Editor’s Note: Semil Shah is a contributor to TechCrunch. You can follow him on TechCrunch at @semil.
“In The Studio” rolls on this week by welcoming an experienced international venture capitalist who has spent time within the storied firms of Wall Street while also participating on a three-time national tennis championship team in college before helping guide his current firm into some of the best growth-stage deals in the Valley and guiding many companies as they expand into China.
GGV’s Glenn Solomon is the type of growth-stage investor the tech blogs don’t cover often, but a closer look at his firm’s model and global position reveals many interesting morsels that are both relevant and differentiated for the startup tech community. With a $625 million fund spread across the Valley and China (they have full partners in the same fund located in China), GGV invests in growth-stage deals, helps management expand to China, and also help Chinese companies expand from China. Solomon is also an active writer, keeping a focused blog tuned for founders who are looking to prepare to go public.
In this discussion, Solomon and I discuss a range of topics: the competitive landscape for expansion capital on Sand Hill Road today; the reasons late-stage tech valuations are climbing and potential impact on the public markets; and a fascinating look at what’s going on in China, both on the web and mobile, and why Solomon and his partners are committed, long-term, to the world’s largest and one of its most dynamic markets.