Raymond Zheng, senior managing director at Honda Xcelerator Ventures, is one of the 100 leading corporate venturing professionals in our 2026 Powerlist.
Honda Xcelerator Ventures, where senior managing director Raymond Zheng is one of the key leaders, has significantly deepened its focus on strategic investment and collaboration in deep technologies over the past year. While the team continues to prioritise mobility and artificial intelligence, it has expanded its portfolio to include sustainable mobility innovations, such as Enedym, a developer of rare-earth-metal-free electric motors.
In May, Honda announced a multi-year joint development agreement with AI software startup Helm.ai to accelerate autonomous driving capabilities.
Zheng has taken a more hands-on role with portfolio companies while continuing to serve as a key liaison between Helm.ai and Honda. He now serves as a board observer for select investments, including Mythic, an analog AI computing developer, and machine vision firm SiLC Technologies, reflecting a deliberate shift toward more active and strategic portfolio stewardship.
As an ‘active’ observer, Zheng has been instrumental in connecting portfolio companies with the broader venture and corporate ecosystem — facilitating fundraising, strategic partnerships and commercial opportunities.
In addition, Zheng has expanded efforts to build and strengthen the startup and investor ecosystem around Honda Xcelerator Ventures in North America.
The investment unit was formally established in 2022, building on over a decade of experience, creating a model that effectively connects startups with Honda’s global business units and R&D teams. This approach has resulted in numerous proof-of-concept (POC) initiatives annually and a growing portfolio of long-term strategic investments.
Globally, the CVC unit continues to target next-generation technologies, including fusion energy, advanced materials, industrial AI and energy innovation. Notable investments include NT-Tao Compact Fusion Power and Mythic’s analog inference AI processors, reflecting a willingness to back frontier technologies with transformative potential. The unit often operates as a hybrid investor, providing both strategic alignment and financial capital while connecting portfolio companies with relevant corporate partners.
The unit complements direct investments with limited partner commitments to external venture funds. These fund investments provide early visibility into emerging “moonshot” technologies while seeding a pipeline for future direct strategic investments, as noted by principal Hyundo Kwon.
Compared with larger CVC players such as Intel Capital, Honda Xcelerator Ventures occupies a distinct middle ground — combining deep engineering credibility with a focused, strategic investment approach. Its portfolio prioritises companies tackling complex technical challenges with the potential for outsized societal impact, particularly in areas such as robotics perception, autonomy systems, energy infrastructure and other related deep tech areas.
The GCV Powerlist represents the 100 individuals spearheading the future of the corporate venturing industry.
These individuals excel in terms of their venturing approach and structure, number and quality of portfolio companies and in their contributions to the corporate venturing profession.
Here’s a snapshot of their recent deals:
