https://www.scmp.com/rss/521569/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Chloe Loung Chloe Loung The story of Rocky’s Matcha begins not with a business plan, but with a shaman. It was the summer of 2020, and the Covid-19 pandemic had brought the world to a halt. At the time, Rocky Xu was working as the global head of brand partnerships for Beats by Dre. He had worked in the corporate world for a long time and, seeking clarity, he enrolled in a 21-day chakra cleanse with a shaman. It was easy enough, but, as Xu was leaving, he was given one final, gutting task. “He hit me with the Steve Jobs... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3348660/how-rockys-matcha-founder-built-blossoming-tea-brand-after-being-told-quit-coffee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3348660/how-rockys-matcha-founder-built-blossoming-tea-brand-after-being-told-quit-coffee?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Coco Feng Coco Feng Steven Li sells cosmetics to overseas customers from the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu. This month, amid the popularity of the OpenClaw AI agent framework, he expanded the business by “hiring” four “AI employees”. On the front lines, the AI customer service manages real-time inquiries 24/7 on WhatsApp, while a “digital sales” agent provides price quotes. Behind the scenes, a third role ensures operational transparency by providing tracking status for every order, while an “operations... https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347416/openclaw-government-support-fuels-rise-one-person-companies-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/article/3347416/openclaw-government-support-fuels-rise-one-person-companies-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 10:00:26 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A 12-year-old girl from central China showed her business acumen by using her savings to buy a stationery shop and hiring her mother for 3,000 yuan (US$440) a month. Li Yue, who lived in Jiangxi province and received over 44,000 yuan (US$6,400) in lai see during the Spring Festival, decided to invest the money in a business. She believed that depositing the money in the bank would offer an interest rate too low to keep up with inflation. While on her way to the bank, Li spotted a stationery... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346377/china-girl-12-uses-lai-see-money-buy-shop-paying-mum-us440-salary-run-it-her?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3346377/china-girl-12-uses-lai-see-money-buy-shop-paying-mum-us440-salary-run-it-her?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A school dropout from eastern China who survived a violent attack and bankruptcy has built a steamed bun empire that generates 180 million yuan (US$26 million) annually. Liu Huiping, 49, hails from Anhui province, famously known as China’s “hometown of dough makers.” To ease the financial burden on his parents, Liu left secondary school early. He initially learned furniture making before shifting his focus to the craft of Chinese buns. In 1998, with a 4,000-yuan (US$580) loan, Liu ventured to... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346323/net-worth-us580-us580-million-china-school-dropout-builds-steamed-bun-empire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3346323/net-worth-us580-us580-million-china-school-dropout-builds-steamed-bun-empire?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Mar 2026 06:11:05 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang A businesswoman from central China who was raised in a family that prized sons over daughters has built her own e-commerce fashion empire. Huang Xuanni, 44, grew up in a rural family in Binzhou, Hunan province, where she was the overlooked sixth daughter among seven children. Her parents, who lavished attention on their only son, left Huang to eat alone on the doorstep and rarely remembered her name. Mainland reports recount a heartbreaking moment in her childhood when her parents abandoned her... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3344619/china-entrepreneur-abandoned-child-owns-fashion-brand-generates-us36-million-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3344619/china-entrepreneur-abandoned-child-owns-fashion-brand-generates-us36-million-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 01:00:09 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung It all started with a couple of happy-hour beers back in 2017. Nicholas Law, then a corporate lawyer who hated his job, sat across from his childhood friend, Jeremy Li, who had just got off work that day. “We were just catching up, talking about what’s next and everything. That’s when the idea sort of came up: should we open a bar?” Law recalls. The idea quickly evolved into a more audacious goal. “And then I thought, you know, wouldn’t it be really cool to have your own brand?” Hong Kong did... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3341347/hong-kongs-nip-distilling-founders-their-leap-faith-make-distinctly-local-gin?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3341347/hong-kongs-nip-distilling-founders-their-leap-faith-make-distinctly-local-gin?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:15:07 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan The rags-to-riches story of how Zhou Qunfei rose from humble beginnings in a poor village in central China to become a highly successful businesswoman has been an inspiration for countless migrant workers across the country. The 56-year-old founder of the touch-screen maker Lens Technology is estimated to have a net worth of 110 billion yuan (US$16 billion). She claimed second place in the 2025 Hurun Female Entrepreneurs Ranking List issued by Hurun Institute. Zhou first came to attention in... