At the opening ceremony of the Conference on Overseas Chinese Pioneering and Developing‌ in China held in Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China, or OVC), three overseas returnee entrepreneurs from different generations – Yang Daichang, Ye Yi, and Sun Leimeng – shared their inspiring entrepreneurial journeys in OVC.

Yang Daichang, Ye Yi, and Sun Leimeng share their inspiring entrepreneurial journeys at the conference. [Photo/OVC Talent Special Zone]

Representing the first generation of returnee entrepreneurs, 71-year-old Yang Daichang returned to China in 2006 to establish Healthgen Biotechnology. He pioneered the extraction of human serum albumin from rice – a journey that spanned nearly two decades. This year, the world's first recombinant human albumin injection (derived from rice) was approved for market, and Healthgen was successfully listed on the STAR Market.

Ye Yi, 47, represents the second generation. In 2009, he returned to his hometown Wuhan from the United States, seeking to take advantage of the burgeoning new energy industry by founding Windmagics. From a team of seven to over 200 employees, Ye led the company to become a major player in wind power and energy storage. In 2023, the energy storage station built by the company in Huangpi district was selected as one of the top 10 energy storage projects in China, with its millisecond-level response capability representing the industry's cutting-edge standard.

Sun Leimeng, 36, is among the youngest generation of returnees. In 2018, he returned from Singapore to OVC, choosing a niche and advanced field – high-end semiconductor light sources. His company, HGC Technology, focuses on automotive and special-purpose light sources. This year, HGC Technology successfully developed China's first independently designed mini LED matrix light source module and was recognized as a national-level "little giant" enterprise.

Reflecting on their entrepreneurial journeys, all three entrepreneurs expressed that the "daring and experimental" environment of OVC gave them the confidence to take bold steps and pursue their dreams without fear of failure.