Editor's note:
As a professor of Hong Kong University Science & Technology, Li Zexiang is known for his successful investment and incubation of Xinjiang innovation. After that, he continued to invest in the high-tech companies he founded, and set up the Clear Water Bay fund and robot industry base to invest for the future. At the bottom of the cut is the beginning of his change of the world through technology and education.
Text / "deep web" report group Bu Xiang
Who is Li Zexiang?
This man was born in 1961 in Hunan, is best known for the hatching of $10 billion worth of Xinjiang innovation UAV company, and his role in addition to early investors and the chairman of the board, or Xinjiang founder, CEO Wang Tao teacher. As a professor of Hong Kong University Science & Technology, Li Zexiang is practicing a unique way of entrepreneurship incubation.
In addition to Xinjiang, by his student Shi Jinbo Yu Chunhua, the founder of robotic company Li Qun automation, announced in April 28th to complete the B round of tens of millions of dollars in investment this year, sales stable over 20 million yuan; another special dynamic motor company Tesla Yi water science and technology, also founded by Li Zexiang students, this year won ten million level A round of financing Sequoia Fund, Clear Water Bay capital investment.
"The same period of incubation with Xinjiang, a semiconductor packaging equipment company than Rui technology, did five or six years, failed."." In July 26th, in the four floor conference room of Songshan Lake robot industrial base in Dongguan, Li Zexiang offered a successful experience to "deep web". After rigorous academic training, hands-on innovation ability training, as well as demand oriented entrepreneurial training, "that batch of entrepreneurial people, some re start their own company, or in some of the company executives, do well."
In the robot education college not far away from him, a compulsory course of differential geometry for summer teaching is being held. Similar 45 day short term training (Summer School) came to 80 students last year, and this year came 211. This course was taught by Li Zexiang and two foreign teachers.
Over the years, through the high, big Xinjiang and Li Qun automation, Li Zexiang want to each company development process encountered problems, learned things, the road through, systematic summary, hope to provide a platform for more young people entrepreneurship, less detours, less tuition fees. In recent years, Li Zexiang and Gao Bingqiang, Wu Hong jointly launched the Clear Water Bay fund to create an economic environment for the early entrepreneurial projects, so as not to be too much financial constraints attached to the harsh conditions of society. At the same time, with the entrepreneurial consulting company, around the Songshan Lake robot industry base, Robotics Institute, a business incubator system formed.
1, incubation of Xinjiang is not accidental
In 2006, Xinjiang was founded, and income was made around 2009. Yao Zhiju, deputy secretary-general of the China robot industry alliance, which often inspects Xinjiang, recalls the process of its rise, "at first it was millions, then tens of millions, 80 million, and then broke 300 million, 1 billion 200 million, 3 billion, and last year it was close to 6 billion."." This outbreak, seize a model upgrade, interconnection and image system demand outbreak opportunities, as well as the popularity of foreign electricity supplier sales platform.
At the beginning of his career, Li Zexiang considered many places and found that the Pearl River Delta had left the world's most complete manufacturing system after the Western OEM, and now become an advantage. Buy parts, do mold, mold, etc., faster than the United States, Europe three to ten times, "night and master said, tomorrow will be able to take."."
Rapid iteration process, the Xinjiang UAV defeated all foreign rivals, sales continue to grow. Li Zexiang reputation long day, later invited by Guangdong Dongguan City, landing Songshan Lake, the establishment of the robot base, but also saw the manufacturing industry in Dongguan relatively concentrated manufacturing resources.
Songshan Lake is forty minutes away from Shenzhen Baoan Airport, relatively quiet compared with Shenzhen, but a lot of people come home. On the afternoon of the interview, Li Zexiang saw four dials.
As chairman of the great Xinjiang, Li Zexiang only occupies a small amount of shares in Xinjiang, and now more energy is not in xinjiang. The most important thing is to help them train people and find people. The specific operation of the company, has been their own management, there are problems to find me, I will give advice." Li Zexiang said.
In 2015, Li Zexiang participated in the two major decision-making processes in Xinjiang, and gave his own suggestions. First, after taking the foreign market, we turned to domestic development, and the two is to develop the field of agricultural plant protection outside the consumer market.
