The Asiabits Podcast

Thomas Derksen & Michael Broza
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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/Be the first to know about the newest trends in and from Asia: asiabits.com/en

  1. 4D AGO

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

    "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 --- 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 Follow us on LinkedIn: Thomas Michael asiabits Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/QY1mAg4lL54

    1h 19m

  2. APR 27

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

    "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 --- 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 Follow us on LinkedIn: Thomas Michael asiabits Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/0YoFuZwpiFU

    1h 6m

  3. APR 16

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

    "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 --- 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 Follow us on LinkedIn: Thomas Michael asiabits Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/Ib26-JHlCb4

    1h 10m

  4. APR 8

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

    "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

    1h 32m

  5. APR 1

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

    "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 picturesFrom Ogilvy to Foodpanda to bike-sharing to hair loss hardwareWhy 90% of people quit hair treatment before seeing resultsBuilding the world's first micro-misting scalp device (15 seconds, 3.5x absorption)300,000 RMB for the first mold, no investors, just her savingsA marketing expert learning hardware R&D from scratch in ShenzhenWhy Chinese factories copy but refuse to innovateFlying from NYC to storm into the factory boss's officeInnoX: Shenzhen's best hardware incubator (DJI, Huawei, Anker mentors)Hitchhiking to Tibet, a car accident, and a monk's life lessonAbout 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 --- 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 Follow us on LinkedIn: Thomas Michael asiabits Watch the video version on YouTube: youtu.be/sM6PQxss89M

    56 min

  6. MAR 23

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

    "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 WWIIMoving to Shenzhen in 2007: one metro line, the iPhone had just launchedWorking at Philips Mobile when smartphones killed the feature phone industryVisiting BYD when they only made batteriesLaunching Omate TrueSmart on Kickstarter: $1M raised, first from ShenzhenHow Apple Watch forced him to pivot to smartwatches for seniors and kidsCo-founding Oclean: now a top oral care brand in Eastern EuropeOxtak "Moneypenny": AI recorder with live translation, launching in JapanHardware masterclass: how to build a product in Shenzhen as a foreignerAbout 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 --- 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 Follow us on LinkedIn: Thomas Michael asiabits Watch the video version on YouTube: youtu.be/akaiqz3lX4k

    1h 30m

  7. MAR 3

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

    "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 startupDesigning robotics labs for MIT, Harvard, and Apple - then realizing all the parts came from ChinaZero actuator manufacturers in the US vs. 50+ in ShenzhenBuilding a community of 270+ global robotics foundersWhy China dominates open source AI (DeepSeek, Qwen)150+ humanoid companies in China - how many will survive?Unitree's $20K humanoid vs. $200K competitorsCES = "Chinese Electronics Show"Free prototypes in one week from Shenzhen factories#1 advice: make friends, set up a local teamConnect with Tuo: X/Twitter: @Robo_TuoLinkedInrobotuo.comAbout Asiabits: Weekly insider stories from Asia's tech & startup ecosystem. Subscribe: asiabits.com

    50 min

  8. FEB 25

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

    "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 product that completely failed: 200 units shipped, 1 user after 30 daysThe gamification design course that changed everythingWhy he's building the "Nintendo of AI" – not the iPhone of AIHow Sweekar physically grows: Egg → Baby → Teen → Adult (MBTI personality)CES 2026: media calling it "breaking news"Why USA before China – the DJI & Anker playbookKickstarter: May 2026, $100–150About 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

    48 min
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About

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/Be the first to know about the newest trends in and from Asia: asiabits.com/en

Information

  • Creator
    Thomas Derksen & Michael Broza
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Asiabits
  • Show Website
    The Asiabits Podcast