The Asiabits Podcast

Ep. 17: This Frenchman Built a Humanoid Robot in China

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0800

"I did my best. Next, do the same in France." - Jules Thevenon, The Forge Humanoid Robotics

A French founder spent 10 years in China, built a humanoid robot, and couldn't raise a cent. His engineers left for Unitree and Agibot. So he closed his Shanghai company and is starting over in France. We sat down with Jules Thevenon in Shanghai to ask why.

In this episode:

Why 10 years in China ended with closing his humanoid robot startup
The funding wall for a foreign deep-tech startup in China
Watching his engineers leave for Unitree, Agibot, and other top humanoid companies
"If I was an investor, I might think the same" - understanding the skepticism
From exchange student to finance controller to selling Lingang to the world
Why he builds robots for the elderly, and going minimalist in France
Why he'll still rely on China's supply chain
Foreigners in China peaked in 2016, and what that means

About Jules Thevenon:
Jules is the founder of The Forge Humanoid Robotics. French, he spent about 10 years in Shanghai, earned a finance master at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and promoted the Lingang special economic zone before building a humanoid robotics startup. After closing it in China, he is rebuilding in France with a focus on robots for elderly care.

Connect:
The Forge Humanoid Robotics

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Subscribe: asiabits.com

Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/4LjczBtExH4

Ep. 16: He Left Germany to Build a $100M USD China Fund

Wed, 20 May 2026 11:00:00 +0800

"If I help people in the West to make money in China through financial returns by investing in real China technology — maybe then they will believe it." - Rafael Ratzel, TH Capital

For years Rafael Ratzel went home to Europe trying to tell people what China is actually like. Lifelong friends called him brainwashed. So he stopped arguing and raised a $100M USD deep tech fund instead, because if he made his friends money in Chinese technology they would have to come see it themselves. Rafael landed in Hong Kong on the day of the biggest typhoon in HK history, age 19, with one suitcase. Eighteen years later he is Managing Partner International at TH Capital (华控基金), a Tsinghua-ecosystem deep tech VC with a portfolio that includes Zhipu AI, Aerofugia, Neuracle, and Lanxin Computing.

In this episode:

The brainwashed accusation at a European dinner that made him pivot from missionary to fund-builder
A one-way ticket to Hong Kong in August 2008, arriving on the day of the biggest typhoon in HK history
A Lan Kwai Fong bar, a stranger, and a Shenzhen printing factory with chickens jumping on a five-million-euro Heidelberg press
Six years running a one-man trading and tech-licensing business between Germany and China
From Tsinghua MBA to passing on HNA, Anbang, and CMIG for the small fund that said no to a special package
Twenty years of thesis evolution at TH Capital: industrials, photonics, semiconductors, and now deep tech and quantum
Why US chip sanctions accelerated China's own GPU industry instead of containing it
Zhipu AI: backing the Tsinghua team before they started a company, before ChatGPT existed, from an 800 million RMB angel to a $50 billion listing
The Saudi investor who heard a Shenzhen chip valuation and said it would be 10x higher in Silicon Valley
Why Europe drops out of the next 20 years — and why he is still proud to be German
Cross-border M&A: the Dortmund acquisition, the SPIE Award the year after, and why his founder will never buy a German company again
Why "auswandern" is the wrong frame, and how he stays integrated on both sides

About Rafael:
Rafael Ratzel is Managing Partner International at TH Capital (华控基金), a Tsinghua-ecosystem deep tech VC founded in 2007, managing over RMB 10 billion across six RMB funds and one USD fund. The $100M USD fund closed end of 2024 with LPs from Greater China, Southeast Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the US. Portfolio includes Zhipu AI, Aerofugia, Neuracle, and Lanxin Computing. Rafael landed in Hong Kong on a one-way ticket at 19 in August 2008. PolyU engineering + management double major, Tsinghua MBA, MIT Sloan exchange. Eighteen years in China.

Connect:
thcapital.com.cn

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Subscribe: asiabits.com

Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/uuCt-95dVIs

Ep. 15: He Left the US Army to Build Asia's First AI Fund

Wed, 13 May 2026 20:00:00 +0800

"I did a deck eight years ago around why this is the Asian century." - Tak Lo, Komputational Kulture

The US looked at AI and saw Armageddon. China looked at AI and said this is great, we should embrace it. Tak Lo bet on that gap eight years before ChatGPT made it obvious. He went from US Army engineer to Booz Allen to London Business School to founding Asia's first AI-focused accelerator in Hong Kong in 2017, with around 50 portfolio companies, one IPO, and two acquisitions before Animoca took a majority stake. He is now raising two new funds at Komputational Kulture, one in media and entertainment, one in space.

