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Interview with Jing Tao, co-founder of Great Filter Venture: The path to venture investing
Jing Tao, co-founder of Great Filter Venture, shares investment philosophy and advises entrepreneurs on focus and practical execution.
Headline
Jing Tao, co-founder of Great Filter Venture, shares investment philosophy and advises entrepreneurs on focus and practical execution.
Context
In this exclusive interview with BTW Media, Jing Tao, co-founder of Great Filter Venture and a member of Tencent’s founding team, shares his investment philosophy, which emphasises pragmatism, industry expertise and long-term partnerships. He discusses his investment strategies in sectors such as biopharma, AI and autonomous driving, and offers advice to budding entrepreneurs on the importance of perseverance and the challenges of running a business. A: Hello, I’m Jing Tao, the co-founder of Great Filter Venture. In my early years, I was involved in the founding of Tencent, so I’m also known as a member of Tencent’s founding team. That’s one of my labels. After I started investing, I invested in companies like SpaceX, Black Sesame Technologies, Galactic Energy, Zhimeng Biopharma, and other notable projects. Now, I’m also a professional investor. As a third label, I’m a minor internet celebrity with hundreds of thousands of followers online.
Evidence
Pending intelligence enrichment.
Analysis
A: Definitely, Tencent had a profound impact on my life. In our twenties, we didn’t know much about society or the world, but we had determination and started making internet products. Internet products require constant updates and iterations based on user feedback. This pragmatic, focused attitude from the early Tencent days carried over into my work as an investor. Now, my team and the projects I invest in share this trait. As an investor, I emphasise practicality—when founders talk too much and don’t act, I usually don’t invest. A: Great Filter Venture was co-founded by two former Tencent employees. Our vision is to make the world better and China stronger. This isn’t something we put on business cards but something deeply ingrained in our hearts. After we left the internet industry, we wanted to find a way to contribute to society. We realised that investing could not only provide direct help but also allow us to improve ourselves alongside the companies we invest in. It’s become clear that investing was the best decision for the second half of our lives. A: The investment world can be divided into several categories—government funds, corporate venture capital (CVC), institutional investors, and family offices. Each type has its limitations, whether it’s government money with certain risks or CVC funds meant for strategic objectives. Great Filter Venture doesn’t fall into any of these categories. We don’t raise funds from others; we invest our own money. This gives us the freedom to make independent decisions and offer long-term support to entrepreneurs. We can invest at our own pace and are not bound by traditional timelines for returns. This allows us to focus more on post-investment support, which we value highly. We emphasise post-investment work, ensuring that the companies we invest in have the support they need to thrive.
Key Points
- Jing Tao emphasises pragmatic investment strategies that focus on industry expertise and long-term partnerships.
- He shares insights on the role of AI and autonomous driving technologies in shaping future industries.
- Jing Tao offers advice to entrepreneurs, stressing the importance of persistence, focus and practical execution.
Actions
Pending intelligence enrichment.
