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The Asiabits Podcast

Author: Thomas Derksen & Michael Broza

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© 2026 Asiabits

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What happens in Asia increasingly shapes tomorrow's world. Yet people still underestimate the developments unfolding in China, South Korea, and Japan—the emerging technologies, shifting markets, and groundbreaking deals. We want to change that. We talk to entrepreneurs, founders, and other inspiring leaders about their journeys, businesses, and products.


About the hosts:

Thomas Derksen is an entrepreneur, bestselling author, and content creator with over 10 million followers on social media. Recognized as one of the most influential Western voices on China, Thomas offers deep insights into the country's culture, society, and rapidly evolving digital economy.
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/afuthomas/


Michael Broza is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in fintech and AI-powered M&A, connecting the M&A community throughout the German-speaking region. He now develops advanced AI-powered tools to enhance efficiency, primarily in the M&A sector. Based in Shanghai, Michael regularly provides insights into Asia's tech and venture ecosystems, builds strategic networks, and actively shares his knowledge through social media and direct community engagement.

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-broza/

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10 Episodes
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This Frenchman Built 3 Hardware Companies in China's Toughest City

This Frenchman Built 3 Hardware Companies in China's Toughest City

2026-03-2301:30:21

"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, we discuss: • The WWII connection: His grandfather wa...
Ep. 9: He Faked His Product at a Tech Expo. Then 300 People Paid For It.

Ep. 9: He Faked His Product at a Tech Expo. Then 300 People Paid For It.

2026-03-1157:00

"Can we provide an easier and more fun solution for all these people who gave up on their plants?" - Luke, SoildTech Luke was born in Shenzhen, failed exams in Singapore and China, graduated from design school in the US, worked at a major tech company, and quit to build the world's first gamified plant sensor. His move: build a fake prototype for 500 RMB, show it at BEYOND Expo Macau, and see if anyone bites. They did. Six months later, he took the real product to CES 2026. 30+ media outlets ...
Ep. 8: He Designed Robot Labs for MIT. Then Realized All the Parts Came from China.

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

2026-03-0349:55

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

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

2026-02-2547:47

"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 companyWorking at Unitree Robotics, SenseTime & Shanghai AI Lab before going soloThe first p...
Ep. 6: He's 23 and Visited 500 Robot Companies in China

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

2026-02-1859:33

"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 ShenzhenThe real cost of deploying a robot (...
Ep. 5: He Used ChatGPT to Build the Smartest Dog Toy at CES

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

2026-02-1156:14

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

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

2026-02-0439:59

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

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

2026-01-2801:01:46

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

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

2026-01-2201:14:39

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

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

2026-01-1252:04

"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...
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