In this episode:

The comparative study that flipped his thesis: US perceives AI as Armageddon, China perceives it as productivity
"When you download an AI app, you are trading your privacy" - and why that deal lands differently in Asia
The eight-year-old deck on why this is the Asian century, vindicated by DeepSeek
How DeepSeek came out of a hedge fund's GPU inventory as a side hustle
From US Army to Booz Allen to Techstars London to Asia's first AI accelerator in Hong Kong
Two new Komputational Kulture funds, one in media and entertainment, one in space
Why live human content becomes the premium as AI slop floods every feed
Kudum: a Chengdu spin-off turning your phone camera into a 10-minute sperm test
South Korea at 0.85 children per woman, and why every modern country lands in the same hole
Why he is moving his family from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, and what he wants to find in Robo Valley

About Tak:
Tak Lo is a fourth-generation Hong Kong VC and AI strategist, currently raising two new funds at Komputational Kulture. He founded Zeroth.ai in 2017, Asia's first AI-focused accelerator. Co-runs The Automated, a daily AI newsletter, and is the author of three books: I, Leader; The Flow; and Atomic Prompts. Career: US Army engineer, Booz Allen Hamilton, London Business School MBA, Techstars London, Hong Kong eleven years ago.

Connect:
thetaklo.com

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Subscribe: asiabits.com

Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/W-J87ne5un8

Ep. 14: He Left Sweden for China to Build GPS for Robots

Sun, 03 May 2026 15:00:00 +0800

"The AI revolution has almost definitionally not begun until we get physical AI." - Nils Pihl, Auki Labs

Nils Pihl left Sweden for China to fix one missing piece of the internet, a spatial layer that gives robots, AR glasses, and AI agents a shared sense of where they actually are. His company Auki Labs just closed Sweden's largest retailer as its first big enterprise customer, is putting store-manager robots into shops in 2026, and is calling out Western VCs for being scared of breaking $10,000 of robot hands.

In this episode:

"AI hasn't begun until physical AI" — and 70% of the world economy still runs on atoms
Why every robot wakes up convinced it's at coordinates 0, 0, 0
The pyramids' worth of human time lost in Beijing traffic every single week
Naval Ravikant's missing fifth protocol and the sixth Nils added on top
Three new internet dimensions: spaces, sensors, actuators
The 43-gram Mentra glasses that finally make AR wearable all day
Why drone delivery to apartment 30C still doesn't work
Closing Sweden's largest retailer as Auki's first enterprise client
Store-manager robots vs store-worker robots in 2026
$10,000 of Unitree robot hands shattering in seconds, and why he calls it cheap tuition
"Be an agent of change or get replaced by people that already are"

About Nils:
Nils Pihl is the founder and CEO of Auki Labs, a spatial-computing startup based in Hong Kong building the real-world web, a protocol giving robots, drones, and AR glasses a shared map of physical space. Born in Sweden, seven years in Beijing, now in Hong Kong. Auki's products include Posemesh (decentralized spatial layer) and Cactus AI for Retail.

Connect:
aukilabs.com

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Subscribe: asiabits.com

Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/QY1mAg4lL54

Ep. 13: $212K Ad Spend, Amex Capped Mid-Campaign, Still Hit $1M

Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:00:00 +0800

"I think I probably had 10k in the bank account. This thing doesn't work, then I'm screwed." - Oliver Masson, Blisstil

Oliver built sleep headphones alone for six years, burned through $700,000 of his own and his family's money, and cried in a Shenzhen hotel on his first night in China. Then he set a $10,000 Kickstarter goal and raised over $1,000,000 in 30 days.

In this episode:

Crossing $1M alone: "you're never ecstatic, just more tired"
36 prototypes to make soft foam and hard electronics coexist
First Shenzhen trip with $10K in the bank — crying in a cheap hotel
Finding his Chinese business partner via Dragon Innovation
Wanting to quit "at least once a day" for six years
Amex capping his card at $38K and a friend lending him 150,000 EUR
The Kickstarter algorithm: why 23% of pledges came free
Spending $212,000 on ads to raise $1,000,000
Shipping 3,272 units in April and pricing against Bose
"Fall in love with the problem, not the solution"

About Oliver:
Oliver Masson is the solo founder of Blisstil, maker of the Serenade — over-ear ANC sleep and travel headphones born from six years of R&D. Australian, based in Lisbon. UNSW Renewable Energy Engineering, Sunswift Solar Racing Team, ex-carpenter, ex-entrepreneurship lecturer.

