01 — what i’m building now

I founded Parallel Finance, where I raised over $30M to build one of the early lending protocols in crypto. Today, Parallel is entering a new chapter—exploring how decentralized systems can support robotics, AI, and the next generation of physical technology.

Alongside Parallel, I operate 8 Decimal Capital, a fund I’ve run for eight years. It now functions as a family-office-style vehicle where I personally invest $500K–$1M into early AI and robotics teams. If you’re building something ambitious, I’m always open to connecting.

02 — how i got here

I grew up in Beijing, where I spent most of my childhood taking apart electronics, soldering boards, and writing assembly to make small robots move across the floor. My earliest motivation was personal: my grandfather had Parkinson’s for over twenty years, and I wanted to build machines that could help him move, carry things, and stay independent.

Throughout my teens, I competed in—and won—national and international science and engineering competitions. At eighteen, I dropped out of high school to continue building my robotics startup. Most people didn’t take me seriously then, so I built until they had to. That company was eventually acquired.

Later, I dropped out of college twice to pursue new ideas. Each decision felt risky, but each reinforced the same lesson: if you want to build something meaningful, you can’t wait for external validation—you create your own runway.

03 — why i build

My mind rarely slows down. Ideas appear constantly, sometimes even in my sleep. I’ve never been comfortable just consuming the world—I need to create inside it.

I’m drawn to first principles: physics, robotics, markets, intelligence, and the structure of reality. I want to understand how complex systems work—and how to build new ones that move society forward.

My long-term ambition is simple: to build inventions that help people, that last, and that history remembers—and to make those inventions accessible to everyone on earth.

04 — what i’m exploring now

I remain deeply obsessed with robotics, physics, AI, and the intersection between digital and physical systems. I still take courses at Stanford—not for a degree, but to deepen the technical foundation I need to build things far beyond my current knowledge.

I get energy from connecting with people, but many of my breakthroughs happen alone — when I’m thinking for hours, sketching ideas, or building prototypes late at night. I enjoy quiet hours of thinking, reading, and long-form conversation, especially around philosophy, science, and how technology shapes the future of human life.

05 — outside of work

I love tennis, badminton, hiking, and weight training. I also play piano—music helps me reset, think clearly, and reconnect with the part of myself that builds for joy, not pressure.

Let’s build something → yubo@parallel.fi