Saturday, January 5, 2008

Venture firm split in China?

I keep hearing about a split in a leading venture team in China. My contacts at the firm in the U.S. and China are not responding to requests for confirmation. But several outside sources say it's true. "Just don't say you heard it from me," said one clued-in venture capitalist who does deals on both sides of the Pacific.

The talk of a possible break in the partnership could stem from the highly distinct styles of two camps at the venture firm -- maverick contrasted with buttoned-down professional.

It could just be rumors. After all, the venture capital business is known to be fairly gossipy. But if true, it doesn't look like the best start in China for one of the higher-profile venture firms in the West.

This Silicon Valley firm is one of several investors featured in Silicon Dragon: How China is Winning the Tech Race (McGraw-Hill, Jan. 2008).