Connect:
blisstil.com

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Subscribe: asiabits.com

Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/0YoFuZwpiFU

Ep. 12: He Left Apple to Fix China's Biggest Problem for Americans

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:00:00 +0800

"I don't think that Shenzhen's manufacturing ecosystem will be replaced in the next decade. I don't think it's possible." - Joshua Woodard, The Sparrows

Josh grew up on the south side of Chicago, studied mechanical engineering at MIT, completed a Schwarzman Scholarship at Tsinghua, and spent four years at Apple managing iPhone and Mac camera production in Shenzhen. In April 2025 he quit to start The Sparrows, a manufacturing consultancy helping Western companies navigate China's supply chain.

In this episode:

Growing up on the south side of Chicago with a "black tiger mom"
Googling "best engineering school" at 12 and ending up at MIT
Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua: understanding Chinese history and business
4 years at Apple China: Foxconn factories, iPhone cameras, millions of units
Leaving Apple and getting validated by the Gates Foundation
Business culture: stamps vs. signatures, relationships vs. lawsuits
Why Shenzhen's manufacturing won't be replaced in 10 years
America's 500,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs
"We're too fat to assemble iPhones"

About Joshua:
Joshua Woodard is Co-Founder of The Sparrows, a Shenzhen-based manufacturing consultancy. MIT mechanical engineering, Schwarzman Scholar (Tsinghua), ex-Apple Camera R&D. From the south side of Chicago.

Connect:
thesparrows.co

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Subscribe: asiabits.com

Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/Ib26-JHlCb4

Ep. 11: He Lived in a Chinese Factory for 5 Months

Wed, 08 Apr 2026 17:00:00 +0800

"The speed at which you solve problems on the factory floor is the speed at which your product ships." - Ryan Dunwoody

Ryan was 24 when he flew to Shenzhen with a suitcase and a crowdfunding campaign to deliver. No Mandarin. No manufacturing experience. The factory gave him a bunk bed in the workers' dormitory. He took it. Five months later, the first production run shipped. Ten years later, he's still there.

In this episode:

Entrepreneurial beginnings: sex toys at 14, megaphone marketing at 17
Flying to Shenzhen at 24 with nothing and sleeping in a factory dormitory
How the factory boss named him 杜无敌 (Du the Invincible)
Pi-top: $35M raised, 10,000 laptops shipped, Guinness World Record
Why remote hardware development kills startups
The scooter man: Huaqiangbei delivers ICs to your window in 30 minutes
Powerhouse's rule: every engineer must assemble what they design
Hiring in 996 culture (3 months for one mechanical engineer)
What Westerners get wrong about Chinese manufacturing
Why your factory isn't the problem -- you are

Connect with Ryan: LinkedIn | powerhouse.engineering

About Asiabits: Weekly insider stories from Asia's tech & startup ecosystem. Subscribe: asiabits.com

Ep. 10: She Flew to China to Scream at a Factory

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +0800

"I lost everything up there when I was hiking. The monk said: Congratulations." - Denise Wu, rootique

Denise started at Ogilvy in Hong Kong, launched Foodpanda as the first employee, scaled a bike-sharing startup to the US in three months, and then quit everything to build a hardware device for hair loss treatment. Alone. No co-founder, no R&D background. She spent 300,000 RMB of her own money on the first mold and flew from New York to Shenzhen to scream at a factory boss before Chinese New Year.

In this episode:

The photo in Annecy, France that made her stop taking pictures
From Ogilvy to Foodpanda to bike-sharing to hair loss hardware
Why 90% of people quit hair treatment before seeing results
Building the world's first micro-misting scalp device (15 seconds, 3.5x absorption)
300,000 RMB for the first mold, no investors, just her savings
A marketing expert learning hardware R&D from scratch in Shenzhen
Why Chinese factories copy but refuse to innovate
Flying from NYC to storm into the factory boss's office
InnoX: Shenzhen's best hardware incubator (DJI, Huawei, Anker mentors)
Hitchhiking to Tibet, a car accident, and a monk's life lesson

About Denise:
Denise Wu is the Founder & CEO of rootique, a Shenzhen-based scalp care tech company. Before rootique, she launched Foodpanda HK, scaled bluegogo's US operations, and worked at Ogilvy. Her product, rootique DUO, is the world's first one-handed micro-misting scalp care device.

