# David Lee

> David Lee is the Co-founder and CEO of Nex, a San Jose-based motion gaming company that makes the Nex Playground - a palm-sized AI console that uses motion-tracking cameras to turn living rooms into active play spaces. A Hong Kong native and second-time founder, Lee previously co-founded EditGrid (acquired by Apple in 2008), spent over eight years as a Senior Engineering Manager at Apple leading iWork for iCloud, then left in 2017 to build Nex. The company has raised $40M across three rounds from investors including the NBA, Will Smith's Dreamers Fund, and Blue Pool Capital, with celebrity backers like Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin, Mark Cuban, Simu Liu, and Thierry Henry. Nex Playground launched in December 2023 at $179, sold 600,000+ units in 2025, and landed on Fast Company's Most Innovative Gaming Companies of 2026 and TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2026.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Nex
- **Organizations:** Nex (NEX Team Inc.), Apple Inc., EditGrid
- **From:** Hong Kong
- **Nationality:** Hong Kong
- **Education:** BBA (Information Systems) and BEng (Software Engineering), The University of Hong Kong
- **Known for:** Co-founded EditGrid (2003), acquired by Apple in 2008, Led iWork for iCloud engineering team at Apple for 8+ years, Raised $40M across three funding rounds for Nex

## Career timeline

- **2003** — Co-founded EditGrid, an Ajax-enabled spreadsheet with real-time collaboration, started on the HKU rooftop
- **2008** — EditGrid acquired by Apple Inc. (acquihire) to build iWork.com
- **2008-2017** — Senior Engineering Manager at Apple, led 30-person engineering team behind iWork for iCloud
- **2017** — Left Apple to co-found NEX Team Inc. with Reggie Chan and Tony Sung
- **2018** — Raised $4M seed round; investors included Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin, and Mark Cuban
- **2019** — Raised $8.5M Series A from the NBA, Will Smith's Dreamers Fund, and Alibaba Entrepreneurship Fund
- **2021** — Raised $25M Series B led by Blue Pool Capital; launched Active Arcade mobile app
- **2023** — Launched Nex Playground AI console ($179) in December 2023
- **2025** — Exceeded 600,000 Nex Playground sales; expanded to 5,000+ retail stores including Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon
- **2026** — Named Fast Company's Most Innovative Gaming Company; TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies

## Achievements

- Co-founded EditGrid (2003), acquired by Apple in 2008
- Led iWork for iCloud engineering team at Apple for 8+ years
- Raised $40M across three funding rounds for Nex
- Sold 600,000+ Nex Playground units in 2025
- Named to TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies 2026
- Named Fast Company's Most Innovative Gaming Companies 2026
- Secured partnerships with Sony (BRAVIA CAM TVs) and Apple (Continuity Camera)
- Attracted investors including the NBA, Will Smith, Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin, Mark Cuban, Simu Liu, and Thierry Henry
- Expanded to 5,000+ retail stores globally

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Named among Fast Company's Most Innovative Gaming Companies of 2026
- **2026-05** — Named to TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies of 2026
- **2026-02** — Featured on Naavik podcast discussing family-first gaming and consumer hardware
- **2026-03** — Appeared on Wild Business Growth Podcast discussing Nex Playground
- **2025-12** — Exceeded 600,000 Nex Playground unit sales in 2025, 4x growth from prior year
- **2025-11** — Nex Playground named top gift during Black Friday 2025
- **2025-09** — Spoke at Advertising Week NY 2025

## Links

- Website: https://nex.inc
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidlkf
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/dlee042
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theofficialdavidleex/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidlkf/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/david-lee
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-27