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Kai-Fu Lee

Investor

General Partner at Sinovation Disrupt · Chairman & CEO at Sinovation Ventures

Beijing, China

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Photo: Rico Shen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons ↗

About

Kai-Fu Lee founded Sinovation Ventures in 2009 after leading Google China, and became one of the most influential voices bridging the US and Chinese technology worlds. He remains chairman of the firm while running 01.AI, the large-language-model company he founded in 2023, and has written widely read books on artificial intelligence including AI Superpowers and AI 2041.

Contact· self-published, not guessed

Invests in

AI & Machine LearningEdTechHealthtechRoboticsSemiconductors

Beyond investing

Founded
Lee founded the venture capital firm Innovation Works, later renamed Sinovation Ventures, in 2009. Lee founded 01.AI, an AI startup focused on large language models for the Chinese market, in March 2023.
Education
Studied at Columbia University (BS, Computer Science, 1983) Studied at Carnegie Mellon University (PhD, Computer Science, 1988) Studied at Oak Ridge High School
Boards
Lee served as co-chair of the World Economic Forum's Global AI Council. Lee is a member of the Committee of 100.
Awards
Lee was named to the Time 100 list of influential people in 2013. Lee was inducted as a Fellow of the IEEE in 2002. Lee was named Asia House Asian Business Leader in 2018. Lee received an honorary doctorate degree from Carnegie Mellon University. Lee received an honorary doctorate degree from City University of Hong Kong. Lee received the John Jay Award. Lee received the Asia's Most Influential Taiwan award.
Family
Lee is the son of Li Tianmin, a legislator and historian from Sichuan, China.
More
Lee disclosed in 2013 that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma. Lee relinquished his U.S. citizenship in 2011, retaining only his Taiwanese nationality.

Mentioned above: the Columbia University mafia → · the Carnegie Mellon University mafia →

From published sources — common ground for a warm intro.

Books by Kai-Fu Lee

AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order cover
AI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018
AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future cover
AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future
Currency, 2021

Podcasts & interviews

featuring Kai-Fu Lee

Kai-Fu Lee: AI Superpowers - China and Silicon Valley | Lex Fridman Podcast #27

Lex Fridman

Ex-Google China President on How China Is Shaping the Future of AI w/ Kai-Fu Lee | EP #134

Peter H. Diamandis

Kai-Fu Lee: a Moratorium on AI Development Would Be a 'Huge Mistake'

Bloomberg Television

Sinovation Ventures' Kai-Fu Lee on Tech Innovation

Bloomberg Live

The Future of Artificial Intelligence w/ Sinovation Ventures CEO Kai-Fu Lee | Technovation 616

Metis Strategy

Here's how AI will change our world by 2041 | Kai-Fu Lee, Sinovation Ventures | AI FOR GOOD KEYNOTES

AI for Good

6 more appearances

Colleagues at Sinovation Disrupt

Lei Liang
General Partner at Sinovation Disrupt
Xiaolong Yang
General Partner at Sinovation Disrupt

Frequently asked questions

Who is Kai-Fu Lee?
Kai-Fu Lee founded Sinovation Ventures in 2009 after leading Google China, and became one of the most influential voices bridging the US and Chinese technology worlds. He remains chairman of the firm while running 01.AI, the large-language-model company he founded in 2023, and has written widely read books on artificial intelligence including AI Superpowers and AI 2041.
Where does Kai-Fu Lee work?
Kai-Fu Lee is General Partner at Sinovation Disrupt and Chairman & CEO at Sinovation Ventures.
What does Kai-Fu Lee invest in?
Kai-Fu Lee invests in AI & Machine Learning, EdTech, Healthtech, Robotics, Semiconductors.
What awards has Kai-Fu Lee received?
Lee was named to the Time 100 list of influential people in 2013. Lee was inducted as a Fellow of the IEEE in 2002. Lee was named Asia House Asian Business Leader in 2018. Lee received an honorary doctorate degree from Carnegie Mellon University. Lee received an honorary doctorate degree from City University of Hong Kong. Lee received the John Jay Award.
What podcasts and interviews feature Kai-Fu Lee?
Tracked appearances include "Kai-Fu Lee: AI Superpowers - China and Silicon Valley | Lex Fridman Podcast #27", "Ex-Google China President on How China Is Shaping the Future of AI w/ Kai-Fu Lee | EP #134", "Kai-Fu Lee: a Moratorium on AI Development Would Be a 'Huge Mistake'", and 9 more.

Founder mafias

About this profile. Compiled from public sources — Sinovation Disrupt's own website, press coverage and public professional profiles — and summarised by Fundraising Fox; every fact is kept with where it came from. Spotted an error, or would rather not be listed? Email privacy@fundraisingfox.com · How we build profiles · Your rights