Seeking Outstanding Global Tech Entrepreneurs — Global Young PhD Fellow Recruitment Now Open

In mid-November, we published our recruitment announcement for the Global Young PhD Fellow program, and received an outpouring of interest from friends near and far. We're deeply grateful for the enthusiasm. Given the schedules of applicants and our team, we're extending the application deadline to December 15 for those interested in the Global Young PhD Fellow program.

Global Young PhD Fellow is a joint initiative by Linear Capital and companies in the Linear family, designed as a rapid learning and exchange platform for young talent worldwide who aspire to tech entrepreneurship or are in the early stages of building a company, and who want to understand how China's most exceptional tech startups have grown. Here, you'll hear from hardcore tech investors sharing their experience and advice, engage in dialogue with founders of China's top tech companies and learn from their triumphs and stumbles, connect with like-minded entrepreneurial peers, and even access seed funding from Linear Capital.

As one of the earliest funds focused on early-stage technology investing, Linear Capital has always believed that technology is the primary productive force. We aim to invest in frontier technologies and drive their industrial application to dramatically improve productivity and efficiency, thereby enhancing more people's lives and building a better society. Driven by this vision, since our founding in 2014, Linear Capital has made early-stage investments in over 80 teams including Horizon Robotics, Kujiale, Sensors Data, Tezign, and Agile Robots, with our portfolio's aggregate valuation reaching approximately $20 billion.

We believe: the spring of tech investing has only just begun. As a venture capital firm where every investment team member has a technical background, we deeply understand what an open exchange platform means for technologists.

Who We're Looking For

• PhD students, scholars, or tech industry professionals from top overseas universities with STEM backgrounds, who believe their technology can create significant value
• Those with strong entrepreneurial intent or already building a company, with keen interest in tech commercialization
• You can be from anywhere in the world, from any industry, including Chinese entrepreneurs based overseas

What You Get as a Global Young PhD Fellow

1. Outstanding entrepreneurs will receive seed funding from Linear
2. A year-long online curriculum built specifically for early-stage tech founders, helping you avoid pitfalls during the phase when startups are most likely to fail
3. Mentorship from a roster of unicorn CEOs, industry leaders, and veteran investors who bring years of sector experience and direct resources. You'll be matched with a personal mentor in your field for 1:1 guidance
4. Membership in the Linear founder community, with access to offline events across multiple global regions to find co-founders

Curriculum Preview We'll walk you through the critical milestones of the entrepreneurial journey, with deep dives at these key stops:

PS: Sessions are held monthly online. Beyond lectures from mentors, there will be Q&A segments. Fellows can voluntarily request 1:1 sessions with mentors between classes to discuss their reflections on the coursework.

Guest Preview

Harry Wang, Founder and CEO of Linear Capital

Harry Wang is the founder and CEO of Linear Capital. He graduated from Zhejiang University's Computer Science department and earned his master's in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University. Before founding Linear, Harry was the second Chinese engineer and first Chinese engineering manager at Facebook headquarters — experiences he chronicled in his bestselling book The Making of Facebook. After leaving Facebook, he served as CEO advisor to Dianping and CSDN, and shared insights at numerous Chinese tech companies and developer communities.

Harry has been repeatedly recognized by media outlets as "Best Early-Stage Investor" and "Most Founder-Friendly Early-Stage Investor." He is an Aspen Fellow, the inaugural chair of the Future Forum Youth Council, and a 2018 World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.

Jun Yang, Venture Partner at Linear Capital

Jun Yang is a venture partner at Linear Capital. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Computer Science and Engineering from Zhejiang University, followed by a PhD in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University. He assists Linear in sourcing deals, evaluating startups, and supporting portfolio company growth.

Jun is a seasoned tech entrepreneur. He previously worked as an engineer and engineering leader at Google, Facebook, and Square in Silicon Valley. In 2015, he joined Dada (which went public in 2020) as co-founder and CTO.

Zhaopeng Chen, Founder and CEO of Agile Robots

Zhaopeng Chen is the founder and CEO of Agile Robots. He previously served as senior researcher and deputy lab director at the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics of the German Aerospace Center, and as professor in the Computer Science department at the University of Hamburg.

Founded in 2018, Agile Robots is currently the fastest-growing and highest-valued intelligent robotics "unicorn" globally, establishing itself as a leader in next-generation intelligent robotics. The company's self-developed intelligent automation and flexible manufacturing solutions span internationally leading multi-sensory force-controlled robots, autonomous decision-making platforms, robotic vision, and robot operating systems. These have already been deployed across industrial (3C consumer electronics, automotive and upstream/downstream sectors, jewelry and precision component manufacturing), medical, power, agriculture, education, and service industries.

How to Apply

Scan the QR code below to fill out the application

November 10 – December 15, 2023: Application window

December 1 – December 30, 2023: Interview screening, with selected candidates speaking to Linear investors

Early January 2024: First cohort officially begins

About Linear Capital

Linear Capital is an early-stage investment firm focused on "frontier technology + industry" — frontier technologies including data intelligence, digital new infrastructure, next-generation robotics, and technological transformation in traditional sectors (such as biomedicine, materials, and energy), applied across vertical industries to substantially improve efficiency, solve pain points, and enable industrial upgrading. We capture outsized returns through the dramatic enhancement of industrial value. We currently manage ten funds with total AUM of approximately $2 billion.

Our investment stage focuses on leading angel to Series A rounds, with typical check sizes of $3–8 million or RMB equivalent.

We have made early-stage investments in over 120 teams including Horizon Robotics, Kujiale, Sensors Data, Tezign, Rokid, Guandata, and Agile Robots. Our portfolio's aggregate valuation is approximately $20 billion.

In the near term, Linear Capital is working to become the premier "Data Intelligence Technology Fund." Over the long term, we aim to build the most influential "Frontier Technology Application Fund."