# Alex Zhou

> Alex You Zhou is the founder and CEO of Yami, the Asian-products retailer and marketplace launched as Yamibuy in 2013. Born and raised in Dalian, China, he studied industrial engineering at Kansas State University before moving to Los Angeles. His difficulty finding familiar groceries inspired a business that began with about 200 snacks and expanded into food, beauty, and home products, with a Mitsubishi partnership and Canadian launch in 2026.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Yami
- **Organizations:** Yami (formerly Yamibuy)
- **From:** Dalian, China
- **Nationality:** Chinese
- **Education:** Bachelor of Engineering in Industrial Engineering, Kansas State University
- **Known for:** Founded Yami in 2013 and grew its initial snack assortment into a multi-category Asian-products marketplace., Received an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award in Greater Los Angeles in 2017., Led Yamibuy when it ranked No. 170 on the 2017 Inc. 5000, with reported three-year growth of 2,457 percent.

## Career timeline

- **2007** — Came to the United States from China to attend Kansas State University.
- **2011** — Graduated from Kansas State University with an industrial engineering degree; subsequently moved to Los Angeles.
- **2013** — Launched Yamibuy in March with about 200 snacks, handling purchasing, packing, mailing, and customer service.
- **2017** — Yamibuy announced its first institutional funding, a $10 million Series A led by GGV Capital. Zhou received an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award in Greater Los Angeles.
- **2022** — Yami raised a $50 million Series B co-led by Altos Ventures and Balsam Bay Partners.
- **2023** — Spoke at a bilingual USC Annenberg seminar about Asian culture, consumer businesses, and hiring.
- **2025** — NYU published a recap of his entrepreneurship workshop in February.
- **2026** — Yami announced a Mitsubishi Corporation alliance and Series C strategic investment in April, then launched its Canadian operation in July.

## Achievements

- Founded Yami in 2013 and grew its initial snack assortment into a multi-category Asian-products marketplace.
- Received an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year award in Greater Los Angeles in 2017.
- Led Yamibuy when it ranked No. 170 on the 2017 Inc. 5000, with reported three-year growth of 2,457 percent.
- Led Yami through its 2026 Mitsubishi partnership and Canadian launch.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Yami launched its Canadian operation; Zhou personally packed the first order.
- **2026-04** — Yami announced its Mitsubishi Corporation operating alliance and Series C strategic investment, connecting the platform with Mitsubishi Shokuhin’s supplier network.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-you-zhou-ba985b76/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/alex-zhou
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23