Growing up, Yvonne Lan’s life revolved around the arts. Technology was far from her focus. However, a trip to Shenzhen, China, changed her perspective.
The visit opened her eyes to how technology had become an integral part of society. This exposure sparked her imagination, prompting her to explore new possibilities and ideas. Her first venture? Making co-living a harmonious and less challenging experience. In 2023, Yvonne launched Livingo to do just that.
To learn more about Yvonne, her start-up journey, and Livingo, we spoke with her for an in-depth conversation.
Can you give us a three-sentence elevator pitch for Livingo and explain what users can expect to gain from the app?
Livingo is a mobile app that simplifies the entire process of finding compatible flatmates and co- living, making it easier for users to connect, share, and find their ideal home. Livingo aims to simplify the process by integrating the roommate search directly into the apartment search and emphasizing the social element of living. Users can expect to save time, reduce costs, and make meaningful connections through the app’s user-friendly interface.
You studied fashion design in Berlin. What ignited your passion for fashion design?
Creativity has always been a part of who I am. I started playing the piano and violin at just 4 years old, and my love for dancing, painting, and thinking outside the box only grew from there.
Recognizing my talent and passion for art early on, I knew I wanted to pursue something that combined all my interests. After high school, I faced the same dilemma many did: What should I study? Fashion design seemed like combining all my interests, so I took a chance, created a portfolio, and applied. Despite missing most application deadlines – since those for creative studies are often nearly six months earlier – I sent my application to a university in Berlin, letting fate decide. Studying fashion design provided me with hands-on experience across various facets of the industry, from ideating and designing new collections, marketing and selling the pieces, and eventually managing fashion shows. I completed my studies – graduated magna cum laude, and published two collections in OE magazine and photo vogue.
My creative studies shaped my sense of perfection, my eye for detail, and my ability to connect seemingly unrelated ideas. As a fashion design student, I learned the hard way that if you sew one wrong stitch you have to do everything all over again. Nevertheless, there was always a sense of seeing things from a business point of view, my passion for negotiations, and turning your passion into a profitable venture.
I think everyone has to find their learning path, and mine was initially pursuing a creative background. Now, I came to Singapore and chose NTU, a university that not only offered me a scholarship but also serves as a point of convergence for my venture as a learning platform and a target audience, which I think is a great opportunity.
What was the epiphany that led you to pivot into tech?
The epiphany that led me to pivot into tech happened during my gap year in 2018, when I went back to Shenzhen for the summer and got inquired to translate for the Shenzhen Bay Festival hosted by Tencent, which began my fascination with possibilities achieved through technological advances. I realized that many parts of Asia have experienced rapid technological advancement, however, there’s still a strong potential for cultural development and innovative customs.
The challenges I faced – language barriers, confusing websites, and a lack of compatible roommates – made me realize that there was a significant gap in the market, particularly in metropolitan areas like Shenzhen where young people from across China converge. I got more and more interested in bringing the co-living culture in Berlin, where people of all ages live together into Asia – which could be a sustainable, innovative, and problem-solving step in the Asian market. That’s when I decided to pivot into tech to create a solution that could simplify this process and help others like me.
I saw an opportunity to combine my design expertise with my interest in real estate and entrepreneurship to create a modernized housing experience. I began researching market niches in Europe and Asia, started drafting my business plan, and started to do pivoting, customer discovery, and validation. I created a prototype that allowed safer, faster, more affordable, and user-friendly housing solutions. But since timing is very important I didn’t start my venture during Covid and first completed my studies in fashion design. But my idea of bringing this idea into the Asian market never wavered. So, I came to Singapore and pursued my dream.
When you came to Singapore with a scholarship, what did you study? Why did you choose Singapore, of all places?
Coming from a creative background, I wanted to pursue a Masters that’s more business-focused degree. I applied to universities in both London and Singapore, receiving offers from UCL, NTU, and NUS. I chose NTU not only because they offered me a scholarship but because my target market for Livingo is in Asia. Another point was that growing up in Germany with Asian roots, I already spent most of my life in Europe and wanted to learn more about the Asian business environment. The ASEAN Innovation Study Grant further convinced me that Singapore is indeed supporting and encouraging young people with innovative ideas.
Singapore’s reputation is one of the most international countries in Asia and NTU is a very well recognised university that offers one of the best study environments for research and connections, aligned perfectly with my goals. I’m currently a full-time MSc Technopreneurship and Innovation student and the supportive ecosystem of mentors, and NTUitive provides me with resourceful sources while allowing me to explore business and innovation from both a globalized and domestic lens. During my time in Singapore, I was able to transform Livingo from nouns to verbs, and with the many events and exhibitions this place offers I was even able to pitch in front of VCs like Sequoia China founder Zhang Fan.
What inspired the idea for Livingo, and what convinced you it would succeed?
According to the Asian Development Bank, the South East Asia region needs to build 13 million new affordable housing units by 2030 to meet the growing demand. Housing costs have surged to exorbitant levels, with a 35 sqm condominium costing 6 to 30 times the average annual income in Asia. In Singapore, homeownership exceeds 80%, yet housing prices exceed 8 times the average annual income. Livingo aims to address the issue of affordability by tapping into the spirit of digital nomadism and the shared economy – concepts that are becoming increasingly relevant in today’s globalized world.
