Taiwan entrepreneur builds bridges in Beijing

In southern Beijing, a single building has become home to a cluster of startups founded by Taiwan entrepreneurs, several of which were incubated by Hsu Yu-chieh's company.

Since launching her own business, Hsu, who was born in Taiwan in 1981, has been helping Taiwan entrepreneurs and companies establish a presence on the Chinese mainland.

She founded Cross-Strait Star Industrial Accelerator in 2017. Focusing on companies with potential in advanced technology fields such as semiconductors and new materials, the company provides financial support and policy guidance to help them grow.

"We support them through the most challenging stages of building their businesses and grow alongside them," Hsu said.

While working in the internet industry, Hsu became attracted by the mainland's dynamic innovation and startup ecosystem, which inspired her to establish the accelerator.

The Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in Yizhuang, together with Beijing's Taiwan affairs office, established a cross-Strait science and technology innovation center in 2023 to promote the integrated development of technology enterprises across the Taiwan Strait.

Hsu's company has so far supported a dozen Taiwan companies. Many of their core team members came to Beijing with mature technologies, while the mainland offers broader market opportunities, she said.

"Our role is to combine their strengths with local resources and the business ecosystem," she said.

According to Hsu, many startup founders from Taiwan have competitive products and technologies but lack familiarity with the mainland's market environment and business practices.

"A business model that succeeds in Taiwan may not necessarily work here, so we communicate extensively with entrepreneurs to help them adapt to the local market," she said. "Our company serves as a bridge, helping them establish operations on the mainland smoothly."

Zhiyi Technology Co is one of the companies supported by Hsu's accelerator and was the first to settle in the innovation center. The company specializes in photoresist materials for next-generation display panels. Originally from Taiwan, it has grown from a small cubicle in the center's incubator into an independent office with an expanding team.

"Given the mainland's vast market opportunities and strong support from the capital market, we encourage the company to build its own brand within the industrial chain rather than focusing solely on contract manufacturing," Hsu said.

Wu Chi-ming, founder and general manager of Zhiyi Technology, said the accelerator provided essential support when his company was in its early stages in 2024, including rent reductions and assistance in communicating with local authorities.

"The accelerator also helped introduce our company to a global startup competition, where we competed against 10,000 enterprises and won first place in the new materials category," Wu said.

Within just two years, the company has been recognized as both a Beijing technology-based small and medium-sized enterprise and a high-tech enterprise.

Wu came to the mainland to develop his business in 2022, attracted by Beijing's favorable business environment. Now based in Yizhuang, his company can easily collaborate with upstream and downstream partners in the industry, he said. Its partners include BOE Technology Group Co and Visionox Technology Inc.

In recent years, Wu has encouraged many entrepreneurs from Taiwan to develop their businesses on the mainland, telling them there are abundant opportunities across the Strait.

"From a market perspective, Taiwan and the mainland are complementary in many areas," Hsu said. The mainland has introduced a range of targeted policies to support advanced technologies, while Taiwan companies can bring their products and technologies to the mainland, she added.

Although various forms of cross-Strait exchanges have already taken place, Hsu said she hopes more people from Taiwan will gain a deeper understanding of the mainland's industries and policies, including opportunities in western regions.

Passionate and outgoing, Hsu said she enjoys interacting with talented people from different fields in Beijing. The city's abundant opportunities for international exchanges have given her another reason to stay.

"As cities across the mainland each have their own cultural characteristics and development environments, talents from Taiwan can experience a more diverse range of opportunities here," Hsu said, encouraging young people from Taiwan to gain firsthand experience on the mainland.

lishangyi@chinadaily.com.cn