This is a hand-in-hand again through 10 years.
On April 22, on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of Tsinghua University, Xiong Xiaoge, founding chairman of IDG Capital, announced that IDG Capital will continue to donate to the IDG/McGovern Brain Science Institute of Tsinghua University, mainly for the introduction of professional talents and academic exchanges.
10 years ago today, Tsinghua University-IDG/McGovern Brain Science Institute was officially established. "From the moment the institute was born, her development became an important responsibility for me." Now, IDG Capital and Tsinghua University have cooperated again, Xiong Xiaoge said emotionally: "Twice signed the same venue, but the last time it was Signed by Mr. McGovern, and this time it was replaced by me." ”
The donation of Mr. McGovern and IDG Capital that year was like a seed, allowing cutting-edge brain science research to take root in Chinese universities. Shi Songhai, dean of the IDG/McGovern Institute of Brain Science at Tsinghua University, sighed, "More than a decade ago, few people in China paid attention to brain science research, and they were already doing something that focused on the future. Today, more and more wealth-free tycoons in China have joined the journey to explore the unknown world.
10 years ago, IDG made its first donation
Tsinghua Brain Science Research Institute was born
The birth of Tsinghua Brain Science Research Institute originated from IDG Capital.
In 2000, MCG and his wife, founder and chairman of IDG, donated to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to establish a scientific research institute, where three Nobel laureates worked. In 2006, McGovern wanted to set up a brain institute again in Asia, and he set his sights on Japan.
Upon learning of this, Xiong Xiaoge hastily proposed to set up a location in China, and facilitated a visit by the McGoverns to Tsinghua and other Chinese universities that year. Since then, under the impetus of IDG Capital, Tsinghua Medical Research Institute and the MIT McGovern Brain Research Institute have signed an agreement and begun frequent and long-term cooperation and exchanges.
On April 21, 2011, Mr. McGovern signed an agreement with Tsinghua University to establish the IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Science. In November of the same year, Peking University and the McGovern Institute of Brain Science of Beijing Normal University were established.
At this point, Xiong Xiaoge finally realized his wish to study brain science in China. He recorded this past in a blog ten years ago, "In 1981, my mother suffered from cerebral hemorrhage, and in eight months I consulted a large number of cranial neurology medical books, wrote letters to experts to seek medical advice, and had no choice but regret and hatred. In 2000, Mr. McGovern established the Institute of Brain Science at MIT, which was like a glimmer of light after a long night. The Institute of Brain Sciences once preferred Japan in Asia, and with many efforts, the day before yesterday it finally landed in Tsinghua, which was both a centennial celebration and a heart fragrance for the mother. ”
It is worth mentioning that in addition to the support of the financial level, it is precisely under the impetus of IDG Capital that Shi Songhai, the current president of the TSINGHUA University-IDG McGovern Institute of Brain Science, returned to China.
Shi Songhai recalled to the investment community that the first contact with IDG Capital was in 2017, when it was at a tsinghua university-IDG/McGovern Brain Science Research Institute conference, "In fact, I heard about Xiong Zong before, he did a lot of things for Tsinghua Brain Science Research Institute. At that time, IDG Capital hoped to have some fresh blood to return to China to join the institute. Also in that exchange, Xiong Xiaoge told Shi Songhai about the opportunities and environment for the development of Brain Science in China, which promoted his determination to return to China.
"At that time, there were no more than 60 scientists in the world doing brain science research, but most of them were in the United States, and I just wanted these people to be introduced back to China." Xiong Xiaoge said.
Subsequently, Shi Songhai returned to China to join the Tsinghua Institute of Brain Science, and began to serve as the dean of the IDG/McGovern Brain Science Institute of Tsinghua University in 2019. In just 10 years, the institute has not only developed into the cornerstone of brain science research at Tsinghua University, but also become the leading brain neuroscience research base in China.
Professor Shi Songhai also remembers that the original donation agreement clearly stated that the purpose of establishing the research institute was to establish a world-class base capable of engaging in brain science research and talent training. This was in the era when the development of Tsinghua brain science was almost a blank, so that this group of scientific researchers took deep root.
