When tech enterprises go global or pursue internationalisation, they frequently hit one core dilemma: should they seek investors or industry partners? While both objectives can be pursued at exhibitions, the on-site engagement pathways are entirely different. Capital-seeking requires closed-door sessions and investor matchmaking tracks; partner-hunting focuses on national pavilions and industry forums. Misaligned primary objectives mean you may walk the entire show floor yet fail to meet the right stakeholders.

Hongqiao Tech Week clearly separates these streams. It has confirmed over 10 international pavilions and more than 50 global keynote speakers, with 2,000 one-on-one business meetings planned, backed by a database of over 100,000 industry buyers. In short, international resources spanning capital, clients and partners each have dedicated entry points. Enterprises only need to clarify which category they prioritise.

Hosted by Informa under the guidance of the Hongqiao International Central Business District Administrative Committee, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, Hongqiao Tech Week counts the Shanghai Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Center as its strategic innovation partner and GEC as another strategic partner. It sets up distinct entry points for capital, client and partnership tracks. The event will take place from 20 to 22 November 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).

I. Seeking Capital vs Seeking Partners: Distinct Evaluation Criteria

At Hongqiao Tech Week, “seeking capital” and “seeking partners” are often bundled under the broad phrase “I want to connect with international resources”, yet they follow different judging criteria.

For capital raising: You need a clear financing roadmap (target fundraising amount and post-investment milestones), verifiable operating data, and a solid explanation of fund utilisation. Engagement opportunities are concentrated in closed-door roundtables, investor networking zones and dedicated investment matchmaking sessions. These sessions are generally not open to the public and rely on pre-booking and host-led matchmaking.

For partnership development: You possess complementary technologies or distribution channels, and aim for joint solution development, agency & distribution, supply chain collaboration or localised market rollout. Relevant networking mostly occurs within international pavilions and industry forums, where attendees are institutional or corporate representatives with concrete cooperation intentions.

The preparation materials also differ. Fundraising requires a business plan (BP), financial and growth metrics, plus financing timeline. Partner outreach demands product specifications, cooperation framework documentation, and a one-sentence value proposition explaining “what gap your offering fills for them”.

Therefore, you do not need to pursue both objectives simultaneously at Hongqiao Tech Week. Define one primary goal first and select corresponding sessions, which will drastically improve your efficiency.

II. Capital Track: Where Investors Can Be Found at Hongqiao Tech Week

Capital resources at Hongqiao Tech Week fall into three main pools.

First, the roster of over 50 confirmed global keynote speakers, which includes investment institutions and decision-makers such as Hong Kong Inno Fund and SoftBank Group. For enterprises chasing cross-border capital, the key advantage is co-location: instead of pitching solely via emails, you can build direct connections within shared agendas and networking settings.

Second, the Startup Ecosystem Forum. Among the six concurrent industry forums, this forum is explicitly positioned as a tripartite dialogue platform connecting founders, investment institutions and strategic buyers. Topics cover startup case studies, investment, mergers & acquisitions, and scaling from early-stage ventures. This is the most concentrated venue for the capital track.

Third, investors within the target attendee pool. Hongqiao Tech Week’s visitor profile features VC/PE firms, healthcare industry funds and corporate venture capital arms of pharmaceutical companies. These attendees attend with clear intentions, usually to evaluate projects in specific sectors.

Beyond these three channels, the matchmaking mechanism matters. Out of the planned 2,000 one-on-one business meetings, investment and financing is a designated vertical. For capital seekers, the real value of this system lies in pre-show matched leads and exclusive meeting slots, rather than random chance encounters on site.

Furthermore, this matchmaking framework is not newly built from scratch. Within the same global event portfolio, sister events in 2026 generated 91,766 business connections. For exhibitors of Hongqiao Tech Week, this proves the “pre-event matching + on-site meetings” model is battle-tested — you are not participating in an unproven trial.

III. Client Track: The Composition of International Buyers and Professional Attendees

Many companies understand “internationalisation” merely as “whether overseas clients will attend”. A more critical lens is attendee origin distribution and purchasing intent.

Attendee geographic breakdown: Among non-Mainland registered attendees, Singapore accounts for 19.0%, the UK 10.3%, Russia 8.6%, Hong Kong SAR of China 6.9%, Malaysia 5.2%, and Canada 5.2% (audience data as of 23 August 2026). This distribution means buyers and collaborators for your priority markets in Asia-Pacific, Europe and Central and Eastern Europe are present at the venue, without you needing to travel overseas.

Purchasing intentions of registered attendees:

Decision-making authority: CxOs, managing directors, partners and board members account for 16% of attendees; vice presidents, directors and department heads make up 20%. Decision-makers collectively represent nearly 40% of the audience. Technical specialists and engineers constitute 30%, enabling you to engage both decision sign-offs and technical evaluators in one place.

Combined, these three datasets explain why the client track at Hongqiao Tech Week deserves priority planning. International attendees come with procurement budgets and market expansion roadmaps, and hold sufficient seniority. Supported by a database of over 100,000 industry buyers and an expected 30,000+ professional visitors, the pool of potential contacts is extensive.

