Current Role | Founder & CEO, Lens Technology |
Previous Position | Factory worker, Shenzhen watch glass manufacturer |
Key Recognition | Forbes World’s Self-Made Women Billionaires | Asia Game Changer Award | Bloomberg Top Tech Titans |
Background and Early Foundations
Born in Xiangxiang, Hunan Province, Zhou Qunfei was raised in a modest household. She lost her mother at a young age and supported her visually impaired father. At 16, she left school to work in a factory that produced watch lenses. Yet even in hardship, she pursued learning — taking accounting, computer operations, and design courses in her spare time.
In 1993, at age 22, Zhou used her savings of 3,000 yuan (~$400 USD) to start her own workshop. Over the next two decades, she built it into Lens Technology, a critical supplier of high-precision glass components for smartphones, tablets, and wearables.
Today, Zhou is recognized globally as the world’s richest self-made woman in tech hardware.
Career Milestones and Impact
Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
1993 | Founded her first watch glass business with 7 employees |
2003 | Pivoted to mobile phone glass production amid the cellphone boom |
2010 | Lens Technology became key supplier to Apple, Samsung, Huawei |
2015 | Took Lens Technology public on Shenzhen Stock Exchange (valuation: $10B+) |
2024 | Expanded into vehicle glass components and smart wearables |
- Market Cap (2025): ~$12 billion
- Employees: 80,000+ across China, with global supply clients
- Client Base: Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, Tesla
- Key Product Edge: Ultra-thin scratch-resistant glass + proprietary polishing techniques
Leadership Style and Influence
Zhou leads with rigor, discretion, and relentless process improvement:
- Known for maintaining direct oversight on factory operations and R&D breakthroughs
- Treats manufacturing as an art form — investing in custom polishing, lamination, and automation
- Rare public appearances, but highly respected in industrial tech circles for her precision and humility
She has also supported vocational education for rural women in Hunan, offering job pathways into tech manufacturing.
Legacy and Future Focus
Zhou’s legacy lies in making China’s hardware backbone globally indispensable:
- Empowered high-skill labor in glass processing and manufacturing
- Brought aesthetic and functional upgrades to phones, tablets, and cars
- Became an icon of female industrial leadership in a male-dominated field
Looking ahead, she’s focused on:
- Developing next-gen glass for augmented reality (AR) and EV dashboards
- Scaling ESG-compliant production facilities
- Quietly mentoring next-gen industrial engineers in China’s rural provinces
