CORE TEAM
SENIOR ADVISORS
PARTIAL LIST OF OUR PARTNERS
*Read about the corporate members in the China Food Tech Hub by Bits x Bites
Managing Director
Matilda is founder and managing director of Bits x Bites, China’s pioneer food tech venture capital investing in startups tackling global food system challenges.
A serial food entrepreneur and investor, she is an emerging voice in food sustainability and entrepreneurship. Before Bits x Bites, she founded Yimishiji, China's first online farmers market and farm-to-table e-commerce platform that has engineered food education and transparency into the entire supply chain and customer experience.
Her earlier career includes leadership roles at IDEO and BCG (The Boston Consulting Group) in Shanghai and Washington DC. She holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She currently serves as an advisor on the board of Shinho, one of China’s largest premium organic condiment companies.
Managing Partner
Joseph is managing partner at Bits x Bites, responsible for investment, portfolio management, and operation.
He brings 12 years of experience across corporate banking, investment banking, and private equity, having raised more than US$120 million for his portfolio companies in the primary market.
His decision to enter the food sector was driven by one clear motivation: To fight for the future of good food so that his young son grows up with plenty of safe and nutritious food options.
Prior to Bits x Bites, Joseph and two other partners ran Fusi Capital where they self-raised US$50 million to invest in China’s international education sector.
Joseph has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth Business School. He is a passionate weekend golfer and a pianist.
VP
Winnie is Vice President. She shapes the PR and thought leadership program at Bits x Bites, with the goal to inspire and support startups in solving food system challenges.
She also serves as a communications lead at Green Initiatives, a Shanghai-based environmental group, where she chairs speaking panels and authors articles to raise the community’s understanding of small-scale farming and the impact of food consumption and waste.
Before becoming a voice in the good food movement, she spent 10 years working in audio technology in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a mission to connect music fans to what they hear, she followed tours like Metallica, Michael Buble, and Ed Sheeran, putting a spotlight on technical applications and audio engineers’ work behind the scenes.
She is a first-timer in balcony composting, and treats her home-grown tomato, chili pepper, okra, and rosemary plants as her pets.
Connect with Winnie on Twitter: @winnieleung1010
Principal
Dee Zheng is Principal at Bits x Bites, where she leads a team to identify high-potential investment targets, create and present investment cases to the GP team, and drive a thorough due diligence process required for each investment opportunity.
During her tenure at Bits x Bites, she has facilitated and led the evaluation process that resulted in investments in Alchemy Foodtech, Analytical Flavor Systems, Future Meat Technologies, InnovoPro, Water.IO, and Wild Earth. She also actively supports portfolio companies with their market intelligence and business development needs.
Dee came to Bits x Bites bringing her significant investment experience and network she accumulated as senior project lead at Leping Foundation, where she partnered with entrepreneurs tackling food transparency, sustainable agriculture and other systematic challenges in China. In her role, she led startup deal sourcing and performed due diligence by working with her network of international and domestic VCs, such as Sequoia Capital, BlueRun Ventures, and China Impact Ventures.
Associate
Cathy Jin is Associate at Bits x Bites. She focuses on life science investments, targeting technology that can address big issues in food, nutrition, and agriculture.
Cathy brings a decade of research experience in biotechnology and polymer chemistry. Throughout her career, she has been actively translating cutting-edge research into practice. Before Bits x Bites, as a research scientist at a bioscience startup, she developed novel technology for delivering nucleic acid with the goal to kill cancer by degrading mRNA. Before that, she led research partnership development at a startup working to treat skin diseases using stem cell technology.
Cathy received her Ph.D. in physical chemistry and biophysics from the University of California, Los Angeles. During her postdoctoral studies, she worked on a joint research program on cancer vaccine development with Boehringer Ingelheim, a leader in drug discovery in immunology and oncology. She has a bachelor’s degree in polymer science from Fudan University.
She enjoys being out in nature, especially if it involves hiking, backpacking, or rock climbing. It was her passion for building a better and more sustainable future that makes her focus on new ideas in food and agriculture technology.
Communications Manager
Anna is Communications Manager at Bits x Bites. She grows the Chinese agrifood tech ecosystem by generating thought leadership content and organizing executive salons and industry workshops. She also actively finds new Chinese media exposure and speaking opportunities for Bits x Bites portfolio companies.
Prior to joining Bits x Bites, Anna was CMO & Chief Editor of Food & Beverage Innovation Forum (FBIF), where she directed new media activities. She built a subscriber network from scratch to 150k with original articles of more than 100k views across Toutiao,Jiemian and other influential media. She led new media initiatives with F&B companies including Tetra Pak, Yili, Coca Cola, QiaQia, Bright Dairy, Master Kong, Nongfu Spring, Jinmailang and Three Squirrels. She interviewed more than 50 top F&B executives in China during her tenure.
In 2013, Anna organized Sustainable Business-oriented CSR Summit, China’s first conference of its kind. Anna is a 2015 Harvard SEED Fellow. She has a double degree in Journalism and Law from Southwest University of Political Science & Law.
Administration Supervisor
Lilly is Administration Supervisor at Bits x Bites. She takes charge of the day-to-day logistic needs to make sure the team works smoothly. She also provides event support and vendor coordination for summits and meet-ups throughout the year.
Prior to Bits x Bites, Lilly worked in administration at a railway consultancy company after doing event sales in the hotel industry.
Lilly was born and raised in Beijing. She graduated from the University of Brighton, UK. In her spare time, Lilly enjoys reading psychology non-fictions and cooking Thai and Korean dishes at home.
