Dr. Sue Xu is Managing Partner at Amino Capital, having joined the firm in 2012. She was the founding CEO of CandyHouse and CyteSi, both Stanford lab spin-offs. Since 2012, Sue has been actively involved in seed and Series A funding rounds, contributing to the success of around 20 unicorns and over 45 companies valued at more than $100 million. These include Chime, Rippling, Grail (acquired by Illumina), Webflow, Weee, DFINITY, Replit, Oasis Labs, OmiseGo, Turing, Wyze, GetAccept, Guesty, Instawork, Wetravel, StarRocks, Karbon Card, Unbabel, and WriteSonic.

Sue has also addressed the United Nations on the role of AI in combating human trafficking and promoting the welfare of women and children. Her entrepreneurial journey began as the founding scientist of GlycoMira, and she has been involved in multiple lab spin-offs during her undergraduate and Ph.D. studies. Sue holds three patents, has authored over 20 journal articles, and was previously a medical researcher at Stanford University.

Her investment focus spans data moats, network effects, and domain-agnostic opportunities. She has successfully guided startups from inception to unicorn status across sectors such as Generative AI, Consumer, SaaS, and Frontier tech.

Sue has been featured on the Harvard HBS Women in VC Podcast and has guest lectured at Cornell’s MBA program on "Demystifying Big Data and FinTech." She is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Hong Kong for "Global Wealth Management" and has lectured at Georgetown University McDonough School of Business MBA program on “Myths and Truths: Entrepreneurship and Tech Development in China and the US.”

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Harvard HBS students hosted Women In VC Podcast:

“I would describe myself as a sponge, continuously absorbing signals, information, and resources. Then I organize and process them to help others. We only live once, so I hope to have an impactful life.”

“What do you do after 5 pm? I like that question because I believe it is the things you do after your “work day” that shapes your life and future.”

“Entrepreneurship is a long and draining process. You have to be passionate enough to do it for 8 to 10 years. The success of a company is often not because they have the best tech skill or education background. It's the perseverance to adapt and continuously provide value for your customers.”

“My advice for kids? Tell stories. Talk about yourself, because it helps you reflect. Share about your surroundings, because it keeps your observant. Express your dreams and imaginations, because it is the first step in making it a reality.”

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"Nearly all our successful companies have boldly embraced next-generation technology, targeting underserved user groups. They did a phenomenal job, so when market conditions shifted, and this problem became widespread, our companies were ready and perfectly positioned to be adored. Consequently, they enjoyed exponential growth and achieved unicorn status."

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"Successful startups often face tough times—losing customers, battling ruthless competition, and feeling like nobody believes in them. We've seen founders who refuse to give up, working even harder and sometimes taking big risks, like refinancing their own homes to save their companies. Is that blind belief? Not at all. Being on the front lines and serving their users, they know exactly what went wrong and how to fix it. It's an educated bet, and they've managed to deliver significant returns for themselves and their investors. Big respect."

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 "Ideas are great, but execution is the secret sauce for successful startups. I've often heard top talent say they joined a promising startup only to feel ten times busier. That’s because in a startup, the person who comes up with wild ideas is only appreciated if they act on them immediately and deliver results at lightning speed. In startups, problem solvers thrive and are rewarded with growth, growth, and more growth."

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"Long-term business relationships thrive on compatible skill sets. Don’t be misled by titles like “cofounder.” If someone brings in most of the investors, loves talking to customers, and defines the product, it's tough not to give them the lion’s share of the cap table without risking their departure. Often, the CEO needs to embrace these “miscellaneous” tasks and take good care of the rest of the cofounders by giving them enough incentives, sometimes even sacrificing their own short-term interests. This is where true leadership shines, and I’d call these CEOs my heroes."