Eric Xu


Eric Xu Yong is a Chinese businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is best known as a co-founder of Baidu, the largest Chinese search engine.
Xu is the founder and chairman of Yifang Capital, an investment holding company engaged in venture capital investments and asset management activities. He also founded several family philanthropic organizations including The Xu Family Charitable Foundation Limited,, Yifang Foundation, and Zhengyu Education Foundation.

Education

Xu Yong earned his B.S and M.S. degrees in biology at Peking University from 1982 to 1989.
A Rockefeller Foundation fellow 1990-1993, Xu obtained a Ph.D. degree in Biology from Texas A&M University. Xu was also a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of California, Berkeley from 1994 to 1996.. He also participated in the Stanford Sloan Master's Program but did not complete due to personal reasons.

Career

Xu's career ranges across the fields of biotechnology, film production and information communications technology. Later in his career, he expanded into venture capital and fund management.

Biotechnology

Prior to Baidu, Xu worked at Qiagen, Inc. and Stratagene, Inc, two biotech start-up companies in California in technical support, sales and marketing.

Television

Xu is a producer of the first Chinese TV documentary on Silicon Valley's unique history and culture in 1999. Titled "A Journey to Silicon Valley", the TV series brings to light the history, start-up culture, business management and venture capital mechanisms of the Valley in an objective and comprehensive fashion, and profoundly reveals the mystery behind the success of Silicon Valley as the world model for high-tech undertakings and innovation.

Baidu

In 1999, together with Mr. Robin Li, Dr. Eric Xu Yong co-founded Baidu, the world's largest Chinese search engine and served as an Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer from 1999-2004. His main responsibilities involved private financing, sales and marketing, business and corporate development, corporate governance and general management.

Venture capital and asset management

Xu is the founder and chairman of YIFANG VENTURES, an investment company, engaged in venture capital investments and asset management. Dr. Eric Xu Yong also serves as a board member for several technology start-up companies. Yifang currently invests in information technology, new media, bio-pharmaceuticals, healthcare and clean-technologies, etc. It counts Allele Biotech, AcuraGen, BioHermes, Imune-Onc, Yidian, Kuwo and Baihe as its portfolio companies, among others. YIFANG is also a limited partner of several venture capital and private equity funds. Some partner funds include: Sequoia Capital China Fund, Decheng Capital Fund, Morgan Stanley PE Fund.

Personal life

Xu and his families are based in Singapore and Beijing.