Not all Asian faces look the same. The same can be said for publishers/investors. At Casual Connect USA, Amy Huang, Assistant Vice President of Netease Capital, gave some insights of how picking the right partner will determine success in the Asian market. During her presentation, she stressed, “Make sure that your partner has a shared passion for your game. When you sign with a publisher, meet with the PM. See if the PM really gets your game.” Her portfolio consists of top global game studios from Seattle to Tokyo to Shanghai. NetEase (NTES) is one of the largest game developers/publishers in China and a long time partner of Blizzard Games in China.
Amy Huang has always been a gamer at heart, playing everything from Super Mario and Tetris, to today’s mobile games. Now, as a part of NetEase Capital, she is committed to games professionally as well.
NetEase Capital, the investment arm of NetEase Inc., was created roughly three years ago with the goal of finding talented entrepreneurs in various sectors of the Internet technology space. With over 10 years of experience in her own entrepreneurial ventures, as well as in corporate strategy, product management, marketing, consumer insights and more, Amy was the perfect person to fill the role of assistant vice president.
From Maker to Shaker
Amy graduated cum laude from Wharton School and University of Pennsylvania with bachelor’s degrees in science and international studies. Her business career has taken her all over the world, with a great deal of work experience in the Greater China Region. She has worked at a top U.S. management consulting firm and multiple Chinese Internet companies and has been an entrepreneur “several times before.”
Now she is helping startups in China become “truly global, world-class companies that can make a difference in this industry.” As a part of NetEase she helps others with HR recruiting, product development, partnerships, strategies, market intelligence and fundraising. “All of these resources are critical to an early stage young company,” she says. “Of course, when backed with the strong product expertise of NetEase, we are definitely in a more advantageous position compared to others.”
Growth and Discovery
Interestingly, when Amy started her job as AVP, games weren’t necessarily at the top of her list. She says the company was originally shooting for more of a technology, media, and telecommunications angle. However, over time more than half of the company’s portfolio companies turned out to be gaming companies from all over the world, so she shifted focus accordingly. Now, she says, she is committed 100 percent to games.
She notes that mobile gaming has grown exponentially in recent years. While 2012 to 2013 saw a lot of growth within China, 2014 onward has seen growth come from the West to the East: “The globalization of mobile games is the next stage in this industry,” she says. For her, trying to figure out what the next trends will be and staying ahead of the curve in such a fast-paced industry is all a part of the fun.
The best part of her job, though, is meeting entrepreneurs with passion and a clear vision. “Every once in a while,” she says. “I get to meet a team whose holistic experience, vision, and persuasion is so compelling that I have to get on board immediately, and just cannot wait to find out what happens next with this team. Discovering that kind of team makes my job truly exciting and rewarding!”
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