# Gimmy Chu

> Gimmy Chu is the Canadian co-founder and CEO of Nanoleaf. A University of Toronto electrical engineering graduate and former solar-car team member, he founded the company with Tom Rodinger and Christian Yan in 2012. Its early energy-efficient bulbs gave way to modular lighting panels, connected bulbs and lighting controls. His public interviews focus on curiosity, product design, sustainability and the practical work of making connected devices easier to use.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Nanoleaf
- **Organizations:** Nanoleaf, University of Toronto Blue Sky Solar Racing
- **Nationality:** Canadian
- **Education:** Bachelor of Applied Science in Electrical Engineering, University of Toronto
- **Known for:** 2016 University of Toronto Engineering 7T6 Early Career Award recipient., Co-founded Nanoleaf and led its progression from crowdfunded bulbs to modular connected lighting., Nanoleaf received a SEAD Global Efficiency Medal and a Red Dot design award during his leadership.

## Career timeline

- **2005** — Met future co-founders through the University of Toronto solar-car team.
- **2006** — Graduated in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto; subsequently worked in technology consulting.
- **2012** — Co-founded Nanoleaf with Tom Rodinger and Christian Yan.
- **2013** — Nanoleaf launched its first bulb on Kickstarter and raised over $270,000.
- **2015** — Returned to Canada to build Nanoleaf’s Toronto team.
- **2016** — Received the University of Toronto Engineering 7T6 Early Career Award; Nanoleaf launched Aurora modular lighting panels.
- **2017** — Spoke at TEDxToronto about curiosity and exploring unknown ideas.
- **2020** — Nanoleaf expanded Shapes and launched its Thread-enabled Essentials lighting line.
- **2021** — Nanoleaf introduced Elements wood-look lighting panels.
- **2025** — Discussed open APIs and community integration on the Home Assistant Podcast.

## Achievements

- 2016 University of Toronto Engineering 7T6 Early Career Award recipient.
- Co-founded Nanoleaf and led its progression from crowdfunded bulbs to modular connected lighting.
- Nanoleaf received a SEAD Global Efficiency Medal and a Red Dot design award during his leadership.
- TEDxToronto speaker in October 2017.

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Nanoleaf reaffirmed its commitment to lighting while discussing AI, robotics and embodied AI as future directions; it did not reveal a complete robotics product roadmap.
- **2025-09** — Appeared on the Home Assistant Podcast to discuss Nanoleaf’s origins, open APIs, community integrations and connected-home development.
- **2025-01** — Nanoleaf announced 4D V2, a PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip, a Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp and its Premium desktop software service at CES.

## Links

- Website: https://nanoleaf.me/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gimmychu/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/gimmy-chu
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21