On the morning of November 20, 2024, the 18th Global Entrepreneurship Week China (GEW-China), hosted by the Shanghai Technology Entrepreneurship Foundation for Graduates (EFG), officially kicked off at the Fudan University School of Management in Yangpu District, Shanghai.
This year, GEW-China runs from November 20 to 24, featuring five themed days centered on Embodied Intelligence, Biomedicine, Advanced Manufacturing, Angel Investment, and Green Science. Over 50 innovative themed activities are scheduled, bringing together prominent domestic and international guests, nearly 100 leading technology companies, and more than 2,000 pioneers in innovation to collaboratively explore pathways to high-quality development in technological innovation.
Jeff Hoffman, Chairman of the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech titled "Inspiring Innovation." He praised the consistent hosting of GEW China over the eighteen years and expressed heartfelt gratitude for the emphasis placed on entrepreneurial spirit.
Jeff highlighted the need for robust technological innovation to address industry challenges. In sharing his views on innovation, he stated, "My inspiration comes from learning new things in everyday life. Each day when we wake up, we should reflect on: What can I do today that I couldn't do yesterday?" He advocated people to dedicate 20 minutes a day or once or twice a week to learning something entirely new, and to build their own "Knowledge Graph " and find out how it works. Innovators should continuously seek opportunities and aim to learn new concepts daily, constantly considering how to apply the latest technologies within their respective industries.
Additionally, Jeff also noted that the true secret to success lies in discovering and nurturing outstanding talent. Innovators should focus on solving real-world problems while leveraging their gifts, which is crucial for driving ongoing innovation, and these talents serve as the foundation for achieving corporate visions and goals.
During the opening ceremony, Liu Qing, Director of the National Innovation Center par Excellence, delivered a speech on "Accelerating the Transformation and Industrialization of Cutting-Edge Scientific Achievements to Cultivate New Productive Forces." Sun Jie, Chief Sustainability Officer of Envision Group, presented on "Leading a Green Future: From Technological Innovation to Global Sustainable Development," sharing the latest case studies in collaboration with carbon-neutral partners both domestically and internationally.
In the themed dialogue segment, Lu Xiongwen, Dean and Professor at Fudan University School of Management, Vivienne Wang, Managing Director of Investments and Acquisitions at Recruit Holdings, Grace Yu, Managing Partner at 01VC; Alice Cai, Managing Director and Head of Investment at ewpartners, and Chester Xiao, Director of Life Sciences Industry for the IDA Ireland in China, engaged in discussions on "Embracing Innovation: The Globalization of Chinese Technology Companies”, exploring themes of global multinational operations and offering new insights for entrepreneurs on international expansion strategies.
During the event, Xue Kan, Secretary of Yangpu District Committee, and Jeff Hoffman presented honors to the representatives of Angel Investors Top 30 Awards 2024.
EFG, the host of GEW-China also announced the "Angel Fund" Excellent Eaglet Enterprises of the Year 2024, with six companies receiving "Angel Fund" funding. Furthermore, the first batch of POC projects from the "Angel Fund" was also unveiled.
Throughout GEW-China, various innovative activities such as investment summits, annual roadshows, interactive exhibitions, innovation dialogues, and DoerLink Large Enterprises Innovation Demand Matchmaking sessions will take place.
On the afternoon of the 20th, the 14th Angel and Early-Stage Investment Summit, focusing on Brain Science, Embodied Intelligence, and other future industries, is a venture capital themed event for early-stage investors at the GEW-China. The summit underscores early GP investments in cutting-edge technology and facilitates engagement between transformative projects and patient capital.
On November 23, the EFG will introduce the "Angel Fund Day," featuring events such as Saturday Roadshow, GCC Annual Entrepreneurship Class and the release and interpretation of the Entrepreneurship Data Research Report 2024, aimed at providing entrepreneurs with industry insights and collaborative discussions on the future of the investment landscape.
The GEW-China 2024 continues its partnership with the DoerLink Step Program, inviting collaborators like The Center of Science and Technology Development for Shanghai Universities to organize nearly 10 roadshow events. This initiative aims to provide early-stage technology projects with financing opportunities and market partnerships among over 500 early-stage investment institutions and more than 100 large enterprises.
In addition, during the event, GEW-China will collaborate with partners to host special activities such as the Low Altitude Economy and Zero-Carbon Technology Entrepreneurship Competition, offering participants valuable opportunities to delve into future innovations and entrepreneurial prospects.