Have you ever dreamt about having a personal pocket companion, an AI device fully powered by voice, capable of managing all your daily tasks, from ordering food to booking flights? Well, that’s exactly what Jesse Lyu envisioned back in 2014. 10 years later, in 2024, he turned that vision into reality and founded Rabbit AI, a groundbreaking device that is about to revolutionize the industry.
Today, we’re venturing on an inspirational journey with Jesse Lyu, CEO and founder of Rabbit AI. But he’s not just that; he’s a serial entrepreneur, semi-pro Lamborghini Super Trofeo racer, music producer, and avid car and vintage synth collector. So, who is Jesse Lyu? His story and journey are truly captivating and worthy of your attention!
Jesse’s early days
Jesse’s journey began in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, China, where he was born in 1990. From the young age of 6, he delved into 2 passions: piano and programming. His piano teacher taught him a profound lesson during the initial years of learning — music was not just about skill or performance but a form of communication and expression. This perspective shaped Jesse’s understanding of music, viewing it as a way of life rather than a mere skill. Thus, Jesse’s childhood was marked by this key understanding of music that has been leading him through life by now.
His educational path led him to high school in Singapore as an exchange student. Eventually, Jesse was accepted to the University of Liverpool in the UK, where he studied Financial Mathematics and Marketing.
At 23, Jessie started his real entrepreneurial journey, creating his first project called “Timeet,” a Facebook app aimed at college students. This innovative tool facilitated scheduling meetups by matching timetables, and it quickly gained popularity among British universities. According to Jesse’s LinkedIn, he has been the CEO of “Timeet” since April 2012 till now.
The birth of Raven Tech: creating a dreamteam
After graduating from the University of Liverpool, Jessie made a bold decision. Despite lucrative job offers from prestigious universities, he returned to China and started his own business. In 2013, he founded “Raven Tech.” “Raven Tech” marked the beginning of a remarkable chapter in Jessie’s career.
The idea of “Raven Tech,” led by Jesse Lyu, was always to create a solution to the challenges posed by the cluttered landscape of app-based operating systems. Recognizing the inefficiency of navigating multiple apps for simple tasks, they developed Project Flow, a voice-based search engine and operating system prototype. Integrated with third-party APIs, Project Flow offered a unified platform for seamless access to various services through voice commands. By incorporating cutting-edge technologies such as NLU (Natural Language Understanding), neuro, and bioscience, Project Flow aimed to revolutionize user experience and behavior tracking.
To put it simply, Raven Tech aimed to simplify people’s digital interactions by creating a voice-based operating system prototype, even though, at that time, large language models like the ones that exist now were not yet available.
His dedication and vision soon caught the attention of the startup ecosystem. A significant milestone was when Raven Tech was accepted into the winter 2015 batch of Y Combinator. Y Combinator is the leading startup accelerator globally, responsible for nurturing some of the tech industry’s biggest names, including Stripe, led by Patrick and John Collison, Airbnb, Cashe, founded by David Hsu, current CEO of Retool, Dropbox, Twitch, and others. Indeed, gaining acceptance into Y Combinator means Jesse’s idea was of exceptional quality and potential, given the rigorous selection process.
Interestingly, Jesse’s venture became the only Chinese team to gain entry into this esteemed program. Isn’t it a real testament to the groundbreaking nature of his concepts and the team’s relentless pursuit of their dream?
It’s worth noting that for his hard work, in 2015, Jesse Lyu was recognized by Forbes China on the 30 under 30 list for Consumer Tech, affiliated with Raven Tech. Following that, in 2016, Jesse earned a spot on Forbes Asia’s 30 under 30 list for Consumer Tech, also associated with Raven Tech.
During Y Combinator, Jesse also created a minimalist music player app called Music Flow. Despite being discontinued today, Music Flow saw remarkable success upon its launch. Within just 30 hours after launching, it reached the top 50 in the App Store.
Despite all of Jesse’s success, Jesse and his team remained dedicated to their primary project — a voice-based operating system. And their persistence paid off when, on February 16th, 2017, they achieved a significant milestone: acquisition by Baidu, a leading tech giant in China. Following the acquisition, Jesse joined Baidu and took the role of General Manager of Smart Hardware. Then, in July 2018, Jesse left Baidu.
Jesse’s next step: RCT Studio creation
After leaving Baidu in late 2018, driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and a vision for transformative technology, Jesse decided to establish RCT Studio in Los Angeles, California, partnering with the same talented teammates from “Raven Tech.” RCT Studio focuses on providing cutting-edge AI solutions to the gaming industry and is dedicated to building the true metaverse through AI-generated content.
