Team | Heuristic Capital Partners

Meet the Team

We’re a small, tightly aligned team of investors. We operate with high trust and high bandwidth — both internally and with the founders we back.

Shu Cao

Managing Director

Shu is a seasoned engineer and entrepreneur with a track record of co-founding successful ventures, including one that was acquired by Yahoo for over $100 million and another that went on to IPO on the NYSE. At Heuristic, he works closely with technical founders tackling complex infrastructure and deep tech challenges.

Michael Liao

Managing Director

Mike breaks things. Don’t let him play with your prototype for too long. He has built startups, hackerspaces, and cars. Mike has been a fund investor for 20+ years, focusing on early stage companies developing hardware, novel materials, and frontier tech (in other words, cool sh*t).

Ren Du, MD, MPH

Managing Director

Ren is a physician turned investor. She brings a strong track record of early-stage investments with multiple portfolio companies achieving IPOs or acquisitions. Ren also serves as a venture advisor to academic institutions and is a recognized speaker, offering a practical, founder-aligned approach shaped by her background in medicine, public health, and company-building.