Startups making all the right connections at trade show

The sixth China International Import Expo, which concluded on Friday, attracted a multitude of Chinese and foreign businesses from a variety of industries to seek cooperation opportunities. The annual event provides a vital platform to showcase innovative products, technological expertise and service solutions, build valuable partnerships and enhance business participants' foothold in the Chinese market, said executives of participating multinational companies. Some of them share their thoughts on the annual event's role in their companies' expansion with China Daily.

The China International Import Expo has served as a bridge to connect innovative enterprises from overseas with the huge Chinese market, creating enormous business opportunities, a senior executive of an innovation platform said.

Wu Jie, executive director of Venture Cup, said at the sixth CIIE that an increasing number of technology-based enterprises are leveraging the event to explore opportunities in China since it set up an innovation incubation special section in 2021.

"The CIIE has provided a centralized platform for global startups to showcase their projects and products, as well as facilitate capital connections. It offers a unique chance for the SMEs to tap into the entire Chinese market in one go, enabling them to achieve rapid growth and expansion," she said.

Headquartered in Denmark, Venture Cup has participated in the CIIE for four consecutive years, bringing innovative startups from the Nordic region as well as other regions in the world to China.

Wu said many of the startups that participated in previous sessions have successfully entered the Chinese market. One example is the Singapore-based E3A Healthcare, which specializes in medical devices and health management solutions for babies and women.

The company's intelligent neonatal jaundice monitoring meter product, which was exhibited at the CIIE in 2022, has been adopted by more than 120 hospitals in China, serving tens of thousands of families annually.

Venture Cup brought more than 50 technology-based enterprises to the CIIE this year, the largest number so far. These enterprises come from places including the Nordic region, North America, Brazil and Singapore, spanning multiple industries, such as healthcare, green energy, artificial intelligence, trade in services, industrial technology and sustainable development.

"Thanks to the recovery of international exchanges from the pandemic, this year marks a remarkable transition from quantity to quality, with a conspicuous improvement in the technology content of the enterprises," Wu said.

The Sweden-based Scandinavian Real Heart, for example, possesses world-leading artificial cardiac technology and is capable of replacing a diseased heart.

Other cutting-edge technologies and products on display include sign language translation software designed for people with difficulty in hearing, a comprehensive clean energy solution and an indoor air quality monitor.

Venture Cup also organized the 2023 University Startup World Cup Growth-Stage Global Final during this year's CIIE. Startups from around the world competed to become champions in the four categories of green, health, digital and social as well as an overall champion.

Due to the high-quality of the projects and outstanding performances, the champions have won favor among numerous government entities and organizations, Wu said. Venture Cup will assist the startups in connecting with development opportunities, enabling them to establish a strong presence in the Chinese market as soon as possible, she added.