Vice President, Food & Beverages Business Operations, APAC-MEA, Novozymes
TC Tan joined Novozymes in 2015 as Technical Service Director (Asia Pacific). In 2016, he was
promoted to the Vice President of Food & Beverages Business Operations for Asia Pacific,
Middle East & Africa, with responsibility for sales, marketing, business development and
technical services, reporting to the EVP of F&B. TC is driven to develop and lead a world-class
commercial and technical service organization that serve regional customers and build new
business and innovation opportunities reflecting corporate growth ambitions.
TC has more than 30 years of work experience with MNC’s in various Sales, Marketing,
Business Management and Leadership roles. He has been a guest lecturer with Beijing Tsing
Hua University’s Executive Management Program (Agriculture), and a frequent speaker in food
and animal nutrition industry forums.
A Registered Chemist with the Malaysian Institute of Chemistry, TC Holds a B.S. (Hons) in
Chemistry from University of Malaya and a MBA from the National University of Singapore
(NUS Business School).
Founder, Almanac Insights Co-Founder and Owner, Blue Hill
David is co-owner of Blue Hill—a working farm, restaurant, and consulting company supporting agriculture that positively contributes to the world's food system. The 138-acre farm in Great Barrington, Massachusetts has been in the Barber family for four generations. Blue Hill restaurant has locations in Greenwich Village and Pocantico Hills, New York.
David is a founding partner of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Westchester County. This unique nonprofit advances community and ecologically based food production-demonstrating alternative ways to farm and eat. Stone Barns Center works in association with Blue Hill’s second restaurant located on the campus.
Blue Hill (NYC) received the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award in 2013. Blue Hill at Stone Barns received the same honor in 2015 and was added to the San Pellegrino World 50 list.
David is an early stage investor in the food and hospitality space through Almanac Insights and advisor to S2G Ventures and Acre Investments. He serves on the Board of BlueCart Corp, and is a Trustee for Stone Barns Center, Caramoor Center for the Arts and the Collegiate School in New York City.
David is a founding partner and board member of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Westchester County, New York. This unique nonprofit celebrates, teaches, and advances community and ecologically based food production—demonstrating alternative ways to farm and eat. David’s original role included design and management of the financial operating structure and all related capital expenses. Stone Barns Center works in association with Blue Hill’s second restaurant located on the campus.
Blue Hill (NYC) received the James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award in 2013. Blue Hill at Stone Barns received the same honor in 2015 and was added to the San Pellegrino World 50 list.
David is an advisor to S2G Ventures and Acre Investments. He serves on the Board and Executive Committee of Stone Barns Center and as a member of the Board of Trustees for Connecticut College, the Jacob Burns Film Center and the Collegiate School in New York City.
Executive Managing Director, Asia, IDEO
Charles is Executive Managing Director, Asia and a Partner at IDEO. Based in Shanghai, he leads IDEO’s business in the region and works with clients to create value and growth through innovation. He acts as an advisor and strategic guide for client executive teams and focuses on helping them build strong consumer brands, tackle systemic challenges, and launch new ventures. His work has spanned industries including: food and beverage, retail, healthcare, education, hospitality and consumer goods.
In addition to working with clients, Charles helps amplify the impact of IDEO’s work by creating start-up and expert in-residence programs, building networks for collaboration, and developing new models for growth for IDEO in Asia. Recognised as an exceptional institutional intrapreneur, Charles has been selected by The Aspen Institute as a First Movers Fellow in the class of 2016.
Charles’s views are much sought-after, and he has been invited to write for the press and speak at international forums, corporate leadership events and academic institutions. In particular, he is interested in entrepreneurs and startups as a driving force for creating new economic and social value, how to cultivate creative leadership, the opportunities and challenges of Asian enterprises going global, and using human-centered design to tackle systemic challenges. Charles was recognized in 2014 in FastCompany China magazine as one of 100 Most Creative People in Business for his contribution to creativity, business and nurturing talent. In 2015, he was appointed as a Member of Coursera’s China Advisory Board.
Prior to joining IDEO, Charles worked for 15 years globally, mixing roles as a management consultant, an entrepreneur and a creative director. He has participated in the successful initial public offering of an internet start-up in New York, launched his own venture-funded wellbeing business in London, and built the interactive brand and marketing arm of a digital agency in Tokyo. Charles holds degrees from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and Central Saint Martins College at the University of the Arts, London, where he was also an associate lecturer. During his studies, Charles was invited to participate in special programs at Cambridge University and London Business School.
In his spare time, he is an avid adventure motorcycle rider, including long-distance tours across Asia, North America, Africa and Europe. Charles also enjoys a good glass of wine after a long run with his Siberian Husky, Huli.
Senior Counsel, Dentons
Wilfred provides legal and technical assistance to clients on regulatory issues focusing on food and drug regulation and chemical control laws in Asia, including food additives, food labeling, food packaging, dietary supplements, drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, pesticides, bioengineered products, and industry and specialty chemicals.
Wilfred has extensive experience in regulatory affairs, having worked with government officials and industry groups in policy-making for the biotechnology industry, securing necessary approvals, product management and product development. Wilfred had served as the chair and spokesperson for a biotech industry association.
Before working for the industry, Wilfred was assistant professor at the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, specialized in crop protection research.Wilfred has extensive experience in regulatory affairs, having worked with government officials and industry groups in policy-making for the biotechnology industry, securing necessary approvals, product management and product development. Wilfred had served as the chair and spokesperson for a biotech industry association.
Before working for the industry, Wilfred was assistant professor at the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, specialized in crop protection research.