A Shenzhen-based hard-tech company, established just five years ago, has made a remarkable move that broke through industry circles—collectively donating 100 million yuan to the alma maters of its employees. On January 27, Bambu Lab, a global leader in consumer-grade 3D printing, officially announced the establishment of its "2026 Alma Mater Fund," donating over 100 million RMB to 10 universities from which its employees graduated. The funds will be used for scholarships, talent recruitment, student club support, and 3D printing equipment.
The ten schools include: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), Harbin Institute of Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, South China University of Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, and China Academy of Art. The top three institutions on the list are the alma maters of Bambu Lab's three co-founders.
It was learned on January 29 that Liu Huaiyu, a 1999 alumnus of UESTC, serves as the co-founder and COO of Bambu Lab. He visited his alma mater on January 24 to make the first donation in the company's name to the "UESTC Cornerstone Development Plan." This donation is a key component of Bambu Lab's "2026 Alma Mater Fund" initiative.
How did this hardcore team, which branched out from DJI, become a unicorn? The story of Bambu Lab begins with DJI. In November 2020, several engineers who had been deeply involved in the R&D of DJI's core products decided to start their own venture. Their goal was clear: to redefine 3D printers using the same standards DJI applied to drones.
Thus, Tao Ye (CEO, a 2002 alumnus in Astronomy and Applied Physics from USTC, former head of DJI's Consumer Drone Business Unit), Gao Xiufeng (CTO, a 1999 alumnus of USTC, former head of DJI's Systems Engineering Department), and Liu Huaiyu (COO, a 1999 alumnus of UESTC, former product manager for DJI Goggles and FPV drones) joined forces to establish Bambu Lab. The team also included several other former key DJI personnel, such as Chen Zihan, who was responsible for gimbal systems, and Wu Wei, who led the software architecture for the Mavic Air 2.
They channeled all the expertise accumulated at DJI—in precision machinery, motion control, machine vision, and embedded systems—into the field of 3D printing. In just five years, Bambu Lab launched multiple hit products, revolutionizing the industry with innovations like high-speed printing, automatic calibration, and multi-color printing. According to industry data, Bambu Lab has become a leading global brand in consumer-grade 3D printing by shipment volume, consistently ranking first in sales across many overseas markets.
An industry anecdote suggests that Bambu Lab's inception stemmed from a 3D printing project once vetoed by DJI's founder, Frank Wang. Unexpectedly, this rejected idea flourished into a towering tree in the hands of these seasoned veterans.
Behind the donation lies a story of a university, a group of talents, and a sense of gratitude. It was understood that this donation comprehensively supports the three core fund groups of the "UESTC Cornerstone Development Plan." Under the "Outstanding Students Fund" category, the Bambu Lab Scholarship and Bambu Lab Teaching Award will be established at UESTC. The "Elite Talent Cultivation Fund" will provide special support for talent recruitment, helping the university attract top global strategic talents and leading scholars. The "High-Quality Development Fund" will support basic research and frontier exploration.
Additionally, the donated funds will encourage and support young students in enhancing their innovative capabilities in cutting-edge fields like robotics, model aircraft, and algorithms. Bambu Lab is also specially donating a batch of 3D printers to help young students better transform their technological ideas into physical prototypes.
Liu Huaiyu expressed that Bambu Lab's vigorous growth is inseparable from the support of outstanding talents cultivated by UESTC. Over the years, UESTC alumni have played crucial roles and made significant contributions in key company areas such as mechanical engineering, product development, and supply chain management. He hopes the university and the company can work together to deeply integrate technological innovation with talent cultivation, continuously injecting strong momentum into China's high-end manufacturing and intelligent technology development.
The donation is not a case of indiscriminately "spreading money" based on prestige. Inquiries revealed that this Alma Mater Fund donation is a corporate action, and the specific donation amounts are not being disclosed for convenience. Subsequently, the founders will also make personal donations. Similarly, the University of Science and Technology of China has confirmed receiving special funds and equipment donations from Bambu Lab. As a company with strong "USTC DNA," many core team members have backgrounds from this university.
The selection was not based on名气. In an open letter published on January 28, co-founder Tao Ye explained that the ten universities were chosen based on an internal model weighing factors like the number of employees from each university and their compensation contributions. "Universities contribute the most by cultivating the most crucial abilities in our employees (talents), including various professional knowledge, skills, as well as values and worldview," he elaborated.
China Academy of Art and Shenzhen Polytechnic University are also among the recipients of the 100 million yuan "alma mater year-end bonus." Interestingly, Bambu Lab's very first employee was a graduate of China Academy of Art. CEO Tao Ye admitted frankly in his open letter: "We compensate for what we lack. Being the least 'artsy' among us, the most urgent matter at the start of our venture was to find someone who could elevate our product's aesthetics. So, after finalizing our business direction but before informing investors, we went to seek out students from China Academy of Art."
Shenzhen Polytechnic University is a vocational and technical university. Many of its graduates have grown into technical backbones at Bambu Lab, with annual salaries exceeding one million yuan. Regarding this, Tao Ye explained: "If you think vocational school students are distant from high technology, you are mistaken. The compound interest gained from continuously settling down and accumulating skills is enormous. Bambu Lab people are inherently anti-title, anti-pedigree; we've always believed that educational background is only one part of the reference for ability. Having vocational college graduates creating alongside 985 university graduates is actually our greatest pride."