Major VC firm DST: Innovation will only accelerate in China

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03:51

Digital Sky Technologies (DST) has made a name for itself in the technology world having invested in the likes of Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Alibaba, Didi, and Xiaomi. But a quick search online appears not to reveal a lot about the venture capital firm.

Speaking to CGTN just minutes before his speech at the GMIC Beijing “Cross-Border Venture Summit,” John Lindfors, Managing Partner at DST Investment Management said the company is still very much active in China.

“Roughly 50 percent of our investments globally are made in China so it’s an absolutely critical market for us. And so far we haven’t had any major problems investing in companies that we have [invested in],” he said.

DST invests in late-stage ventures, which makes it slightly different from that of other VCs. Its focus has traditionally been in the consumer Internet space.

“This includes everything from social media to e-commerce, fintech, O2O to transportation, various types of verticals. And we actually [still] see opportunities in all of these places,” Lindfors said.

“Many people asked us three to four years ago after we invested in Facebook, JD.com and Alibaba – are there any companies left and then a couple of years later, companies like Didi and Xiaomi emerged. So I don’t think innovation will stop, I think it will only accelerate and that will bring us opportunities,” Lindfors added.