"I have been in the countryside, pesticide hard, is likely to poisoning. Farmers spraying, only one day sprinkling seven or eight acres, now Xinjiang UAV spraying, a person can work 1000 acres a day, pesticide utilization rate greatly improved. Science and technology change traditional industries, precision agriculture has unmanned aerial vehicles and robots, completely possible." Li Zexiang said.
In the development of Xinjiang is too fast, management can not keep up with time, Li Zexiang with executives in Xinjiang, through their own contacts to the United States, and Apple executives exchange. Li Zexiang loves to pull the team out of the window. This is a good practice and inspire the team's ambition.
In the first half of this year, Li Zexiang originally intended to come to Beijing, Yizhuang to visit a fixed wing UAV company with relatively large payload capacity, and make some exchanges on UAV applications. The visitor finally declined for commercial inconvenience. Xinjiang has entered the field of agricultural plant protection, which has caused another domestic shortage of extreme flying drones. Both sides are now vying for users with large farms.
The earliest study, Wang Tao launched UAV project, and Li Zexiang in a course offered by the Hong Kong University Science & Technology, the first prototype of products from the science lab. The same is a student of Li Zexiang, Yi Technology co-founder Pan Zongliang into the Hong Kong University Science & Technology in 2008, Wang Tao has been in graduate school, eager to participate in robot competition.
Li Zexiang sticks to a rare form of heuristic education. He set up a solid high-tech company in 1999, specializes in industrial robot motion control, and he will not impose industrial robots to Wang tao. "The consumer level UAVs, Wang Tao is the personal interest, as a teacher, first of all is to see the students' interest and support him, give advice, help him complete interest." Li Zexiang said. Respect for student creativity is not just about slogans.
Now, with the robot industry base as the center, Li Zexiang's interest search focuses on three circles of people. The first ring is a student start-up company with Hong Kong University Science & Technology. The second round is Li Zexiang's students attracted by college, forum speech, and some students who participate in robot contest and summer training. The third circle, from the global search, the standard of a thousand to one search for entrepreneurship, technical potential talent and team.
Zhang Yanliang is the third man he found, and he's looking for people in the robotics industry.
2, looking for people for robots
In May 2015, at a robot conference in Seattle, Li Zexiang met Zhang Yanliang and asked him what he would do in the future Zhang Yanliang said, when the retirement has enough money, to go to China to run a robot Training Institute, set up several robot test site, help China improve the robot industry.
This is the first time they've met. Zhang Yanliang was born in 1982, completed his master's degree at the age of 21, went to the United States to study, and was already a postdoctoral professional in robotics. He founded a website for robotics software, which accumulated 1 million 200 thousand users and sold it and made a fortune.
On the second day, Li Zexiang found Zhang Yanliang and said, "don't wait for retirement. Come back tomorrow. Let's get started."."
So, a few months later, Zhang Yanliang returned from the United States to Dongguan, China, joined the Li Zexiang led robot industry base, served as vice president of Songshan Lake Robotics Research Institute, responsible for collecting robot technology talent in the world, and bring them to Dongguan, China entrepreneurship.
At that time, the global robotics industry was very hot.
The capital market reaction is the most direct. "Before 2014, a listed company with robot concept, a slap can count, to this year, at least 100 listed companies have robot concept." Yao Zhiju, Deputy Secretary General of China robot industry alliance, told Shenzhen network in August. In 2015, a group of robot concept projects were packaged into listed companies and companies ready to go public.
The number of robotic company Yiyongershang reached more than 2000, 90% can only be integrated. "Imported core components from abroad, the cost can not be controlled."". Deng Guojun, senior consultant of Songshan Lake robot industry base, regrets this very much.
Since 2009, the number of robots in China has increased by more than 45% over the past 6 years. 2009 is 5500 units, more than 57 thousand units in 2015. Powerful companies have begun to do it. Foxconn puts forward a million robot program, bringing in thirty thousand or forty thousand new robots each year. The United States and Japan Yaskawa robotic company were set up and the beauty of Yaskawa Akawa Mi two companies, holding each other, after holding one of the four German KUKA robot family company.
