2023 EY Entrepreneur of the Year - David Yu, CEO & tech entrepreneur
David Yu is backed by 27 years of experience in the games and collectibles industry. At the age of 17, he founded Games R Us Ltd., where he transformed an old box of Star Wars and Star Trek memorabilia, along with various toys and comics, into a thriving entertainment and hobby stores.
Since then, Yu has been deeply involved in the licensing and retail industry for over 20 years, working with intellectual property and transforming gaming and collectible licenses into globally recognized products. He co-founded and served as CEO of VeVe since 2018. Under his leadership, VeVe has become the world leader in digital collectibles, with a global community generating sales of over 9 million digital collectibles through the VeVe platform store.
Inspired by the founders’ long-time passion for collecting, VeVe is both an app and a web platform designed to replicate and enhance the collecting experience. It features a retail store, secondary marketplace, and various interactive features that allow users to engage with their collectibles and each other. These features include 3D AR photo and video mode, the ability to build and share personalized showrooms, comics readable in AR, and options for sharing collecting experiences on social media.
VeVe leverages blockchain technology in the background, making it accessible to the mass market. With its focus on quality and the collector experience, many of the world’s leading brands, artists, and creatives, including Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel, DC Comics, Warner Bros., DreamWorks, MGM, Universal, and more, have trusted VeVe to bring their most valuable intellectual property to this new channel.
David Yu's accomplishments include winning the Extraordinary Growth in Emerging Business award at the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise International Business Awards 2022. VeVe was also announced as the fastest-growing company in New Zealand on the Deloitte Fast 50 Index 2023. In the same year, Yu won the EY New Zealand Master Entrepreneur 2023 award and represented New Zealand in Monaco as a finalist for the EY World Entrepreneur 2024.
David and company recent accolades:
Seventh place in the 2021 Deloitte New Zealand Fastest 50 indexes
Winner of the Extraordinary Growth in Emerging Business award at New Zealand Trade and Enterprise International Business Awards 2022
First place in the 2023 Deloitte New Zealand Fastest growing company index
First place in the 2023 Deloitte New Zealand Fastest growing Technology Business index
David Yu winner of the EY New Zealand Master Entrepreneur of the Year award 2023
David Yu winner of the EY New Zealand Entrepreneur of the Year award 2023
David Yu finalist of the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2024
About VeVe’s Story
VeVe has introduced a groundbreaking concept by creating a platform where users can collect and trade digital collectibles, opening up new possibilities for collectors worldwide. Through VeVe, individuals can own and showcase their favourite characters, artworks, and memorabilia from popular franchises. Since 2021, VeVe has established itself as a market leader in the digital collectibles field, with its innovative platform and strong user base, by expanding into the global market, VeVe has created a community of collectors that transcends geographical boundaries and connects people through shared fandom. VeVe is also paving the way for more sustainable industry practices, leveraging sustainable solutions, adopting eco-friendly practices and using alternative technology to achieve carbon neutrality.
Date: 23rd Sept
Time: 5.00pm to 7.30pm, presentation followed by refreshments and networking
Venue: Ernst & Young Ltd, 2 Takutai Square, Britomart, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
Cost: Members $50 inc GST, Non-Members $60 inc GST