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3338905/zhou-qunfei-ex-security-guard-rises-become-worlds-richest-self-made-woman-entrepreneur?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3338905/zhou-qunfei-ex-security-guard-rises-become-worlds-richest-self-made-woman-entrepreneur?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 10:00:11 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa It’s midnight on an ordinary Thursday and Darren Lee is wide awake, hunched over a laptop, sending off emails. While most other university students might be winding down after a day of lectures or grabbing drinks with friends, Lee’s nightly routine has just begun. Sure, his grades are slipping, his mother is less than thrilled about all the socks taking over their living room, and his social life is bleak at best. But at only 19 years old, Lee is the proud founder and CEO of Sababu, a home-grown... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3338459/hong-kong-teen-trading-sleep-and-social-life-help-artists-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3338459/hong-kong-teen-trading-sleep-and-social-life-help-artists-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 23:00:13 +0000 Victoria Bela Victoria Bela A microbiologist who revolutionised the production of laboratory-grown seafood protein took home the top prize in the 2025 African Business Heroes awards in Rwanda on Saturday, in the seventh annual edition of the largest event for start-ups of its kind on the continent. Diana Orembe, the founder of Tanzania-based NovFeed, was the winner out of 10 finalists in the awards, which received up to 32,000 applications from 54 countries. She took home US$300,000 in grant funding. Abraham Mbuthia of the... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336326/china-africa-partnership-leaps-future-beijing-expands-market-access-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3336326/china-africa-partnership-leaps-future-beijing-expands-market-access-envoy?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 09:19:45 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu Chinese entrepreneur Guan Yuxiang built her drink can empire from scratch after retirement, earning her the titles of the country’s “Drink Can Queen” and “the greatest retired female worker.” Born in Shenyang, in northeastern China’s Liaoning province in 1939, Guan joined a factory in Beijing at the age of 19. Like many in her generation, she dedicated three decades of her life to the same company before retiring at 50. However, unlike many who embrace a restful retirement, Guan chose to embark... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3335859/china-drink-can-queen-guan-yuxiang-grows-us14-billion-business-empire-after-retirement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3335859/china-drink-can-queen-guan-yuxiang-grows-us14-billion-business-empire-after-retirement?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 10:00:11 +0000 Zoey Zhang Zoey Zhang From chasing a TV crew for 100km to showcase his motorcycle skills, a once-poor young man from central China has built a thriving motorcycle empire, raking in 700 million (US$100 million) yuan a year. Born into a rural family in Hunan province, Zhang Xue grew up in a shabby home made of bricks and wooden boards with his younger sister after his parents divorced. During one of her visits, his mother gave him a bicycle, sparking his lifelong love for two-wheeled vehicles. After finishing... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3334052/chinese-man-chases-tv-crew-100km-show-motorcycle-skills-now-owns-us99-million-firm?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3334052/chinese-man-chases-tv-crew-100km-show-motorcycle-skills-now-owns-us99-million-firm?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 10:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan The upcoming wedding of the founder of a renowned milk tea company from a grass-roots background and the daughter of a wealthy family that owns a leading solar energy firm has captivated the Chinese public and is trending online. Zhang Junjie, the driving force behind the Chinese milk tea brand Chagee, and his bride Gao Haichun, whose parents are the founders of Trina Solar, will celebrate their nuptials at the Zhongwu Hotel in Changzhou, eastern Jiangsu province, on December 15, according to... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3334192/self-made-china-milk-tea-entrepreneur-marries-wealthy-solar-heiress-captures-public-attention?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3334192/self-made-china-milk-tea-entrepreneur-marries-wealthy-solar-heiress-captures-public-attention?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Nov 2025 06:00:10 +0000 Luna Sun Luna Sun As China drafts its 15th five-year plan – the next entry in a line of expansive blueprints that have set the tone for the country’s development over more than seven decades – we examine how these documents inform and reflect high-level policy priorities, what to expect in the coming iteration and whether the private sector will receive the level of support entrepreneurs are hoping for. For more stories in this ongoing series, click here. To view SCMP Plus Factsheets on the 15th five-year-plan... