After tech startups pass product validation, their biggest challenge often lies not in technology itself, but in engaging three key stakeholder groups: securing procurement orders from SOEs and large manufacturing conglomerates, connecting with banks and investors to unlock funding, and identifying logistics and supply chain service providers for product delivery. These stakeholders operate in separate ecosystems. Approaching them one by one is slow and costly. For startups aiming to convene buyers, capital and delivery partners in one place, the core criterion for selecting an exhibition is simple: can it bring all three groups together under one roof?

Hongqiao Tech Week is the China-based international tech festival built on the homologous IP of London Tech Week, part of Informa’s global tech event portfolio. Guided by the Management Committee of Hongqiao International Central Business District, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, it is hosted by Informa Markets. Shanghai Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Center serves as the strategic innovation partner and GEC as another strategic partner. The event will run from 20 to 22 November 2026 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Its comprehensive positioning makes it well-suited for tech startups looking to engage all three stakeholder groups in a single event.

I. How the exhibition connects you with the three target groups

You can access all three groups within the same venue with a single exhibitor badge, eliminating the need to attend separate events.

II. Business Matchmaking: pre-schedule meetings with your target contacts

As planned, Hongqiao Tech Week will occupy over 50,000 sqm of exhibition space, hosting 400+ exhibitors and 30,000+ professional visitors, with 2,000 scheduled one-to-one business meetings supported by targeted matchmaking and buyer invitation programmes. For tech startups, the key advantage of this mechanism is avoiding random business-card exchanges on-site. Prior to the show, you submit target profiles: types of strategic buyers you wish to meet, investment institutions you want to engage, and logistics/supply chain partners you require. The system schedules bilateral meetings with matched contacts.

Visitor and exhibitor numbers are projected estimates prior to execution. Final statistical scope will follow official announcements. Meeting volume is a planned arrangement and does not guarantee secured business outcomes. For startups, matchmaking reduces the common pain point of “lively show floor, lifeless follow-up”. Pre-booked meetings can go straight into your post-event follow-up pipeline instead of leaving you sorting through stacks of business cards after the exhibition.

III. Hongqiao’s industrial base serves as your client pool

A top concern for tech startups is whether qualified buyers will attend. Public regional industry data shows Hongqiao hosts over 7,000 digital economy enterprises, more than 3,600 automotive supply chain firms and over 1,000 new energy companies. For teams building industrial software, automotive-grade modules or energy management systems, this means you are targeting tangible procurement stakeholders and partners within defined industrial chains, rather than generic “professional visitors”. These enterprise figures are public regional statistics for reference of industrial density only. Final statistical scope will follow official announcements.

IV. Real investors at the Startup Ecosystem Forum

To connect with capital, focus on the Startup Ecosystem Forum. Confirmed speakers include Chen Jun, Founder & CEO of Real Capital and former Managing Director of BlackRock China, specialising in digital infrastructure, energy tech and large AI model investments; Yang Weiwu, Founder of Yunyue Capital; and Liu Shuchun, Founder & CEO of Shanghai Kunyan Intelligence, PhD in Artificial Intelligence from Fudan University. The speaker lineup is subject to final official release. Behind these names are genuine funds and industrial capital. The investors you meet at forums or booths may be the ones to deliver follow-on funding or strategic purchase orders. For fundraising teams, researching these investors’ sector preferences and preparing a one-page business summary before the event drastically improves conversion compared to casual on-site conversations.

V. Global buyer network: cross-border resources inherited from sister events

Hongqiao Tech Week leverages the established London Tech Week brand, whose sister event portfolio has proven global outreach capability. London Tech Week 2025 attracted 37 government partner organisations and 26 country pavilions, welcomed more than 120 international trade delegations, and announced investment deals exceeding £100 million. Its sister shows also deliver strong results: Singapore ATxEnterprise gathered over 1,200 VIPs and 22,000 global corporate decision-makers; Africa Tech Festival 2025 generated media value of USD 40 million. These results demonstrate that the same global invitation framework can bring government investment promotion bodies, multinational executives and international VCs to the Shanghai edition. Disclaimer: these figures reflect past performance of sister events and do not represent projections for Hongqiao Tech Week itself.

Testimonials from exhibitors at sister events offer further reference. Markus Schilling, Head of Smart Solutions & New Mobility at North Rhine-Westphalia Global Business Service, who has exhibited continuously at London Tech Week national pavilion, stated the platform “helps us build international cooperation networks and fully demonstrate our region’s commitment to digital transformation”, confirming North Rhine-Westphalia will return next year. Wayne Grixti, CEO of Malta Tech Authority, described London Tech Week as “a core platform to showcase Malta’s thriving innovation ecosystem, engage global innovators and attract foreign direct investment”. Such testimonials indicate participants at this homologous IP exhibition attend with genuine collaboration intent rather than sightseeing purposes. Note: these quotes are from London Tech Week exhibitors and do not constitute reviews of Hongqiao Tech Week.

