This Asian Team Has Raised $3.5B

Extreme Tech Challenge is the largest startup competition in the world, and it’s founded by two Asian men. Young Sohn and Bill Tai defied parental and societal expectations to become successful venture capitalists that are now funding the next generation of tech entrepreneurs.

Every year, XTC receives nearly 5,000 applications ranging from Silicon Valley and Mumbai to Singapore, Dubai and Berlin. This community is made for people building tech innovations that will impact the world for greater good–and since 2015, there has been over $3.5B in funding raised for finalists. But Young and Bill fought to get here.

In fact, Young’s mother raised him to understand that while Asians could be engineers, their bosses would be white men. And when Bill dropped out of Princeton, bypassed Harvard, and drove to California to work for a startup, his father told him he didn’t know what he was doing. These two visionaries care most to show people that innovative ideas can come from anywhere, and there are no boundaries–something they’ve both proven.

Director
Keshia Hannam

Producers
Joy Jihyun Jeong
Boya Sun
Vivian Pang

Editor
Sabrina Sinaga

Director of Photography
David Zlutnick

Editor-in-Chief
Keshia Hannam

Head of Production
Stephanie Tangkilisan

Post Production Coordinator
Skolastika Lupitawina

Assistant Editor
Rendy Abi Pratama

Color
Nadya Sabrina

Sound
Ezound Studios

Additional Archival Material
Getty Images
Extreme Tech Challenge
Rob Siegel

Special Thanks
Victoria Slivkoff
Bill Tai
Young Sohn