Silicon Valley's China Whisperer
"Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine." - Jack Ma
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Hi there!
I invest in startups that are changing the world. A lot (but not all) of my inspiration comes from studying apps that have found product-market fit in other countries around the world. I'm especially passionate about:
-live audio and live video
-anything built on top of zoom
-proptech! residential real estate
-education tech
-communication apps
If you're building something new, I'd love to hear from you! DM me or msg me on LinkedIn.
Bio
Connie Chan is a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, a Silicon Valley based technology venture capital firm with over $7B under management. Since joining Andreessen Horowitz in 2011, Connie has worked on the investment team sourcing deals and working closely with startups across the portfolio. She also spearheaded the firm’s Asia network to bridge the gap between Silicon Valley companies looking to navigate Asia opportunities and companies in Asia seeking to better understand Silicon Valley. Connie’s writing and speaking on the topic of innovation in China has brought renewed attention to the topic with her writing on WeChat winning a Sidney award in 2015.
Before joining Andreessen Horowitz, Connie worked at HP leading its webOS efforts in China. She started her career as a private equity investor at Elevation Partners, investing in media and entertainment. Connie received her B.A. in Economics and M.S. in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University.
Connie Chan(陈梅陵)是美国硅谷创投公司Andreessen Horowitz的合伙人,其专注于消费类技术领域的早期阶段风投项目,并负责建立和维护该公司的亚太区关系。此前,Connie带领惠普Palm公司的在华业务发展以及市场营销工作,并负责管理webOS操作系统的应用程序搜索目录(App Catalog)、开发人员门户以及Facebook移动应用程序的创建。在Palm之前,Connie担任美国硅谷私募集金Elevation Partners的创始资深投资经理,为该拥有18亿美元管理资产的基金研究并分析高科技、媒体及娱乐领域的投资项目。Connie毕业于斯坦福大学,于四年之内获得经济学学士学位以及管理科学及工程的硕士学位。
Recognitions
- Fast Company's Most Creative People
- Wired's Next 20 Tech Visionary
- Midas Brink List
- New York Times' Sidney award
- LinkedIn NextWave Top Professional 35 and Under
- Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum
陈梅陵
My grandfather named me after a plum blossom tree on a hill. According to Wikipedia, the Chinese see the plum blossoms as both a symbol of winter and a harbinger of spring. The blossoms bloom most vibrantly amidst the winter snow, after most other plants have shed their leaves, and before other flowers appear. They are seen as symbols of perseverance and to quote Disney's Mulan, a "flower that blooms in adversity."
I hope to live a life worthy of that name.
(Photo is from one of my first trips to Shanghai, over a decade ago!)
Videos
a16z Summit | Nov 2019
Quick thoughts on superapps, video shopping, tech in the physical world, and audio
a16z | February 2019
30-minute discussion with Frank Chen on Chinese business models for adult education.
WSJ | Dec 2018
WSJ's Joanna Stern "bumps into" Andreessen Horowitz General Partner Connie Chan
When Advertising Isn't Enough (watch this one!)
a16z Summit | Nov 2018
What’s possible when we go beyond advertising-only based models?
WSJ D.Live | April 2018
12 Minute speech on the evolution of Online to Offline and what Mobile Only looks like.
WSJ.com | May 2018
A short clip produced by WSJ on our predictions for self-driving cars.
Jumpstarter HK | Nov 2017
Do country labels still matter for tech companies? Delivered to Honorable Carrie Lam, Jack Ma and 2,000 HK entrepreneurs.
Women In Product | Sept 2017
The rise of Super App and what mobile first really means. Delivered to 1,500 women builders.
WSJ D.Live | Aug 2017
Panel with Matrix Partners' David Su on China and Silicon Valley innovation
Trends in China 2016 (watch this one!)
a16z Summit | Nov 2016
A 25 minute introductory video to trends in China. Relevant not just for techies but anyone interested in China.
LinkedIn | Oct 2016
A short clip produced by LinkedIn on why I'm excited about cross border trends and finding the win-win outcomes.
Blog Posts
Translated Asian COVID-19 apps for Western developers
Run The World funding announcement
Using cultural moments to drive surges in traffic and launch new features
How China micro-influencers monetize their expertise and following
More examples of how livestreaming, short video apps in China monetize via commerce
Knowable funding announcement and why we think audio is going to grow
How Chinese companies use social media group chats for sales
Shopping and other cool biz models from China's TikTok: Douyin.
The Steve Jobs of China, Allen Zhang, shares his product philosophy
Series A funding announcement
Diversify your revenue streams, China shows you how. Consumer apps need more revenue streams besides ads
The real reason why TikTok can't be easily copied --> it's all about the algorithm
QR codes are everywhere in China, here are 16 use cases you haven't thought of
Top things to know about Livestreaming in China
WeChats secret weapon and wedge into digital payments
Stickers aren't just for kids -- tips, storytelling, the future of emoji's
What you can learn from China and apply to your business today
When One App Rules Them All: The Case of WeChat and Mobile in China (Read this one!)
