Yifan “David” Li
CEO of Hesai, and Founder of Sharpa
Dr. Yifan “David” Li is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hesai Technology (NASDAQ: HSAI), a global leader in LiDAR sensors and autonomous driving solutions. A recognized expert in robotics and motion control, David has been widely acknowledged for his contributions to advancing intelligent mobility through autonomous vehicles and robotics.
Under David’s leadership, Hesai has delivered multiple generations of LiDAR breakthroughs, significantly improving performance while reducing system costs by more than 90 percent over the past decade — a transformation that has made autonomous driving and robotic vision at scale commercially viable.
David holds a Ph.D. in Robotics from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tsinghua University. Before founding Hesai, he served as a Principal Engineer at Western Digital in Silicon Valley. He is an inventor of more than 100 patents spanning robotics, motion control, sensors, and advanced manufacturing.
Outside of work, David is an avid basketball enthusiast.