From Lingnan to Forbes 30 Under 30: How Peggy Yuen’s EdTech Startup is Revolutionising STEM and Special Education
Peggy Yuen, a graduate of Lingnan University, has been named one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2025 for her contribution to educational technology.
When Peggy co-founded startup MakeOmnia ten years ago, the then 20-year-old was still a sociology sophomore at Lingnan. MakeOmnia focuses on developing affordable and user-friendly 3D printers for STEM education in local schools, and has had a great impact on educational technology. It has also earned Peggy a place on this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list.
One of the region’s most promising young entrepreneurs and innovators, Peggy says the accolade is a tremendous encouragement to herself, and to her team and company. “In the fast-changing technology world, it’s challenging to stay true to your mission. This recognition motivates our team to keep going in the direction we have taken in advancing education through technology.”
“Studying at Lingnan allowed me to meet people from diverse backgrounds, and to break free from my way of thinking, and it broadened my perspective,” Peggy says.
Peggy’s enthusiasm for 3D printing started when she was in secondary school, and she first came across it. She was intrigued by the technology, and curious about why it hadn’t been more widely used. She later realised that education was key to promoting it.
While reading business and economics at liberal arts university Lingnan, Peggy came across the concept of social enterprise through their Service-Learning courses, and that inspired her to launch her startup. “Studying at Lingnan allowed me to meet people from diverse backgrounds, and to break free from my way of thinking, and it broadened my perspective,” she explains.
It's no surprise that as a young female entrepreneur Peggy faced immense obstacles when she first started in the business world. “People were sceptical about a business idea developed by a young girl. I failed to find an investor for the first few years,” she recalls, and at the same time she was unsure of herself. Without a technical background, she could only build up her confidence gradually, and had to learn how to combine education with technology to respond to market needs.
Fortunately Hong Kong has a supportive startup ecosystem, and eventually Peggy received a HK$100,000 grant from the Cyberport Creative Micro Fund (CCMF) programme, and later HK$300,000 from the Cyberport Incubation Programme (CIP) to help her establish MakeOmnia. “This may not have been an astronomical amount, but it was enough for us to take the first step and achieve our initial results,” she says.
Peggy has founded an NGO for animal welfare and rights.
While focusing on education, MakeOmnia has also invested in designing services for special education schools. At an exhibition few years ago, Peggy realised that very few educational technology services were designed for students with special educational needs (SEN), and explains “It’s not easy to find teachers with enough patience, and also the SEN students may damage the equipment. So, very few companies are willing to invest in this field. In fact, these students have incredible potential and talent. We have formed a team to specialise in this sector, and are now supplying 20 to 30 special education schools.”
Through 3D printing technology, MakeOmnia has helped primary school students to turn their drainage system with a flood detection function design into a real and affordable prototype. It has also taught severely disabled students to create personalised birthday plaques for their families, and given them stimulating learning experiences and opportunities.
More recently, MakeOmnia has expanded into the Australian market, partnering with the government to promote STEM education, and also to carry out coral reef restoration using 3D printing.
Peggy has now founded an NGO for animal welfare and rights, and is working with veterinarians researching ways to use AI and 3D printing to create prosthetic limbs for injured animals. “Many elderly dogs struggle with weak hind legs and have to rely on wheel supports to walk. With suitable prosthetic limbs, they could regain mobility and move normally,” she says. Peggy got a dog two years ago, and plans to introduce this project in Hong Kong to improve pets’ quality of life.
University is the sweetest stage in life. But if you are willing to delay gratification and dedicate time to exploring what you truly want to do, greater rewards will be waiting for you.
To Lingnan students who hope to be entrepreneurs, Peggy advises “First and foremost, believe in yourself. Even if you don’t have a background in technology, that doesn’t mean you can’t thrive in business or the technology industry.” She believes universities are cradles for startups, and play a pivotal role in nurturing aspiring entrepreneurs.
Finally Peggy tells the Stanford marshmallow self-control experiment story, where children who can resist eating a marshmallow as an immediate reward tend to achieve greater success in the future. “University is the sweetest stage in life. But if you are willing to delay gratification and dedicate time to exploring what you truly want to do, greater rewards await you!”
Roadshow of Lingnan University with her startup company on board
Peggy received grants from Cyberport to help her establish MakeOmnia.
