater drones and autonomous vessels, as well as startups in AR such as educational tool Neobear and AR service provider Hiscene. Bruce has also taken a lead in backing sustainability projects like CSD Water Service。
Ken Xu–Gobi Partners
With over a decade of experience in venture capital, Ken Xu is now a partner at Gobi, putting to use his expertise in finance, real estate and engineering. Since 2003, when he first joined the firm, Ken has been devoting special attention to wireless applications,e-commerce, social networking, and cloud computing. On top of that, He is mentor/advisor for various entrepreneurs associations and acceleration programs, such as Microsoft BizSpark, ZGC Angel Investment Alliance, iHeima, and Feimalv.
Jeffrey Paine–Founding Partner at Golden Gate Ventures
Jeffrey Paine is a Co-founder of Golden Gate Ventures, an early stage that focuses on tech headquartered in Singapore. Jeffrey has introduced “The Founder Institute” to Singapore, where it now has over 70 members, and has pushed its boundaries forward to Southeast Asia. Jeffrey is an investor and advisor to Redmart, Tradegecko and Nitrous.io.
Chris Pu–Partner at Telstra Ventures
Chris Pu is the head of Greater China, Telstra Ventures, and brings more than 20 years of experience in direct investment and business development involving U.S. and cross-border deals in China, Taiwan, Korea, India and Malaysia. Prior to taking on this role, Chris was the had of Intel Capital’s investments in Greater China, responsible for mobility investments, building upon his experience setting up a fund of his own in the Silicon Valley, where he secured a successful track record.
Tay Choon Chong–Managing Partner at Vertex Venture China
Mr. Tay Choon Chong joined Vertex in 2009, and it is one of the longest operating venture capital firms in Asia, and a member of Temasek Holdings. Prior to joining Vertex, he was the Senior VP of GIC based in Beijing, China, from 2007 to 2009. Before that, Choon Chong was the Senior VP of ST Aerospace responsible for its Component Aviation Service Division. From 2000 to 2005, he headed Fortune VC Singapore and covers VC investment in China and Singapore. Some of his notable investments include 91.com, Kingsoft, and Focus Media
Andrew Teoh–Partner at Ameba Capital
Andrew is the founding Managing Partner of Ameba Capital. Prior to founding Ameba Capital, Andrew was Vice President and Head of Corporate Finance at Alibaba Group where he built and led the Corporate Development and Corporate Finance efforts of Alibaba Group. Andrew was responsible for Alibaba’s milestone transactions and also managed the treasury efforts of Alibaba Group, including managing up to USD 1bn of cash, investment and risk management.
Prior to Alibaba Group, Andrew was a banker at ABN AMRO Corporate Finance. Prior to a career in investment banking, Andrew was a management consultant with Price Waterhouse in Australia and Beijing where he advised SOEs and private enterprises on restructuring and operations.
These champion investors will share their thoughts on investing overseas during the proverbial “Capital Winter”, and tips for startups on how to adjust and adapt in a changing climate. For those who want some one-on-one time with some of the leading investors in China, be sure not to miss TechCrunch Beijing’s VC Meet-up. See you there!