ASCENT

How did three anime and gaming nerds turn a cash-strapped dorm hobby into a multi-billion-dollar global empire? This episode explores the fascinating history of miHoYo, the powerhouse studio behind Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Honkai Impact 3rd. Driven by their iconic philosophy, "Tech Otakus Save the World," founders CAI Haoyu, LIU Wei, and LUO Yuhao navigated a relentless journey. Long...

How did a kid from a small mountain village in Fujian end up building the company that powers one in every three electric vehicles on the planet? This episode explores the rise of CATL (aka the “TSMC of batteries”) and its founder, Robin Zeng. It begins with CATL’s predecessor, ATL, and a risky $1 million bet on a flawed battery patent that nearly destroyed the company — until it unexpectedly led...

Imagine you're a French missionary in the 1800s, trekking through the mountains of southwest China. You plant some coffee seeds — partly out of habit, partly out of hope. You probably never imagined those seeds would one day supply Nestlé, attract Starbucks, and help birth a domestic coffee brand that would open more stores than McDonald's has in the entire United States. Yes — that's Luckin Coffe...

This episode explores the playbook behind the meteoric rise of Manus AI, the startup that redefined the "AI agent" landscape and secured a historic acquisition by Meta for over $2 billion. In just nine months, Manus went from a stealth spring launch to a $125 million revenue run rate, earning its reputation as China’s "DeepSeek moment." We dive into the technical breakthrough of "computer use"—the...

What a year it's been! To all our amazing listeners, thank you for joining us on this wild ride through 2025. Ever wonder who else is tuning into ASCENT with you? Or what company totally blew Linda & Pan away this year? We've got all that and more packed into our special holiday episode! Building ASCENT has been an incredible journey, and your support has been the fuel. We couldn't have done i...

When you think of the biggest names in sportswear, who comes to mind? Nike, right? The undisputed king. And Adidas, the eternal number two. For decades, that’s been the story. A two-horse race. But what if I told you there’s a third giant? A company that, in just the last few years, has quietly become the third-largest sportswear brand in the world , with a market value that’s now neck-and-neck wi...

This episode dives into the inspiring journey of Game Science, the Chinese studio that defied industry giants with their global hit, Black Myth: Wukong . Discover how disillusioned Tencent veterans Feng Ji and Yang Qi bet everything on a single-player, PC-only game rooted in Chinese mythology. We trace their decade-long quest from compromise to triumph, exploring the creative philosophy, financial...

Step into the world of Pop Mart (泡泡玛特) —the Chinese collectible toy giant that turned “ugly-cute” designer figures into an international sensation. In this episode, we reveal founder Wang Ning’s journey from a small Beijing shop to a multibillion-dollar brand leading the global blind-box craze. What key business foundations did the Pop Mart team lay before launching Labubu to enable such massi...

Today we are covering a company that built its name on viral smart phones and a "magic touch" for creating every kind of smart home appliance imaginable. We're, of course, talking about Xiaomi. This company, which started far from the automotive world, has just launched its first two EV models, and the result is stunning. The SU7 sedan and the YU7 SUV have become one of the most wanted and pre-ord...

Today, we dive into the fascinating story of a global powerhouse that, on the surface, appears distinctly Western, yet boasts surprising Asian roots. This isn't just a company that sells a drink; it sells a feeling – the promise that "gives you wings." It's a brand that established dominance not through traditional advertising, but by deeply embedding itself in the worlds of niche sports, adrenali...

DeepSeek is the Chinese large language model (LLM) that stunned the AI world with its low training costs and open-weight approach. This episode dives into the extraordinary founder story of Liang Wenfeng , the secretive quant trader who pivoted his billion-dollar firm, High-Flyer Capital , into a top AI competitor. How did a quantitative finance empire become the birthplace of DeepSeek R1 and V3 ?...

Insta360 is the world's fastest-growing action camera brand , dominating the 360 camera market with its software innovation and Invisible Selfie Stick technology. This episode of ASCENT unpacks the incredible journey of founder JK Liu , a visionary software engineer who took the company IPO this year, making him one of the youngest tech disruptor CEOs. Discover the Insta360 strategy that allows cr...