Tahn-Joo CHIN (Ms) has been a venture capitalist for more than 7 years. She is the managing partner of Cross Border Venture Partners (CBVP).

CBVP is a US$50 million mixed stage information technology venture capital fund targeting to invest primarily in US with some investments in Asia, including Singapore. It aims to help US portfolio companies to tap into the fast growing China market, as well as make selective investments in Asia companies with potential to become global players.

Tahn-Joo was a founding partner of Venture TDF since 1996, and a partner with the WIIG-TDF Partners LLC, based in the Silicon Valley in United States. She has managed three venture capital funds, namely TFI, TFII and WIIG-TDF Partners, with a total of $150 million under management. The Singapore government is a major limited partner of all the three funds. She has an investment track record of more than 30% realized IRR for TFI and TFII combined.

Tahn-Joo investment interest covers enterprise software, Internet infrastructure, telecommunication and semiconductor. She has invested globally in US, Europe (France and Germany), Israel and Singapore. Investments made by her include Redback Networks (Nasdaq:RBAK), Brokat (Neuer Markt), Cyrano (Nouveau Marche: CYRALN), Gric Communications (Nasdaq:GRIC), eSafe Technologies (acquired by Aladdin, Nasdaq:ALDN), Mediaring (Singapore Exchange:MRNG.SI), Teralogic (acquired by Oak Technologies), MorphICs (acquired by Infineon), and Commerce Exchange, a joint venture with Visa International.

While with the National Science and Technology Board in Singapore, she initiated the framework for Singapore Technopreneurship program which led to the set up of a US $1 billion Technopreneurship Investment Fund (TIF) by Singapore government. She also founded the Singapore Israel Industrial R&D (SIIRD) Fund with the Office of the Chief Scientist in Israel.

Tahn-Joo has spent more than 15 years in information technology development and management. She was the founder and subsequently CEO of the Information Technology Institute (ITI), which is a leading IT research institute under the National Computer Board (NCB) of Singapore. She has grown ITI to 150 persons with more than 40 industry collaborations. ITI has spun off more than twelve technology companies with venture capital funding, which include Mediaring, listed in Singapore Exchange; Third Voice, funded by DFJ and Mayfield; and POSE, a picture oriented CASE tool.

Tahn-Joo was a member of the executive management team of the NCB since 1983 till 1995. NCB was responsible for the computerization of all Singapore government ministries employing more than 1,000 information systems professionals. She had been a chief information officer (CIO) for NCB, as well as the program director for the Singapore ISO 9000 IT certification program.


Tahn-Joo holds a Master degree in Computer Science Computer Engineering from the Stanford University; a Diploma in Management Studies from the Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago; a Master degree in Industrial Engineering and Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical) with first class honors from the University of Singapore. She attended Harvard Business School Corporate Investment course, and was a Loke Scholar.

Currently, she is an advisor for the Singapore Defense Science and Technology Agency’s newly set up innovation fund; and is an Adjunct Professor with the National University of Singapore. Previously, she was an Advisor to Green Dot Capital venture investments.

Click here for Tahn-Joo's short biography.