China's robotics industry lags behind Germany and lags behind japan. Songshanhu robot industry base senior advisor Deng Guojun quoted Li Zexiang saying, "Chinese robot industry to catch up with Japan, at least 4000 Wang tao."
Dr. Deng Guojun graduated, and worked at the Songshan Lake Industrial Park to host the investment work. After dry to the director position, the strong Hunan people choose to join the robot industry base, led by Li Zexiang, a follower of Li Zexiang. He also believes that the domestic robot industry behind, because many people do not understand the development of the robot industry needs talents, from the core components design, to R & D, production and debugging, all need talents. When you don't build your system, you're going to be stretched".
In the process of rising labor costs and industrial upgrading, the development of the robot industry as an important promoter of the whole economic transformation in Dongguan, Songshan Lake, is to replace with the machine". Dongguan timely invited Li Zexiang, providing venues, part of the start-up funds to help Li Zexiang and students entrepreneurial team foothold in the local.
3, the life changed by Li Zexiang
"Now I feel the venture into a derogatory term," Pan Zongliang quite emotion talk about entrepreneurship, nishajuxia. Influenced by teacher Li Zexiang, after Pan Zongliang finished his study, he embarked on the road of entrepreneurship with three other students in 2012. The project is sometimes referred to as a water Tesla engine. Xinjiang is an example, and the first choice is to do overseas markets.
Initially created ease is particularly simple, four small partners, respectively, hardware, machinery and software background, to participate in the robot competition captain Tao Shizheng became responsible person, please Li Zexiang as chairman of the board, about 5% of the shares. After a number of project visits, the water engine project was selected.
Pan Zongliang was a northeast, and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games just ended. He entered Hong Kong University Science & Technology. Li Zexiang sent an email to the school, explaining that it was necessary to open an introductory course in robotics, where interested students could take part. At first, only two or three students signed up. Schools have regulations, the number reached the bottom of the requirements of seven, otherwise it can not start. Li Zexiang wrote an email to the students, and invited a number of freshmen, including Pan Zongliang, to go to the office to chat. That was the first time pan met Mr. li.
Li Zexiang took them together to do experiments and write tutorials. From the United States for 400 dollars a price to buy teaching assembly, which was also a lot of money at that time.
Li Zexiang does not give standard answers directly in teaching. At the end of the course, seven people assemble the assembly into a four wheel car, and the robots are different." Pan Zongliang said.
Pan Zongliang learned to input some programs on the computer, install screws, and then make a bunch of machines to follow the instructions of people to complete some simple tasks. When I was a freshman, I forgot what I had learned in this course. But knowing one thing, I can control something." Robotics class is becoming more and more popular, and now it has become a compulsory course for undergraduate students of science and engineering, and each class will sign up for about four hundred or five hundred.
For super technology CEO Zhang Zengying, Li Zexiang is also a variety of roles. He is the entrepreneur mentor, the director of super company and the biggest salesman". In addition, when the development of Super Science and technology meets strategic swing, Zhang Zengying will go to Li Zexiang to ask questions, when the lack of money, then go to borrow li.
Li Zexiang began to encourage Zhang Zengying husband to move from Changsha to the coast in 2010. Zhang Zengying's husband is interested in ultrasound related technology research. "Originally, we are very comfortable in Changsha, bought the house and car, in the school title also went up, and then raise a child, this life is like this."." Zhang Zengying said. In accordance with the established trajectory, Zhang Zengying should be completed in Changsha Central South University as a university teacher's life.
However, Zhang Zengying's husband finally chose to follow Li Zexiang to come to Songshan lake. From 2010 to 2014, the company existed in the form of project group. Zhang Zengying became the backbone of team spirit, and the most fierce quarrel with her husband is, the husband is keen on various ultrasonic and piezoelectric technology development, made more than 10 products, the company can not focus.
Zhang Zengying ended up concentrating his business on two projects. One is the production of sensors, according to the performance, cost and excellent super R & D advantages, give customers 35 days quickly provide solutions. Another intelligent manufacturing industry, focusing on special materials sapphire, ceramic ultrasonic machining of important parts. HUAWEI, millet mobile phone suppliers in this regard, is super excellent customers. The front product guarantees cash flow, and guarantees the development space in the next few years.
