The Asiabits Podcast

Asia's Founders. Their Real Stories.

Weekly in-person conversations with the founders, operators, and investors building the future in Shanghai, Shenzhen, and beyond.

YouTube Spotify Apple Podcasts
Thomas and Michael recording the Asiabits Podcast
Latest Episode

Now Playing

Ep 11 - Ryan Dunwoody, Powerhouse Engineering
Episode 11
He Slept in a Chinese Factory Dorm at 24. Then Raised $35 Million.
Ryan Dunwoody, Powerhouse Engineering
Ryan was 24 when he flew to Shenzhen with a suitcase and no Mandarin. The factory gave him a bunk bed. Five months later, the first production run shipped. Now he runs Powerhouse Engineering, a fractional hardware CTO team for startups.
Ep 10
Episode 10
She Flew From New York to Scream at Her Shenzhen Factory
Denise Wu, rootique
Ep 9
Episode 9
This Frenchman Built 3 Hardware Companies in China's Toughest City
Laurent Le Pen, Oxtak / Omate / Oclean
Ep 7
Episode 7
He Borrowed $300,000 to Build a Physical AI Tamagotchi
Irving Gao, Takway AI / Sweekar
Ep 6
Episode 6
He's 23 and Visited 500 Robot Companies in China
Francesco Crivelli, Intuition Core
Ep 5
Episode 5
He Found the Real Problem: Millions of Dogs Left Home Alone
Pepehola
Featured Founders

The People Behind
the Products

Ryan Dunwoody
Ep 11
Ryan Dunwoody
Powerhouse Engineering
Oxford engineer, moved into a Shenzhen factory dormitory at 24. Co-founded pi-top ($35M raised, Guinness World Record). Now runs a fractional hardware CTO team for startups.
Hardware Shenzhen Fractional CTO
Denise Wu
Ep 10
Denise Wu
rootique
Started at Ogilvy, launched Foodpanda, scaled a bike-sharing startup to the US. Quit everything to build the world's first micro-misting scalp care device in Shenzhen.
Beauty Tech Shenzhen Hardware
Laurent Le Pen
Ep 9
Laurent Le Pen
Oxtak / Omate / Oclean
18 years in Shenzhen. Built the first million-dollar Kickstarter smartwatch, co-founded an oral care brand #1 in Eastern Europe, now launching an AI productivity device in Japan.
Hardware Serial Founder Shenzhen
Tuo Liu
Ep 8
Tuo Liu
Robotuo
Designed robotics labs for MIT and Harvard. Moved back to Shenzhen to build the largest open-source robotics community. His maps of 150+ humanoid companies in China went viral.
Robotics Open Source Shenzhen
Irving Gao
Ep 7
Irving Gao
Takway AI / Sweekar
Gave up PhD at USTC, borrowed ¥2M, shipped 200 units with only 1 user after 30 days. Built the world's first physically growing AI pocket pet. CES 2026: "Breaking News."
AI Pet CES 2026 Hardware
Partner With Us

How we can work together.

01
Sponsor an Episode
  • Pre-roll or mid-roll mention
  • Newsletter feature (18K subscribers)
  • LinkedIn promotion to 20K+ followers
  • Logo placement in show notes
Get in touch →
02
Be a Guest
  • 60-90 min in-depth conversation
  • YouTube + Spotify + Bilibili distribution
  • Chinese subtitles for Asia audience
  • Newsletter write-up + LinkedIn clips
Apply now →
03
Custom Packages
  • Multi-episode series sponsorship
  • Co-branded content & delegations
  • Exclusive audience research
  • Event partnerships in Shanghai
Let's talk →
Weekly (Wednesdays)
60-90 minutes
English + CN subtitles
In-person interviews
Shanghai + Shenzhen
Listen & Watch

Available Everywhere

New episodes every Wednesday at 9am CET. Watch the full video or listen on your favorite platform.

YouTube
Full video episodes
Spotify
Audio episodes
Apple Podcasts
Audio episodes
Bilibili
Full video (CN)

Never miss an episode.

Subscribe to our free daily newsletter and get notified when new episodes drop, plus the stories behind each guest.

