China Renaissance said its missing founder Bao Fan was “co-operating in an investigation” with Chinese authorities, more than a week after the investment bank disclosed it had been unable to contact him.In a terse stock exchange filing late on Sunday in Hong Kong, the company said its board had “become aware that Mr Bao is currently co-operating in an investigation being carried out by certain authorities in the People’s Republic of China”.

The disappearance of Bao, a former Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse banker famed for wheeling and dealing on behalf of the most powerful corporate groups in China’s technology sector, has cast a pall over the industry just as it appeared set to draw a line under a protracted regulatory crackdown by Beijing.

Bao rose to prominence through China Renaissance, founding the boutique tech investment firm in 2005 to provide initial public offering and other capital markets services to the country’s rising tech stars.