Hi Everyone!
I’m Grace! Welcome to AI Proem, the newsletter that explains AI business strategy from both sides of the Pacific. Think journalism, storytelling, analysis. Maybe a bit of Stratechery crossover with Sourcery. If you don’t know where to get started, check out this guide.
My commentaries and analyses on China’s tech and AI ecosystem have been cited in Fortune, Time, AFP, BBC, Reuters, SCMP, Rest of World, and many more. I’ve been invited to speak on topics related to tech and AI development by UBS, Societe Generale, Tencent, Big Technology Podcast, American Chamber of Commerce, HKBU, HK City U, Tsinghua, Peking Yenching, and more.
For context, I started my career covering tech in Asia for various international publications. I’ve been published in Fortune, FT, CNBC, EIU (Economist), The Diplomat, Yahoo Finance, and many more. Then, I worked for or consulted for multiple big tech companies, including Alibaba, PayPal, Kuaishou, Lenovo, and others.
Now, I am an independent analyst and writer, and you can follow me @Gracemzshao on X or shoot me an email at grace@ai-proem.com
Why Subscribe?
There is a lot of noise out there. I aim to filter out the noise for you and provide thoughtful insights that can inform your decision-making, whether you’re an investor, researcher, policymaker, or entrepreneur.
While I can't predict the future, I work hard to analyze current developments and bring firsthand connections and analysis across Asia.
Who are the followers?
Big tech: Tencent, Meta, Google, Nvidia, Alibaba, etc
AI startups, consumer tech startups
Policy analysts, think-tanks, academics
Venture capitalists to public investors
Tech and business journalists
Kind words from people I read and admire (not mine ;p)
Le Shrub called me a lady who knows a lot about China’s AI space.
High Capacity’s Kyle Chan said I’m '“one of the sharpest analysts of China’s AI and tech sector out there.”
Azeem Azhar called me “one of the sharpest analysts tracking China’s evolving tech landscape.”
Alex Kantrowitz from Big Technology Podcast called me a “great guest.”
Kevin Xu said I was “wonderful” and gave me Kudos here and there, and joined Differentiated Understanding.
Private sharing and speaking
I provide paid subscribers with direct access — including one-on-one calls to discuss China tech, AI markets, or whatever’s on your mind. Clients such as hedge fund investors and banks sometimes book my time for a more structured sharing session, whether one-on-one or with a small group, such as UBS and Société Générale’s annual investment conferences in Hong Kong and Singapore. For more speaking engagements, lectures, or bespoke research, contact me here.
Housekeeping
I try to post (at least) once every week: usually, a bigger deep dive accompanied by a more news-y story or one podcast episode and one analysis.
I am open to collaborating with other writers and am deeply grateful to those who have already reached out.
I love connecting offline. Please reach out if you have ideas, products, businesses, or readings you’d like to share.
Sponsorship
This newsletter reaches over ten thousand followers, heavily concentrated in (U.S.) tech, media, and finance, with a ~40 open rate. While I keep my editorial completely independent, I’m happy to accept sponsorships if our values align. Get in touch if you’d like to discuss sponsorship options.
Lastly, on a personal note, if you’re interested in why I started AI Proem, see here.
Thank you for your interest and support!
