"Yuan-Ping (YP) Huang is a Principal at Applied Ventures where he focuses on the intersection of Life Sciences and semiconductor manufacturing as well as other deep-tech opportunities. He aspires to help accelerate development of next-generation diagnostic and research tools as well as novel therapeutic modalities by bridging capabilities of Applied Materials and emerging biotechnologies from portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Applied Ventures, YP was an early member of Lam Capital, where he built comprehensive proteomics product strategy and led investments in molecular profiling space. He also worked as an associate at McKinsey & Company, where he advised global pharmaceutical clients on R&D and operations.

YP holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from Columbia University as well as an M.S. degree in molecular medicine and a B.S. degree in zoology from National Taiwan University. In his spare time, he enjoys long runs, travel, and casual cooking."

Sophia is Managing Director Rest of World at bp ventures, leading the sourcing of venturing deals in India, Australia, elsewhere in AsPac, the Middle East, and North African markets. She explores new opportunities that support bp’s scaling of advanced mobility, clean energy, and other tech-led business models that accelerate the transition to net zero. Sophia joined bp ventures from bp’s advanced mobility team, having designed the company’s global e-mobility strategy, helping the business to become a leading provider of integrated mobility solutions in the UK, Europe, China, the US and beyond. Sophia holds an MBA from Warwick Business School, a BSc in Physiology from McGill University, and an LLB(Hons) from University College London. Before joining bp, she worked as an innovator and business builder in the global consumer goods and services industry, ran her own award-winning business and qualified as a lawyer and arbitrator. Sophia was recognised as a Global Corporate Venturing Emerging Leader in 2022. She holds non-executive director roles at two Indian startups, BluSmart and Magenta Mobility.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophianadur/

Mr. Nattawat (Nik) Nirdnoy serves as Cleantech Investment Manager at GC Ventures. His focuses include technologies in the area of Circularity, Sustainable chemistry and Carbon Capture & Utilization where he also served as the investor representative of GC Ventures at Econic Technologies.

Prior to GC, he served large corporate clients in consulting projects across Southeast Asia in areas of Innovation Management, Enterprise risk management, and Digital Transform with global consulting firms.
He holds an M.S. in International Business from the University of Edinburgh and a B.Eng. (International Program) from SIIT, Thammasat University.

Outside of work, Nik enjoys exploring different types of Matcha and Japanese Tea. He always loves to revisit Kansai for that mission.

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/florian-loebermann-26150854/

Robert Ethier is the founding partner of Impact Science Ventures - a unique venture model built to invest in breakthrough scientific innovations that can solve the industry’s hardest problems with disruptive technologies while generating optimal returns.

Robert initiated work on Impact Science Ventures while he was Vice President of Investments at Activate Global where he helped over 50 companies execute fundraising strategies. Activate, a partner of Impact Science Ventures, is a nonprofit funded by DOE, DARPA and others, that helps innovators commercialize transformative energy, material and manufacturing technologies. Started in 2015, Activate has helped create more than 100 companies that have raised over $1 billion.

Before joining Activate, Robert was a consultant focused on special situations in the energy, medical device, defense and consumer product sectors. Projects included funding and business strategies with early-stage startups and carve-outs and turnarounds with mature firms. In the defense space, Robert worked with military members to source solutions for critical issues while utilizing the OTA (other transactional authority) framework.

Prior to consulting with startups, Robert spent 10 years as a buy-side investor managing $2 billion of insurance company assets focused on multiple direct investment strategies for KFBMIC. Robert excelled at identifying long-term global macro economic opportunities and sourcing the best investments to allocate capital within those opportunities, starting with the financial crisis in 2008 and continuing into deep tech in 2016 with many opportunities in between. Because of his strategic thinking and his ability to anticipate new trends, Robert’s portfolio was consistently ranked ahead of peers by outside firms including Goldman Sachs and Blackrock.

Robert is a CFA Charterholder and received his MBA from the Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. Robert also holds a BBA in Financial Markets and a BA in Accounting from the University of Minnesota, Duluth.

Recognizing the transformative power of technology and innovation, Chelsilia Tanzil has been participating in angel investing from 2020 through crowdfunding platforms and syndicated deals focusing on B2B tech startups.

To support and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs, she joined Lifetime Ventures, a talent-driven pre-seed/seed venture capital in 2022. Over the next two years, she had been contributing in the business development of early-stage portfolio companies that spans healthcare, clean energy, and artificial intelligence.

Since 2024, Chelsilia Tanzil is Country Partner for Japan at Inovexus, a community-based venture capital and accelerator, whose mission is to drive innovation and investment in Japan. Inovexus focuses on identifying startups that not only show strong financial potential but also demonstrate a commitment to sustainability, ethical innovation, and social impact. Her investment philosophy is built on the belief that great companies are driven by those who are committed to solving real-world problems. She enjoys working closely with founders to help them achieve long-term success, which includes providing mentorship, leveraging a vast network of industry contacts, and offering operational expertise.

Outside of her professional work, she is a scuba diving enthusiast, who prefers to spend her days off under water. She holds an MBA degree from Kyoto University and currently lives in Kyoto, Japan.

As a seasoned early-stage venture developer, I am dedicated to enhancing the flow of experience and capital into early-stage innovation. My goal is to be a long-term, strategic partner for entrepreneur-led ventures while fostering a more collaborative mindset between traditional investors and entrepreneurs to pursue ambitious goals.

With over 20 years of experience, I have developed a broad range of expertise across various roles in the startup ecosystem. My journey has taken me from being a startup founder in Sweden to serving as a consultant in Ireland, a banker in Hong Kong, and an investor in the Nordics. Through these diverse roles, I have had the opportunity to advise a wide range of tech companies, from small-scale startups to large-scale enterprises, on critical issues such as fundraising, long-term strategy, service design, and market expansion.

Today, I am channeling my passion and expertise into improving the flow of opportunities and collaboration between Europe and Japan, aiming to unlock the world-class potential of Japanese startups. I believe in the transformative power of innovation, and I am committed to nurturing ventures that can shape the future.

Beyond startups, my interests in long-term transformation extend into areas like gardening and world history, where I find further inspiration for growth and enduring impact.