Eric Xu
{{Short description|Chinese entrepreneur}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022|cs1-dates=y}}
{{family name hatnote|Xu|lang=Chinese}}
{{infobox person
| name = Eric Xu
| honorific_suffix =
| image =
| image_size =
| native_name = 徐勇
| native_name_lang = zh
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1964}}
| birth_place = Beijing, China
| occupation = {{unbulleted list| Co-founder, Baidu | Chairman , YIFANG Group Holdings Limited | Founder, Xu Family Charitable Foundation Limited | Founder, YIFANG (Beijing) Foundation}}
| alma_mater = {{unbulleted list| Peking University | Texas A&M University}}
| website = {{url|www.yifangventures.com}}
}}
Eric Xu Yong ({{zh|c=徐勇|link=no}}; born 1964) is a Chinese entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is best known as co-founder of Baidu, the largest Chinese search engine.
Dr. Xu is the founder and chairman of Yifang Capital, an investment holding company engaged in venture capital investments and asset management.{{cite web|website=yifangventures.com/EN |url=http://www.yifangventures.com/EN/EN_AboutYifang.html|publisher=Yi Fang Ventures|access-date=1 April 2015|title=Yifang Ventures}} He also founded family philanthropic organizations including The Xu Family Charitable Foundation Limited,{{cite web|url=http://www.xufoundation.org/en/about_EN.html|website=Xu Family Foundation Limited|title=Xu Family Charitable Foundation Limited|access-date=3 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075649/http://www.xufoundation.org/en/about_EN.html|archive-date=4 March 2016|url-status=dead}} Yifang Foundation, and Zhengyu Education Foundation.{{cite web|url=http://www.yifangfoundation.org/[EN]about_us-synopsis.html|website=Yifang Foundation (Beijing)|access-date=1 April 2015|title=Yifang Foundation (Beijing)}}
Education
Xu earned his B.S and M.S. degrees in biology at Peking University from 1982 to 1989.{{cite book|last1=Sullivan|first1=Lawrence|last2=Liu|first2=Nancy|title=Historical Dictionary of Science and Technology in Modern China|date=2015|publisher=Rowman and Littlefield|location=4501 Forbes Boulevard, Maryland|pages=468|edition=1st}}
A Rockefeller Foundation fellow 1989–1993, Xu obtained PhD degree in Biology from Texas A&M University. Xu was also a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of California, Berkeley from 1994 to 1996.
Career
Dr. Xu's career ranges across research in life sciences, biotechnology, film production,{{cite web|title=Journeying Into Silicon Valley|url=http://www.yifangventures.com/EN/EN_Entrepreneurship-2SiliconValley.html|access-date=1 April 2015}} entrepreneurship in information technology, venture capital and fund management.
=Biotechnology=
Prior to Baidu, Dr. Xu worked at Qiagen, Inc. and Stratagene, Inc, two biotech start-up companies in California in technical support, sales and marketing.{{cite web|title=Bloomberg Business Company Profile|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/people/person.asp?personId=946787&ticker=BIDU&previousCapId=428613&previousTitle=BAIDU%2520INC%2520-%2520SPON%2520ADR|website=Bloomberg Business Company Profile|publisher=Bloomberg Business|access-date=1 April 2015}}
=Television=
Dr. Xu is the producer of the first Chinese TV documentary on Silicon Valley's unique history and culture in 1999. Titled "A Journey to Silicon Valley", the TV series brings to light the history, start-up culture, business management and venture capital mechanisms of the Valley in an objective and comprehensive fashion, and profoundly reveals the mystery behind the success of Silicon Valley as the world model for high-tech innovation.
=Baidu=
=Venture capital and asset management=
Dr. Xu is the founder and chairman of YIFANG VENTURES, an investment company, engaged in venture capital investments and asset management. Dr. Xu also serves as a board member for several technology start-up companies. Yifang currently invests in information technology, new media, bio-pharmaceuticals, healthcare and clean-technologies, etc.{{cite web|title=Yifang Ventures Investment Mandate|url=http://www.yifangventures.com/EN/EN_Inventment-1Areas.html|website=Yifang Ventures|access-date=1 April 2015}} It counts Allele Biotech, AcuraGen, AIC Semiconductor, BravoKids, BioHermes, Imune-Onc, TSM, Yidian, Haizhi, Kuwo, Baihe, etc., as its portfolio companies, among others. YIFANG is also a limited partner of several venture capital and private equity funds, including Sequoia Capital China, Decheng Capital Fund and Dragonfly Fund, among others.{{cite web|title=Yifang Ventures Partnership and Investee List|url=http://www.yifangventures.com/EN/EN_Partners.html|website=Yifang Ventures Partnership and Investee list}}
Personal life
Dr. Xu and his families are based in Singapore and Beijing.
References
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Category:Businesspeople from Beijing
Category:Chinese chief executives
Category:Chinese computer businesspeople
Category:Chinese documentary filmmakers
Category:Chinese expatriates in Singapore
Category:Chinese technology company founders
Category:Chinese television producers
Category:Chinese venture capitalists
Category:Peking University alumni