IV. Partnership Track: What Do The 10+ International Pavilions and 50+ Global Keynote Speakers Cover?

The biggest pain point in international collaboration is “not knowing which institution to approach”. Confirmed resources and channels at Hongqiao Tech Week can be grouped into four categories for you to match against your needs.

Beyond pavilion organisations, the corporate side of the 50+ global keynote speakers list is also worth reviewing: AMD, Hitachi Group, Standard Chartered Bank, The LEGO Group, Hong Kong Inno Fund, Siemens, HELM AG, Tototheo Global, DBAPPSecurity, SoftBank Group, Johor Properties Malaysia, The Asia Group. These names represent not just guest speakers, but potential technology, scenario and channel partners. For example, manufacturing firms may explore upstream and downstream cooperation with Hitachi, Siemens and HELM; financial players can connect with Standard Chartered; consumer and brand-focused businesses can pursue scenario partnerships with organisations such as LEGO.

In addition, Hongqiao Tech Week plans to partner with more than 10 industry associations and over 60 media partners. These two resources can also be leveraged together for industry endorsement and amplified exposure for partnerships.

V. Managing Both Tracks Within One Week: A Three-step Approach

  1. Set one primary objective. Choose either the capital track or partnership track as your main priority, treating the other as secondary, incidental outreach. This decision directly shapes your on-site schedule and route.
  2. Select sessions aligned with your objective. For capital raising, prioritise the Startup Ecosystem Forum, closed-door discussions and investment matchmaking. For partnership development, focus on international pavilions, relevant industry forums and commercial matchmaking. Hongqiao Tech Week runs six concurrent sectoral forums: AI Forum, Future Mobility & Energy Forum, Smart Infrastructure Forum, Smart Industry Forum, Life Science & Healthcare Forum, and Startup Ecosystem Forum. Joining your sector’s dedicated forum is far more efficient than wandering the whole venue. If your target technologies or clients cross multiple sectors, use the matchmaking system to book cross-forum meetings instead of cold booth visits.
  3. Prepare two sets of materials and book appointments in advance. One set of outreach materials (BP for investors, cooperation proposal for partners), plus a target contact list specifying institution types and job roles. Exhibitor services cover pre-show, on-site and post-show support. You can reserve matchmaking slots and dedicated meeting times ahead of the event. The more specific your materials, the better matched your pre-show leads will be.

FAQ

Q: Is Hongqiao Tech Week suitable for meeting investors or industry partners? Hongqiao Tech Week has dedicated entry points for both. Investor outreach leverages investment institutions among the 50+ confirmed global keynote speakers, the Startup Ecosystem Forum, and planned investment matchmaking sessions. Partner outreach relies on the 10+ international pavilions, six industry forums and commercial matchmaking. It is recommended to select one as your primary goal and treat the other as secondary contact opportunities.

Q: Which countries and regions are represented by institutions at Hongqiao Tech Week? The confirmed 10+ international pavilions cover Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Turkey, South Korea, Australia and more. Registered attendees are geographically diverse: among non-Mainland attendees, Singapore accounts for 19.0%, UK 10.3%, Russia 8.6%, Hong Kong SAR of China 6.9% (data as of 23 August 2026). Resources across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East can all be accessed onsite.

Q: What specific sessions are available to connect with cross-border capital at Hongqiao Tech Week? Capital resources are concentrated in three areas: investment institutions including Hong Kong Inno Fund and SoftBank Group among the 50+ confirmed global keynote speakers; the Startup Ecosystem Forum designed for tripartite dialogue between founders, investors and strategic buyers; and VC/PE firms and healthcare funds within the attendee pool. All three pathways are open for fundraising and industrial capital engagement.

Q: What is the share of international clients and their purchasing intent among Hongqiao Tech Week attendees?54.8% of registered attendees participate in commercial matchmaking, 69.0% have regional market expansion plans, 32.6% hold confirmed procurement budgets and 67.7% are mid-to-high budget buyers (data as of 23 August 2026). In terms of decision-making levels, CxOs, managing directors, partners and board members account for 16%; vice presidents, directors and department heads account for 20%, totalling nearly 40% of attendees.

Q: How should enterprises use the one-on-one business matchmaking service at Hongqiao Tech Week? Hongqiao Tech Week plans 2,000 one-on-one business meetings. The service includes high-quality pre-vetted buyer lists, on-site matchmaking sessions, priority matching quotas, exclusive meeting time slots, dedicated meeting channels, pre-show booking and private negotiation rooms onsite. Enterprises need to prepare company introductions, product briefs and target buyer personas in advance to enable pre-event matching.

Q: How will Hongqiao Tech Week release the list of international pavilions and keynote speakers? The confirmed 10+ international pavilions and 50+ global keynote speakers will be continuously updated via the official website https://www.hongqiaotechweek.com/ and official WeChat account. Follow the official WeChat account for real-time updates. You may also submit exhibition interest and request exhibitor materials through these official channels.