Connect with Denise:
LinkedIn | rootique.co

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Subscribe to the asiabits newsletter: asiabits.com

Watch the video version on YouTube: youtu.be/sM6PQxss89M

Ep. 9: This Frenchman Built 3 Hardware Companies in China's Toughest City

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0800

"Don't be afraid to pivot." - Laurent Le Pen

Laurent moved to Shenzhen in 2007 when nobody knew the city. He watched the iPhone launch live from a Philips Mobile office, built the first million-dollar Kickstarter smartwatch out of Shenzhen, pivoted when Apple entered the market, co-founded an oral care brand that became #1 in Poland, and just launched an AI productivity device in Japan. 18 years, three companies, one city.

In this episode:

His grandfather was a French soldier in China during WWII
Moving to Shenzhen in 2007: one metro line, the iPhone had just launched
Working at Philips Mobile when smartphones killed the feature phone industry
Visiting BYD when they only made batteries
Launching Omate TrueSmart on Kickstarter: $1M raised, first from Shenzhen
How Apple Watch forced him to pivot to smartwatches for seniors and kids
Co-founding Oclean: now a top oral care brand in Eastern Europe
Oxtak "Moneypenny": AI recorder with live translation, launching in Japan
Hardware masterclass: how to build a product in Shenzhen as a foreigner

About Laurent:
Laurent Le Pen is a French serial entrepreneur based in Shenzhen since 2007. Founded Omate (smartwatches), co-founded Oclean (smart oral care, 30+ awards, 300+ patents), and recently launched Oxtak, an AI productivity platform. 500Global alum and board member of La French Tech Hong Kong Shenzhen.

Connect with Laurent:
LinkedIn | oxtak.com | omate.com | oclean.com

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Subscribe to the asiabits newsletter: asiabits.com

Watch the video version on YouTube: youtu.be/akaiqz3lX4k

Ep. 8: He Designed Robot Labs for MIT. Then Realized All the Parts Came from China.

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 06:00:00 +0800

"Guess how many companies in the US make actuators for robots? Zero." - Tuo Liu, Robotuo

Tuo grew up in Shenzhen, spent a decade in the US designing robotics labs for MIT and Harvard, and moved back to build the largest open-source robotics community connecting global founders with Shenzhen's hardware ecosystem. His maps of 150+ humanoid companies in China went viral. His verdict: the next decade of robotics will be built in the Greater Bay Area.

In this episode:

"Raise in SF, spend in Shenzhen, sell to the world" - the pattern behind every hardware startup
Designing robotics labs for MIT, Harvard, and Apple - then realizing all the parts came from China
Zero actuator manufacturers in the US vs. 50+ in Shenzhen
Building a community of 270+ global robotics founders
Why China dominates open source AI (DeepSeek, Qwen)
150+ humanoid companies in China - how many will survive?
Unitree's $20K humanoid vs. $200K competitors
CES = "Chinese Electronics Show"
Free prototypes in one week from Shenzhen factories
#1 advice: make friends, set up a local team

Connect with Tuo:

About Asiabits: Weekly insider stories from Asia's tech & startup ecosystem. Subscribe: asiabits.com

Ep. 7: He Borrowed $300,000 to Build a Physical AI Tamagotchi

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:00 +0800

"I believe I will do it." - Irving Gao, Sweekar

200 people received Irving's first AI robot. One month later, only 1 was still using it. He crashed, pivoted, took out ¥2,000,000 (~$300,000) in personal loans, and built Sweekar – the world's first physically growing AI pocket pet. CES media called it "breaking news."

In this episode:

How he gave up a PhD at USTC to take out a $300K loan and start a company
Working at Unitree Robotics, SenseTime & Shanghai AI Lab before going solo
The first product that completely failed: 200 units shipped, 1 user after 30 days
The gamification design course that changed everything
Why he's building the "Nintendo of AI" – not the iPhone of AI
How Sweekar physically grows: Egg → Baby → Teen → Adult (MBTI personality)
CES 2026: media calling it "breaking news"
Why USA before China – the DJI & Anker playbook
Kickstarter: May 2026, $100–150

About Irving Gao (高鸿志):
Founder & CEO of Takway AI, Shenzhen. Ex-Unitree Robotics, SenseTime, Shanghai AI Lab. Dropped his guaranteed PhD at USTC to build emotionally intelligent AI companions.

