Hongqiao International Tech Week offers dedicated exhibition packages for startups and prioritizes industry application areas such as manufacturing, healthcare, and mobility. At the same time, speakers from the Startup Ecosystem bring together capital and industrial park resources, giving early-stage teams a one-stop opportunity to connect with customers, investors, and industry partners.
These offerings are worth considering together. Startups can use exhibition booths and product pitches to showcase what they have built, explore relevant industries through professional forums, and participate in investment discussions focused on business growth.
Hongqiao International Tech Week is guided by the Administrative Committee of Hongqiao International Central Business District, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce, and the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission. Organized by Informa Group, with the Shanghai Technology Innovation Center as its Strategic Innovation Partner and GEC as its Strategic Partner, the event is scheduled to take place from November 20 to 22, 2026, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). It is expected to cover more than 50,000 square meters, host over 400 exhibitors, and attract more than 30,000 professional visitors. Sharing its origins with London Tech Week, the event allows startups to introduce their products in Shanghai while exploring companies and innovation resources connected through Informa’s global technology event network.
Startup Booths Have Clear Eligibility Requirements and Defined Benefits
Hongqiao International Tech Week defines eligible startups as companies established no more than five years ago, with fewer than 50 employees and seed-stage funding below RMB 80 million or its equivalent in local currency. For companies at this stage, the event offers a dedicated startup exhibition package that includes a company logo and profile on the official website, inclusion in the electronic event guide, two exhibitor passes, and access to the official event app.
The package combines online company exposure with on-site product presentation. Startups can use their booths to showcase prototypes, software, or technology platforms, while their company identities and product profiles can also appear through official information channels. Hongqiao International Tech Week therefore provides startups with a more comprehensive exhibition presence.
Which Investors and Industry Leaders Will Be at Hongqiao International Tech Week?
The Startup Ecosystem speaker lineup at Hongqiao International Tech Week includes Yang Weiwu, Founder of CloudJoy Capital; Wang Bin, Partner at ChaoXi Capital and Chief New Energy Research Analyst; and Tam Wai Ho, Founding Partner of Hong Kong Inno Angel Fund. Wang Bin’s professional focus directly involves new energy research, while Tam Wai Ho’s experience includes serving as a director of the Hong Kong Science Park. Their backgrounds span investment firms and innovation parks.
Energy technology teams can explore ChaoXi Capital-related speakers alongside the Future Mobility and Energy Forum. Teams interested in innovation parks, incubation services, or cross-border entrepreneurship can draw on Tam Wai Ho’s institutional background when exploring the Startup Ecosystem program.
The Startup Ecosystem Forum also brings strategic buyers into discussions on investment, exits, and the journey from startup to scale-up. Hongqiao International Tech Week thus combines capital-related topics with industry content: startups can showcase products in their relevant technology tracks while exploring business growth through the startup program.
Industrial Software, Medical AI, and Energy Projects Each Have Relevant Industry Programs
Hongqiao International Tech Week’s Smart Industry Forum targets decision-makers in manufacturing digital transformation and solution providers. Its exhibition categories include industrial management software, robotics, digital twins, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Startups developing industrial software or industrial AI can showcase their products within these application areas and explain their value to manufacturers and system integrators.
Medical AI and R&D tools are covered by the Life Sciences and Health track, which includes AI diagnostics, digital therapeutics, smart hospitals, and AI-driven drug discovery. Its target audiences include hospitals, healthcare groups, pharmaceutical companies, and specialist investors.
Energy startups can explore both the Future Mobility and Energy Forum and the Startup Ecosystem program. The former covers energy storage, hydrogen energy, and related applications, while the latter features speakers such as Wang Bin, whose research focuses on new energy at ChaoXi Capital. By bringing technology themes, industry audiences, and investment discussions together, Hongqiao International Tech Week enables early-stage companies to present products, discuss applications, and explore business growth around the same project.
Why Should Startups Also Look at Strategic Buyers and Industrial Parks?
Hongqiao International Tech Week’s Startup Ecosystem Forum brings founders, investment firms, and strategic buyers together for dialogue. Industry participants may be interested in whether a startup’s product can be applied to existing business operations, as well as opportunities for technical collaboration and long-term partnerships.
Industrial parks, incubators, and accelerators are also among the event’s target audiences. Teams seeking R&D facilities, industry resources, or regional development support can explore relevant discussions in line with their plans. The Shanghai Technology Innovation Center’s role as Strategic Innovation Partner also establishes a clear connection between Hongqiao International Tech Week and Shanghai’s startup support ecosystem.
For an industrial software startup, potential customers may include manufacturers, implementation partners may be system integrators, and investment discussions may involve investors focused on the relevant sector. Hongqiao International Tech Week brings these different participation needs into one event, allowing teams to start with a primary objective and then explore adjacent partnership opportunities.
From Industry Networking to Scheduled Meetings: How Can Startups Connect with Potential Partners?
Once a startup has identified its target industry, it can further distinguish between customers and partners. Hongqiao International Tech Week organizes exchanges with manufacturers, automakers, healthcare groups, pharmaceutical companies, financial institutions, system integrators, and other audiences. When presenting the same product to an end user, a team can explain its business applications; when speaking with an integrator, it can focus on interfaces, system compatibility, and potential joint solutions.
