August 29, 2019. Shanghai – CEIBS EMBA 2009 alum Kathy Fu’s (Fu Yumei) knitting and weaving start-up Meetknits (“Zhiyu”) was recently appeared CCTV's We Are the Hero. In an episode broadcasted on CCTV 2 in July, her project, "Weaving, reinventing the world", received the top score.

Meetknits has developed effective knitting technology which has improved the elasticity of knitted products, reduced fabric pilling (fluff), and has made it easier to care for knitted materials. In addition, the start-up has developed more than 400 types of beautiful and innovative fabrics in cooperation with designers, artists and branding companies with a range of uses, from fashion accessories and home furnishings to cultural and creative products and artwork.

Kathy has rich cross-industry management experience. Prior to launching her start-up, Kathy worked in a variety of industries. She was in charge of sanitation at a foreign trade company and then worked as a school director for EF Education First, before finally opening her own cultural themed café.

In her own words, knitted fabrics are the perfect material for life. For many years, the traditional knitted apparel industry was dominated by processing factories, many of which failed due to vicious price competition. Considering this situation, Kathy began to wonder if knitting could be improved through technology, noting the potentially far-reaching application for a solution. Subsequently, two and a half years in the CEIBS EMBA programme made her even more determined to explore more innovative and sustainable ways of knitting, and Kathy set out to uncover more new ideas and ways to expand on the idea of traditional knitting. Four years later, after testing various materials and researching different knitting technologies and patterns, she launched Meetknits with a focus on innovative knitting products.

Many of the clothes developed by Meetknits are woven with knitting technology without the need for additional lining. The products embody the beauty of knitting – comfortable and natural, breathable and light weight and machine washable. The products are foldable and can be conveniently stored and have breathed new life into the traditional knitting industry.

Meetknits has shops and dealers in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Tianjin and other cities. Ultimately, Kathy says she hopes that more people can work together to promote her research and development achievements in more fields and wider markets, and use knitting to reshape life and rebuild the world.