Mainland Chinese tech firms find more than just deep capital pools in Hong Kong
Recently listed start-ups in robotics and AI explain what the city gives them besides funding for development and expansion
For Beijing-based service robot maker Yunji Technology, Hong Kong has become a key gateway to global markets since its listing in the city in October.
“If we use one word to describe what Hong Kong offers for us, that would be connection,” Xie Yunpeng, the company’s chief development officer, told reporters during a media tour on Tuesday in Beijing.
Xie said Hong Kong connected Yunji with business opportunities, capital, research partners and overseas markets, while exposing the company to diverse consumer habits that helped prepare its products for international deployment.
Hong Kong had become a testing ground for Yunji’s service robots before their roll-out overseas, according to Xie, as international customers tended to view successful deployments in the city as more representative of operating conditions outside mainland China.
The company plans to focus its overseas expansion on Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the US and parts of East Asia.