"Mr. Li pulled us out of the ivory tower." Zhang Zengying said, from teachers to corporate managers, many people can not afford to face and shelf. She found Li Zexiang, dignitaries, ordinary people can get along, not only know a lot of big boss, also know many small workshops in small boss. "That's what I admire the most about him." Zhang Zengying said. She is responsible for the management team of three or four people, and there will be about five or six million yuan in revenue this year.
Like Pan Zongliang, Zhang Zengying rarely saw Li Zexiang get angry. Two objects describe Li Zexiang's words are the same, generous, inclusive. Early because Pan Zongliang young, in a robot contest about meeting shuaimen out. Afterwards, Li Zexiang was as if nothing had happened.
4, Li Zexiang, who has been changed by his business
Li Zexiang was born in Hunan in 1961 and was supported by Alcoa Corp in 1979. As a freshman of Zhongnan mining and Metallurgy College (now Central South University), he went to study at Carnegie Mellon University in the United states. After graduating from college, he went to University of California at Berkeley to continue his studies.
In 1992, Li Zexiang went south to choose Hongkong, joined the newly established Hong Kong University Science & Technology, and was engaged in teaching work.
Later, Li Zexiang still did not give up the idea of education reform, based on Hong Kong University Science & Technology, and National University of Defense Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have done some educational reform. Later, Zhu Qingshi principal of South University of science and technology, and then push the education reform. After joining Li Zexiang for a while, the idea was different from that of Zhu Qingshi. Li Zexiang believes that, like running a company, running a university has a set of natural laws, understanding and understanding the laws of nature, linking the local reality, recognizing the constraints, and doing it step by step, it is possible to succeed. Rather than stay in the "independent enrollment, self awarded diploma", "shouting to administrative" and no institutional guarantee and other surface work. In 2011, Li Zexiang and two other colleagues published an article on the southern weekend, announcing the withdrawal of the education reform experiment at the Southern University of science and technology. Become a hot news.
Reform of the road gradually closed, the business incubator of the road has dense willow trees and bright flowers. By the end of 2012, Sequoia capital invested tens of millions of dollars to invest in Xinjiang innovation A round of financing. This is the first time that Li Zexiang's company has been investing in a well-known investment company. The success of Xinjiang brings star effect.
In fact, after a long period of time, there was not much money in xinjiang. When Wang Tao in the money deal, Li Zexiang will help. Early to survive. Li Zexiang and the students gave the product to the school for teaching equipment, in exchange for some money. Some of the early investors, Singapore, Taiwan and Hongkong, are all our very good friends." Li Zexiang said.
"Before the money is not a lot of time, Lee every time after wages, money will be lost inside the company."". Li Qun automation co-founder Yu Chunhua told Shenzhen network.
After the Li Zexiang team moved to Songshan Lake, Dongguan gave certain financial support and site. It solves some of the very real difficulties of entrepreneurs. Pan Zongliang feels a lot smoother in starting a business. Escape technology early in Shenzhen for half a year, rent, buy furniture have to do their own, the fire bureau is also looking for trouble. "Move to Songshan Lake here, mainly do the main thing at hand."
Together, there is another advantage. "I've often went to ask Wang Tao, six or seven person team team, does not need to manage, the number increased to three or four people, then the problem becomes larger, we do not know how to experience management stage." Pan Zongliang said.
In 2012, at a meeting held by Chery Motor Company in Wuhu, Beihang University professor and robot expert Wang Tianmiao had a deep communication with Li Zexiang, two people chatted for quite a long time, and then became good friends. In Wang Tianmiao's view, Li Zexiang did a lot of things very well and gave him much inspiration.
Wang Tianmiao used by BUAA alumni resources, some students did hatch entrepreneurial things, but there are many places is not clear. Li Zexiang and Wang Tianmiao returned to Beijing after the chat, after the establishment of the nature of the same venture fund and Clear Water Bay investment fund. In Wang Tianmiao's view, taking out money to make some young people play their potential and creativity, rather than take up too many shares, is a new model different from the previous Wall Street investment. This model is angel venture capital, shaping a new type of production relationship, releasing creativity and advanced productivity.
