Bringing Screens to Life: How a CCDS Startup Created SoPets, a Digital Companion for Students

When Lee Yue Hang joined CCDS iLab’s Student Entrepreneurship Programme (SEP), he did not expect his idea for a friendly digital companion to grow into an NTU-incubated startup. Together with his co-founder Bryan Soong Jun Shen from the College of Science, he built SoPets, a project that blends warmth, creativity, and technology to make student life more connected and engaging. 

“SoPets started from a simple question,” Yue Hang explained. “Computers and phones are such a big part of our lives, but they feel cold and mechanical. What if your device could feel alive?” That idea became the spark behind SoPets — a digital companion that lives quietly on your desktop. Students hatch their own pets, which respond to their actions, can be petted or fed, and occasionally remind them to stretch, hydrate, or take a break. 

The idea first took shape during Yue Hang’s early prototype phase, when SoPets was still a small three-person project. It quickly drew students from art, computer science, animation, interactive media, and business. “The turning point was when people joined not for grades or credits but because they believed in the mission,” he shared. “That’s when we knew SoPets was more than a class project — it was a real startup.” 

Support from CCDS iLab provided the mentorship, tools, and exposure the team needed to grow. “The SEP connected us with artists who helped shape SoPets’ visual identity and gave us access to AI tools like Claude AI to speed up development,” Yue Hang said. “They even helped us showcase SoPets at CCDS Homecoming, which boosted our outreach.” 

Now a ten-member team, SoPets continues to evolve with new features such as mood-based interactions and personalised behaviours. Students have responded warmly. Many said their SoPet helps reduce stress during study sessions or keeps them off their phones. Others simply find comfort in having a friendly presence on their screens. 

For Yue Hang, the journey has been transformative. “What I love about being a founder is seeing ideas come to life,” he said. “Every decision either moves the company forward or sets it back, and that constant tension pushes me to keep learning.” 

He credits his time in CCDS with shaping the way he thinks about building meaningful technology. “The Software Engineering foundation taught me how to translate abstract ideas into working systems. CCDS also encourages creative problem-solving, and that’s exactly what SoPets is about — something technically solid but emotionally meaningful.” 

Looking ahead, the team aims to reach 500 daily active users within NTU by the end of 2025 before expanding to other campuses. “Our long-term vision is simple,” Yue Hang said. “To have a SoPet on every computer — bringing small, meaningful companionship to anyone who spends their day behind a screen.” 

For NTU students, SoPets offers a gentle, low-pressure way to make digital life feel warmer and more personal. Each companion adds a playful sense of presence to long study hours, creating small moments of connection in an otherwise quiet workspace. 

Because every student deserves a small companion for big dreams. Join the SoPets beta at sopetsofficial.com