Eva Liu, portfolio manager at Lam Capital, is one of our Top 50 Rising Stars in corporate venturing for 2024.
Eva Liu logged five years as a general manager at internet-of-things technology provider MeShare before moving to wafer-fabrication product maker Lam Research’s corporate venture arm. That experience has helped her navigate some turbulent waters in the startup scene.
“The VC world has been changing over the past two years and some of the startups have been struggling,” she says. “But because I’ve been at a startup previously, I can think about how to help them and give them support by making connections.
“I’m trying to mentor some of the startups to make sure they can find solutions for funding and finding product-market fit. This kind of problem-solving experience makes me excited every day.”
Lam Capital hired Liu in 2019 as an associate, promoting her to portfolio manager three years later. She’s in charge of liaising between the unit’s startups and its parent company. Her background means she can identify inflection points while knowing what keeps founders up at night. And she’s looking to get even more hands on.
“I want to still give support to my portfolio companies,” Liu says. “I expect to take board and observer seats to better understand their business and teams, and to utilise my experience in fundraising and give them some suggestions. Get more involved in their daily operations.”
But one of the biggest influences in Liu’s life has been watching her three-year old daughter learn about the world. In an age where people increasingly believe AI can solve every problem, she serves as a reminder that things are ultimately unpredictable.
“With venture, you need the ability to deal with ambiguity and it’s the same as with parenting,” Liu says. “You never know why your daughter is super happy some days and very cranky on others. You need to deal with ambiguity and be prepared for uncertainty, and that goes for startups as well.”
https://globalventuring.com/corporate/publication/rising-stars-2024/