Entrepreneurship tutors may create a wave of funds. Zhang Yanliang told the Shenzhen net that the Clear Water Bay fund raised $30 million, and LP had sequoia. The investment committee composed by Li Zexiang and Zhang Yanliang decides the whereabouts of the fund.
5 copy Silicon Valley
Now it's a lucky thing to be in the base of robotics industry. "1000 people can only find one person."." Zhang Yanliang said.
After joining Zhang Yanliang, he consciously seeks the appropriate robot technology related talents in the world and leads them to Songshan lake. From Kunming to find a team of industrial cameras; from Henan, Luoyang found a reducer team of two; Hong Kong University Science & Technology found a UAV formation; in addition, also found from Hongkong, a small team of underwater robots.
When investing and introducing teams, the robot base has a committee of more than 10 people to evaluate it. Please come back and provide industry chain resources, necessary suppliers, venues, help recruit people, identify core founders and so on. General robotics industry base will also occupy a small proportion of the company's shares, "always hope that the technical team leader is a controlling shareholder, 0 of 100% or 0, without any significance." Zhang Yanliang says, do poineering company is the big success.
Li Zexiang to the "deep web" refers to "Jobs" author isachsen wrote another book "the innovator" (The Innovators ", is mainly about the information industry founder and pioneer of the story, including Google Paige, founder of Apple founder Steve lary Joe Perth and so on early legend, think they can have some innovation. Common features, from the science of curiosity, love to play, love yourself, know how to work with people from different backgrounds can work together, the collision of innovation. "Most importantly, creativity is a collaborative process of relay."." Li Zexiang said.
The enthusiasm of Li Zexiang's education, which is still taught in universities, is again coming forth. He registered with the education development group and planned to start from kindergarten until graduate students, after graduation. Domestic education has disrupted the talent cultivation system. Now it's split. Talent training should start from childhood, to the direction of entrepreneurship, a line down. This thing has been in the United States for a long time." Li Zexiang said that the tone of excitement, and with the left hand finger to hit the edge of the table, a tuk tuk tuk rhythm.
In his view, the top American universities, Berkeley, Standford, MIT and other achievements of Silicon Valley, the realization of the high-tech enterprise innovation and development of benign interaction between University education. But these are just the tip of the iceberg. "Some secondary schools, including colleges and universities, are actually a system."
There is an inventor in the United States, Dean, For, FIRST Inspiration recognition of science and technology, is a core of STEM education, 360 thousand students every year to participate in the competition. That doesn't include innovative games organized by big companies like Intel. Chinese students are holding more books while children in the United States use their brains and hands in groups. The gap with innovation in the United States comes from this.
(STEM is short for Science (Science), technology (Technology), engineering (Engineering) and Mathematics (Mathematics) four disciplines)
When it comes to these things, Li Zexiang is full of enthusiasm. The students summed him up as one of the most active patriots outside the system". After observing Li Zexiang, Hunan fellow villager Deng Guojun thought that Li Zexiang was influenced more or less by Huxiang culture. "No body, no mu, heart worries the world". When he began to do things, he was not the mainstream. He did a lot of people and became the mainstream.
Now between Hong Kong University Science & Technology and Shenzhen, Dongguan interaction, the interaction between Standford and Silicon Valley, far less than the United States, as a remedy, deep research, Harbin Institute of Technology Li Zexiang contact Guangdong Polytechnic University and the Hunan University and other colleges and universities, the first personnel training cooperation.
In July 19th, Li Zexiang pulled Sequoia Capital Shen Napeng, Tencent founder Ma Huateng and other business celebrities, held a forum in Hongkong, announced the establishment of Hongkong X science and Technology entrepreneurial platform. Li Zexiang intends to have accumulated in the field of intelligent hardware and robotics incubation up, and then push up a layer, through Hongkong, Shenzhen and Dongguan between industries, innovation linkages.
As you can see, the economy in the south is much better than that in the north. All over the northeast, oil and land are fertile, and now the economy is in recession. Globally, the best place for natural resources is the worst economic development. Israel, poor natural conditions, located in the desert, no oil, water, surrounded by the enemy, Israel's neighbors, underground oil, vast territory and abundant resources, how in the end?" Li Zexiang asked.
He said, "the biggest resource in a country is the human brain."."