James Zhang

James Zhang is a partner at VU Venture Partners. Prior to joining VU, James was a co-founder and general partner at Formation 8. James has also served as a venture partner at Softbank China Venture Capital and Khosla Ventures, and as vice president of business development at Mendel Biotechnology, Inc.

James has over 20 years of experience in venture capital, business development, and strategy. James has a proven track record of identifying and investing in early-stage companies with high growth potential.

Some of James' notable investments include: AppDirect, C2FO, Helion Energy, Planet Labs, and ZenPayroll. James is a board member or observer at AppDirect, Helion Energy, and Planet Labs.

James Zhang attended the University of Science and Technology of China for their BS in Biology. James then went on to University of California, Davis for their PhD in Genetics. After they completed their PhD, they became a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University in the field of biotechnology. Finally, they attended Stanford University's Graduate School of Business for their Executive Education in Emerging Companies.