The idea for Livingo was sparked by my personal experiences as a foreigner struggling to find housing in Asia. I realized that others faced similar challenges, and there was a clear need for a platform that could streamline the process. The growing demand for co-living spaces, especially among students, young professionals, and expats convinced me that Livingo could fill this gap and succeed by offering a solution that truly resonates with this audience. Moving to a new country can be overwhelming, and finding a place to live shouldn’t add to that stress. I wanted to make it easier, more accessible, and tailored to the needs of today’s generation of renters. Livingo hopes to challenge the financial and societal pressure of home ownership by offering an alternative and accessible way of living. In addition, as loneliness and mental health issues continue to rise in metropolitan centers across SEA, Livingo also hopes the co-living model can foster meaningful connections between individuals and a larger sense of community within all its users. Livingo is still in its initial phase but is already available in App Store and Google Play. The app is even working in Mainland China without the need to use a VPN since I integrated Gaode Maps for China and Google Maps for the other markets. Despite being pre-launched, Livingo already garnered over 10,000 impressions across our media channel, affirming user interest and that Livingo is poised to help create a new movement of co-living.
You had no funding but decided to hire people for developer roles, who then left after one month. Why do you think they departed?
The initial developers were very enthusiastic about Livingo in the beginning but soon realized Livingo is not just a side project but takes a lot more work, energy, and time than they had. As it requires a particular mindset and resilience to push through early-stage challenges, they both left after one month. Since they were both still working full-time on their jobs and had to support themselves it was understandable. As mentioned in my draft for the press release, my ultimate goal in Singapore was to find a tech nerd at NTU as a co-founder who would be in the same boat. While interviewing 164 applicants on LinkedIn after school I realized many of them had potential but I wasn’t able to give them a work visa, nor any salary since I wanted to share equity. So most of the people couldn’t just leave their paid job. I finally found one full stack who was very promising and he even dragged another full stack into the team. But as mentioned they had to leave and had too high expectations for fast money. I think what never made me give up during this journey, is because my ultimate goal of starting Livingo was never because I wanted to become rich. Livingo is so much more than just a project for me, I always refer to it as my baby, since it became my life mission, to make this positive impact and create a community-driven platform.
After the initial failed hiring, you brought on a new team. What changed? Without initial funding, how did you manage to cover their salaries?
Initially, I had two options for developing Livingo: Plan A was to find a co-founder in Singapore, which didn’t work out, and Plan B was to hire someone highly skilled and talented who was there for the money. No equity, No rights, and is just there to develop my product, so he can get his payment. I realized that launching a mobile app is not quite different from creating a clothing collection – I had the skills to visualize and draft my ideas, which I applied to conceptualizing and finalizing every page of Livingo. I then handed over these designs to a full-stack developer to code.
I started with no external funding and bootstraped, but paid the first steps with my savings and the ASEAN study grant I earned. The team I hired was willing to receive most of the money, after they built the app, I intentionally looked for younger talents, who were not working for a company, and had no resources to run away. I’m incredibly proud of the team I’ve built. My two full-stack developers are talented, patient, hardworking, and loyal. Integrity and good character were traits I prioritized, and over time, we’ve developed a strong, trusting relationship. They understood how important Livingo is to me, and on our first day, we signed NDAs and agreed that I could delay payment, giving me time to secure funding. This allowed us to build the MVP and launch the app despite the financial challenges.
Your hard work paid off when you won the NTU x Babson College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge and secured first-round funding from the NTUitive NEST Program. How much was the funding, and how did you allocate it?
The NTUitive NEST Program awarded me SGD 10,000 in seed funding, which was crucial for scaling the app. I primarily allocated the funds towards further app development and marketing efforts. Additionally, I set aside a portion for operational costs and began exploring partnerships with co-living providers to boost our market presence. As it’s almost mid-September and the end of the program, I’ll have the opportunity to get the next round of funding, which could provide an additional SGD 50,000 to help scale the venture further.
The road ahead is long. What can we expect from Livingo in the next three years? Will you be seeking new funding soon?
I’m already aiming to expand Livingo’s presence into more cities mainly across Asia, which is why you’ll already find tabs for Taipei and Shenzhen. I’ll be visiting both cities in the coming months, as I’ve already initiated discussions with potential collaborators.
In the next three years, you can expect significant advancements from Livingo in four key areas: Continuous Innovation, B2B Collaboration, Diversification of Revenue Streams, and Market Expansion. We’ll enhance user experience with improved matching algorithms and data-driven optimizations. Targeting global companies, we aim to generate 100-200 B2B leads and position Livingo as a comprehensive relocation solution. We’ll introduce new services like cleaning and rental insurance while refining subscription models based on user feedback.
Singapore served as a crucial testing ground for validating the market, and in the next three years, my goal is to broaden Livingo’s reach, build a full-time team, and enhance the platform with new features and premium services. This includes adding service and cleaning fees, as well as offering B2B relocation packages. To support this growth and continue innovating in the co-living space, I’ll be seeking new funding soon. As Livingo continues to grow, I hope to expand Livingo further into Asia and eventually to other parts of the world, making it the go-to app for anyone looking for a community-driven approach to finding a home. I want Livingo a way to bring people together, foster connections, and create a sense of belonging no matter where you are in the world.