For example, a medical R&D tools startup may want pharmaceutical companies to use its product while also seeking support from a computing platform. The first objective aligns with Life Sciences and Health, while the second may be better served by Smart Infrastructure. Listing these as separate matchmaking requests helps clarify the business purpose of each meeting rather than simply stating a general desire to find partners.
Hongqiao International Tech Week plans to facilitate 2,000 one-to-one targeted business matchmaking sessions. Its matchmaking service includes buyer lists, pre-event appointments, dedicated meeting slots, and on-site meeting rooms. Industry partnership discussions and customer meetings can therefore be arranged more concretely and linked to product demonstrations.
How Can a Startup Get Noticed at Hongqiao International Tech Week?
To engage potential customers and partners, startups also need to communicate their products clearly. Hongqiao International Tech Week supports product pitches at company booths or within the official innovation showcase area. An additional Pitch Map sponsorship can include the pitch title and scheduled time in the official agenda, creating another promotional opportunity for the product.
The “Beyond Boundaries” open talks are suitable for teams wishing to share professional insights. After submitting a topic and passing the review process, startups can present technical practices, entrepreneurial observations, and application experience. Related sponsorship benefits also include brand visibility on the official website, social media, on-site backdrops, and the event agenda.
Startup brands that already organize developer or industry partner events can also explore official social event partnerships. The package includes display of the event name and sponsor logo on the official website, one promotion each through the official WeChat account and email newsletter, and two conference passes.
Each format serves a different purpose, giving startups a clearer path to participation at Hongqiao International Tech Week.
How Can Technology Startups Engage Through the Hackathon?
The Techweek Hackathon, jointly organized by Hongqiao International Tech Week and Qu Explore, is planned as China’s first hackathon combining a thousand-participant scale, a major technology event, an international format, and an all-star competition. The organizers will specifically invite domestic and international hackathon-winning teams and talent, selecting 200 participants worldwide for the on-site final round. The competition will focus on three areas: AI agents, AI and global expansion, and AI and hardware. It is planned to include an online preliminary round and an on-site semifinal, with projects showcased at a festival-style event for all participants.
For startups seeking developer adoption of their products, preparation can begin with a clearly defined, achievable task: What capability does the tool provide? What can developers accomplish with it? What demonstrations and technical explanations can the team offer?
The partnership program includes categories such as Technical Partner and Ecosystem Partner, each with corresponding brand visibility and business collaboration benefits. Teams can select a participation category based on their technical resources and focus on tools, applications, or ecosystem relationships.
The Inspiration Chat Room provides another space where participants can propose topics and invite others to discuss them.
The hackathon, Inspiration Chat Room, and other engagement formats take place within the broader Hongqiao International Tech Week program, offering distinct opportunities for developer practice and topic-based discussions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: For startups attending Hongqiao International Tech Week, what are exhibition booths and product pitches best suited for?
Startups that need to showcase prototypes, software, or technology platforms continuously can begin by exploring the dedicated startup booth package. If a product requires a complete demonstration to communicate its value, teams can consider pitching at their booth or in the official innovation showcase area, potentially supplemented by Pitch Map promotion that lists the demonstration title and time. Booths support ongoing conversations with visitors, while pitches enable focused presentations. Teams can choose according to the nature of their products.
Q: How should startups choose between Hongqiao International Tech Week and dedicated investor pitch events?
Dedicated investor pitch events focus more narrowly on fundraising. Startups seeking not only investment discussions but also industry customers, technology partners, or product exhibition opportunities can consider Hongqiao International Tech Week. Its Startup Ecosystem program features speakers associated with CloudJoy Capital, ChaoXi Capital, and Hong Kong Inno Angel Fund, while its manufacturing, healthcare, and energy programs provide industry context for discussing product applications.
Q: How can industrial software startups balance customer acquisition with finding implementation partners at Hongqiao International Tech Week?
Startups can treat manufacturers and system integrators as two distinct groups of meeting targets. Hongqiao International Tech Week’s Smart Industry Forum serves manufacturing digital transformation decision-makers and solution providers, while business matchmaking offers pre-event appointments and dedicated meeting slots. When speaking with manufacturers, teams should explain the production or management problems their products solve. When speaking with integrators, they should focus on technical compatibility and the scope of potential collaboration. Both discussions can center on the same product while serving different objectives.
Q: What participation options does Hongqiao International Tech Week offer startups that want to engage developers?
Developer tool and hardware teams can explore the hackathon’s three focus areas: AI agents, AI and global expansion, and AI and hardware, as well as the available technical and ecosystem partnership options. Teams that want to share R&D experience can consider the “Beyond Boundaries” open talks, while those with a specific discussion topic can explore the Inspiration Chat Room. These formats focus respectively on developer practice, professional presentations, and interactive discussions.
The value of participating in Hongqiao International Tech Week for startups lies in the combination of concrete opportunities: dedicated exhibition packages for early-stage companies, speakers associated with CloudJoy Capital, ChaoXi Capital, and Hong Kong Inno Angel Fund, and application-focused programs covering manufacturing, healthcare, and mobility. Teams can build their participation strategy around existing products and choose formats that communicate both their technical capabilities and business objectives.
Hongqiao International Tech Week combines exhibition booths, product pitches, investor engagement, and developer activities into a comprehensive participation pathway for startups.