The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many industries, but it has also created new needs, technologies and careers. The young Taiwanese entrepreneur Joey Lee and his entrepreneurial experience are a typical example. Before founding the virtual interactive platform Pixel Canvas, he had more than ten years of experience in planning large-scale exhibition events, with clients including Toyota , Amazon and other large enterprises.
Li Yuting’s entrepreneurial journey originated from his passion for video games. At first, he used his spare time after work to meet with a few friends once a week, and spent more than a year developing the virtual reality (VR) game “Reiko’s Fragments”. This horror-themed game, suitable for multiple people to play at parties and get-togethers, became very popular as soon as it was launched and was funded by Epic MegaGrants provided by Epic Games, a well-known game and software development company.
After making his first pot of gold, Li Yuting originally planned to continue game development. However, the COVID-19 global pandemic hit and disrupted his plans. In 2020, the event planning and marketing company George P. Johnson (GPJ) where he worked at the time received a request from a client to move physical exhibition activities online. This was a six-digit order. Li Yuting keenly sensed the demand and business opportunities for a virtual interactive platform and decided to set a new direction for the company.
Using cloud technology and Unreal Engine 5 (Unreal Engine 5, an open source game engine), Li Yuting built Pixel Canvas into a virtual interactive platform based on a web browser. This innovative move not only solves the dilemma of being unable to carry out physical activities during the epidemic, but also opens up new market opportunities. Pixel Canvas has quickly emerged as the preferred platform for creating virtual experiences for many large enterprises and institutions, including Verizon, LG, Arizona State University, and more. At present, the company has completed a seed round of financing of US$3 million and has also launched a monthly payment model for small businesses and individuals.
Li Yuting immigrated to the United States from Taiwan with his parents when he was four years old. He recently moved back to Taiwan to seek more development opportunities for the company and expand the local market. He said with a smile that his Chinese has improved a lot during this time. At the same time, childcare costs in Taiwan are also lower and family pressure will be less.
The special intersection of games, technology and large-scale exhibitions has allowed Li Yuting to find his own unique path. He has proved with practical actions that as long as you dare to try and innovate, you can find opportunities for success in the unpredictable market.