Li Yan
严力
Li Yan is a founding partner of Zhongding Capital (钟鼎资本, also known as Eastern Bell Capital) , where he has served in a senior leadership role since at least the firm's early dollar-fund raises . As of early 2026, he remained a partner at the firm, which had recently closed its sixth RMB fund and second USD fund, crossing RMB 30 billion in assets under management . In a late-2025 reflection published by 暗涌Waves, he was described as having become "more transparent and at ease" compared with five years prior, a period during which Zhongding had deliberately kept a low external profile .
Related coverage: Li Yan appears in passing as a name reference in pieces on Shenzhen startup events , Linear Capital's growth path , and Gen Z career perspectives in AI — none of which offer additional biographical detail.
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Coverage
Yan Li: From Civilization Back to the Jianghu — 20 Scattered Thoughts at the End of 2025
Not on the shore, but on the crest of the wave.
2024, When Everyone Stands at a Crossroads: 96 Investors' Decisions
Deciding is easy. Waiting is hard.
Two Decades of RMB Funds: Between Life and Death
Are USD Funds in Trouble? Is It the RMB Funds' Turn to Make a Move?
A grain of sand for the era, a mountain for USD funds
To survive in an era of sweeping change, keeping your eyes on the ground is never enough — you have to look up at the sky too.
