China’s First IoT Coffee Launches With 30 Founders

When a new coffee shop bills itself as ‘the most IoT-focused café in China,’ coffee lovers and tech professionals alike want to know: who’s really behind it? On October 30—exactly one month after launching its crowdfunding campaign—IoT Coffee revealed the identities of its first wave of co-founders. This isn’t just another specialty café. It’s a hybrid space designed for the Internet of Things community, and its early supporters come from some of China’s biggest tech firms and academic institutions.

The first cohort includes 30 co-founders: five chairpersons, fourteen CEOs or general managers, eight senior executives such as CTOs and VPs, and three academic experts. Their backgrounds span global giants like Huawei, IBM, ZTE, China UnionPay, WeChat, and China Mobile, as well as respected universities and research bodies.

Who Are the First Co-Founders?

The 30 founding members were selected based on their industry influence, years of experience in IoT, enthusiasm for the project, willingness to contribute, and proximity for in-person collaboration. The group features:

• Five chairpersons
• Fourteen CEOs or general managers
• Eight senior leaders including chief technology officers, marketing vice presidents, and strategy directors
• Three academic experts

Geographically, the founders are spread across major innovation hubs: four from Shanghai, one from Wuxi, two from Hangzhou, three from Guangzhou, one from Hong Kong, and nineteen from Shenzhen.

Why This Mix Matters

IoT Coffee isn’t aiming to be just another specialty coffee shop. Its vision is to create a physical hub where IoT professionals can connect, collaborate, and innovate. The space intends to blend high-level networking, technical discussions, product demos, lectures, and even startup incubation—all centered around coffee.

According to Yang Weiqi, the project’s first initiator, the response has been overwhelming. "By 6 PM on October 30, we had received over 86 applications from co-founders," he said. These applicants include senior executives from globally recognized companies such as IBM, Huawei, ZTE, China UnionPay, WeChat, Changhong, China Mobile, and China Unicom. Also represented are leaders from firms like Huayang Xintong, Jinyi Technology, and China Star Microsystems, as well as scholars from Peking University, Dalian Maritime University, and the University of Electronic Science and Technology. Institutional representatives come from the Wuxi National Sensing Information Center, China IoT Development Research Center, Phoenix TV, Smart Workshop, and IoT Media.

What’s the Timeline for Expansion?

The IoT Coffee team has structured the co-founder recruitment in three phases:

• First phase: Confirmed by October 31 (now complete)
• Second phase: To be confirmed by November 30
• Third phase: To be confirmed by December 31

So far, everything is on track. Yang Weiqi also noted that due to strong interest from the crowdfunding community, the team plans to accelerate the development timeline.

What Is IoT Coffee’s Vision?

IoT Coffee aims to become "the coffee shop that understands IoT best, and the IoT circle that feels most like a café." The goal is to create a professional, focused environment for meaningful collaboration. It’s not about profit alone, says Yang, but about building something meaningful—"a space where we can forge partnerships, share knowledge, test products, exchange ideas, and even help launch ventures. It’s something we’ll all look back on with pride."

Frequently Asked Questions

How many co-founders have joined IoT Coffee so far?

As of October 30, IoT Coffee has confirmed 30 co-founders, surpassing the initial goal of 86 applicants received by that date.

Who are the types of people involved in IoT Coffee?

The co-founders include senior executives from major technology firms such as Huawei, IBM, and China Mobile, as well as academic experts and representatives from research centers and media organizations.

Where are the co-founders located?

The 30 co-founders are based in major cities across China, with 19 from Shenzhen, four from Shanghai, three from Guangzhou, two from Hangzhou, one from Wuxi, one from Hong Kong, and three from Guangzhou.

What roles do the co-founders hold?

The group includes five chairpersons, fourteen CEOs or general managers, eight senior executives (like CTOs and VPs), and three academic experts.

What is the timeline for adding more co-founders?

The first phase was completed by October 31, the second phase will close by November 30, and the third phase is set for December 31.

What is the concept behind IoT Coffee?

IoT Coffee aims to be a hybrid space for IoT professionals that combines specialty coffee culture with industry networking, education, product experiences, and startup support.

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