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§ Private Profile · London, GB
Yaso is a technology company.
Yaso provides an integrated commerce and brand-management platform for global brands entering the Chinese market via social commerce. It enables international brands to sell directly to Chinese consumers, handling logistics, payments, and marketing. This platform facilitates efficient market entry and scaling without extensive local infrastructure, streamlining complex cross-border operations for its clientele.
Founded in 2022 by Jonny Plein, James Campbell, and Adam Knight, Yaso stemmed from their insight into global brands' challenges in China. Their combined expertise as China experts, technologists, and startup operators led them to develop a software-based service. This innovation fundamentally simplifies the process of establishing and managing a direct-to-consumer presence in the region.
Yaso serves global brands, especially those targeting Chinese Gen Z consumers, seeking a direct-to-consumer channel via social commerce. The platform empowers these brands to navigate China's unique and rapidly evolving digital landscape effectively. Yaso envisions becoming the essential operating system for international brands achieving sustained growth and strong consumer connections in China.
Yaso has raised $13.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Yaso has raised $13.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Yaso has raised $13.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $11.0M Series A in September 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2025 | $11M Series A | BEN Leslie | Haatch, Passion Capital, Playfair Capital, Will Martin, Founders Capital, Guinness Asset Management, Koro Capital, Nodes Ventures, Portfolio Ventures, Sequel | Announced |
| Jan 1, 2023 | $2M Seed | Playfair Capital | Albion VC, Haatch, Outrun Ventures, Passion Capital, Sequoia Capital, Mathilde Collin, MIK Attisani, Nicolas Pinto, Will Martin, Joshua Stevens, Will Neale, Portfolio Ventures, Unbundled VC | Announced |
YASO is a London-based technology platform founded in 2022 that provides an end-to-end operating system (OS) for global consumer brands to sell directly online in China, particularly targeting Gen Z consumers via social commerce.[1][2][3] It solves the complexities of the Chinese market—such as payments, logistics, compliance, tax, analytics, and integrations with platforms like Douyin (TikTok's Chinese version), Tmall, and RedNote—enabling brands to launch and scale without prohibitive barriers.[1][5] With a recent €9.4 million (about $11 million) Series A led by Puma Growth Partners, YASO is expanding its team of 20 (blending China experts, technologists, and founders) and enhancing its tech to fuel growth in the world's largest e-commerce market.[1][2]
The platform serves ambitious, emerging category-leader brands in consumer goods, offering market entry and acceleration tools that make China accessible, driving rapid traction through social commerce integrations.[3][4][5]
YASO was founded in 2022 by Jonny Plein, James Campbell, and Adam Knight, who identified the unique challenges of China's e-commerce landscape—where social commerce dominates and differs vastly from Western models.[1] Plein, a co-founder, emphasized building a "billion dollar business" by leveraging their team's expertise in China markets, technology, and startups to help global brands scale.[1] Early backing from seed VCs and angels carried into the Series A, marking pivotal momentum, with the company now boasting a team of 20 and integrations fueling "phenomenal growth," especially via Douyin.[1][5]
YASO rides the explosive growth of China's social commerce, where platforms like Douyin generate massive Gen Z engagement in the world's largest e-commerce market (valued in trillions).[1][5] Timing is ideal amid global brands' push into China post-pandemic, fueled by market forces like rising digital-native consumers and regulatory shifts favoring compliant, localized tech solutions.[1][2] By democratizing access, YASO influences the ecosystem, empowering Western consumer brands to compete directly, accelerating cross-border e-commerce innovation, and bridging East-West commerce gaps.[3][4]
YASO is primed to dominate as the go-to OS for China entry, with Series A funds accelerating team growth, tech upgrades, and brand onboarding amid booming social commerce.[1][2] Trends like AI-driven personalization on Douyin and expanding Gen Z spending will shape its path, potentially evolving it into a full-stack global expansion platform.[5] As China remains e-commerce's epicenter, YASO's trajectory positions it to unlock billions in value for brands, solidifying its role from London startup to indispensable tech bridge.[1]
Yaso has raised $13.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Yaso's investors include Ben Leslie, Haatch, Passion Capital, Playfair Capital, Will Martin, Founders Capital, Guinness Asset Management, Koro Capital, Nodes Ventures, Portfolio Ventures, Sequel, Albion VC.