Remarkably, they once again secured acceptance into Y Combinator (No wonder!). However, Jesse always believed in creating an AI-powered voice-operated tool and kept being focused on that. This idea never left his mind. So, in 2020, he began working on Rabbit, an AI system you control with your voice, turning his dream into reality.
Music connects people: Jesse joins “Teenage Engineering”
Before delving into one of Jesse’s biggest dreams coming true, let’s rewind a couple of months when Jesse became a board member of Teenage Engineering. As we know, Jesse is a massive music enthusiast. His LinkedIn profile proudly showcases his identity as a music producer and vintage synth collector, indicating his active engagement in music production. His impressive studio setup (that you can see below), adorned with numerous instruments and keyboards, radiates his profound passion for music.
Thus, Jesse really admires the design and quality of gadgets made by Teenage Engineering, especially their synths, like the op1, a neat portable music maker. Once, Jesse thought, “Why not reach out to them?” So, he sent an email to the CEO of Teenage Engineering — Jesper Kouthoofd. Surprisingly, just 3 days later, Jesse found himself in Stockholm at Teenage Engineering’s office. Here is what Jesse says about this meeting:
“Jesper, the CEO and co-founder of Teenage Engineering, and I both had an iPad and pencil, and we started to draw things. During that process, he asked me about my favorite artist and car design. It’s quite surprising to me that we have the exact same taste in almost everything. He showed me his vinyl collection, and I showed him my vinyl collection; it was exactly the same band in the same sequence!” Jesse shares his sincere impressions from that meeting at one of the podcasts.
Jesper Kouthoofd and Jesse Lyu clicked right away. They bonded over their shared interests and decided to team up. Thus, from a simple cold email to a meeting in Stockholm, Jesse Lyu went from being a fan of Teenage Engineering to a key part of Teenage Engineering.
Making dream a reality: Rabbit AI
Now, let’s come back to one of the main points of today’s tech world – the invention of Rabbit AI. That same year, in 2018, Jesse Lyu began to work on Rabbit AI. But what is Rabbit Tech AI? What does Rabbit Tech do, and why is it becoming so popular? More on that in just a bit.
In January 2024, Jesse announced the Rabbit R1 device, which took the industry by storm. With Rabbit R1, Jesse aims to create the simplest computer ever, one that’s so intuitive that you even don’t need to learn how to use it. It’s a fully standalone device primarily driven by natural language and fully controlled by voice. This means users can ask a rabbit device for anything, similar to ChatGPT. Many people might ask what is the difference between Rabbit R1 and Siri and Chat GPT. Well, Rabbit OS responses are 10 times faster than most voice AI projects exist out there, and the answers are provided within just 500 milliseconds. Impressive, huh?
At its core, the Rabbit R1 stands as a revolutionary and outstanding device, boasting simplicity. With its user-friendly design, learning to operate it becomes unnecessary. Fully voice-controlled, it serves as your ultimate pocket companion, ready to assist in myriad tasks. From booking an Uber ride to ordering food from Pizza Hut, from querying any topic to playing a random song, its capabilities are boundless. Gone are the days of lengthy procedures; with Rabbit R1, tasks that once took minutes and many steps to be taken are now accomplished in a matter of seconds, thanks to its lightning-fast responsiveness.
Based on the most recent data from Statista, the Rabbit R1 has achieved sales of approximately 50,000 units across its initial 5 batches. The upcoming sixth batch, currently open for pre-order, is slated to consist of 50,000 units, with expected delivery between June and July 2024.
Final thoughts
Jesse Lyu’s journey exemplifies the real power of passion, determination, and uncompromising belief in one’s dreams. His entrepreneurial spirit shone brightly as he led multiple businesses simultaneously (and keeps leading), driven by his enthusiasm for innovation. Through his love for music, Jesse not only created meaningful products like the Music Flow app but also developed genuine connections with like-minded partners.
His story tells us about the importance of following one’s dreams and staying true to oneself, as Jesse did with his vision for a fully voice-powered device. From nurturing this idea in 2014 to realizing it with the Rabbit R1 in 2024, Jesse demonstrates how belief and passion can transform dreams into reality. The Rabbit R1 stands as a testament to Jesse’s dedication, offering a revolutionary and user-friendly experience that simplifies daily tasks and amplifies efficiency.
In essence, Jesse’s journey serves as an inspirational reminder that with dedication, belief, and love for what you do, quality products and meaningful impact are within reach.
