Who is Solina Chau, long-time companion and business partner to Hong Kong’s richest billionaire Li Ka-shing?

While Li made his fortune through investments in traditional sectors like real estate, retail and utilities, Chau, who was born in Hong Kong in 1961 and later studied economics at the University of New South Wales in Australia, has carved her path in the world of tech, traveling frequently between innovation hubs in search of what she calls "disruptive" startups.

The 63-year-old businesswoman has delivered strong returns with savvy investments made through Horizons Ventures, her venture capital firm.

Solina Chau, director of the Li Ka Shing Foundation, acknowledges the audience at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library during a ceremony in March 2025. Photo courtesy of Michigan Engineering

With its investments backed primarily by Li, Horizons has scored a series of high-profile wins over the years, including early bets on Skype, Spotify, Siri, Waze, Zoom and Celsius Holdings.

Chau’s close ties with Li, who became a widower in 1990, date back more than two decades, according to the South China Morning Post.

Chau, who is often described by the media as a longtime business partner and "companion" or "confidante" to Li, met him during the early 1990s through a mutual friend, Debbie Chang.

Chau and Chang partnered with Li on multiple startups in China around that time, as per Forbes, including the Beijing Oriental Plaza, which later evolved into a major high-end commercial complex near Tiananmen Square.

The three teamed up again in 2000 to list a China-focused online startup, now known as TOM Group, on Hong Kong’s second board.

Two years later, Chau and Chang launched Horizons to pursue emerging tech opportunities. Chang, whose cousin Tung Chee Hwa was then Hong Kong’s chief executive, brought strong business connections to the table.

Horizons took a unique approach to venture investing, initiating deals individually rather than raising a pool of funds and inviting Li to join in. He became the firm’s principal backer in 2004.

One of Horizons Ventures’ early big bets was its 2007 investment in Facebook. That year, Chau approached Li with the idea of supporting the then-rising social media platform, which was seeking funds at a relatively steep $15 billion valuation.

Li reportedly decided to commit $60 million within five minutes and later doubled the figure. By the time Facebook went public in 2012, its market value had soared past $100 billion.

Since its launch, Horizons has backed at least 112 companies, predominantly in the U.S., but also in markets such as Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel and the U.K..

Among its more recent ventures are Cortical Labs, an Australian company working on biocomputers for neurological research; Notpla, a U.K. startup producing biodegradable alternatives to plastic packaging; and Inflection AI, a chatbot firm also backed by tech giants Microsoft and Nvidia.

Solina Chau, co-founder of Horizons Ventures. Photo courtesy of the company

Behind these bets is Chau’s ability to spot potential early and forge strong partnerships. She once explained to Caixin what draws her to a business: "I always use this metaphor: Genetically speaking, people are up to 99% similar. But it's the 1% that makes you unique and different."

Those who have worked with her describe Chau as both charming and a tough negotiator. She is also known to keep a low profile and is firmly committed to the startups she supports.

"[Ms Chau] has a long list of companies that have made a lot of money but you’re not going to hear about it in the same way you hear about others," a finance industry professional familiar with Horizons told the Financial Times, adding that most of its ventures have simply been attributed to Li.

Beyond funding, startups that Chau backed also value her for her connections and access to expert advisers.

She is also known to often take the initiative in seeking out deals. Several startups that Horizons backed, including Waze, Misfit, and Zoom, were not even looking for investors when she approached them.

"Solina forced us to take their money," Waze co-founder Noam Bardin said, as quoted by the Wall Street Journal. "She's an extremely persuasive person."

What distinguishes Chau from other venture capitalists, according to Cortical Labs CEO Hon Weng Chong, is her strong sense of direction.

"She [Chau] has very clear visions of where we are today as a society...and where she wants to take us to the next level," he remarked.

Chau rarely grants interviews, but agreed to one with her high school, Hong Kong’s prestigious Diocesan Girls’ School, in 2002, over two decades after her graduation.

"I have never consciously chosen a particular career path; choice is always a luxury!" she said during the alumnus interview, describing herself as someone who excels at weighing risks and rewards.

Asked whether she considered herself successful, Chau replied: "If success is measured by a balance sheet, it would be pretentious to say no. But life isn’t just a balance sheet, right?"

She suggested they could revisit the question in a few years. Looking at her journey now, few would question how far she has come - or how much further she can still go.