Follow Sweekar:
Instagram: @sweekar_pocket_pet
Website: takway.ai

Links:
Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/Afwd6TGXQr4
Newsletter (free, daily): asiabits.com
Thomas on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/afuthomas
Michael on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-broza

Ep. 6: He's 23 and Visited 500 Robot Companies in China

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:00:00 +0800

"Look for a really honest team that is iterating fast. A lot of demos are fake." - Francesco Crivelli

Francesco (23) grew up between Switzerland and Chile, had 30% school attendance, slept in immigrant housing as a teenager - and ended up at UC Berkeley building robots. In 2 months in China, he visited over 500 robotics companies and now builds a platform to deploy robots in the real world.

What we cover:

Why every hardware founder needs to come to Shenzhen
The real cost of deploying a robot (hint: the hardware is only 1/5)
What happened when their robot destroyed a restaurant
How he ordered 16 motors in 2 hours (try that in the US)
Why most robotics demos are fake - and what investors should look for

About Francesco Crivelli:
Swiss-Chilean robotics founder, UC Berkeley (EECS), Columbia Engineering. Building a robot deployment platform bridging Silicon Valley software with Shenzhen hardware.

Francesco's company - Intuition Core:
Website: intuition.dev
LinkedIn: Intuition Core
X/Twitter: @intuitioncore

Links:
Newsletter (free, daily): asiabits.com
YouTube: Watch the video version
Thomas on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/afuthomas
Michael on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-broza

Ep. 5: He Used ChatGPT to Build the Smartest Dog Toy at CES

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0800

"My dog is so lonely at home. I want to fix that." Jacky is 24. He scraped 1 million social media comments, fed them to ChatGPT, and built a smart remote-control ball for dogs in Shenzhen.

Featured at CES 2026 and covered by CNET, PePeHola lets you play with your dog from anywhere in the world. Kickstarter launches February 26.

In this episode, we discuss:

• AI-powered market research: How ChatGPT analyzed 1 million comments to find the real problem
• The InnoX Academy: Backed by DJI's co-founder, only founders under 30 can join
• Shenzhen speed: From 3D-printed prototype to CES in under two years
• Smart design: Why 90% of pet camera owners still can't interact with their pets
• The bone controller: Play with your dog from another country via WiFi
• Next product: A smart collar that detects your dog's emotions and stress

About Jacky & Jay:
Jacky (24) is the co-founder of PePeHola, a smart pet tech startup from Shenzhen's InnoX Academy. Jay handles product discovery for the US market and moved from Korea to join the team.

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Subscribe to the asiabits newsletter: asiabits.com

Watch the video version on YouTube: youtu.be/0s3nQ50ZWiY

Ep. 4: Why Your $500/Month Pilates Studio Is A Scam

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 16:00:00 +0800

"It's a rich people sport." Pilates sessions cost $100 each. Monthly memberships run $500. Eric, a designer from Shenzhen, said: "We could do better."

He built a smart, foldable Pilates reformer in his apartment. 48 hours after launching on Kickstarter: $400,000 raised.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The "rich people sport" problem: Why Pilates costs $500/month and how Eric is changing that
• From back pain to business: How chronic desk job pain led to a $400K Kickstarter
• Shenzhen speed: 3D-printed prototype to CES 2026 in one year
• The tech inside: Smart sensors, app integration, and gamification
• $899 vs $3,000: Why traditional reformers are overpriced
• Pilates was invented by a German?! The surprising history
• Thomas' 140kg story: How sports changed everything

About Eric & Tintin:
Eric is a designer and co-founder of Pavo Fitness. After chronic back pain from desk work, he discovered Pilates but couldn't afford the sessions. Tintin is a Pilates instructor who left her 996 (actually "000007" - 24/7) tech job to pursue fitness full-time.

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Pavo Fitness Kickstarter: kickstarter.com/projects/pavofitness

Subscribe to the asiabits newsletter: asiabits.com

Ep. 3: He Built an AI Grill That Could Replace Your BBQ

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0800

Sean is from Zibo, China's most famous barbecue city. At just 24, he co-founded Cozytime and built the Lumo, an AI-powered smart grill that brings real charcoal-style barbecue indoors with zero smoke.

