Zihao Xu

Zihao Xu is a Partner at Octopus Ventures, a prominent venture capital firm based in London, United Kingdom.1 He specializes in fintech and crypto investments, focusing on companies that are building the Future of Money and enabling fast, efficient transactions.1

Professional Experience

Zihao joined Octopus Ventures in August 2016 and has since been involved in numerous investments.1 Octopus Ventures is one of the largest and most active venture investors in Europe, managing £1.7 billion and investing over £200 million annually.1 The firm typically invests between £1 million for Seed stage and £10 million for Series B, with the capability to support companies through to IPO.1

Investment Focus

Zihao is particularly interested in:

• Infrastructure layers in traditional capital markets and crypto
• Innovations that improve collaboration and resource allocation at scale
• Companies building significant improvements in speed, efficiency, and pricing within financial systems

Board Positions

In addition to his role at Octopus Ventures, Zihao holds several board positions:

• Board Observer at Merge (since January 2022)
• Non-Executive Director at Tatum (since November 2021)
• Non-Executive Director at Integrated Finance (since July 2021)

Previous Experience

Before joining Octopus Ventures, Zihao's professional background includes:

• Senior Consultant at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants (2011-2016)
• Founder and CEO of Canopy Sunglasses (2014-2016)

Education

Zihao holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oxford, which he completed between 2007 and 2010.1

Languages

He is proficient in both Mandarin Chinese and English.1

Zihao Xu can be contacted via email at zihao[at]octopusventures[dot]com, which he notes is a more reliable method of communication than LinkedIn messages.1