# You Zhou

> You (Alex) Zhou is the founder and CEO of Yami, the Asian-products marketplace formerly called Yamibuy. Born and raised in Dalian, China, he came to Kansas State University in 2007, studied industrial engineering, and discovered that buying familiar food could require a two-hour drive. After moving to Los Angeles, he launched Yami in 2013 with 200 snacks and handled purchasing, packing, delivery, and customer service himself. By 2026, Yami had close to four million registered customers, a strategic partnership with Mitsubishi Shokuhin, and a newly opened Canadian operation.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Yami
- **Organizations:** Yami, YPO Beverly Hills Chapter
- **From:** Dalian, China
- **Nationality:** Chinese
- **Education:** Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering, Kansas State University
- **Known for:** Built Yami from a one-person, 200-product operation into a marketplace with close to four million registered customers by 2026., Won the 2017 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Greater Los Angeles award after being named a finalist in 2016., Led Yamibuy to No. 170 on the 2017 Inc. 5000, with reported three-year growth of 2,457 percent.

## Career timeline

- **2007** — Moved from Dalian, China, to the United States to study at Kansas State University.
- **2011** — Graduated from Kansas State University in industrial engineering and later moved to Los Angeles.
- **2013** — Founded Yamibuy, now Yami, beginning with 200 snack products and operating as the sole employee.
- **2015** — Expanded the team from roughly 20 employees to nearly 100 as order volume accelerated.
- **2017** — Raised Yami's first institutional capital, a $10 million Series A, and won the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Greater Los Angeles award.
- **2020** — Launched Yami Fresh with local supermarket partners during the pandemic, beginning in Los Angeles and Orange County.
- **2022** — Yami raised a $50 million Series B co-led by Altos Ventures and Balsam Bay Partners.
- **2023** — Reported two million customers, more than 300,000 SKUs, and an average delivery time of 2.6 days after opening an East Coast warehouse.
- **2026** — Entered a strategic partnership with Mitsubishi Shokuhin and expanded Yami into Canada.

## Achievements

- Built Yami from a one-person, 200-product operation into a marketplace with close to four million registered customers by 2026.
- Won the 2017 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Greater Los Angeles award after being named a finalist in 2016.
- Led Yamibuy to No. 170 on the 2017 Inc. 5000, with reported three-year growth of 2,457 percent.
- Raised a $10 million Series A in 2017 after operating for four years without institutional funding, followed by a $50 million Series B in 2022.
- Developed warehouse and delivery operations on both U.S. coasts and launched Yami in Canada in 2026.
- Formed a 2026 strategic partnership with Mitsubishi Shokuhin to expand access to Japanese food and beverage brands in the United States.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Yami launched its Canadian warehouse operation; Zhou personally packed the first order.
- **2026-03** — Yami announced a strategic partnership with Mitsubishi Shokuhin to bring more Japanese food and beverage brands to U.S. shoppers.
- **2025-09** — In a company interview, Zhou reflected on Yami's origins, hiring values, rapid-growth cash-flow strain, and mission to bring the world closer together.

## Links

- Website: https://www.yami.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-you-zhou-ba985b76
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/yamibuy
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/yamitv
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yamibuy/
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/yamibuy/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/you-zhou
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-26