Subscribe to Newsletter →
All Founders
Ryan Dunwoody
Episode 11
Ryan Dunwoody
Powerhouse Engineering
Flew to Shenzhen at 24, lived in a factory dormitory for 5 months. Co-founded pi-top ($35M, Guinness World Record). Now runs a fractional hardware CTO team.
Denise Wu
Episode 10
Denise Wu
rootique
From Ogilvy to Foodpanda to bike-sharing in the US. Quit everything to build the world's first micro-misting scalp care device in Shenzhen.
Laurent Le Pen
Episode 9
Laurent Le Pen
Oxtak / Omate / Oclean
18 years in Shenzhen. First million-dollar Kickstarter smartwatch. Oral care brand #1 in Eastern Europe. Now an AI productivity device launching in Japan.
Tuo Liu
Episode 8
Tuo Liu
Robotuo
Designed robotics labs for MIT and Harvard. Moved back to Shenzhen to build the largest open-source robotics community. 150+ humanoid companies mapped.
Irving Gao
Episode 7
Irving Gao
Takway AI / Sweekar
Gave up PhD at USTC, borrowed ¥2M. Built the world's first physically growing AI pocket pet. CES 2026: "Breaking News."
Francesco Crivelli
Episode 6
Francesco Crivelli
Intuition Core
23, grew up between Switzerland and Chile. Visited 500+ robotics companies across China. The truth about fake demos.
Jacky
Episode 5
Jacky
PePeHola
Built a smart dog ball you can control from anywhere via WiFi. Featured at CES 2026, covered by CNET.
Eric
Episode 4
Eric
Pavo Fitness
Built an intelligent, foldable Pilates reformer. $395K raised on Kickstarter.
Sean
Episode 3
Sean
Cozytime / Lumo
AI-powered infrared grill from China's BBQ capital. 70% infrared, 30% convection.
Audrey Quan
Episode 2
Audrey Quan
InnoAIO
25 years old, got Abu Dhabi royals to invest millions. #1 AI translator on JD.com.
Thomas & Michael
Episode 1
Thomas Derksen & Michael Broza
Asiabits
12+ years in Shanghai. What nobody tells you about doing business in China - entity setup, WeChat, culture shock.
All Episodes
Ep 11
Episode 11
He Slept in a Chinese Factory Dorm at 24. Then Raised $35 Million.
Ryan Dunwoody, Powerhouse Engineering
Flew to Shenzhen at 24 with no Mandarin. Lived in a factory dormitory for 5 months. Co-founded pi-top ($35M raised, Guinness World Record). Now runs a fractional hardware CTO team.
Ep 9
Episode 10
She Flew From New York to Scream at Her Shenzhen Factory
Denise Wu, rootique
From Ogilvy to Foodpanda to bike-sharing in the US. Quit everything to build the world's first micro-misting scalp care device in Shenzhen.
Ep 9
Episode 9
This Frenchman Built 3 Hardware Companies in China's Toughest City
Laurent Le Pen, Oxtak / Omate / Oclean
18 years in Shenzhen. First million-dollar Kickstarter smartwatch. Oral care brand #1 in Eastern Europe. Now an AI productivity device launching in Japan.
Ep 8
Episode 8
He Maps Every Humanoid Robot Company in China
Tuo Liu, Robotuo
Designed robotics labs for MIT and Harvard. Moved back to Shenzhen to build the largest open-source robotics community. 150+ humanoid companies mapped.
Ep 7
Episode 7
He Borrowed $300,000 to Build a Physical AI Tamagotchi
Irving Gao, Takway AI / Sweekar
Gave up PhD at USTC, borrowed ¥2M, shipped 200 units with 1 user after 30 days. Built the world's first physically growing AI pocket pet.
Ep 6
Episode 6
He's 23 and Visited 500 Robot Companies in China
Francesco Crivelli, Intuition Core
Grew up between Switzerland and Chile, visited 500+ robotics companies across China. The truth about fake demos and Shenzhen.
Ep 5
Episode 5
He Found the Real Problem: Millions of Dogs Left Home Alone
Pepehola
He found the real problem: millions of dogs left home alone. So he built this.
Ep 4
Episode 4
Why Your $500/Month Pilates Studio Is A Scam
Eric, Pavo Fitness
The story behind the intelligent, foldable Pilates reformer that raised $395K on Kickstarter.
Ep 3
Episode 3
He Built an AI Grill That Could Replace Your BBQ
Sean, Cozytime / Lumo
From China's BBQ capital to building an AI-powered infrared grill. 70% infrared, 30% convection.
Ep 2
Episode 2
She's 25 and Got Abu Dhabi Royals to Invest Millions
Audrey Quan, InnoAIO
AI-powered golden frames for heads of state, the #1 AI translator on JD.com.
Ep 1
Episode 1
What Nobody Tells You About Doing Business in China
Thomas & Michael, Asiabits
The founders share what 12+ years in China taught them about building businesses between East and West.