CVCA New Member Profile: INP Capital

We’re continuing our new member series on CVCA Central; profiling our new members and providing insight into these invaluable organizations in our community.

The latest member we are excited to profile is INP Capital.

Tell us about INP Capital.

INP Capital is a boutique investment firm headquartered in Vancouver, Canada with global teams in Canada, Australia, China, and Singapore. We focus on private equity investments with the goal to invest in talents and technologies that shape tomorrow. Utilizing our strength in global network and insights, we immerse ourselves in local innovation ecosystems to discover, and become a partner of great entrepreneurs for exponential value creation. The core management team brings deep, diverse, and complementary experiences in corporate finance, governance, capital markets and VC/PE investing globally underpinned by operational excellence.

What is INP Capital’s thesis?

Invest in evolution, and emerge with greatness. Through our in-depth understanding of the industry developments globally and active participation in the local technology startup ecosystem, we combine top-down research that identifies industries on the verge of explosive growth and bottom-up screening to discover and invest in companies with the most potential to grow into unicorns.

Our investment criteria had been largely opportunistic and industry agnostic, though we do put emphasis on sectors going through evolution and are on a trajectory to breed unicorns. Current focused areas including Future of Energy (Critical minerals & Resources, Alternative fuel commercial vehicles, smart transportation, green logistics etc.), ESG-themed disruptive technology (Foodtech, Cleantech, EnviroTech etc), Metaverse and web 3.0 (digital and intelligent connection and augmentation of the physical world), Space technology and 2B services that consolidate and automate a large but fragmented industry that has low digitization level (e.g Supply chain/​logistics, Insurance, etc.).

Our investments are in early stages (Seed to Series A) and late stages (business growth/scale-up or clear-set IPO timetable). Geographically we invest in North America, Australasia, Southeast Asia and Greater China. 

Who are the key people at INP Capital?

Steven Xu – Co-Founder and CEO

Steven has 20 years of audit, assurance and financial services experience globally. Having worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers and listed companies, he specialises in IPO and M&A activities in a broad range of sectors including technology, agriculture, and healthcare, with deals valued over $5 billion. Steven is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and currently serves as NED of various companies. Steven is a Chartered Accountant of Australia and New Zealand and Certified Management Accountant.

Steven is also a self-trained programmer. One of his hobbies is to develop App for robo-trading in FX and shares. Steven and Jackie have worked together for many years when they were with PwC China.

Jackie Chen – Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer

Jackie has over 15 years of experience in the financial industry with a focus in early-stage venture capital investment. From comprehensive due diligence research to active post-investment management, Jackie has a wealth of experience investing in, and growing with leading-edge technology startups to become successful globalized enterprises in the fields of EV/​Logistics, Biotech, Ed-tech, Cleantech, AI and 3D data. Prior to starting her own venture capital firm, Jackie was Senior Auditor of PricewaterhouseCoopers where she gained rich experience around public company financial reporting, internal controls and risk controls. Jackie holds a master’s degree in business and enterprise from OxfordBrookes University in London. 

Jackie’s biggest passion and her only hobby is to examine emerging technologies around the world and discover startup technology companies in different sectors, imagine how they can change our lives in the future and determine whether they could grow into a ​“Unicorn”. Like her own 4 children, Jackie feels the most excitement and satisfaction when these early-stage companies ​“grow up” and realize their true potential. 

Jessica Wang – Chief Marketing Officer/​Chief Compliance Officer

Jessica has over 20 years of experience in the Canadian financial industry. She is a CFA charterholder and a Portfolio Manager registered in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

Highly entrepreneurial, in her career Jessica has established several successful investment consulting/​management companies specializing in helping high net worth private clients and institutions invest in real estate developments, VC/PE and other top-tier alternative asset classes. Prior to that, Jessica was a Regional Sales Manager for Franklin Templeton Investments. 

A quick learner with insatiable curiosity towards the world out there, Jessica has been an avid golfer, a travelling foodie and a wine connoisseur. Also, having been working, often as the only female (and visible minority) in a profession dominated by men, Jessica feels strongly about education and mentorship for girls and believes in creative social projects that support girls’ participation in STEM, Business and Finance. 

What is INP Capital excited about (in the immediate horizon and in the long run)?

We are excited about the opportunities arising from the volatility of global markets in immediate horizon, such as undervalue private tech companies and delayed IPO companies.

In the long run, we are focusing on AI further application into people’s life and work, Food-tech in resolving global food supply and ESG themed investments.