Loading organizations...
Key people at Tsingyuan Ventures.
Foothill Ventures, formerly Tsingyuan Ventures, operates as an early-stage venture capital firm, providing capital and strategic support to technology companies. It focuses on deep-tech, cross-disciplinary startups across software, life science, and hard technology. The firm specializes in pre-seed, seed, and A-round investments, empowering entrepreneurs to pursue world-changing breakthroughs.
Established in 2017, the firm was founded by seasoned investors, including Michael Jin, who brought experience from prior affiliations like TSVC. Their shared insight into the evolving technological landscape motivated the creation of an entity dedicated to nurturing innovative ventures. This foundation supports founders at the earliest development stages.
Foothill Ventures partners with early-stage deep-tech entrepreneurs building foundational technologies with global potential. Its vision centers on fostering an ecosystem where disruptive ideas flourish into viable businesses, contributing to world-changing advancements. The firm commits to helping portfolio companies navigate challenges and achieve long-term growth.
Key people at Tsingyuan Ventures.
Tsingyuan Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that provides capital, mentorship, and operational support to deep-tech startups, particularly those led by highly technical immigrant founders.[1][2][5] Originally focused on the Chinese diaspora but now broader, it invests in cross-disciplinary companies across software, life sciences, hard tech, sustainable energy, IoT, SaaS, mobile, internet, and healthcare, targeting pre-seed, seed, Series A, prototype, early revenue, and scaling stages with check sizes of $500K to $2M primarily in the US.[1][2][4][5] Its mission emphasizes data-driven investments in disruptive technologies to drive innovation and market growth, with a philosophy rooted in deep technical expertise bridging US and China markets.[1][6][7]
The firm has rebranded to Foothill Ventures, maintaining the same focus on seed and A-round investments in software, life sciences, and deep tech from its Los Altos, California headquarters.[1][3] In the startup ecosystem, it acts as a lead investor, leveraging operational insights and networks to help founders scale, evidenced by a manager's track record of over 30 deals and notable exits in technology and healthcare across North America and Asia.[1]
Tsingyuan Ventures emerged as a venture fund backed by a team of seasoned US-China executives and entrepreneurs with deep cross-border experience.[7] Key team members include Wang Jinlin, Shao Xuhui (also listed as Xuhui Shao), Richard Liu, Jun Deng, Jiazi Guo, Eric Rosenblum, Ning Li, and Jin Zhang, bringing expertise in venture capital, technology evaluation, and deal execution.[1] The firm honed a data-driven style, initially targeting early to growth-stage innovators in tech and healthcare.[1]
It has since evolved and rebranded to Foothill Ventures, expanding its thesis from a Chinese diaspora focus to broader deep-tech investments by highly technical immigrant founders.[1][3][5] This shift reflects adaptation to global talent pools while retaining its core emphasis on emerging technologies.[5]
Tsingyuan Ventures (now Foothill Ventures) rides the wave of deep-tech resurgence, fueled by advances in AI, biotech, sustainable energy, and hard tech amid US-China tech decoupling and global talent mobility.[1][2][5] Its timing aligns with rising demand for cross-disciplinary solutions to climate, health, and compute challenges, where immigrant founders—bringing specialized skills—drive disproportionate innovation.[5]
Market forces like increased VC appetite for seed-stage deep tech (despite higher risks) and the need for US-centric supply chains favor its model.[4] The firm influences the ecosystem by de-risking high-potential startups through technical diligence and networks, fostering sustainable growth in underserved areas like IoT and life sciences.[1][6]
As Foothill Ventures, it is poised to capitalize on maturing deep-tech cycles, with trends like AI hardware, climate tech, and personalized medicine amplifying its portfolio.[1][2] Expect deeper commitments to scaling-stage deals and expanded immigrant founder programs amid geopolitical shifts.
Its influence may grow by mentoring the next wave of unicorns, blending US capital with global talent—reinforcing its role as a pivotal early backer in tech's evolution from Tsingyuan's foundational mission.[5][7]
