Meng Jintao, winner of the 2024 competition
Zhang Yongwei won third prize in the 2022 competition
By Chen Miaolin
As the “Creating the World · Sailing to the Future” Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition for Overseas Talents 2025 · Hangzhou concludes its semifinals, 72 projects across six tracks have advanced to the final round. Since its launch in March, this year’s edition has attracted over 2,000 projects from more than 30 countries and regions.
This year’s edition of “Creating the World · Sailing to the Future” Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition for Overseas Talents has attracted over 2,000 projects from more than 30 countries and regions..
A significant number of participants hail from the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and other leading innovation ecosystems. The competitors are highly educated, with nearly 60% of overseas returnees holding doctoral degrees. Among them, 95 are from top-tier universities such as MIT, Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard, while 77 are alumni of C9 League institutions like Peking University and Tsinghua University.
Now in its 11th year, the competition has continuously adapted its tracks to align with Hangzhou’s industrial development goals. As the city focuses on strategic technological talent and enhancing corporate innovation, this year’s edition features four main tracks--Digital Economy, Biomedicine, Advanced Industries, and special track for foreign talents--along with four specialized contests in Artificial Intelligence, Humanoid Robotics, Digital Medicine, and Brain-Like Intelligence.
To encourage more projects to take root in Hangzhou, the competition offers a comprehensive support package, including policy incentives that provide up to RMB 20 million in funding for winning projects. Additionally, participants benefit from mentorship programs, tailored entrepreneurial training, recruitment events, and networking sessions designed to facilitate their transition into the local ecosystem.
What draws talents from across the world to Hangzhou is not only its advanced industrial infrastructure and financial support but also its profound ability to make global innovators feel at home. The stories of past winners illustrate how the competition serves as a gateway to long-term growth.
Why global innovators choose Hangzhou
Meng Jintao, winner of the 2024 competition, exemplifies this journey. His project on “All-Iron Redox Flow Battery Technology”--dubbed a “giant movable power bank”--has already secured letters of intent totaling over RMB 2.5 billion. But his success extends beyond the competition. “As a Zhejiang native, Hangzhou’s mix of strategic location, academic resources, and pro-innovation policies has made the city obviously attractive,” Meng reflects. Since winning, his company has become the first in China to offer integrated solutions in this cutting-edge energy storage field, serving major clients like China General Nuclear Power Group and PowerChina.
Meng’s story is far from unique. Just one year earlier, Dr. Zhang Yongwei captured the jury’s attention with his groundbreaking work in regenerative medical materials. His “ultra-high hydrostatic pressure decellularization technology”--which enables the use of animal tissues for human transplant purposes--won third prize in the 2022 competition.
“The real turning point wasn’t winning--it was the follow-up,” Dr. Zhang notes. “Right after the awards ceremony, I was approached by representatives from multiple districts in Hangzhou. They weren’t just offering incentives; they were offering partnerships.”In early 2023, he established Hangzhou Haofan Biotechnology Co.,Ltd in Lin’an district, attracted by the area’s talent policies and scenic research environment.“The local government supported us at every step--funding, lab space, talent housing, even helped with visas for international experts. This ‘full-chain service’ allowed us to focus purely on R&D.”
Zhang’s work addresses a critical global challenge: the shortage of transplantable organs and tissues. Using his technology, the company processes animal-derived tissues to remove immunogenic components while preserving structural functionality, offering new hope for patients awaiting corneal and vascular grafts.
This supportive environment also attracted Dr. Cui Di, the 2021 champion and founder of Dessight Biomedical. Her team specializes in ophthalmic surgical robots and biological therapies for retinal diseases. “Winning the competition gave us immediate visibility and credibility,” Cui says, “and it was Hangzhou’s existing strengths in digital healthcare and strong investor network that helped us secure tens of millions in funding last year.”
Like many returnees, Cui values Hangzhou’s balance of ambition and quality of life. “It’s a city that encourages innovation and offers a living environment that inspires. The government doesn’t just give you a policy document--they sit down with you, solve problems with you, and help you run faster.”
New Voices, New Ambitions
The remarkable achievements of past winners have set a powerful example, inspiring a new wave of international innovators to bring their projects to Hangzhou.
Among this year’s competitors, Huang Yuanhui, an innovator from the Technical University of Munich, who introduced “NeuroMusician,” a wearable device that modulates brainwaves to alleviate stress and improve sleep. “The device uses AI to help users achieve mental calmness and deeper sleep--all within minutes,” Huang explained confidently during his pitch.
Zhang Chengliang, from Michigan State University, presented a targeted oral drug for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. “Our inhibitor of TDP-43 protein activity could fill a major treatment gap,” she said. The judging panel acknowledged the project’s groundbreaking potential.
Yang Yu, representing Rockefeller University, shared advances in antibody screening technology with applications in HIV and cancer treatment. “We’ve significantly improved efficiency and reduced costs in nanobody development,” Yang noted. One judge, drawing from personal experience, affirmed: “Biologics and antibody therapies represent the future of medicine.”
With its open policies, efficient governance, and unique blend of natural beauty and technological ambition, Hangzhou offers an environment where the world’s brightest minds can thrive -- nearly 80% of the participants have expressed interest in establishing their ventures in Hangzhou.
As the 2025 finals approach this September, the city extends an open invitation to innovators around the world: Come, and belong.