US chip curbs are scaring venture capital firms from Chinese AI start-ups, but not us, says BlueRun Ventures China
- US restrictions on the export of advanced GPUs have led to concerns that AI start-ups in China will have trouble getting enough computational power
- AI development in China could be difficult in the near term, but that problem can be solved in the long run, BRV China managing partner Jui Tan says
AI development in China could be challenging in the short term, as US restrictions on the exports of advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) have “scared some people away”, Jui Tan, managing partner at BRV China, told the Post in an interview on Thursday.
“You’re worried that [after] you invest in the application scenario, invest in the talent, then maybe halfway realise that you don’t have enough computational power and can’t get enough GPUs,” said Tan. “I think that’s created some kind of fear for entrepreneurs and investors.”
However, Tan said BRV is committed to investing in China’s AI sector. The venture capital firm is set to allocate over 50 per cent of its new 5.5 billion yuan (US$817 million) fund, raised in May last year, to AI start-ups, he said.
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