Inside Cathay Innovation: Simon Wu on industry-powered venture capital

What if your venture capital firm could plug you directly into the world's most influential corporations; unlocking growth, customers, and global scale overnight? That's exactly what Simon Wu does as a Partner at Cathay Innovation. Leading U.S. investments at the $2.5B global VC, Simon's work sits at the intersection of innovation, industrial strength, and strategic capital.

Here's a glimpse of what you'll learn:

• 00:41 Introduction to Alpha Partners and Guest Simon Wu

• 01:33 The Origin Story of Cafe Innovation

• 03:06 Growth and Expansion of Cafe Innovation

• 05:59 Unique Corporate Connections and Investment Strategy

• 11:04 Navigating the Competitive Venture Capital Landscape

• 15:23 AI and Wealth Tech: Current Trends and Future Predictions

• 23:28 Closing Thoughts and Future Collaborations

In this episode,

Simon Wu shares how Cathay Innovation bridges the gap between fast-moving startups and industry giants, turning traditional corporate LPs into game-changing partners for growth-stage companies. From automotive and energy to digital health and fintech, Simon explains how their global corporate network unlocks distribution, contracts, and strategic edge for portfolio founders. With nearly 20 core corporate LPs and hundreds of partners worldwide, Cathay's model delivers far more than capital.

Simon also reveals what separates the good from the great in today's AI-fueled startup landscape. He walks through Cathay's investment in companies like Skan and Range, outlines how their ecosystem teams help navigate enterprise sales, and breaks down what it really takes to win Series A and B rounds in a bifurcating VC market. For VCs, founders, and operators alike, this conversation is a masterclass in strategic venture capital at scale.

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