YZi Labs Appoints Cathy Dou to Lead EASY Residency, Its New Global In-Person Incubation Program

Main Takeaways:

• YZi Labs welcomes Cathy Dou as Incubation Operations Lead to enhance founder support for the rollout of EASY Residency, a 10-week global in-person incubation program for early-stage teams.
• The program, which kicks off in New York City, on June 9, 2025, is designed for the top 1% of founders in Web3, AI and biotech.

YZi Labs has announced the appointment of Cathy Dou (@cathyincubates) as Incubation Operations Lead to accelerate the growth of visionary founders building in Web3, AI, and healthcare.

Cathy’s appointment comes ahead of the firm’s inaugural EASY Residency incubation program launching this June in New York. Her mission is to create an “immersive zone” designed to foster deep focus on building for top founders.  

Cathy is an accomplished business leader, entrepreneur, and angel investor with a lifelong passion for technology and innovation. Inspired by her career with the cutting-edge robotics advancements at ABB factories in the 2000s, Cathy had cross-disciplinary experience spanning technology, media, entrepreneurship, and venture investment. With nearly two decades of global leadership experience across Asia, Europe, and the US, she has driven growth at top firms and founded a successful media company, honing her instinct for disruptive ideas. Now, as an angel investor, she champions transformative technologies and visionary founders.

"Why Cathy? When I met her, she immediately reminded me of Emily Liu from HF0 – the ultimate operator who truly listens and supports founders. HF0 is the best residency I've seen, and I've learned so much from Dave and Emily. I was looking for someone with that same natural passion," said Ella Zhang, Head of YZi Labs. "Also, Cathy and I share the same philosophy of serving great founders – helping them overcome obstacles and being long-term partners. Our goal is to build a unique, global incubation program that accelerates impactful technology."

“I’m thrilled to be part of YZi Labs, leading the inaugural iteration of EASY Residency. We designed this program to give early-stage founders exactly what they need: space to focus, time to build, and support that actually moves the needle. By covering housing, meals, and initial funding, we’re removing the daily distractions so teams can fully commit to building ambitious products” said Cathy Dou, Incubation Operations Lead, YZi Labs. “Starting in Silicon Valley, our goal is to build a global network of EASY Residency hubs – places where bold ideas can take shape, regardless of where a founder comes from. I’m incredibly proud to support diverse teams and help them go from early vision to real impact.”

EASY Residency is a 10-week in-person global incubation program for early-stage teams building in Web3, AI, and biotech. The program kicks off in New York on June 9, 2025 and concludes on August 18, 2025, with a big Demo Day where founders will showcase their working products and early traction to the most reputable VCs in each field.

10 to 20 selected teams will receive initial funding, hands-on support, access to a global network of world-class mentors, builders, and investors, and an immersive environment which includes accommodation, meals, and a working space optimized for building. Subsequent sessions are scheduled to take place in other major international cities, including Singapore, Dubai and additional locations, as part of the program's comprehensive global rollout.​ 

Applications are open and will close at 23:59 (GMT-7) on May 21, 2025: https://bit.ly/EASY_Residency 

About YZi Labs

YZi Labs manages over $10 billion assets globally. Our investment philosophy emphasizes impact first—we believe that meaningful returns will naturally follow. We invest in ventures at every stage, prioritizing those with solid fundamentals in Web3, AI, and healthcare.

YZi Labs’ portfolio covers over 300 projects from over 25 countries across six continents. More than 65 of YZi Labs’ portfolio companies have gone through our incubation programs. For more information, follow YZi Labs on X.

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