The Asiabits Podcast
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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The Asiabits Podcast
Ep. 8: He Designed Robot Labs for MIT. Then Realized All the Parts Came from China.
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"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:
- X/Twitter: @Robo_Tuo
- robotuo.com
About Asiabits: Weekly insider stories from Asia's tech & startup ecosystem. Subscribe: asiabits.com