This is an investment with an unmatched sense of accomplishment
Brain science, which has long been regarded as the "ultimate frontier" for human understanding of natural phenomena and human beings themselves, is also one of the most important frontier sciences of this century.
Professor Shi Songhai popularized the essence of this discipline: First, scientific significance. Human beings tirelessly carry out scientific research, will explore the external world and the universe, but eventually return to the highest level of exploration of man himself, which rises to the level of brain science: how we think, how we have different emotions, how to make decisions, how to be conscious, this is the most attractive and complex place of natural science, is the meaning of natural science.
The second is social significance. With the development of society and the advancement of intelligence, brain science is very important for the establishment of artificial intelligence or new intelligent systems, AI technology is currently attracting much attention, but it only simulates the brain to some extent, and the gap between intelligence and emotion and the real brain is still very far.
There is also an important social significance related to universal health. With the aging and industrialization of society, the problems encountered by the entire nervous system will be more and more, and there are very complex cranial nerve diseases at every stage of our lives. From autism and depression to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, etc., nowadays, cranial nerve-related diseases have become a greater burden on society.
But this science of such importance was a field of concern to a few people more than a decade ago. "You can hardly imagine that ten years ago, before Mr. McGovern and IDG Capital donated this brain science academy, Tsinghua University, a century-old institution, had almost no brain science research." Shi Songhai told the investment community.
Donation is a seed, the following 10 years tsinghua brain science research has made great progress in the system, Shi Songhai frankly, "at least for now, Tsinghua's brain neuroscience in China is relatively advanced, can not say that we do the best, there is still a long way to go." ”
Xiong Xiaoge said that IDG Capital is willing to invest in long-term funds to support brain science research. Up to now, McGovern and IDG Capital have donated a total of 200 million yuan to the IDG/McGovern Brain Science Research Institute of Tsinghua, Peking University and Beijing Normal University, and will continue to help the basic research of Chinese brain science through donations in the future, and the donation amount is expected to be no less than 20 million yuan per year, and plans to increase.
Xiong Xiaoge sighed, "If this brain science research institute had fallen in Japan, there would have been no follow-up results." Our original intention in doing this was very simple. It is precisely because we understand the systematic, complex and long-term nature of basic research that the sense of achievement that scientific research brings us is even more incomparable. ”
Dirt and starry sky
Now, venture capitalists and scientists are getting closer and closer
This collision of science and VC is a good story.
"It is very rare for an institution engaged in equity investment to support a research institute focusing on basic research without seeking a return on funds. From the perspective of industry, education and research, IDG Capital has made a good model in the country. Shi Songhai commented.
At today's interview site at Tsinghua University, Xiong Xiaoge proudly said that IDG Capital may be one of the investment institutions with the largest number of doctoral employees in China. He believes that investment now is very different from 10 years ago, if a few years ago everyone was still excited about new business models, but now it is new technologies and new research that can ignite enthusiasm.
Science and technology should be given enough respect, and an era of scientists and technologists is on the rise.
"IDG Capital is willing to work with the invested enterprises to participate more in the work of supporting scientific research and innovation." Over the years, IDG Capital has invested a large number of outstanding enterprises in many fields such as artificial intelligence, genetic medical treatment, new energy, advanced manufacturing, and new consumer services. Xiong Xiaoge said, "We will continue to pay attention to and support the development of basic science, and contribute to the overall improvement of China's scientific and technological level, the cultivation and development of cutting-edge industries, and even the progress of human science." "It must be known that in the exploration of the world, all people carry the common destiny of all mankind on their shoulders.
True business civilization is not just about how much wealth you have. Not long ago, Robin Li established a life science company, opening up the dream buried in his heart for more than 20 years; after Pinduoduo Huang Zheng resigned as chairman, he and the founding team set up the Star Fund, donated 100 million US dollars to Zhejiang University for brain cognition, artificial fish meat, tumor immune antigens, large-scale dynamic timing maps and other cutting-edge biological and information technology research and development; and then the Future Science Award, VC/PE funded researchers, generating innovative sparks.
The unknown is in awe. Every generation of entrepreneurs and investors has the opportunities of their own times, but in addition to looking at the road under our feet, we also have to look up at the stars. In front of everyone, there is a journey to the sea of stars.