Gunpowder Ventures incubates high-growth businesses in China. Headquartered in Beijing, we help talented entrepreneurs succeed by adding seasoned management and early-stage capital to their smart ideas.
Background
Gunpowder is one of China's four great historical inventions. Contrary to popular belief, China is a hotbed of innovation. We search for innovators, and then add our gunpowder to accelerate their success.
Team
Tom Melcher is an Internet executive with blue-chip business experience and a deep background in China dating back to 1981. He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School and Yale University, has worked at McKinsey and IBM, and was a principal executive at five high-profile and successful Silicon Valley internet start-ups over 12 years. He moved back to China in 2004, co-founded and sold a B2C internet media company, and then started Gunpowder Ventures.
Xiang Li is an experienced financial controller with extensive administrative experience in China. She brings more than 11 years of hands-on experience within various foreign-owned companies in China, including Kraft Foods, International SOS China, and Clarity Data Systems. She is an expert in both US GAAP and Chinese accounting standards, has deep experience implementing China’s complex labor laws and regulations, and is familiar with leading ERP and CRM systems. Xiang Li graduated from People’s University.
Projects
Projects include direct investment, consulting projects and/or Board membership:
Often referred to as "the online Mecca" for deeply discounted luxury and fashion brands, Gilt Groupe offers women and men an exciting new means of buying the brands they love at the most desirable prices.
Helping Chinese parents find and apply to the best American summer camp, boarding school and college for their child.
Providing e-commerce technologies and services to leading Internet and product companies.
China's most-advanced provider of website analytics technology and SEO/SEM services. Tom Melcher serves as an Independent Director.