David An

David An is an investment professional with a roughly two-decade career spanning investment banking, private equity, venture capital and now consumer/lifestyle private equity. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Chicago (2003–2006) and an MBA from INSEAD (2014). He began his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at Credit Suisse (2007–2009) and then spent time as an Associate at Clarity Partners (2010–2013).

The contact details in the original record (the cathay.fr email and the Paris +33-1-4225-2800 number) date from his time at Cathay Capital, the Paris- and Shanghai-based cross-border private equity and venture firm, where he served as a Director from roughly 2015 to 2020. Cathay invests across the US, Europe and China in sectors including consumer, technology, healthcare and industrials, and An worked on its cross-border growth and venture activity.

From 2020 to 2024 he was based in Shanghai as an investor with Sequoia Capital (Sequoia China), where he focused specifically on fashion, beauty and sport — the consumer categories that have since become his specialty. In 2025 he was hired by David Wertheimer (a fourth-generation member of the family that owns Chanel) as Head of Investment at 1686 Partners, a Geneva-/Luxembourg-based private equity firm dedicated to lifestyle and consumer brands. The firm completed a first close of over USD 110 million in 2023 and a final close of its Lifestyle Fund at USD 200 million in April 2026.

At 1686 Partners, An leads investment activity and sits on the investment committee, sourcing and structuring deals in founder-led consumer brands and helping portfolio companies scale internationally — drawing on his Asia experience to support brand expansion into the Chinese market.

• Invests in founder-led brands at the intersection of lifestyle, culture and creativity — 1686's mandate spans fashion, beauty, retail, gastronomy and technology serving the lifestyle industry.
• Targets brands with strong identity and growth or turnaround potential, including consumer companies that are undervalued or facing operational challenges where active ownership can add value.
• Emphasizes themes of technological innovation, sustainable materials, new business models and eco-responsible distribution within consumer.
• Brings a distinct cross-border / China-expansion angle, helping Western brands grow in Asia — a thread from his Cathay (cross-border PE/VC) and Sequoia China (fashion/beauty/sport) years.
• Operates at the growth/PE end of the spectrum rather than early-stage angel/seed; the firm deploys from a USD 200M fund into a concentrated portfolio (roughly nine companies disclosed to date).