Sinovation Ventures, the tech investment firm founded by former Google China head Kai-fu Lee, says it will team up with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) to build a new AI research lab.

The new Computer Perception and Intelligent Control Lab will be led by former Tencent AI Lab chief Zhang Tong, Sinovation said in its announcement Wednesday. Zhang is currently a faculty member at HKUST, and will also be joining Sinovation as a research partner, the venture capital firm said.

Zhang’s departure as executive director of Tencent’s AI Lab was confirmed by the internet giant in January, after a tenure of less than two years. The Stanford-trained AI scientist was previously a professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey, and had also worked at IBM, Yahoo, and Baidu, before joining Tencent.

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