Movers and Shakers
From investors to serial entrepreneurs, these are the individuals who shape their local startup scene
Daniel Oliver: Building a "Facebook" for investments in biotech startups
The biologist and crowdfunding expert has pioneered the growth of Spanish biotech startups, providing access to early-stage investments, with support from scientific experts worldwide
Kathy Xu stays ahead of the curve in China's VC scene
Dubbed “Queen of VC” in China, Xu has spotted great companies that others were not quite interested in, like Chinese online retail giant JD.com
Xu Jinghong: Champion of young entrepreneurs and high-tech startups
Under Xu Jinghong’s leadership, Tsinghua Holdings grew its assets sevenfold and incubated over 10,000 businesses. In his new role as VC investor, Xu wants to nurture startups into future global leaders
“Sniper investor” Zhu Xiaohu: GSR Ventures chief’s slow but steady way of spotting future unicorns
Known for his conservative investing in China’s often-euphoric tech startup scene, Zhu Xiaohu has caught unicorns like Didi Chuxing while making a profitable exit from Ofo just before it sank
Neil Shen: The super unicorn hunter
His bet on ByteDance, the startup that gave the world TikTok, helped Neil Shen top this year's Forbes Midas List. But for Shen, even in that deal he once made the wrong call
Belva Devara: The whiz kid transforming Indonesia’s education sector
Recently made advisor to the Indonesian president, edtech Ruangguru founder and CEO Belva Devara has also begun mentoring and promoting new startups in Indonesia
Li Zexiang and his game-changing plans to take Chinese robotics global
An early supporter of drone giant DJI, Professor Li Zexiang is building robotics hubs across China to pivot homegrown enterprises into global players
Carlos Guerrero: The legal guardian of tech startups
The lawyer and investor dives deep in the Spanish startup ecosystem, supporting young tech companies with both financial and specialized legal support
Cristina Fonseca: On a one-woman mission to make Portugal more innovative
The co-founder of Portugal's third unicorn, Talkdesk, is now an influential investor and AI authority
Alex Sicart: Democratizing the Internet with blockchain
The 20-year-old tech wiz and blockchain advocate is seeking a digital revolution where decentralized systems will empower societies
Alberto Gómez, Spain's blockchain evangelist
Alberto Gómez Toribio has been pioneering blockchain technology in Spain since 2013. He convinced the Bank of Spain to authorize capital raising with cryptocurrency and built the world's first decentralized Bitcoin exchange
Li Bin: Aiming for more than a Chinese copy of Tesla
Good at making and investing money, he founded two companies that went on to list on the NYSE and invested in over 40 startups
Jorge Dobón of Demium Startups: Precocious founder who prizes risk and failure
Thanks to its unique pre-incubation model, Jorge Dobón’s Demium Startups has supported hundreds of startups in less than six years, with a portfolio worth €130 million
Trudy Dai: Alibaba’s jane of all trades
Dai has played a pivotal role in the success of the world’s biggest e-commerce platform; now the tech giant is trusting her to run its VC arm
Shilling Capital Partners: Growing Portuguese tech businesses from seed
An early mover, the influential angel investing firm is accelerating local techs into Brazil and globally
