Top universities are accelerating their entry into the LP market.
In the previous two years, high Chinese universities have been getting concerned within the fairness funding subject with unprecedented density and depth. Especially since 2024, there was a brand new wave of college LPs.
Following universities such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tianjin University, Central South University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Southern University of Science and Technology, one other college has entered the VC circle. This time, it is South China University of Technology.
A 985 college enters the VC circle
Another college has entered the first market.
On December sixteenth, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Science and Technology Innovation Industry Institute of South China University of Technology (hereinafter referred to as the “Innovation Institute”) was inaugurated in Guangzhou. Simultaneously, the strategic signing ceremony of the Science and Technology Innovation Industry Fund of South China University of Technology was held.
The Innovation Institute is collectively managed by the college and its alumni. Focusing on industries such as synthetic intelligence, superior manufacturing, biotechnology, new supplies, and new vitality, it constructs a capital assist system coordinated by “universities + governments + alumni”, offering all-round assist in know-how, finance, and many others. for achievement transformation, startup incubation, and industrial internationalization. It goals to construct a global incubation platform that integrates the “four chains” to serve high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement.
The Science and Technology Innovation Industry Institute has arrange a science and know-how innovation trade fund, which is collectively initiated by South China University of Technology and its alumni, and collectively established with the federal government, listed alumni enterprises, and Hong Kong and Macao capital. It varieties a complete fund pool of over 3 billion yuan, with the core orientation of “investing in early-stage and small-scale projects, long-term investments, and hard technologies”. Relying on the commercial community of South China University of Technology alumni, it constructs a “capital + resources” dual-drive system.
Zhang Xichun, the Party secretary of South China University of Technology, mentioned: The Innovation Institute will concentrate on coordinating scientific and technological innovation and industrial sources within the three areas of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, as nicely as inside and outdoors the college, selling the connection between science and know-how innovation enterprises and worldwide capital. It will systematically promote the transformation and implementation of scientific analysis achievements of South China University of Technology, technological achievements from Hong Kong and Macao, as nicely as the achievements of offshore facilities and joint laboratories with a world multi-point format within the Greater Bay Area, and radiate globally. It goals to create a brand new industrial mannequin of “university R & D – Greater Bay Area manufacturing – Hong Kong and Macao financing – international market”, and grow to be the “cradle” for science and know-how enterprises within the Greater Bay Area to go public.
It is price noting that, in keeping with studies from a number of media retailers, the science and know-how innovation trade fund adopts a two-tier administration construction of “LP + GP” and a “dual-currency parallel” operation mannequin.
At the fund signing ceremony, 9 funding establishments, together with Guangzhou Science and Technology Finance Innovation Investment, Guotai Haitong Securities, Guangzhou Emerging Industry Development Fund, Midea Venture Capital, Guangzhou Zhiguang Private Equity Investment Fund, Guangzhou Guangshi Shengyu Private Equity Investment Fund, Gaw Capital Partners, Macao Golden Time Capital, and Yuxin Lion City (Xiamen) Private Equity Fund, participated within the signing.
It is reported that a part of the fund’s earnings shall be used to assist college students’ innovation and entrepreneurship, selling the built-in growth of training, science and know-how, and expertise, and offering sustainable assist for the development of high-level universities and regional innovation and growth.
In the view of trade insiders, this marriage mannequin of “academic highland + industrial hinterland” not solely solves the dilemma of restricted native transformation sources in universities but in addition introduces probably the most scarce high intelligence and authentic applied sciences for regional industrial upgrading.
In the previous two years, industries such as robotics, synthetic intelligence, and semiconductors have been booming, and the enterprise capital market has witnessed a brand new spherical of know-how funding storms. In this feast of know-how and capital, universities with authentic applied sciences are stepping from behind the scenes to the forefront, becoming a member of the battle one after one other and turning into an rising pressure that can not be ignored within the trade’s growth.
Universities are getting into the market one after one other
Since 2025, with the continual recognition of tracks such as AI, robotics, and low-altitude economic system, the funding enthusiasm within the trade has been additional mobilized. In this feast of future know-how, universities – an vital supply of modern skills and cutting-edge applied sciences – have additionally entered the market strongly with their profound scientific analysis background and useful resource benefits.
