Tech Talent Global Hub Takes Shape With 'Startup in Shanghai' Contest

Shanghai is stepping up efforts to attract global startups, with more than 60 percent of entries in last year's "Startup in Shanghai" innovation and entrepreneurship competition coming from outside the city, officials said today at the awards ceremony in Yangpu District.

The 2025 edition, focused on future-facing industries, drew 7,380 projects from China and abroad. A total of 71 international teams advanced through channels including WeStart TOP100, competing in areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced materials.

Among the finalists were the Netherlands-based "Human-like Skin for Robots" project and the United States-developed "3D Intelligent Sensor Chip," both awarded third prize in the team category.

Now in its 15th year, the competition has become a major platform for nurturing small and medium-sized tech firms and strengthening Shanghai's innovation ecosystem, reflecting the city's broader ambition to become a global hub for tech talent, the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission said.

The ceremony also marked the launch of the 2026 edition. The next competition will follow Shanghai's "2+3+6+6" framework, a blueprint combining the upgrading of traditional industries with the development of emerging and future sectors.

The WeStart TOP100 contest will continue to expand internationally, with regional competitions planned across North America, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Singapore. Participants will receive tailored support to help overseas projects establish a presence in Shanghai.

Applications for the 2026 competition are now open via the official website (www.startup-sh.cn). Top-winning projects can receive up to 1 million yuan (US$145,108) in grant funding, while companies that register in Shanghai may also secure investment of at least 5 million yuan.

The awards ceremony was part of a broader three-day event, the "Startup in Shanghai LIT DAY," which kicked off on Monday. The event focuses on frontier technologies, early-stage hard tech, and ecosystem empowerment, featuring company showcases, government-enterprise dialogues, resource matchmaking, and networking opportunities.