Zhu Li
李竹 Li Zhu, the founding partner of Innoangel Fund, also serves as the inaugural Chairman of the Tsinghua Alumni Association TMT Committee, the Honorary Chairman of Angel Union, and the Honorary President of the Zhongguancun Angel Investment Alliance, making significant contributions to China's entrepreneurial and investment ecosystem.
STORY OF ZHU LI
Li Zhu graduated from the Computer Science Department at Tsinghua University in 1989 and became a renowned angel investor with a remarkable record. After two bouts of entrepreneurship in 1993 and 2005, Li ventured into angel investing in 2000. To date, he has participated in over 300 projects, several of which have been listed or acquired by larger entities. In 2013, he founded Inno Angel Fund, which dedicated to early investment in tech innovation.
The Inno Angel Fund was established in April 2013 by Li Zhu, Lin Sen, and other alumni of Tsinghua University. The investment management team has, on average, over ten years of angel investment experience. With Tsinghua alumni as a starting point, they have established a structured entrepreneurial service system and achieved high investment efficiency, high subsequent financing success rate, and rapid return speed with funds over 20 billion yuan.
Li Zhu and Inno Angel Fund extend their influence beyond Tsinghua, Beijing, and Zhongguancun to Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Silicon Valley. In the future, they are planning to build an angel investment platform, viewing angel investing as a 'game' of networking. Such a platform would allow better use of their strengths as a startup company. However, the story of Inno Angel Fund is just beginning.
Li Zhu considers the establishment of Inno Angel Fund his third entrepreneurship adventure. Apart from investing, the greater ambition is to build a comprehensive angel investment ecosystem. At the same time, he hopes to build a decentralized and open alumni connection platform for Tsinghua alumni to encourage a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at Tsinghua University.
According to Liu Zhu, Inno's projects mainly come from major institutions, large business enterprises, and recommendations within the Inno ecosystem. One of Inno's investments, in an autonomous driving project called Zhixingzhe, illustrates this approach. The team behind Zhixingzhe, originally from Tsinghua, is led by Professor Li Keqiang, a reputable expert in the field of intelligent vehicles and traffic systems.
On September 10, the Tsinghua University Computer Science Department named its professor fund donation ceremony. Founders from Inno Angel Fund—Li Zhu, Deng Yongqiang, Liu Huaiyu—attended the ceremony. Their continued involvement from Tsinghua to the Inno Angel Fund reflects their commitment to nurturing and supporting fellow Tsinghua graduates in their entrepreneurial journeys.
About Zhu Li
Honorary Chairman of the Zhongguancun Angel Investment Alliance, Honorary President of the the China Young Angel Investors Leaders Association, and founding President of the Tsinghua Alumni Association TMT Committee. He's a member of the Early Investment Committee of the China Securities Investment Fund Association. A 1989 Tsinghua University computer science graduate, he launched two startups in 1993 and 2005, and began angel investing in 2000 with over 300 projects, many of which have gone public or been acquired. In 2013, he founded Inno Angel Fund, focusing on early-stage tech innovation. Recognized as a leading figure in Zhongguancun's angel investment and one of China's top investors by CCTV in 2019, his focus areas include new energy materials and next-gen information technology, with investments in Meituan, Yoozoo Games, and more.
InnoAngel Fund
Inno Angel Fund, established in April 2013, manages billions of RMB and has invested in over 500 innovative projects. The team, with an average of over 10 years of angel investment experience and rooted in Tsinghua alumni, has developed a comprehensive entrepreneurial service system. Inno aims to be a self-evolving, innovative angel investment platform with a philosophy of "investing in innovation, achieving personal and collective growth." It focuses on key innovation hubs like Beijing, the Yangtze River Delta, the Greater Bay Area, and Silicon Valley, boasting a high-efficiency cross-regional investment and entrepreneurial service network.
Prioritizing sectors like new energy materials, next-gen IT, advanced manufacturing, and biotech, Inno mainly invests in the angel and Pre-A stages, with over 80% of its projects receiving subsequent funding and several initiating IPOs.
With a robust post-investment service network, Inno propels rapid project growth through corporate resource matching, project financing, IP patents, HR, debt services, PR, fiscal guidance, and founder training. It has established a unique entrepreneurial ecosystem and circles for project sourcing, industry resources, and close cooperation with top VC firms.
Recognized by the industry with numerous accolades for its early-stage investment prowess, Inno Angel Fund remains committed to being the first to write checks for entrepreneurs, investing in innovation for mutual growth.