Rick Hao

Rick Hao is a deep tech venture investor who in 2026 launched Ruya Ventures, a solo-GP fund backing founders "from day zero." He was born in China and grew up in Beijing before studying in the UK, earning a Master of Computer Science with Distinction from the University of Edinburgh (reportedly graduating at the top of his cohort) and later an MBA from Imperial College London.

Hao began his venture career at IQ Capital Partners in Cambridge, where he worked as a Principal around 2018–2019. He then joined Speedinvest, the pan-European early-stage firm, where he built and led the Deep Tech investment team and rose to Partner. Over roughly half a decade there he backed 30+ companies across AI, battery technology, quantum computing, semiconductors, energy, and robotics, and served as a board member or strategic advisor to many of them. He became one of Europe's more visible deep tech investors, writing for VentureBeat's DataDecisionMakers, speaking at industry events (e.g., IQT quantum conferences, UKBAA's deep tech series), and mentoring at Creative Destruction Lab's Next Gen Computing stream (CDL-Berlin and CDL-Paris).

In late 2025 he struck out on his own, and on July 1, 2026 publicly announced that Ruya Ventures had closed a $50M debut fund (≈€43M / £37.7m). The fund was oversubscribed but deliberately capped at $50M to keep the portfolio concentrated at roughly 20 companies. Aldea Ventures provided the anchor/first cheque. Shortly before the close, Hao was named "Newcomer of the Year" in deep tech at the EUVC Awards (April 2026).

His stated philosophy centers on patience and hands-on commercialization support: he describes deep tech as "a marathon, not a sprint," and positions Ruya as the partner that helps scientific founders cross the gap between a working prototype and something that can be manufactured at scale and adopted by the market.

• Stage — "day zero": Invests at the very earliest point, "often before a company is incorporated," sometimes before there is a cap table or even a company name; stays involved through later commercialization phases.
• Sectors: AI, batteries, robotics, semiconductors, materials science, and novel computing — spanning both software and hardware. At Speedinvest his mandate also covered quantum, cybersecurity, and privacy-enhancing technologies.
• Concentration over breadth: "We go deep, not broad" — deliberate focus on specific deep tech value chains where he has conviction; portfolio intentionally capped at ~20 companies despite excess LP demand.
• What makes him say yes: Ambitious founders tackling hard scientific/engineering problems with real-world deployment potential; he emphasizes the prototype-to-production "chasm" as the key value-add area.
• In his words: *"Most deep tech companies stall because no one helps founders bridge the chasm between a working prototype and a product that can be manufactured at scale and adopted by the market."*
• Hands-on support model: Active help with manufacturing roadmaps, supply chain development, and go-to-market — plus networks spanning industry and academia across Europe, the US, and Asia.