Securing Venture Capital From China
Erilson Araujo asked:
I am charged with getting venture capital for our media technology company that focuses on next-generation home entertainment. This financial crisis has got me thinking about where to look. I was thinking maybe China. Any ideas? —E.S., Irvine, Calif.
First, the good news: “China does have a VC community, and…[it's a] source of liquidity and appetite for new investment, notwithstanding the current global financial collapse,” says Janet Carmosky, CEO of the China Business Network, a business information and networking Web site.
Bradley Haneberg, a securities lawyer for Kaufman & Canoles who has worked on direct Chinese initial public offerings, agrees. “In the last several years, China has seen the birth and exponential growth of its entrepreneurial class. The Chinese government adopted several policies (including tax incentives) to encourage the development of privately owned businesses. These entrepreneurial ventures, coupled with the privatization of state-owned businesses, have driven the Chinese economy to new heights,” he says.
Despite a blistering economy and an enormous spike in the number of businesses that require access to capital, bank debt is difficult to obtain in China because loans have traditionally been given only to companies that are politically connected. The lack of bank financing has contributed to the creation of Chinese venture capital groups, Haneberg says. Chinese investors have funded telecoms, Internet ventures, health-care firms, software development, green tech, water projects, airport securities, and social networking sites, says Robert Chen, executive vice-president and general manager of the ChinaTel Group, which provides WiMAX networks in China and other countries. “Next-generation home entertainment could be big here,” he says.
Focus on Chinese Companies
Despite the good news, however, there is a deal-breaker for U.S.-based startups seeking to tap into Chinese VC money: Chinese investors focus on funding Chinese companies.
“There are many reasons for [investing inside China]: Among the top: lower labor cost, big China market, and most importantly, the VC can keep an eye on the project,” Chen wrote in an e-mail message. In addition, Chinese VCs rely heavily on what’s known as guanxi (BusinessWeek.com, 11/8/07), Chen says. “When a person has good guanxi with the Chinese government or with a VC, that means they have a good relationship and might refer the company or individual to get a license approved or refer the person to someone in the VC community that will review the company’s business plan and may or may not invest in the company.”
Carmosky confirms the importance of the personal relationship in Chinese business, in contrast to U.S. venture capital culture, which tends to focus less on relationship and proximity and more on forecast ROI and exit strategies. “Our system of capitalism is so impersonal that it’s often called ‘OPM’ or ‘Other People’s Money,’” Carmosky notes. “It calls for high degrees of transparency and accountability, and exists within a framework of mature, scalable markets.” In contrast, risk is evaluated by Chinese VCs based on proximity, local relationships, and calibrating how well-attuned a company is to government policy.
There are also stringent foreign exchange rules in China that make it difficult for firms there to engage in foreign exchange, Haneberg says, and Chinese venture capital firms have a hard time competing for quality investment opportunities in developed countries where there are already so many established investment firms.
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I am charged with getting venture capital for our media technology company that focuses on next-generation home entertainment. This financial crisis has got me thinking about where to look. I was thinking maybe China. Any ideas? —E.S., Irvine, Calif.
First, the good news: “China does have a VC community, and…[it's a] source of liquidity and appetite for new investment, notwithstanding the current global financial collapse,” says Janet Carmosky, CEO of the China Business Network, a business information and networking Web site.
Bradley Haneberg, a securities lawyer for Kaufman & Canoles who has worked on direct Chinese initial public offerings, agrees. “In the last several years, China has seen the birth and exponential growth of its entrepreneurial class. The Chinese government adopted several policies (including tax incentives) to encourage the development of privately owned businesses. These entrepreneurial ventures, coupled with the privatization of state-owned businesses, have driven the Chinese economy to new heights,” he says.
Despite a blistering economy and an enormous spike in the number of businesses that require access to capital, bank debt is difficult to obtain in China because loans have traditionally been given only to companies that are politically connected. The lack of bank financing has contributed to the creation of Chinese venture capital groups, Haneberg says. Chinese investors have funded telecoms, Internet ventures, health-care firms, software development, green tech, water projects, airport securities, and social networking sites, says Robert Chen, executive vice-president and general manager of the ChinaTel Group, which provides WiMAX networks in China and other countries. “Next-generation home entertainment could be big here,” he says.
Focus on Chinese Companies
Despite the good news, however, there is a deal-breaker for U.S.-based startups seeking to tap into Chinese VC money: Chinese investors focus on funding Chinese companies.
“There are many reasons for [investing inside China]: Among the top: lower labor cost, big China market, and most importantly, the VC can keep an eye on the project,” Chen wrote in an e-mail message. In addition, Chinese VCs rely heavily on what’s known as guanxi (BusinessWeek.com, 11/8/07), Chen says. “When a person has good guanxi with the Chinese government or with a VC, that means they have a good relationship and might refer the company or individual to get a license approved or refer the person to someone in the VC community that will review the company’s business plan and may or may not invest in the company.”
Carmosky confirms the importance of the personal relationship in Chinese business, in contrast to U.S. venture capital culture, which tends to focus less on relationship and proximity and more on forecast ROI and exit strategies. “Our system of capitalism is so impersonal that it’s often called ‘OPM’ or ‘Other People’s Money,’” Carmosky notes. “It calls for high degrees of transparency and accountability, and exists within a framework of mature, scalable markets.” In contrast, risk is evaluated by Chinese VCs based on proximity, local relationships, and calibrating how well-attuned a company is to government policy.
There are also stringent foreign exchange rules in China that make it difficult for firms there to engage in foreign exchange, Haneberg says, and Chinese venture capital firms have a hard time competing for quality investment opportunities in developed countries where there are already so many established investment firms.
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