Original Title: (Binance Labs Rebrands to YZi Labs; Ushers in New Leadership and Investment Focus)
Author: YZi Labs
Translated by: TechFlow
Main Content Summary
Binance Labs has been renamed YZi Labs, reflecting its independence and expanding its investment focus to Web3, artificial intelligence (AI), and biotechnology (biotech).
CZ continues to actively participate in investment activities, providing one-on-one guidance and strategic advice to entrepreneurs; at the same time, Ella Zhang returns as the head of YZi Labs, leading the company into the next stage of growth and innovation.
Binance Labs officially announced today its rebranding to YZi Labs. As its investment focus expands from cryptocurrency and blockchain to artificial intelligence and biotechnology, while still focusing on driving Web3 innovation, this rebranding is a natural progression that better reflects its independent development positioning.
For many years, YZi Labs has operated independently while leveraging the influence of the Binance brand. Now, as CZ steps down from Binance, YZi Labs has chosen to independently develop away from the Binance brand, which is a necessary choice for business development.
Under the new brand framework, CZ will continue to play an important role in investment activities. He will be directly involved in the growth process of entrepreneurs, providing one-on-one guidance and strategic advice. This hands-on approach not only reflects YZi Labs' commitment to creating value for the industry but also provides entrepreneurs with a valuable opportunity to grow alongside industry leaders.
In addition, Ella Zhang's return further strengthens the leadership team of YZi Labs. Ella co-founded Binance Labs with CZ and served as its first head. Under her leadership, Binance Labs launched the first three batches of the incubation program, successfully supporting more than 40 startups, including Polygon, Injective Protocol, CertiK, and Dune Analytics. In 2020, Ella left to pursue entrepreneurship, and now she returns with rich investment experience and an entrepreneur-focused perspective, which is sure to bring more innovation and growth momentum to YZi Labs.
In the coming year, YZi Labs will focus on investments in the fields of Web3, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology, while exploring the innovative possibilities brought about by the convergence of these fields. Although the scope of investment has expanded, YZi Labs remains focused on supporting projects that can have a long-term impact and drive the next wave of growth in the industry, regardless of market fluctuations.
The organization plans to further optimize its incubation program by reintroducing face-to-face experiences through a 12-week offline residency program, providing entrepreneurs with an immersive collaborative environment to help them grow and innovate.
"Renaming to YZi Labs is not just a change of name; it represents an upgrade of our vision. We are expanding our investment focus to transformative industries such as AI and biotechnology (biotech)," said CZ. "We are very pleased to welcome Ella back to lead the company into the next stage of development. She played a key role in the early success of the company, and I believe that under her leadership, YZi Labs will continue to discover and support entrepreneurs who can have a long-term impact."
Ella Zhang, head of YZi Labs, stated: "I am very excited to return to YZi Labs at this critical moment and look forward to reconnecting with our entrepreneurs and community. While the rebranding opens a new chapter, our mission remains the same: to support visionary entrepreneurs who focus on long-term development. By exploring new fields such as AI and biotechnology while staying rooted in Web3, we hope to continuously expand the boundaries of technology and applications, creating lasting value for society."
In addition, YZi Labs will continue to provide the same level of support to all existing portfolio companies. This rebranding will not affect existing programs, resources, or initiatives, including the incubation program and support for the 'Most Valuable Builder (MVB)' program of BNB Chain. This transformation not only marks an upgrade of the brand but also demonstrates YZi Labs' strong commitment to its mission.