The Dream Factory of China

Qianhai is regarded as a great platform for exchange and communication between entrepreneurs from Hong Kong and Shenzhen, according to Chen Weiwei, head of Grassroots Angel Investment Association and chairman of Qianhai Dream+ Union.

“We need to embrace people from Hong Kong. It takes time to dispel their worries and concerns about the mainland’s market and we need to attract them with advantages like preferential policies and office space in Qianhai.

“I think the special advantage of Qianhai is its ability to provide soft and value-added services. Qianhai has great potential for integrating international resources. The media exposure rate in Qianhai is higher than any other incubator, so it is a good location for showcasing the achievements of enterprises,” Chen said.

Shenghuo — an app that helps the deaf obtain employment, start new businesses and socialize online — is a key project incubated in Qianhai and one of Chen’s various investments. The project has gained recognition from investors at the Entrepreneurial Heroes Contest and won the Gold Award at the Fifth Public Welfare Venture Contest.

Chen said to the Shenzhen Daily with pride that, “The Shenghuo project can help these disadvantaged people both financially and socially. It is thanks in part to the local government in Qianhai that Shenghuo has been able to accomplish what it has so far. Qianhai not only focuses on commercial startups, but also values social welfare ones,” Chen said.

Chen also spoke highly of the environment in Qianhai and said that investment will pay off in the long run and that he believes Qianhai will be much more prosperous in three to five years.

Grassroots Angel Investment Association was one of the earliest nonprofit investment organizations in Shenzhen. Qianhai Dream+ Union is one of the first organizations to target Shenzhen-Hong Kong youth innovation and entrepreneurship.