Jay Kim Show
  • Podcast
  • Transcripts
  • About

56: Ben Joffe, General Partner of HAX

Benjamin Joffe studied mechanical engineering with a minor in Japanese. Not wanting to work in a large company in France, his homeland, he went to Asia and caught a glimpse, among other things, of how different the tech scene was there than in Europe. Now a general partner of HAX, an investor in hardware startups, Ben is located in Shenzhen, the Silicon Valley of hardware.

Ben’s big-picture, real-world view of the life of startups and of the importance of what he calls “entrepreneurial culture” results in boots-on-the-ground nuggets for our listeners.

In today’s episode you’ll learn:

  • The role of HAX’s Accelerator program and what HAX looks for in startup companies
  • What it’s like to be in a startup in Shenzhen
  • The impact of the “entrepreneurial culture”
56: Ben Joffe, General Partner of HAX
The Jay Kim Show : Entrepreneurship | Investing | Startups
The Jay Kim Show : Entrepreneurship | Investing | Startups
Ben Joffe, General Partner of HAX
00:00 /
RSS Feed
Share
Link
Embed

Download file | Play in new window

Listen to this episode on iTunes.

What was your biggest insight from this week’s episode? Let Jay know in the comments or on Twitter: @jaykimmer.

Links from Today’s Episode

  • Read the full transcript from Ben’s interview
  • Find Ben’s tweets @BenjaminJoffe
  • Ben’s articles at Forbes
  • Ben’s articles at TechCrunch
  • HAX
  • HAX’s annual report on hardware trends

Detailed Show Notes

  • (2:09) Ben’s quick introduction of himself
  • (3:00) Ben explains how he ended up in Asia
  • (6:18) How Ben got involved with HAX and why he moved to Shenzhen
  • (10:09) The nuances of investing in hardware versus software
  • (16:37) Dealing with the threat of copycats
  • (18:10) What HAX looks for when investing in a startup
  • (20:55) The role and benefits of HAX’s Accelerator program
  • (23:54) Ben’s views on China and Shenzhen
  • (27:01) Ben shares some HAX portfolio companies he’s excited about
  • (30:59) Ben research and experience in entrepreneurial culture
  • (37:40) Where to find and how to connect with Ben

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Social Media
© Jay Kim Show 2025. All Rights Reserved.
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Podcast
  • Transcripts
  • About