Yanwen Chen

Yanwen Chen is the Co-Founder and CEO of PHINXT Robotics, a London-based AI-led robotics software company she co-founded in 2022 with Quirino Zagarese. A specialist in distributed and autonomous systems, Yanwen holds two PhDs in computer science and synchronisation communications for robotics and brings eleven years of hands-on engineering experience to PHINXT. She developed the core algorithm underpinning the platform — enabling robots to self-orchestrate safely even when they lose connection to central networks.

PHINXT's decentralised edge AI platform allows warehouses of any size to deploy autonomous robots without needing specialist in-house expertise, addressing an industry where over 90% of warehouses remain fully manual due to prohibitive set-up costs and complexity. The platform supports multiple robot types working collaboratively in a shared space, using a cloud-based subscription model that dramatically reduces the cost and friction of adopting automation. PHINXT graduated from the Google Cloud-backed Female Foundry Visionaries AI Incubator, being recognised as one of Europe's most innovative female-led AI startups.

In 2024, PHINXT raised £2 million in an oversubscribed seed round led by Sure Valley Ventures, with participation from Ada Ventures, Heartfelt, and Atlas Ventures. The company is deploying over 300 robots and expanding into mainland Europe. Yanwen has been widely praised by investors as one of the strongest technical founders in the UK AI and robotics ecosystem.