The “LP Panorama Report 2025” just lately launched by FOFWEEKLY identified that, in keeping with incomplete statistics, universities newly established a complete of seven funds within the first half of 2025.
Obviously, South China University of Technology is just not an exception.
With the acceleration of future industrial format, an increasing number of universities are not happy with breakthroughs in fundamental analysis. Instead, they select to deeply take part within the industrialization course of with capital as the hyperlink. Therefore, promoted by native governments, college science and know-how innovation mom funds are rising intensively. Especially since 2024, high Chinese universities have been getting concerned within the fairness funding subject with unprecedented density and depth, and the dimensions is exhibiting a gradual progress pattern.
According to our remark, the brand new lineup of college LPs contains Tianjin University, the University of Hong Kong, Central South University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University of Technology, and many others. Many of those universities both take the lead in initiating or take part within the institution/funding of science and know-how innovation funds.
On April sixteenth, 2024, the Tiankai Jiuan Haihe Haitang Science and Technology Innovation Mother Fund was formally established. The scale of this mom fund is 5 billion yuan, and it was collectively established by Jiuan Medical, Tiankai Group, Haihe Industrial Fund, the Beiyang Education Development Foundation of Tianjin University, and the Beiyang Haitang Fund. On September tenth, 2024, Sichuan Province joined palms with Tsinghua University to formally set up the University Science and Technology Achievement Transformation Fund. This fund follows the precept of “led by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, with enterprises as the main body, and market-oriented operation”, and adopts a mom – baby fund construction. The total scale of the mom fund is 10 billion yuan, with the preliminary section of three billion yuan, collectively invested by 16 state-owned enterprises in Sichuan.
In truth, within the technique of enjoying the position of LPs, universities not solely launch innovation vitality but in addition present extraordinarily scarce “high-quality long – term funds” for the fundraising market. This sort of funds has the traits of lengthy – time period cycle and robust stability, and might present extra steady capital assist for scientific and technological innovation tasks that require lengthy – time period cultivation. And that is precisely the “patient capital” urgently wanted within the present capital market.
Although at the moment, in contrast with the mature techniques in Europe and the United States, Chinese college funds are nonetheless within the exploration stage, their growth momentum is powerful, and the paths have gotten more and more various. A definite characteristic is that high universities are not happy with a single kind however are establishing a capital matrix protecting the complete cycle of accomplishment transformation.
Taking Fudan University as an instance, in simply two years, it has accomplished the three key steps from native to nationwide after which to abroad, and on the similar time shaped a diversified lineup of “mother fund + direct investment + overseas fund”. In December 2023, the Fudan Science and Technology Innovation Mother Fund with an preliminary scale of 1 billion yuan was established in Shanghai. In March 2025, it cooperated with Guangzhou Industrial Investment Group to launch the “Guangzhou Industrial Investment – Fudan Future Industry Mother Fund”, realizing the cross – regional ecological grafting. By December 2025, the Fudan Science and Technology Innovation Investment Fund was established, and on the similar time, the Fudan Science and Technology Innovation Overseas Investment Fund (with an preliminary goal of 100 million US {dollars}) was launched, marking the official begin of its worldwide fundraising and funding format.
Against the background of the present shortage of market – primarily based “long – term funds”, universities, with their lengthy – time period and steady capital attributes and industrial sources, have gotten the dear “source of living water” within the eyes of GPs.
Conclusion
The intensive entry of universities into the VC circle has undoubtedly injected new vitality and beneficial lengthy – time period funds into the at the moment considerably sluggish fundraising market.
In the long run, as extra universities take part within the fairness funding market by organising funds, the sample of the fundraising market will grow to be extra diversified. With their lengthy – time period capital, innovation sources, and social affect, college LPs will occupy a extra vital place within the fundraising market and grow to be a brand new pressure driving the continual and wholesome growth of the Chinese fairness funding market.
This article is from the WeChat public account “FOFWEEKLY”, writer: FOFWEEKLY, printed by 36Kr with authorization.