Supported by InnoX, the accelerator founded by DJI's creator, Sean and his team trained their AI on over 100kg of meat. The Lumo uses infrared technology instead of hot air, giving you that authentic smoky flavor right in your apartment.

In this episode, we discuss:

• From BBQ Capital to Tech Founder: How growing up in Zibo shaped Sean's vision for indoor grilling
• The Infrared Breakthrough: Why 70% of charcoal heat comes from infrared, not hot air, and how Lumo uses this
• AI-Powered Cooking: Cameras, sensors, and machine learning that know your meat's size, weight, and temperature
• Three Modes, One Machine: Oven, grill, and open flat-top in a single device
• InnoX Academy: How DJI's founder's accelerator helped Sean build his startup
• Market Research at the Bar: Going to expat bars in Shenzhen to find first customers
• Pitching with Meat: How cooking for Chinese investors got them to say "take my money"
• The Tesla Strategy: Making it affordable to collect data and improve the AI
• Social Recipes: Share your grilling results with friends through the Lumo app

About Sean:
Sean is a co-founder of Cozytime, based in Shenzhen. Originally from Zibo, Shandong Province, he studied engineering and joined InnoX, the innovation academy founded by DJI's creator. Together with his co-founders, he is building the Lumo smart grill, launching on Kickstarter in February 2026.

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Pre-order the Lumo: prelaunch.com/lumo

Subscribe to the asiabits newsletter: asiabits.com

Watch the video version on YouTube: youtu.be/kce77prgEFM

Ep. 2: She Got Abu Dhabi Royals to Invest Millions

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:00:00 +0800

Audrey Quan went from college student to founder with investments from Abu Dhabi's royal family. At just 20-something, she built an AI company that impressed some of the wealthiest investors in the Middle East.

In this episode, Audrey shares her journey from studying mass communication in China to creating AI digital humans and translation devices that caught the attention of investors in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Royal Investment Story: How Audrey attracted backing from Middle East investors for her AI startup
• AI Digital Humans: The technology behind creating digital avatars that can replace yourself
• Building Innoaio: Her real-time translation device that breaks down language barriers
• From Animation to AI Hardware: How she pivoted from creating animation videos to building AI products
• The "Shenzhen Speed" Advantage: How Chinese founders develop and pivot ideas faster than anywhere else
• Challenges in the Middle East Market: Why UAE reminded her of "China 10 years ago"
• Advice for Hardware Founders: Navigating China's manufacturing ecosystem and scaling production

About Audrey Quan:
Audrey is a young founder from Henan Province, China, now based in Shenzhen. She started her company while still in college, initially creating animation videos for oil and financial industries. Today, she builds AI-powered products including digital humans and the Innoaio real-time translation device, with backing from investors across Asia and the Middle East.

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Subscribe to the asiabits newsletter: asiabits.com

Watch the video version on YouTube: youtu.be/CR-0d7ZJYkw

Ep. 1: He Quit His Job in Germany and Moved to China

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 20:00:00 +0800

"I quit my job in Germany and moved to China without knowing what I wanted to do here. For a lot of people, it's crazy. For me, it makes no sense to stay in Europe."

In the premiere episode of The asiabits Podcast, Michael (Co-founder of Asiabits) shares the unfiltered story of why he traded the German countryside for the high-speed chaos of Shanghai and Shenzhen.

We dive deep into why Europe is "ignoring" the Asian Century, the reality of the AI race (DeepSeek, South Korea's battle plan, and beyond), and why the "China Experts" you see on LinkedIn are often getting it completely wrong.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The "Suicide" of Ignorance: Why European businesses are at risk by ignoring Asian innovation
• Life on the Ground: The truth about safety, convenience, and the "American Dream" currently happening in China
• The Elevator Pitch: How a chance meeting in an elevator led to the birth of the asiabits newsletter and podcast
• Germany vs. China: A look at the massive gap in AI investment and entrepreneurial speed
• The "Gym" Mentality: Why building a startup is exactly like losing 60kg, it's about showing up when you don't want to

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asiabits is on a mission to bridge the gap between East and West. We provide non-biased, on-the-ground insights into technology, innovation, and the future of business in Asia.

Subscribe to the asiabits newsletter: asiabits.com

Watch the video version on YouTube: youtu.be/HICvIhapv_k

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