Entrepreneurship winners lauded in week focusing on carbon neutrality
Shanghai's top 12 startup projects awarded at the opening ceremony of the 15th Global Entrepreneurship Week China.
A dozen local startup companies won Shanghai's entrepreneurship awards on Thursday, marking the beginning of the city's annual entrepreneurship week which focuses on carbon reduction this year.
The startups, supported by the city government-backed Shanghai Technology Entrepreneurship Foundation for Graduates, were honored at the start of the 15th Global Entrepreneurship Week China at the former site of China's earliest cotton mill machine factory along the Huangpu River in Yangpu District.
Winners included Encoo, which is focused on the development of robotic process automation, and MicroThing, which offers shared cars and parking slots.
Thirty angel investors who offered the biggest financial contributions to graduate entrepreneurs were also presented with awards.
Over 1,000 entrepreneurs and investors will attend over 50 forums, project roadshows and negotiating meetings during the six-day entrepreneurship week to help startup projects attract investment.
As a highlight this year, a "Carbon Neutrality Day" will be launched during the week to gather startup projects in the environmental protection and carbon reduction sectors.
The country is striving to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. Shanghai aims to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2025, five years earlier than the national target.
The foundation has sponsored over 3,000 startup projects since its establishment in 2006, with investment from individuals and companies. It has received a total of 12,043 applications from graduates for their startup projects during the past decade. Of them, 3,419 have been chosen and sponsored, according to the foundation. It has helped to create over 30,000 job opportunities.
Many local startups, such as food delivery company Ele.me, laboratory equipment and reagent supplier Titan Technology, and mobile phone recovery platform Aihuishou, received their initial investment from the foundation.
The event is being held at Shanghai International Fashion Center, the largest textile and fashion park in Asia. The site was renovated from the Shanghai No. 17 General Cotton Mill, which dates back more than eight decades.
Shanghai International Fashion Center is located in the renovated Shanghai No. 17 General Cotton Mill.
