# James Chua

> James Chua is the Singapore-based co-founder and CEO of MetroResidences. An economics graduate and former investment professional, he co-founded PandaBed before building an accommodation business for professionals on extended stays with Lester Kang.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & CEO at MetroResidences
- **Organizations:** MetroResidences, PandaBed, Phillip Capital Management
- **Nationality:** Singaporean
- **Education:** Bachelor of Arts in Economics, University of California San Diego, Robert Louis Stevenson School, Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)
- **Known for:** Co-founded PandaBed and MetroResidences., MetroResidences grew its Singapore portfolio from 10 to 200 apartments in its first 18 months, as reported in January 2016., Built MetroResidences with Lester Kang into a business operating across multiple Asia-Pacific markets.

## Career timeline

- **2005** — Earned a BA in economics from UC San Diego.
- **Before 2012** — Worked in equity analysis and portfolio management at Phillip Capital Management.
- **2012** — Co-founded PandaBed with Lester Kang.
- **2014** — Began MetroResidences with Lester Kang in Singapore.
- **2016** — MetroResidences announced S$1 million in seed funding led by 500 Startups.
- **2017** — Rakuten invested S$4 million to support regional expansion.
- **2018** — MetroResidences entered Hong Kong after expanding to Japan.
- **2026** — As CEO, commented on Japan’s rental barriers in the announcement of a planned Roppongi property.

## Achievements

- Co-founded PandaBed and MetroResidences.
- MetroResidences grew its Singapore portfolio from 10 to 200 apartments in its first 18 months, as reported in January 2016.
- Built MetroResidences with Lester Kang into a business operating across multiple Asia-Pacific markets.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — MetroResidences announced an 80-room Roppongi property planned for winter 2026. Chua commented on barriers facing foreign professionals in Japan’s rental market.
- **2023-07** — A company blog article credited to Chua discussed corporate housing and traditional rentals.

## Links

- Website: https://www.metroresidences.com/
- LinkedIn: https://sg.linkedin.com/in/james-chua-085b965b

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/james-chua
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-13