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328026/china-planning-5-year-honeymoon-its-private-firms-will-they-feel-love?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3328026/china-planning-5-year-honeymoon-its-private-firms-will-they-feel-love?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Oct 2025 22:00:07 +0000 Wei Li Wei Li For over a decade, commentators have warned of China’s looming economic decline. Today, the challenges are real: US-China trade frictions, weak household consumption, an overstretched property sector and a shrinking workforce. Making money in China may feel harder than before. Yet to see China solely through the lens of stagnation is to miss the profound transformation under way. Far from collapsing, China is restructuring. More importantly, it has nurtured a generation of entrepreneurs and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327400/how-chinas-entrepreneurs-are-blazing-trail-economic-transformation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3327400/how-chinas-entrepreneurs-are-blazing-trail-economic-transformation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Oct 2025 21:30:08 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung Steven Bartlett may be only 33 years old, but the British entrepreneur has already accomplished more than many tycoons, having created a media and investment empire on the back of a chart-topping podcast. And on Sunday, September 28, Bartlett is set to share his hard-earned lessons with Hong Kong audiences on his “Business & Life Speaking Tour”. Born in Botswana to a Nigerian mother and an English father, and raised in Plymouth, southern England, Bartlett was determined from an early age to walk... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3326079/diary-ceo-podcast-host-steven-bartlett-hosting-business-speaking-tour-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3326079/diary-ceo-podcast-host-steven-bartlett-hosting-business-speaking-tour-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:15:08 +0000 June Xia,Ji Siqi June Xia,Ji Siqi In another show of support for China’s private sector, Beijing has released the details of a speech from President Xi Jinping which included vows the country would guarantee a level playing field for private firms, safeguard entrepreneurs’ lawful rights and interests, and step up efforts to solve their long-standing challenges, including overdue payments. The full address, delivered in February to a group of China’s leading entrepreneurs, had not been made available to the public before Friday,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321999/chinas-xi-jinping-calls-no-delay-private-sector-protection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3321999/chinas-xi-jinping-calls-no-delay-private-sector-protection?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 Aug 2025 09:00:22 +0000 Erika Na Erika Na With 17 million followers and over 500 million monthly views across his social media platforms, Simon Squibb has built an audience most influencers can only dream of. He has become one of the world’s most influential voices in the realm of entrepreneurship, largely down to his approach – which is far from boring or didactic. His viral short videos – one has an accumulated watch time of 23 years – follow a similar formula. Squibb walks up to strangers, asks about their dreams and then offers... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3320765/how-entrepreneur-and-social-media-star-simon-squibb-helping-people-achieve-their-dreams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3320765/how-entrepreneur-and-social-media-star-simon-squibb-helping-people-achieve-their-dreams?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 23:15:07 +0000 Hannah Wang Hannah Wang The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corp (HKSTP) has appointed Terry Wong Ping-sau as CEO, refreshing its top spot after nine years to drive the organisation forward amid advances in technology. Wong be replacing Albert Wong Hak-keung on August 1, the company said in a statement on Monday. He will bring 30 years of global executive leadership, having held senior management roles across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and the US, it added. Most recently, he led the regional and urban... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3319008/hong-kong-science-parks-owner-appoints-new-ceo-first-top-executive-change-2016?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3319008/hong-kong-science-parks-owner-appoints-new-ceo-first-top-executive-change-2016?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2025 09:00:15 +0000 Hyewon Lee Hyewon Lee On July 10, the original Hermès Birkin prototype was sold to Valuence Japan Inc. for an astonishing 1.47 billion yen (US$9.97 million) including fees, making it the most expensive handbag ever sold. Nine bidders competed for the coveted bag at the Sotheby’s Fashion Icons auction in Paris. Maiko Ichikawa, head of Sotheby’s Japan, secured the bid on behalf of Valuence via telephone following a 10-minute bidding war. Shinsuke Sakimoto, CEO and president of Valuence Japan, shared with Fashionsnap,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/luxury-news/article/3318129/birkin-how-much-meet-shinsuke-sakimoto-whose-company-paid-nearly-us10-million-prototype-valuence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/luxury-news/article/3318129/birkin-how-much-meet-shinsuke-sakimoto-whose-company-paid-nearly-us10-million-prototype-valuence?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 07:57:59 +0000