CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — From April 4th to April 6th, 2025 (Eastern Time), the 28th Harvard College China Forum was successfully held on the campus of Harvard University. Wei Zhou, Founding Managing Partner of CCV Capital, Former Managing Partner of KPCB China, was invited to attend the forum and participated in a roundtable discussion themed “Business Development,” sharing insightful perspectives and forward-thinking views on the topic of “Cross-border Innovation and Venture Capital.”
Wei Zhou has long focused on early-stage investments in intelligent technologies, sustainability, globalization, and cutting-edge global technologies, especially demonstrating extensive experience and unique insights in artificial intelligence and innovative technologies. During the forum, he emphasized the pivotal role of AI technologies in driving cross-border innovation, stating:
“Deepseek has sounded a global alarm, demonstrating a groundbreaking approach to large models, while Manus has set a global benchmark for application developers, illustrating how applications should be built. Both have offered enlightening revelations, albeit at different layers—the foundational and the application layers.”
He further highlighted:
“It’s no longer appropriate to evaluate application-layer products by foundational-layer standards. Without robust application-layer support, foundational technologies risk becoming self-indulgent. Only by truly moving towards practical applications can AI deliver universal value.”
Wei Zhou’s insights not only provide fresh perspectives for the future development of AI technologies but also inject practical inspiration into cross-border innovation and global collaboration.
Discussing the significant structural changes in the venture capital industry over the past eighteen months, Wei Zhou noted:
“The venture capital landscape has undergone dramatic structural shifts in the past two years. Silicon Valley’s VC industry has become fiercely competitive, leading to significant turnover and a notable decline in fundraising. However, AI has emerged as a standout growth area and a focal point for global investments.”
To entrepreneurs navigating these changes, Wei Zhou offered three key recommendations:
“First, maintain the advantage of rapid iteration and continuous improvement. Second, entrepreneurs should strategically align their ventures with large enterprises, as major corporations will consistently acquire innovative startups to keep pace with AI advancements. Third, entrepreneurs should target global markets, particularly emerging regions with less competition, such as Mexico, where abundant opportunities exist.”
At the conclusion of the roundtable, Wei Zhou also shared valuable advice for aspiring young venture capitalists:
“First, venture capital is inherently social; building extensive networks and relationships is essential for accessing high-quality investment opportunities. Second, successful VC practitioners must possess sharp insights into future trends and quickly identify market sparks. Individuals who rely solely on cautious, analytical approaches may find this dynamic and rapidly evolving field unsuitable.”
The Harvard College China Forum, organized entirely by students, is the largest and longest-running China-focused summit globally. Under the theme “Navigating Changing Times,” this year’s forum aimed to foster dialogue among leaders and thought pioneers across political, business, and academic circles from both China and the United States, exploring opportunities and building consensus for mutually beneficial long-term cooperation.
During the forum, prominent figures from the business, political, and academic communities worldwide gathered to engage in in-depth discussions on frontier topics such as international relations, economics, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. Distinguished guests included Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia; Xavier R. Rolet, former CEO of the London Stock Exchange Group; Alexis Tsipras, former Prime Minister of Greece; Hu Wei, President of Bank of China USA and Chairman of the China General Chamber of Commerce-USA; and George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard University and Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
Established in 1997, the Harvard College China Forum is devoted to building bridges between China and the world, exploring the role and contributions of Chinese enterprises within the global context. In their opening speeches on April 5th, several guests highly praised the stabilizing role of China’s economy in the global market, Chinese enterprises’ commitment to developing new productivity paradigms, and the promising prospects of China’s vast market.