WeChat 101 -- and why it's more than operating system than an app
Press
Favorites
Meet Silicon Valley's China Whisperer
3.19.19, CNN
7.18.18, a16z (Ben Horowitz)
Are Celebrity Accounts on Private Social Media an Oxymoron?
4.20.12, AllThingsD
^ One of the cross-border deals I'm most proud of: WeChat's very first official account!
2020
Publishers were forced to cancel moneymaking events. Now they're streaming them live
5.8.20, CNN
Livestreaming & Ecommerce Predictions
5.2.20, Business Insider
Connie Chan Discusses Consumer Tech's Winners and Losers
3.02.20, TechCrunch
Forced cancellations jumpstart virtual fashion technology
3.17.20, Vogue Business
2019
How TikTok Holds Our Attention
9.30.19, The New Yorker
Chinese reality show ‘The Rap of China’ comes to L.A. to seek its next star
5.10.19, Los Angeles Times
The U.S. is beginning to follow China’s lead in tipping via streaming platform
5.08.19, Ozy
Facebook and Snapchat turn to Chinese giants for growth tips
4.17.19, Nikkei Asian Review
The Forbes' Midas Brink List 2019
4.02.19, Forbes
Meet Silicon Valley's China Whisperer
3.19.19, CNN
Mark Zuckerberg Wants Facebook to Emulate WeChat
3.07.19, New York Times
Billionaires Are On The Hunt For New Underground Cobolt
3.03.19, Bloomberg
Spotify’s Deal Signals a Golden Era of Podcasting
2.22.19, Los Angeles Times
2018
Why Startups Keep Raising Mega-Rounds of $100 Million (or More)
12.13.18 Fortune
Behind China’s Startup Surge: Meritocracy and ‘Growth Hacks’
11.14.18, The Wall Street Journal
Top VC Firm Just Removed a Big Obstacle for Women
7.18.18, Inc.
China Will Soon Challenge Silicon Valley
7.18.18, Fortune
VC Firm Andreessen Horowitz Promotes Connie Chan to General Partner
7.18.18, Fortune
Connie Chan Breaks The Mold Becoming First General Partner To Be Promoted From Within
7.18.18, Techcrunch
Andreessen Horowitz Names Connie Chan A General Partner
7.18.18, Forbes
Venture Capital Firm Andreessen Horowitz Has Elevated Connie Chan to General Partner
7.18.18, Recode
Mobile-only Shift Creating Retail Nirvana
4.20.18, MobileWorldLive
4.20.18, The Wall Street Journal
2017
Why China Is Emerging As A Tech Superpower
11.21.17, Fortune
Meet Tencent, The Chinese Tech Behemoth
11.8.17, Washington Post
China's Audacious and Inventive New Generation
9.23.17, The Economist
China’s Plan for World Domination in AI Isn’t So Crazy After All
8.14.17, Bloomberg
Can WeChat Thrive in the United States?
8.11.17, MIT Tech Review
Comeback of the Dreaded QR Code
7.18.17, Wired
6.13.17, TechinAsia
Where VC Money is Going in China
6.13.17, The Wall Street Journal
Asia Tech Firms Look To Climb Out of SV's Shadows
6.9.17, The Wall Street Journal
What does China's Tencent want with Silicon Valley?
6.4.17, The Wall Street Journal
Next List 2017: 20 Tech Visionaries
4.26.17, Wired
Most Creative People in Business 2017
May 2017, Fast Company
These 6 Chinese Tech Giants Are Ramping Up the Pace Of Innovation For The World
2.13.17, Fast Company
How Social Cash Made WeChat The App For Everything
1.2.17, Fast Company
2016
China's internet is flourishing inside the wall
11.23.16, Financial Times
10.11.16, LinkedIn Lists
Alibaba's E-Commerce App Has a Social Network Facebook Would Love
8.21.16, Bloomberg
8.6.16, The Economist
Meet The China ‘Whisperers’ Who Get The Big Deals Done In Silicon Valley
8.4.16, Washington Post
Kik Launches a ‘Bot Shop’ Because Bot Shops Are The New App Stores
4.5.16, Fortune
2015
12.18.15, The New York Times
Podcasts
with David Ulevitch, and Lauren Murrow. Working from home during lockdown
with Sonal Chokshi. a16z's 500th podcast episode! Hear how it started and how it's made.
with Kurt House, John Thompson, and Hanne Tidnam
with Nick Quah and Sonal Chokshi
with Frank Chen
with Luke Wroblewski and Sonal Chokshi. Design in an era of superapps
with Benedict Evans, Steven Sinofsky, and Kyle Russell. Convo on innovation, platforms, VR
with Clay Shirky. What Xiaomi, WeChat and Alibaba tell us about Chinese innovation
with Anu Hariharan. India and China startups and conglomerates
with David Pierce. Messaging and WeChat
with Chris Dixon and Benedict Evans. China Internet and innovation
© 2019