David Li, partner at BHP Ventures, is one of our top 50 Emerging Leaders in corporate venturing for 2026.
While AI is the watchword on everyone’s lips lately, David Li has taken an application-drive approach to AI-related investments and focused on very specific challenges at BHP.
Li played a key role in the investment in Field AI. Founded in 2023, the startup develops AI software that allows robots to operate autonomously in complex, unstructured, real-world environments. The use cases at BHP are many, but the primary is focused on safety. For a mining company, the ability to deploy robots in place of humans for high-risk tasks and in high-risk environments is a game changer.
Throughout Li’s career, which spans investment banking and M&A at Lazard, venture capital at Longitude Capital and development operations at Pivotal Software, before he made his way to CVC at Avanta Ventures and then to BHP Ventures, the common theme has been a desire to learn from exceptional people while making meaningful impact.
“Build your own creditability by investing the time to understand the business units, their priorities, challenges and pain points. Those internal relationships are the foundation for providing value to the startup founders”
A highlight of Li’s role is working closely with founders who are committed to the ideas they are building. He is energised by the constant learning that comes with investing in highly technical businesses. At the same time, Li says the most rewarding work is often the most challenging: helping portfolio companies build win–win partnerships with BHP. He enjoys helping bridge the gap between fast-moving startups and a complex global industrial enterprise.
For those just entering CVC, Li advises looking beyond the search for the best deal. “I am a big believer that the real differentiator is actually relationships and trust,” says Li. “Internally, build your own creditability by investing the time to understand the business units, their priorities, challenges and pain points. Those internal relationships are the foundation for providing value to the startup founders.”
The 15-person team at BHP Ventures manages a portfolio of more than 30 startups, with the aim to add between four and 10 in the next year.
The Emerging Leaders are mid-career corporate venture professionals who are making an outstanding contribution to their teams and the industry.
See the full list of Emerging Leaders here.
