# Hugh Yao

> Hugh Yao is the founder and CEO of LingoAce, the education technology company he started in Singapore in 2017 after watching his young son favor English and lose confidence in Chinese. A Tsinghua-trained former IBM, Oracle, and Salesforce executive, Yao spent LingoAce's first two years serving only a few hundred families and refining its live, gamified lessons before expanding internationally. The company later reported nearly 4,000 percent booking growth from the end of 2019, raised $160 million across two 2021 rounds, and expanded from Mandarin into English, math, and multi-subject learning through ACE Academy.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at LingoAce
- **Organizations:** LingoAce, IBM, Oracle, Salesforce, Tsinghua University
- **From:** China
- **Education:** Bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Master's degree in Management Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University
- **Known for:** Founded LingoAce in Singapore in 2017 and expanded it from Mandarin instruction into English, math, and multi-subject K-12 learning., Guided the company through nearly 4,000 percent reported booking growth from the end of 2019 during the pandemic-era shift to online learning., Raised a company-reported $180 million in total funding by the end of 2021, including a $105 million Series C led by Sequoia Capital India.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2017** — Held Asia-Pacific leadership roles at IBM, Oracle, and Salesforce; Oracle relocated him and his family from Beijing to Singapore in 2012.
- **2017** — Founded LingoAce in Singapore after struggling to find engaging Chinese instruction for his son.
- **2017-2019** — Kept the customer base to a few hundred families while the team iterated the product and built interactive, gamified lessons.
- **2020** — Expanded offices in Southeast Asia, opened a Singapore blended-learning center, and raised Series A funding.
- **2021** — LingoAce raised $55 million in Series B funding and $105 million in Series C funding, with $180 million in total funding reported by the company.
- **2023** — Published his view that AI should assist teachers with repetitive work and personalization rather than replace human instruction.
- **2024** — LingoAce opened its first U.S. learning center in the Bay Area and reported more than 22 million lessons delivered globally.
- **2025** — Returned to Tsinghua University for the Class of 1995's 30th-anniversary reunion and spoke during the university's 114th-anniversary celebrations.
- **2026** — Led LingoAce's expansion into the multi-subject ACE Academy model and introduced Tutor Luna, described by the company as its first AI-native learning product.

## Achievements

- Founded LingoAce in Singapore in 2017 and expanded it from Mandarin instruction into English, math, and multi-subject K-12 learning.
- Guided the company through nearly 4,000 percent reported booking growth from the end of 2019 during the pandemic-era shift to online learning.
- Raised a company-reported $180 million in total funding by the end of 2021, including a $105 million Series C led by Sequoia Capital India.
- Built a referral-led acquisition system that accounted for 60 percent of new customers each month at the time of his 2022 McKinsey interview.
- LingoAce was included in the GSV 150 and recognized in Fast Company's 2023 Asia-Pacific innovation list; these are company achievements under Yao's leadership.
- By LingoAce's ninth anniversary in 2026, the company reported 730,000 learners served, 27 million lessons delivered, 9,000 teachers, and reach across 214 countries and regions.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — For LingoAce's ninth anniversary, Yao shared company-reported totals of more than 730,000 learners, 27 million lessons, 19 million learning hours, 9,000 teachers, reach across 214 countries and regions, and seven in-person centers.
- **2026-04** — Joined an ASU+GSV Summit panel on AI, engagement, and personalization, arguing that engagement should serve measurable learning and that AI should extend teacher-led instruction.
- **2026-03** — Announced that LingoAce had received full WASC accreditation across its online programs and in-person centers.
- **2026-02** — Announced ACE Academy by LingoAce, expanding the company into a multi-subject platform for Mandarin Chinese, mathematics, and English Language Arts, with online and in-person instruction.
- **2025-04** — Returned to Tsinghua University to speak at the Class of 1995's 30th-anniversary reunion during the university's 114th anniversary.

## Links

- Website: https://www.lingoace.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-yao-97524721
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lingoace
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3pO6lIyz7FgfbeQ0VqRRR_wabD0UzpM0
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/LingoAceGlobal/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/hugh-yao
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-28