Haiyin Capital's Portfolio Companies Take Tech on the Road in Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Beijing
May 29, 2015, T-Edge Innovation Summit in Beijing
by Haiyin Capital
In a tightly-organized and high-energy road show, about a dozen futuristic U.S. tech companies toured China's economic hubs and drew attention from government officials, national media and well-known Chinese businesses.
The trip represents the vision of Haiyin Capital, a small venture capital firm based in Beijing and eyeing team expansion to the U.S.. Haiyin's founding partner, Yuquan Wang, sees an opportunity to identify investable U.S. tech companies and connect them to manufacturing and distribution partners in China, helping the companies grow and penetrate the largest market in the world.
"The trip showed our companies what we know to be true: China is the ideal partner if you want explosive growth," Wang said.
The trip started in Hangzhou, home to automaker Geely Automotive (parent company of Volvo) and global tech giant Alibaba. Haiyin portfolio companies including LightSail Energy (energy storage, based in the Bay Area), WiTricity (wireless charging, based near Boston), Terrafugia (flying cars, based near Boston), and 1366Tech (silicon solar wafers, based near Boston), met with rising entrepreneurial stars at Lakeside University, founded by Alibaba CEO Jack Ma, and presented their companies at Hangzhou Normal University near Alibaba's headquarters.
In a tightly-organized and high-energy road show, about a dozen futuristic U.S. tech companies toured China's economic hubs and drew attention from government officials, national media and well-known Chinese businesses.
The trip represents the vision of Haiyin Capital, a small venture capital firm based in Beijing and eyeing team expansion to the U.S.. Haiyin's founding partner, Yuquan Wang, sees an opportunity to identify investable U.S. tech companies and connect them to manufacturing and distribution partners in China, helping the companies grow and penetrate the largest market in the world.
"The trip showed our companies what we know to be true: China is the ideal partner if you want explosive growth," Wang said.
The trip started in Hangzhou, home to automaker Geely Automotive (parent company of Volvo) and global tech giant Alibaba. Haiyin portfolio companies including LightSail Energy (energy storage, based in the Bay Area), WiTricity (wireless charging, based near Boston), Terrafugia (flying cars, based near Boston), and 1366Tech (silicon solar wafers, based near Boston), met with rising entrepreneurial stars at Lakeside University, founded by Alibaba CEO Jack Ma, and presented their companies at Hangzhou Normal University near Alibaba's headquarters.
In Guangzhou, home to 16 million and a manufacturing powerhouse, Chinese companies heard presentations from each of Haiyin's tech companies and waited for up to two hours to meet with them about potential partnerships. The city's mayor welcomed the companies and hosted them for dinner.
In Guangzhou, Terrafugia CEO Carl Dietrich presents the next model of his flying car prototype.
1366Technologies CEO Frank van Mierlo breaks from talks, while Chinese companies wait for their turn to talk partnerships.
On the third stop of the tour, Qinghua University hosted a taping of the CCTV show "Dialogue," featuring Silicon Valley investors Reid Hoffman and Peter Thiel, and spotlighting four of the Haiyin Companies: Wicab, Hanson Robotics, LightSail Energy and WiTricity.
At Qinghua University in Beijing, WiTricity CEO Alex Gruzen demonstrates his company's wireless charging capability before a panel of investors including Silicon Valley influencers Reid Hoffman and Peter Thiel.
Haiyin companies showcased their products before a standing room-only crowd at the T-Edge Summit, sponsored in part by Titanium Media. The event was held at the Park Hyatt hotel in Beijing, and drew dozens of reporters from the capital city and beyond.
Ex-NASA astronaut and current XCOR test pilot Col. Rick Searfoss talked about the past and future of space flight. His company, XCOR, is currently selling tickets for sub-orbital space flights.
Wicab CTO Rich Little and RexBionics CEO Crispin Simon listen as Haiyin Capital founder Yuquan Wang explains his vision for U.S. - China cooperation on investment in innovation.
On the companies' final day in China, Beijing University hosted senior economists and Haiyin Capital at an event highlighting the importance of intellectual property protection, and leveraging the strengths of U.S. and China in growing technical innovations on both sides of the Pacific.
A tour of Beijing University at sunset. Some at Haiyin were reminded of picturesque Stanford University in California.
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