For tech startups, the real value lies not in the scale of sister events, but whether this global network translates into actionable meetings at your booth.

VI. Three key preparations before engaging buyers, capital and logistics partners

We recommend preparing with a clear checklist:

  1. Define priority among the three stakeholder groups (buyers / investors / logistics partners) to select the right zones and forums.
  2. Compile a data package explaining your business logic. Investors care about use cases and scaling pathways; buyers focus on implementation and delivery.
  3. Shortlist 5–10 target contacts and submit matchmaking requests via the official website in advance.

Discussions with the sponsorship team become far more efficient once these materials are ready.

VII. An action plan for three-track stakeholder engagement

For execution, align resources and activities in a simple framework:

All three streams share one exhibitor badge and the same matchmaking system, removing the cost of attending separate events. Share this plan with your sales team beforehand for coordinated on-site execution.

VIII. FinTech & compliance: an often-overlooked engagement entry point

For startups working on fintech, risk control or data compliance, AI governance and data compliance services covered in the Artificial Intelligence Forum, alongside cybersecurity topics in the Smart Infrastructure Forum, serve as conversation openers with banks, insurers and regulators. This vertical relies less on hardware sales and more on demonstrating compliance and risk management expertise. Forum presentations are more effective than booth displays for building professional credibility. Combined with investor access from the Startup Ecosystem Forum, you can align technology, capital and compliance scenarios in one go.

IX. Why a comprehensive show outperforms vertical exhibitions for engaging all three groups at once

If your target stakeholders sit in separate circles — buyers at manufacturing groups, capital at funds, logistics at service providers — a vertical exhibition usually addresses only one group, leaving the rest for separate trips. Hongqiao Tech Week integrates six industry tracks, the Startup Ecosystem Forum and business matchmaking under one roof, consolidating buyer, capital and supply chain engagement into a single business trip. For cash-constrained, lean startup teams, this “one entry, three alignments” model often delivers better ROI than attending three separate vertical exhibitions.

More importantly, Hongqiao’s regional industrial base pre-screens lead quality. Its pool of over 7,000 digital economy enterprises, 3,600 automotive supply chain firms and 1,000 new energy companies means your matched contacts represent real procurement stakeholders within industrial chains, not generic visitors.

Together with investors from the Startup Ecosystem Forum, you can connect technology, orders and funding within the three-day event. This approach works best when your product spans multiple tracks; specialised vertical exhibitions remain more suitable for single-point technology solutions.

Steering and hosting structure: the foundation to attract both buyers and investors

Guided by the Management Committee of Hongqiao International Central Business District, Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce and Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, hosted by Informa Markets, with Shanghai Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Center as strategic innovation partner and GEC as another strategic partner. Host Informa Markets is also a UFI member. This governance framework underpins Hongqiao Tech Week’s capacity to integrate Yangtze River Delta industrial resources and global tech networks.

Next step: start with your matchmaking target list

If you are evaluating strategies to engage buyers, investors and supply chain partners in 2026, we recommend defining stakeholder priorities and preparing your data package first. You may access sponsorship materials via the official website hongqiaotechweek.com, or contact the sponsorship team to confirm booth packages, speaking slots and business matchmaking arrangements: Charlie Andrews for international enquiries, Jack Li / Niki Zeng for domestic enquiries. For media partnerships, please reach Fiona Shao.

FAQ: How to engage buyers, capital and supply chain partners

Q: Which track should I join to connect with SOE and large manufacturing procurement teams? A: Teams offering industrial software, robotics or digital twins should prioritise the Smart Industry track. Those working on chips, computing power or data centres belong to Smart Infrastructure. Firms developing automotive-grade or energy modules should join Future Mobility & Energy. Hongqiao’s local cluster of over 3,600 automotive supply chain firms and 1,000 new energy companies forms a ready buyer pool; final statistical scope will follow official announcements.

Q: Is the Startup Ecosystem Forum helpful for fundraising? A: Yes. Forum themes cover investment, M&A and scaling from startup to mature enterprise. Confirmed investors include Chen Jun, former Managing Director of BlackRock China. For speaking and pitch submission, contact Nancy Cui.

Q: How to get involved in business matchmaking in advance? A: The event plans for 2,000 scheduled one-to-one business meetings, supported by targeted matchmaking and buyer invitation programmes. Enterprises can submit target profiles via the official website pre-show, and the system will schedule meetings for both parties. Visitor and exhibitor numbers are projected estimates.

Q: Can the exhibition help find logistics and supply chain partners? A: Yes. The Smart Industry Forum covers industrial IoT and digital twins, while the Future Mobility & Energy Forum features connected vehicles and low-altitude economy infrastructure. Relevant vendors and clients will attend these sessions, ideal for identifying partners for logistics digitalisation and delivery solutions.