Executive Profile

GLOBAL ROBOTICS & PHYSICAL AI PRODUCT LEADER

Industrial automation founder, field deployment executive, and cross-border deep-tech builder.

Yong Qian is a robotics and Physical AI product leader with 20+ years across industrial robotics, automotive automation, edge computing, IoT, SaaS, and applied AI. His career connects three rare operating muscles: field robotics deployment, hands-on hardware/software product building, and founder-level commercialization across China, Europe, and the United States.

He has built and exited ventures in industrial connectivity, open-source edge networking, and AIGC SaaS. He brings a practical Physical AI lens to product leadership: define the real use case, understand the robot’s deployment environment, build the data and infrastructure loop, and judge whether the technology can survive outside a demo.

CORE VALUE

• Physical AI product judgment: Translates robotics R&D into use cases, task boundaries, data loops, roadmap priorities, and commercially credible product direction.
• Field deployment depth: 20+ years around industrial robots, PLCs, vision systems, commissioning, troubleshooting, customer acceptance, uptime, safety, and manufacturing quality.
• Founder execution: Built and exited products across hardware/software, industrial IoT, mesh networking SaaS, AIGC, and robotics-related consulting.
• Cross-border operating range: Worked with customers, teams, and partners across China, Germany, the U.S., Mexico, and broader Asia-Europe-North America markets.
• Full-stack technical fluency: Comfortable across mechanical systems, robot programming, industrial controls, embedded/edge devices, cloud services, AI workflows, and GTM.

SELECTED PHYSICAL AI EXPERIENCE

Humanoid Robotics Product Leadership

• Led product vision, strategy, and roadmap work for next-generation humanoid robotics at Spirit AI, connecting hardware capability, AI readiness, field deployment constraints, and market-facing product definition.
• Helped define what the robot should do first, what data loop it needs, how much autonomy belongs on-device, and how to avoid overpromising capability before field readiness.

Stealth Startup Physical AI Product Definition

• Translated customer needs into product direction across IoT, SaaS, AI, and robotics, including humanoid robots and data-collector platforms.
• Clarified early product wedges, target users, task boundaries, hardware/software architecture, and data-collection strategy for emerging Physical AI products.

AroOne / 77z Elder-Care Companion Robot Concept

• Contributed product and commercialization thinking around AroOne / 77z, a privacy-first elder-care companion robot concept combining hardware, embedded intelligence, and on-device AI.
• Focused the concept around trust, privacy, useful daily interaction, and realistic home-care workflows rather than treating elder-care robotics as a simple demo problem.

Field-Readiness Judgment

• Evaluated a $7M robotics opportunity and declined to proceed when the deployment requirements exceeded the available platform’s responsible field capability.
• Demonstrated a core leadership principle for Physical AI: protect customer trust by separating impressive demos from systems that can be deployed, supported, and accepted in real environments.

OPERATING EXPERIENCE

Spirit AI, Beijing, China, September 2025 to November 2025, Head of Products & Robotics Product Manager

• Owned product vision, strategy, roadmap, requirements, and execution planning for next-generation humanoid robots, Data Collector products, and supporting system infrastructure.
• Translated hardware, AI, and real-world application requirements into collection and product specifications for deployable robotics systems.
• Bridged R&D, engineering, and product execution to convert advanced robotics concepts into deployable multi-industry solutions.

Stealth Startups, July 2025 to August 2025, Director of Products (Contract)

• Converted customer needs into launchable product concepts using IoT, SaaS, and AI capabilities.
• Defined early product direction, user needs, implementation scope, and practical launch requirements for startup-stage products.

OmniEdge Inc, Austin, U.S., September 2021 to April 2025, Founder & CEO / CPO

Ventures Built And Exited

• OmniEdge (OSS mesh VPN SaaS): Designed, built, and scaled an open-source peer-to-peer mesh VPN SaaS for secure private networking across distributed devices. Grew to 7,000+ users across 26 countries and completed a strategic exit.
• DeepFashion.us (AIGC SaaS): Created an AI platform enabling designers to train personalized generative models and accelerate creative design workflows. Exited.
• Robotics consulting: Led automation improvement projects for top-tier automotive suppliers in the U.S., Mexico, and China, improving equipment stability and yield rates and contributing to tens of millions in client savings.

Product & Technical Leadership

• Owned end-to-end product design, technical architecture, market strategy, and GTM.
• Shipped multi-platform applications across Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Docker, Synology, OpenWrt, GitHub Actions, and AWS.
• Built critical product components directly, including GitHub Actions integrations, OpenWrt packages, Docker applications, front-end interfaces, and documentation systems.
• Drove business development through founder-led GTM, community growth, content, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Team & Execution

• Built and led a distributed, multi-national team with members from AMD, Alibaba, and other global technology backgrounds.
• Managed product, engineering, and business development across Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Macao, Germany, the U.S., and China.

JIEQI EdgeComputing Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, China, September 2018 to February 2021, Founder & CEO

Product & Market

• Built and scaled an industrial IoT SaaS connecting machine vendors, PLCs, robots, and industrial vision systems to secure remote service networks.
• Designed and deployed an integrated hardware + software platform using industrial routers, WireGuard-based connectivity, AWS, and native apps for iOS, Windows, and Android.
• Turned field-service pain into a product wedge for machine builders and industrial automation teams.

