Mr Min Zhu studied and worked in Silicon Valley for more than 20 years and was the co-founder and former chief technical officer of WebEx, the global leading provider of online meeting, web conferencing and videoconferencing applications. He enjoyed high reputation owing to his remarkable achievements of innovation and entrepreneurship in the US high-tech industry.
Born in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province in China, Min Zhu had spent seven years as “an educated youth working in countryside” during China’s Cultural Revolution period (1966-1976). He was admitted to Zhejiang University in 1977 and got M.S. Degree in Industrial Management in 1984. Then with the sponsorship of China’s government, he pursued advanced studies at Stanford University and received an M.S. in Engineering from there. As a scientist, he owns more than 20 patents related to “Internet-based real-time interactive multimedia communication technology” that he invented. As an entrepreneur he has abundant experiences of innovation and business startup in the field of computer science and web-based communication and services. In 1991, Mr Zhu co-founded Future Labs, one of the first companies to produce multi-point document collaboration software (sold at USD13 million later). In 1996, he went on to co-found WebEx, which went public in NASDAQ in 2000 and was acquired by Cisco at USD3.2 billion in 2007, far exceeding the market price. He was the first Chinese student that became a successful entrepreneur in the Silicon Valley.
Based on his entrepreneurial success as well as his technological background, business acumen and extraordinary creativity, Min became a venture capitalist. He was the only venture partner of NEA in China, and helped NEA successfully invest in several innovative enterprises such as SMIC (listed in Hong Kong Stock Exchange), Spreadtrum (listed in NASDAQ), and Redbaby in 2003. Upon returning to China in 2005, Min established Cybernaut. Since then, Cybernaut has invested in a wide array of rapidly growing local start-ups in hi-tech, education, healthcare and financial industries, including FPI, We Doctor, Lianlian, aBeacon, Xinwei Telecom, Trunkbow, and Astronergy.
As one of the outstanding alumni of Zhejiang University, Min Zhu donated $10 million to establish the Institute of Innovation Research of Zhejiang University (ZII) at the university’s 110th anniversary in 2007. He is committed to leverage the pedagogy of Stanford University and the resources of Silicon Valley to promote the development of technology and innovation of industry in China.
Min Zhu creatively put forward the "investment + entrepreneurship" model to set up an open platform for crowd funding and crowd sourcing. By building an ecosystem of startup financing to foster innovative startups, and an ecosystem of industry financing to drive the development of emerging industries, this model aims at nurturing a number of great internet+ businesses at ecosystem level. Cybernaut will use this platform not only for investment, but also to gather resources to drive the development of enterprises and the transformation and upgrading of industries in China.
Honors and Social Duties of Min Zhu:
2017 - China’s Most Influential Investor
2015 - China's Pioneer in Innovation and Entrepreneurship
2015 - Most Influential Person of the Year in China's Internet Plus
2015 - Top 50 Innovators and Entrepreneurs of Returned Overseas Students
2015 - Member of the Venture Funds Committee of Asset Management Association of China
2014 - Expert of big data industry alliance of Guizhou province
2014 - Executive Chairman of China Intelligent Tourism Industry Alliance
2012 - Standing Committee Member of All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese
2011 - Honorary Vice-President of the Alumni Association of Zhejiang University
2009 - Vice Chairman of China Society for the Promotion of Science and Technology Commercialization
2009 - Member of Zhongguancun Science and Technology Advisory Board
2009 - Forbes China's Best Venture Capitalists
2008 - Forbes China's Best Venture Capitalists
2008 - Honorary President of the Public Relations Association of Zhejiang Province
2008 - Mentor for Startups of China Torch Program by Ministry of Science and Technology
2007 - Established the Institute of International Innovation Research at Zhejiang University and served as its Dean
2007 - Business Person of the Year in Zhejiang
2007 - China's Most Active Angel Investor
2006 - Top 10 New Entrepreneurs of Overseas Returnees
2006 - Vice-President of the Alumni Association of Zhejiang University
2004 - One of the ten science and technology advisors of San Jose, CA
2004 - Chairman of Hua Yuan Science and Technology Association in U.S.
2004 - Member of Science and Technology Development Association of the University of California
2002 - Top 25 Most Influential Persons in Global E-commerce Selected by "Business Week"
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