We're at "ten" — welcome to join Frees, and let's go further together

/ 01 /

A "Happy Moment" After Work

On August 15, a pleasant Friday afternoon, we celebrated FreeS Fund's tenth birthday.

First up was the "Totally FREES Sports Meet."

Colleagues were randomly split into four teams. We brainstormed names and designed flags together: "Team Young" had newly hired Gen-Z colleagues; "Shanghai Glory" nodded to our expanding Shanghai office (we're hiring — details below); "Team Grind" somehow gathered many of the company's fitness enthusiasts; "Team Qilin" had our mascot, Uncle Feng, holding court.

We collaborated and pushed our limits through all sorts of fun games: shuffling shoulder-to-shoulder in an extended three-legged race; gritting through pain to keep jumping rope on acupressure mats; coordinating multiple long ropes to strike a large drum and bounce a volleyball off its surface... Having fun and relaxing together was the best celebration of all.

/ 02 /

The Decade We've Walked Together

After the lively sports meet came a warm and joyful dinner banquet.

Uncle Feng wore the same blue polo shirt he'd had on ten years ago, the night he announced FreeS Fund's official founding (yes, it still fit). He recreated the champagne-popping scene from that evening. The 10th-anniversary cake replicated the design from the original launch event, with an extra tier added — "ascending to the next level."

Uncle Feng shared some heartfelt words: "Over the past ten years, like nearly every startup, we've experienced lows, difficult times when we had to do everything possible to keep going. Let's keep striving upward, always moving forward! Happy birthday!"

On the big screen, an AI-generated video brought together "me when I first joined FreeS" and "me today" in a warm side-by-side.

AI let Uncle Feng share the frame with his ten-years-younger self across time and space.

At the dinner, a photo wall told ten years of stories through 352 pictures:

A rainbow after rain at the office, Messi's shot at Camp Nou during a Spain team retreat, bonfire dancing by Qinghai Lake, brilliant fireworks in Vietnam, fishing in Langkawi, a stellar performance by the "FreeS Band," annual meeting group photos, closed-door sessions and dinners with CEOs, takeout feasts during late nights, birthday celebrations for colleagues...

As one colleague put it: "What matters isn't what you do, but who you're with. These shared experiences and memories are the most precious."

Nearby, a carefully curated exhibition displayed many objects deeply and meaningfully connected to FreeS. Each item was a specimen of time:

• Anniversary gifts, birthday presents, and work equipment the company prepared for colleagues — one team member still keeps her first laptop from ten years ago when she joined; for her, "an investor is basically someone who carries a laptop and goes out to conquer the world";
• Objects documenting serendipitous connections to FreeS: the perfume worn to an interview, or a stuffed animal placed on the desk on day one — even after moving to the Shanghai office, one colleague left it behind as "a presence in Beijing";
• Nourishment for the mind — mottos gathered through work, books read at FreeS, such as On Protracted War, which accompanied one colleague through their most confused period and gave them the courage to "look forward";
• Countless "firsts" preserved here: handwritten notes from first time hosting an anniversary celebration, a white shirt bought for a "formal occasion" (turns out it wasn't needed), a passport nearly lost abroad for the first time;
• Even stories about the "pantry": someone addicted to the Americano from the coffee machine; a colleague who casually mentioned wanting an ice maker at an anniversary event, and within days it arrived, letting everyone enjoy iced coffee and Coke in the pantry...

FreeS and you, more than ten years; the story continues, waiting for you to write the next chapter.

/ 03 /

Join Us

We want to invite more friends to explore the next decade with us, to walk further together, to do what's right rather than what's easy.

Early-stage investing means exploring the business world with curiosity, and voting for the future you want. We welcome partners with industry backgrounds who are interested in early-stage investment to join us.

Together we'll uncover valuable startups and accompany them as they grow into great companies with both commercial and social value. Please send your resume to hr@freesvc.com

/ 04 /

So Much Recognition to Be Grateful For

Since this Spring Festival, we've received over 40 honors.

Among the 20+ awards for the firm, more than 10 recognized FreeS Fund's comprehensive capabilities. Keywords from these awards include "most influential," "globally most promising," "best early-stage," and "most popular among young investors." In specific investment areas, our practice in AI and digitalization continues to receive affirmation; our investments in healthcare have also drawn attention from industry and specialized medical media.

FreeS investment colleagues received 20 awards. Those recognized include not only Uncle Feng but also FreeS partners and senior leadership. We're especially grateful for all this encouragement and support.

Interactive Giveaway Ten years is a milestone, and also a new starting point. We're grateful to every friend who has accompanied FreeS. We invite you to leave a comment at the end of this article, sharing your hopes for yourself ten years from now, or dreams you want to realize in the future. This isn't just a simple interaction — it's a chance to help build a "Ten-Year Wish Wall."

All comments will be read carefully. We'll select the 10 most sincere and moving responses to receive a curated book gift box (each containing 2 books).

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