This article covers a Series A on 22 September 2025 for YASO, an operating system that helps global consumer brands scale across China’s e-commerce platforms, founded by Jonny Plein, James Campbell and Adam Knight. The company raised £8.25m in the round led by Puma Growth Partners, with backing from Guinness Ventures.

What does YASO do?

YASO is a platform that integrates payments, logistics, tax compliance, analytics and storefront connections for international brands. It enables brands to launch and manage cross-platform sales and operations in China while retaining data and brand control.

Why is YASO useful?

Problem

People face a fragmented Chinese e-commerce market across multiple platforms, making it costly and complex to enter. Overseas brands often lose control of brand image and customer data when relying on local distributors.

Solution

YASO explains that it provides a single, integrated operating system covering payments, logistics, compliance, analytics and storefront integrations. This lets brands keep control of positioning, customer experience and data while scaling across Chinese platforms.

How much did YASO raise?

YASO raised £8.25m in a Series A led by Puma Growth Partners, with support from Guinness Ventures. This makes it the 22nd largest funding round in September 2025 (43 recorded). As of 22 September 2025, the round is the 161st largest of the year (450 total) in the Startupmag database.

For details on how Startupmag compiles its rankings, view our Methodology.

Who invested in YASO?

Key investors included the following parties.

Puma Growth Partners: A UK growth-stage investor that focuses on technology and consumer businesses.
Guinness Ventures: A UK venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology companies.
Playfair Capital: An early-stage European VC that backs technology startups across software and digital services.
Haatch Ventures: A UK early-stage VC specialising in consumer and B2B technology startups.
Sequel: A venture capital firm that provides funding to early-stage technology companies.
Koro Capital: An investor concentrating on consumer and e-commerce businesses at growth stages.
Industry angels: Angel investors with experience in consumer and e-commerce sectors, offering early-stage capital and sector expertise.

In the funding announcement, Ben Leslie from Puma Growth Partners said:

"We are delighted to be backing the YASO team, who are truly redefining how international brands navigate China’s complex e-commerce and social commerce landscape. The founding team’s deep expertise in Chinese commerce, combined with a mature product ready to scale, makes this a compelling opportunity for us."

The investor said it would lead the round alongside the co-investors and intends to support YASO’s growth acceleration.

If you're researching potential backers in this space:

Explore our list of Ecommerce venture capital firms in the UK
Browse our directory of Ecommerce angel investors in the UK

Who founded YASO?

The founders of YASO are Jonny Plein, James Campbell and Adam Knight.

In the funding announcement, Jonny Plein, Co-Founder of YASO said:

We couldn’t be happier to be partnering with Puma on this opportunity. We have the team, the tech, the market size and therefore the opportunity to build a $bn business helping brands launch and scale in the world’s largest ecommerce market.

The company added it found an investor that matched its ambitions, that other co-investors, including seed VCs and angels, also backed the round, and that it will use the funding to take YASO to the next level.

Where is YASO based?

YASO is based in London, UK.

What sector is YASO in?

YASO operates in the ecommerce sector. Ecommerce covers buying and selling goods and services online. It lets brands sell to customers across digital marketplaces and apps.

Key trends and challenges in Ecommerce:

Platform fragmentation in major markets

Many markets use separate platforms like Douyin, Tmall and RED, making cross-border selling costly and complex.

Loss of first-party customer data and brand control

Relying on local distributors often means brands lose customer data and control over brand experience.

Growth of social commerce and short-video shopping

Short-video platforms like Douyin and TikTok now drive many purchases, shifting focus to content-led selling.

For a deeper look at innovation in this space, see the latest funded Ecommerce startups in the UK

They've invested in YASO

Get to know these Ecommerce investors

#	Investor	Activity	Team
1	Puma Growth Partners	4 investment(s) investment(s)	more info
2	Guiness Asset Management	2 investment(s) investment(s)	more info
3	Playfair Capital	9 investment(s) investment(s)	more info
4	Haatch Ventures	2 investment(s) investment(s)	more info
5	Koro Capital	1 investment(s) investment(s)	more info