VenturesLab

VenturesLab

VenturesLab was founded in 2005 by Mark Mai (Mai Gang), a Chinese entrepreneur who gained prominence as a vocal early supporter of Bitcoin. Originally structured around a technology incubator co-founded with Silicon Valley investor Tim Draper, the entity evolved into a personal investment vehicle as Mai's crypto holdings appreciated. Today the firm runs a mix of liquid and illiquid assets out of Shenzhen and Beijing, reflecting the profile of a founder-led family office that reinvests concentrated technology proceeds. Strategy spans three formats: direct early-stage private investments, secondary-market public-equity positions, and LP commitments into external venture funds. Sectors targeted include fintech, enterprise software, and digital media. Known portfolio anchors include a long-held equity or token position in the OKX exchange (formerly OKCoin), whose founder Xu Mingxing Mai mentored and backed at inception. The firm also routed LP capital through the DOS Capital special-purpose vehicle. On the public side, VenturesLab has traded positions in US- and Hong Kong-listed technology companies, though it does not disclose its current book. The firm runs a lean operation with a small core team. Mattan Lurie serves as portfolio manager, overseeing day-to-day investment activities. Beyond the securities portfolio, VenturesLab holds commercial real estate in Beijing under the Venture Space brand. The firm's influence in crypto extends through the relationships its founder cultivated: He Yi, a co-founder of Binance, has publicly credited Mark Mai with introducing her to the digital-asset industry. In early 2025, the firm maintained its dual-city presence while continuing to participate in venture rounds tied to the Asian crypto and fintech ecosystem. Structurally, VenturesLab is unusual because it is neither a pure crypto hedge fund nor a conventional family office — it is the personal investment apparatus of an individual whose network and reputation inside the Chinese digital-asset industry function as a sourcing and value-creation engine. This model, common among early Bitcoin holders who converted token wealth into operating businesses, means VenturesLab's mandate shifts with its founder's convictions rather than a committee-driven allocation framework.