Yat Siu is the co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, one of the most active investors in Web3 gaming and digital ownership. Born in Vienna, Austria, and raised in Hong Kong, Siu began his technology career at Atari in Europe before relocating to Asia in the mid-1990s. He founded Outblaze in 1998, an early internet services and messaging company that served millions of users across Asia. In 2009, he sold Outblaze's messaging unit to IBM, a transaction that gave him capital and credibility to pursue his next ventures.
In 2014, Siu co-founded Animoca Brands alongside David Kim. The company began as a mobile gaming studio before pivoting aggressively into blockchain gaming and NFTs around 2018. Under Siu's direction, Animoca became a prolific strategic investor, backing hundreds of Web3 projects and accumulating a portfolio spanning gaming, metaverse infrastructure, decentralized finance, and digital property rights. Siu is one of the most vocal public advocates for the concept of digital property rights, arguing that NFT ownership represents a fundamental shift in how people relate to digital goods. Beyond his role at Animoca, he makes personal angel investments in early-stage Web3 projects, typically at the seed and pre-seed stage.
Notable investments
- The Sandbox – Animoca acquired The Sandbox in 2018; Siu has been a central figure in its development into one of the largest metaverse platforms by land sales.
- Sky Mavis / Axie Infinity – an early strategic bet on play-to-earn gaming that became a global phenomenon, particularly across Southeast Asia.
- Dapper Labs – creator of CryptoKitties and NBA Top Shot; Animoca and Siu were early supporters of Flow blockchain infrastructure.
- Yield Guild Games – a gaming guild and scholarship model that grew rapidly during the Axie Infinity peak period.
- Phantom Galaxies – a AAA-quality Web3 space combat game backed through Animoca's portfolio strategy.
Public information on the full scope of Siu's personal angel deals, outside of Animoca Brands' formal investment vehicle, is limited. The seven portfolio companies attributed to him as an individual angel likely reflect direct co-investments made alongside Animoca's institutional rounds.
Team
Siu operates primarily through Animoca Brands, where he serves as executive chairman. His co-founder David Kim, who previously served as CEO, stepped back from day-to-day operations. Robby Yung serves as CEO of Animoca Brands. As an individual angel investor, Siu does not maintain a named fund or a formal partnership structure with disclosed managing partners.
Recent activity
In 2024 and into 2025, Siu continued to advocate loudly for Web3 gaming at major conferences including Davos and Token2049. Animoca Brands announced plans for a potential public listing on a major exchange, though timelines shifted repeatedly. The company also launched Animoca Brands Japan and expanded regional partnerships across the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Siu has been particularly vocal about the importance of regulatory clarity for NFTs and digital assets in Hong Kong, aligning with the city's effort to position itself as a crypto hub.
Siu occupies a singular position in Web3: part evangelist, part investor, part builder. His track record includes genuine early bets on projects that shaped the NFT and play-to-earn categories. It also includes exposure to the broader 2022 market collapse, which hit Animoca's portfolio hard – several play-to-earn tokens lost 90–99% of peak value. Whether the next cycle produces a more durable wave of Web3 gaming adoption will determine how his legacy as an investor is ultimately judged.
