About Us

CENTI (China-Europe Networks of technology and Innovation) is a cross-border advisory firm connecting Europe and China. CENTI’s goal is to help companies in Europe to expand into China and vice versa through advisory services.

This includes helping Chinese corporates who are looking for investment and collaboration opportunities in Europe and creating a cross-border ecosystem with the aim to facilitate tech transfer. With presence China, particularly in Shanghai and Shenzhen, CENTI is providing access to the most exciting business areas in China: Beijing, the Yangtze River Delta (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui and Zhejiang) and the Greater Bay Area (Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau)

The goal of CENTI is to facilitate tech transfer and business to and from China through 3 core parts:

- Advisory Services

- Cross-border Ecosystem

- Innovation Hub Operations

Who We Are

WHO WE REPRESENT

上海

National Eastern Tech-Transfer Center (NETC)

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无锡

Wuxi Xidong New Town Business District

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临港 (上海)

Lin-gang Special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone

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CENTI ADVISORY BOARD

CEO of Tech UK

Julian David

Julian David is the CEO of techUK. He was appointed as the director-general of Intellect in March 2012 and led its transformation to techUK in November 2013. Julian leads techUK's 60 strong teams in representing more than 950 member companies, including multi-nationals and more than 500 SMEs to ensure that the digital tech industry is at the heart of modern society and economy in Britain.

He is a member of the government and industry Cyber Growth Partnership and Digital Advisory Council. He is also techUK’s representative on the National Trade Association Council of Digital Europe.

Founder of Tech London Advocates

Russ Shaw

Russ is an angel and ventures investor and non-executive director of a number of high growth businesses including Dialoga publicly-traded semiconductor company, AIM-listed Cupid plc and Unwire–a Danish, venture-backed mobile commerce business.

He is also a limited partner in Ariadne Capital’s ACE Fund and an investor in and advisor to Amazing Media Group. Russ is also a board member of the Tech City Advisory Group.

CEO of UK Business Angels Association

Jenny Tooth

Jenny is CEO of the UK Business Angels Association, the trade body for angel and early-stage investing, representing over 18,000 investors around the UK. In 2009, Jenny co-founded Angel Capital Group which incorporates London Business Angels, one of the most established and active angel networks in the UK.

Jenny is an angel investor and in her role at UKBAA, she focuses on building the angel community around the UK, connecting investors to good deal flow and assisting entrepreneurs to attract investors.

Jenny is an experienced speaker on angel investing and entrepreneurship both in the UK and internationally. She was awarded an OBE in 2015 for services to small businesses.

Head of Corporate, London and Technology at Shoosmiths LLP, TLA Advisory Board

James Klein

James is a partner in the London corporate team and the technology sector group, handling a wide spectrum of corporate finance transactions, including domestic and cross-border M&A transactions, corporate restructurings and reorganisations and joint ventures. He also advises on private equity transactions, acting for management teams and institutional houses and has advised on numerous mid-market private equity deals.

Historic and recent key clients include RocketSpace Inc, 500 Startups, Tate & Lyle Plc, Fujitsu-Siemens, etc. James has a particular focus on the technology sector where he has a number of key international and domestic technology clients. He leads to Penningtons Manches’ digital business sector group.

Managing Director at Silverpeak LLP

Pietro Strada

Pietro Strada brings over two decades of experience of investment banking in the technology sector to the Silverpeak management team.

Having completed more than 60 transactions in his career, Pietro specialises in everything from high-profile trade sales, public takeovers and mergers to financing and divestitures. The majority of his portfolio has been cross-border deals spanning the globe, from Europe and North America to Africa and the UK.

Formerly a London office Principal at Broadview (now part of Jefferies), Pietro was also Managing Director at Torch Partners, before founding and running his own boutique firm, Centreboard Partners.

Hussein Kanji

Partner of Hoxton Ventures

Hussein is a founding partner of Hoxton Ventures, a European venture capital firm based in London.

Hussein is also an angel investor in GoCardless, Halo Neuroscience, Popxo and Signpost. He helped Eros International (NYSE: EROS) build its digital strategy and launch ErosNow, its online video platform. Hussein has also occasionally assisted the UK government with technology policy.

Previously, Hussein was an associate at Accel Partners. He helped invest in OpenGamma, Playfish (acquired by EA) and Dapper (acquired by Yahoo). He also helped put together Safe-View (acquired by L-3), worked at Radiance Technologies (acquired by Comcast) and Studio Verso (acquired by KPMG).

Andrew McCartney

Founding Partner of Whitespace Ventures

Andy founded and acted as CTO for his fair share of tech start-ups, including the award-winning JamPot Technologies.

He has been recognised by some of the industry’s biggest players and was welcomed into the fold by Microsoft Ventures, where he founded Microsoft Ventures UK launched in London, helping build successful global start-ups.

The next natural step for Andy was to take all this expertise and start investing in the next global successes, where he has become one of the founding team for Whitespace.

Kiran Fernandes

Associate Dean for Internationalisation at Durham University Business School

Kiran Fernandes is the Chair of the Operations Management Group and a Fellow of the Wolfson Research Institute. He worked as a sub-systems engineer at the NASA - John C. Stennis Space Centre working for the Late Tom Cobb (Product Director for the Space Shuttle Main Engine Program).

Professor Fernandes works with the UK and International companies on modelling complex business domains ranging from operational processes to strategic decisions. He has published widely in the area of operations management and sits on the editorial board of a number of top journals in the area.

Our Team

CENTI TEAM

Our team brings over 30 years of cumulative experience between China and Europe; with a wide range of expertise in investment, advisory and business development in the tech sectors.

Apart from their expertise, our management team also brings its extensive networks into running our community in both China and Europe.

CENTI is actively participating in the Tech London Advocates community and is also managing Tech Shanghai Advocates and Tech Shenzhen Advocates in China.