Early Life and Education
Solina Chau was born in Hong Kong in 1961. She is the daughter of a small-time businessman. She attended the prestigious Diocesan Girls' School and was elected junior house captain. Chau graduated in 1979 after passing the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination in 1978. She continued her education at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.
Rise to Success
Chau's career includes early work in London in the 1980s. She befriended Debbie Chang, with whom she later co-founded Horizons Ventures. In 1993, Chau won a project to build the Oriental Square in downtown Beijing. In 1999, with Li Ka-shing's help, Chau set up Tom.com, a Chinese language media company. This investment grew significantly, making her the second-richest woman in Hong Kong at the time.
Key Business Strategies
Chau is known for her quick investment decisions, sometimes within 24 hours, and typically invests between $1 million to $20 million in companies. Horizons Ventures, which she co-founded with Debbie Chang, has invested in more than 200 disruptive start-ups, including Skype, DeepMind, Siri, Facebook, Spotify, Impossible Foods, and Zoom.
Philanthropy
Chau is the director of the Li Ka Shing Foundation, which invests globally in education and healthcare projects. In late 2024, through her H.S. Chau Foundation, she distributed HK$3,300 (approximately US$424) cash handouts to over 10,000 low-income individuals in Hong Kong.
