Hangzhou has caught global attention with its rising innovative tech companies. Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
By Zhu Jingning
Hangzhou is emerging as a global technology hub, fueled by the rapid rise of innovative local startups such as DeepSeek, Unitree, BrainCo, Manycore, Deep Robotics, and Game Science.
“No matter how tight finances are, we must never reduce investment in technology. Innovation must always define Hangzhou,” said Hangzhou Mayor Yao Gaoyuan, addressing the growing international interest in the city’s enterprises.
In the digital era, Hangzhou has long been recognized as “China’s e-commerce capital”, shaping the industry’s trajectory. The rise of these tech startups signals that Hangzhou is once again at the forefront of innovation, potentially earning the title of China’s “Silicon Valley” in the AI age.
Why is Hangzhou the birthplace of so many tech upstarts?
Policy-driven innovation: fueling industry growth
Amid shifting economic tides, Hangzhou stands as a visionary leader, leveraging its digital economy strengths. By developing major industrial ecosystems, Hangzhou is accelerating its future industries.
The city has continuously improved its business environment through initiatives such as the “One-stop Administrative Service” reform and the “Robotics+” action plan, offering convenient administrative services and financial support for tech firms.
Artinno Town, renowned for Black Myth: Wukong, is home to over 3,000 cultural and creative enterprises, including Light Chaser Animation Studios and Time Axis, known for animated films like Chang’an and White Snake: Afloat. The year Game Science was founded, the town had just introduced policies offering up to 100% rent subsidies or exemptions for digital content companies like game developers for three years.
According to a newly released plan, Hangzhou will prioritize five key emerging industries and explore new frontiers, establishing a three-tiered future industry pilot zone. Hangzhou’s fiscal funds for high-quality economic development will rise from 49 billion yuan last year to 50.2 billion yuan this year. Additionally, 15% of industrial policy funds will be specifically allocated to cutting-edge technologies such as general AI and humanoid robots, ensuring direct and efficient access to policy incentives.
Talent magnet: attracting top academic minds
In China’s latest urban talent race, Hangzhou has led the nation in net talent inflow for consecutive years, attracting top-tier professionals.
The city boasts Zhejiang Province’s only national laboratory, two national major scientific facilities, 17 national key laboratories, and five provincial laboratories. Anchored by prestigious institutions like Zhejiang University and West Lake University, Hangzhou has built high-level platforms such as the Supergravity Centrifuge Simulation and Experimental Facility, Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, and the Humanoid Robot Industry Innovation Center, making it a core engine of scientific and technological advancement.
Recently, Dr. Ou Jianzhen, a seasoned expert in physics and optoelectronic engineering, along with another five big shots, joined the Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, in Yunqi Town. Ou emphasized that their industrialization project is perfectly aligned with the academic direction of the Hangzhou Advanced Institute, facilitating cross-disciplinary research and joint talent cultivation.
An innovation ecosystem centered around universities, major facilities, and technological platforms is rapidly forming in Hangzhou. For example, Binjiang district is set to host the extremely weak magnetic major scientific facility, around which a circular innovation hub will be established, integrating the entire “science-technology-industry” chain. This hub is expected to become a global leader in extremely weak magnetic research.
Industrial clusters: from zero to one
Over the decades, Hangzhou’s industrial ecosystem has transformed from traditional industrial parks to globally competitive, “valley-style” innovation hubs, such as the “Vision Valley of China”. This dynamic and interconnected model fosters a thriving “industrial universe”, where industries cluster not only geographically but also collaboratively, sharing resources, expertise, and technological advancements.
At Zhejiang Dahua Technology’s future factory, serial products like high-definition cameras and supplementary lights have already gone into mass production. The journey from concept to product launch took only three months, reflecting Hangzhou’s ability to rapidly commercialize technological advancements.
This symbiotic growth stems from Hangzhou’s deeply embedded industrial ecosystem. Such a solid foundation enables the city to lower innovation costs and support breakthroughs from zero to one. These disruptive innovations in turn fuel a new cycle of industrial development, reinforcing Hangzhou’s confidence in evolving into a world-class advanced manufacturing cluster.
As DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfeng envisioned: “Perhaps in the near future, when Unitree’s robots walk with the gait algorithm from Deep Robotics, equipped with BrainCo’s neural interfaces and running DeepSeek’s cognitive engine, using the virtual world built by Manycore as a training ground—that embodied intelligence we have fantasized about will stumble out of the morning mist of Xixi Wetland and into the world.”
With thriving tech clusters and a fertile innovation landscape, Hangzhou is set to nurture more game-changing enterprises. The future is unfolding--stay tuned.