Fundraising & Business Development

• Raised capital from private funds and venture capital.
• Built enterprise relationships with Frimo GmbH, Staubli Group, Adient, Grupo Antolin, and industrial automation ecosystems.

Team

• Recruited internationally across the U.K., Germany, the U.S., and China, including Oxford and Cambridge graduates.
• Coordinated distributed product, engineering, and operations teams.

Frimo (Germany) GmbH, December 2012 to September 2018, Robotics Programmer / APAC Field Deployment Lead

• Delivered global automotive automation programs across Asia and Europe, coordinating between headquarters, regional teams, suppliers, and international OEM clients.
• Deployed, commissioned, debugged, and supported robotic automation systems integrating industrial robots, PLCs, offline programming, process equipment, and vision systems.
• Served as a regional technical bridge for complex customer delivery, field troubleshooting, localization, acceptance, and production support.

Frimo (Shanghai), April 2010 to May 2012, Automation Engineer

• Directed industrial robotics automation projects across concept, feasibility, simulation, offline programming, deployment, and post-launch support.
• Delivered on-site customer support and integration for advanced automation systems.
• Developed technical localization solutions independently for China-market customer requirements.

Staubli Hangzhou, Hangzhou, China, April 2006 to March 2010, Robotics Technical Support

• Early member of Staubli’s robotics division in China, responsible for post-sale service, troubleshooting, repair, and customer support across China and Asia-Pacific markets.
• Provided pre-sales support, requirements refinement, feasibility studies, and technical training for integrators.
• Designed and developed China’s first no-code industrial robotics laser cutting system.

VENTURES BUILT & EXITED

DOMAIN EXPERTISE

• Robotics & automation: Industrial robots, automotive automation, robot programming, commissioning, troubleshooting, safety, uptime, acceptance, and production support.
• Physical AI & embodied systems: Humanoid robot product strategy, data-collector platforms, on-device AI, privacy-first robot concepts, and field-readiness evaluation.
• Industrial IoT & edge computing: Hardware/software systems connecting PLCs, robots, industrial vision, routers, cloud services, and remote service workflows.
• AI & AIGC: Generative AI products, personalized model training, model fine-tuning workflows, GPU infrastructure, and AI-assisted product development.
• Networking & infrastructure: Peer-to-peer mesh VPN, WireGuard, device identity, Docker, OpenWrt, multi-platform clients, and edge-to-cloud orchestration.
• Founder and GTM execution: 0-to-1 product definition, fundraising, hiring, international teams, founder-led sales, community growth, and exits.

INVESTMENT FOCUS

• Thesis: Physical AI at the infrastructure layer - embodied intelligence compute, robotics software stacks, industrial data engines, edge-to-cloud systems, and tools that make robots deployable.
• Stage: Pre-seed to Series A, with preference for technical founders with deep domain knowledge.
• Value-add: Architecture review, prototyping judgment, GTM strategy for hardware/software products, China-U.S.-Europe market navigation, and introductions across industrial and robotics ecosystems.

BOOKS, PUBLICATIONS & SPEECHES

Books

• How to Build Fashion AI SaaS From Scratch Amazon
• Building Your Enterprise Peer-to-Peer VPN SaaS from Scratch Amazon

Publications

• “White Paper on Supply Chain Innovation and Application Based on Industrial Internet” (Editorial Board Member) [Link]
• Industrial Robots Empowered by Internet Technologies: How to Increase Core Added Value, 2018, Tsinghua University [Link]
• Leveraging the Power of Modular Design for Enhanced Manufacturing Efficiency [Link]

Speeches & Presentations

• OmniEdge: Bring Intranet on the Internet, 2022, Bocconi University, Milan [Link]
• AI is Facilitating the Growth of Next-Generation Designers, 2024, China Fashion Summit, Beijing [Link]

NOTABLE PROJECTS

• AroOne / 77z elder-care companion robot concept: Privacy-first Physical AI product concept for care, daily interaction, on-device AI, and home trust.
• Spirit AI humanoid robotics: Product vision, strategy, roadmap, use-case definition, and field-readiness thinking for next-generation humanoid robots.
• OmniEdge platform: Open-source mesh VPN private network with 7,000+ users globally.
• JIEQI / Jaybox industrial IoT: Industrial routers, secure remote access, SaaS, and mobile apps for PLCs, robots, and industrial machine service.
• DeepFashion.us: AI platform for personalized generative design models.
• Automotive robotics: Automation solutions for BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, Ford, Hyundai, and top-tier suppliers.
• VAL LASER: First global rollout of a no-code robotics laser cutting system.
• High Voltage Security IIoT System: CT-powered sensors, industrial routers, SaaS, and mobile apps for high-voltage electricity transmission.

EDUCATION

Master in Commerce Management and Marketing, 2023-2024

• Escuela de Negocios Europea de Barcelona / Universidad Isabel I, Spain

Bachelor’s Degree in Machine Design and its Automation, 2002-2006

• Henan University of Science & Technology, China

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Languages

• Chinese (Native)
• English (Full Professional Proficiency)
• Spanish (Beginner)

Global Footprint

Lived and worked across China, Germany, and the United States. Ongoing relationships across Asia, Europe, and North America for cross-border product building, business development, deal sourcing, and portfolio support.

Community

• roboticsfaq.com - Non-profit robotics community, 2012-2016
• xulung.com - Non-profit engineer training platform, 2015-2017