Ruby Lu

VITAL STATS:

  • Firm: DCM
  • Education: M.A., Johns Hopkins; B.A., University of Maryland
  • Position on the Forbes Tech Midas List: 76

 

This is Ms. Lu’s first time on the Midas List, but she’s got quite a history in finance and investment banking.

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With an education from top schools in the U.S., Lu spent time at Goldman Sachs’ New York office starting in 1996. She consulted top-shelf clients such as Intel, Lenovo, Palm, and Yahoo on matters of privatization restructuring, corporate finance, and mergers and acquisitions.

With this experience, Lu transitioned from investment banking into the world of venture capital, coming to DCM in 2003. DCM is a global firm with deep roots in Asian markets as well as a presence in Silicon Valley, and Lu has been a big part of the firm’s successes in recent years. She led DCM’s investment in VanceInfo, which went public in 2007 and now has a market cap of $550 million. Lu also led the firm’s investment in BitAuto, which went public in 2010 and now has a $182 million market cap.

Her most impressive bid, however, was on groundbreaking e-commerce company Dangdang. The company was founded by Peggy Yu (herself one of the most interesting and successful women in China). Dangdang had its IPO just two years ago and currently has a market cap around $838 million.

Lu serves on the boards of Dangdang and several other DCM portfolio companies; as a result, she looms large in the Chinese Internet scene. On her LinkedIn profile, Lu said she’s always on the lookout for “ambitious entrepreneurs who want to build lasting companies that have impact on our society.”

Recommended: Sarah Lacy’s two interviews with Ruby Lu in 2010, Part 1 and Part 2.