CanadaGimmy Chu
Gimmy Chu is an electrical-engineering graduate of the University of Toronto who met his future Nanoleaf co-founders on the university's solar-car team. Drawn to clean-energy technology, he and his teammates worked on the idea of an ultra-efficient LED light in their spare time before quitting their jobs to pursue it full time. He co-founded Nanoleaf in 2012 and serves as CEO, leading the Toronto-based company as it popularized energy-efficient smart bulbs and then design-forward modular LED light panels. Under the company's roughly $40 million 2026 acquisition by OneRobotics, the Shenzhen parent of SwitchBot, Chu is contractually required to remain as CEO for at least three years while Nanoleaf continues to operate as an independent brand.