Raymond Zheng is managing director of Honda Innovations, the corporate venture capital subsidiary of Japan-based automotive manufacturer Honda, where he focuses on developing strategic investment and M&A opportunities.
Formally known as Honda R&D Innovations and previously called Honda Silicon Valley Lab (HSVL), the unit focuses on forging new collaborations with innovation ecosystem builders, particularly in the automotive space.
The unit’s focus areas include autonomous driving, robotics, new energy, advanced manufacturing and mobility – including 3D mobility such as drones, vertical take-off and landing and space technology. Zheng told Global Corporate Venturing that clean energy, climate and agricultural technologies would be strategically important going forward.
Prior to joining Honda Innovations in 2017, Zheng spent 14 years at computing and networking equipment producer Cisco, most recently as senior manager for the corporate strategic innovations group between 2014 and 2017, during which time he served as chief technology officer for Cisco Innovation Centres, leading go-to-market strategy.
He previously had a three-year stint as senior manager for Cisco’s corporate technology group, establishing a due diligence process for the M&A activities.
Between 2008 and 2011, Zheng was senior technical leader and technology strategist for corporate development technology and technical leader between 2003 and 2008.
He holds a master’s in electrical engineering from Cornell University and a bachelor’s in the same field from State University of New York at Stony Brook.
