Co-organized by Peking University HSBC Business School (PHBS) and Cambridge Judge Business School (CJBS), the Grand Final of the 2024 PHBS-CJBS Global Pitch Competition, along with the PHBS-CJBS Bay Area Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Forum, were held on the afternoon of December 5, 2024 at PHBS in Shenzhen, China. The 2024 season kicked off in January this year, and to continuously expand the competition's influence, new roadshow locations were added for the season, including Wuhan, Beijing, and Suzhou.

The 2024 PHBS-CJBS Global Pitch Competition

This season received a total of 506 registrations from entrepreneurial projects. The organizing committee, together with industry experts, screened out 126 high-quality projects and conducted 14 preliminary round roadshows. Ultimately, 36 entrepreneurial teams advanced to the semifinals, with projects spanning industries such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, energy and carbon neutrality, smart manufacturing, semiconductors and chips, and new materials.

Hai Wen, vice chairman of Peking University Council (former vice President of Peking University) and founding dean of PHBS

In his speech, Hai Wen noted that the 2024 season marked the fourth consecutive year that PHBS and CJBS had jointly organized this competition. The event aimed to empower innovation and entrepreneurship in the Greater Bay Area and even across China, to support international innovation cooperation, to provide valuable opportunities and platforms for entrepreneurs to showcase their startup projects, and to help investors identify better investment opportunities. He emphasized that PHBS would further deepen international cooperation in its future innovation and entrepreneurship endeavors, strengthen collaboration within the Greater Bay Area, and continue to expand its domestic influence.

Niyazi Taneri, professor of innovation and operations management at CJBS

Niyazi Taneri emphasized the importance of collaboration in driving innovation. He pointed out that over the years, the cooperation between PHBS and CJBS had yielded fruitful results with growing influence, which was expected to further deepen in the future. He expressed that innovation was not only about pursuing economic benefits but also about promoting social progress. The competition, he said, served not only as a platform to showcase talent and creativity but also as a bridge connecting PHBS with CJBS, China with the United Kingdom, and even the entire world.

Peter Burnett OBE, BBS, chief executive of the China-Britain Business Council (CBBC)

Peter Burnett noted that CBBC had always been committed to promoting trade and investment relations between the UK and China, and actively collaborating with universities to nurture leadership talent. He pointed out that the Greater Bay Area is gradually emerging as a global hub for technology and innovation. He looked forward to deepening cooperation with the two world-class business schools through the competition platform, leveraging the advantages of CBBC members to broaden the competition's reach, attracting more talents and innovative ideas from diverse fields, and supporting the incubation and realization of these ideas.

Zeng Yijing, director of the Greater Bay Area Service Centre, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)

Zeng Yijing stated that the Greater Bay Ara boasted robust consumer power, comprehensive industrial supporting facilities, active venture capital, strong policy support, and a favorable business environment. It was noteworthy that its globally leading technological application scenarios could provide vast market demand for technology enterprises. He pointed out that HKTDC would strengthen its cooperation with PHBS to jointly promote the high-quality development of the innovation ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area and help startups achieve rapid growth and expansion.

During the event, the International Innovation and Entrepreneurship Cooperation Launch Ceremony was held, marking another significant initiative by PHBS to promote innovation and entrepreneurship integration in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Hai Wen and Peter Burnett jointly initiated the strategic cooperation between PHBS and CBBC on behalf of both parties. Meanwhile, Ren Ting, party secretary and vice dean of PHBS and Zeng Yijing jointly launched the strategic cooperation between PHBS and HKTDC on behalf of their respective sides.

The strategic cooperation between PHBS and CBBC

Leveraging PHBS UK campus and Qianhai institute of China-Britain as platforms, the strategic cooperation between PHBS and CBBC aims to lead the bilateral exchange and development of British and Chinese enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises and startups, and to establish a high-quality Sino-British innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem network.

The strategic cooperation between PHBS and HKTDC

The strategic cooperation between PHBS and HKTDC focuses on events and activities such as PHBS-CJBS Global Pitch Competition and the Hong Kong "Express Incubation Program" for startups. Through these initiatives, both parties will jointly participate in the development of the "Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Corridor," strengthening the interaction within the innovation ecosystem. This cooperation aims to help Hong Kong enterprises to "enter" and explore new markets and business opportunities, while supporting mainland projects to leverage Hong Kong for global expansion and deployment.

Wu Shichun, founder of Plum Ventures

Following the launch ceremony, the Greater Bay Area Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Forum featured a keynote speech "The Survival Code for the New Era.” given by renowned investor Wu Shichun. He emphasized that in the face of intertwined difficulties in various aspects such as Chinese assets, domestic demand, and investment, startup enterprises need to adapt to new political and economic trends, cycles, and environments, evolving into comprehensively capable "unicorn" enterprises and earning the Beta dividend of the new cycle.

Li Chengyi (chairman of Heroad Investments and co-founder of QF Capital) is appointed as the new member of PHBS Advisory Committee on Start-up and Venture Capital during the forum

From left to right: Zhang Kun, executive director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at PHBS (CIE); Wei Wei, vice chairman of PHBS Council and director of CIE; Liu Xiangning, deputy general manager of Shenzhen Angel FoF Management CO., LTD; Xu Hui, director of the Engine Built by PHBS; Tan Lin, partner and chief ecosystem officer at Haichuanghui; and Liang Huanhuan, founder of Enmai Biotech

Zhang Kun hosted a roundtable forum titled "Vision for the Future: Business Breakthroughs and Transformations in the New Era." Wei Wei, Liu Xiangning, Xu Hui, Tan Lin, and Liang Huanhuan shared their thoughts and insights on topics such as "Industry + AI," "Innovation and Transformation," and "Venture Capital Philosophy."

From left to right: Huang Zhimin, PHBS-CIE; Li Chengyi, chairman of Heroad Investments and co-founder of QF Capital; He Haonan, partner at G&O Capital; Li Yanru, founding partner of 1898 Venture Capital; Li Shihao, founder of E3A Healthcare; Zhu Hanqi, founder of Enhanced Robotics; Xu Ke, founder of LaSense Technology

Huang Zhimin hosted a roundtable forum titled "Enterprise Innovation Development and Venture Capital Trends." Li Chengyi, He Haonan, Li Yanru, Li Shihao, Zhu Hanqi, and Xu Ke engaged in a lively discussion on topics such as "Future Investment Trends and Industry Opportunities," "Investment Decision-Making and Investment Judgment," and "New Quality Productivity."

The roadshows

During the finals, ten teams presented their roadshows and answered questions from the judges on site. After a fierce competition, the first prize went to SHANMU, and I2Cool, Synphage, and Daosheng Biological (Shenzhen) Co., LTD won second prize. Third prize winners included Zhiwei Data, YUANWEISHIJIE, BrainThink, SIPIMO technology Group, Wayo, and XZD Material Technology.

PHBS leaders and guests present awards to winning teams

The launch ceremony for the 2025 PHBS-CJBS Global Pitch Competition

At the conclusion of the event, a launch ceremony was held for the 2025 PHBS-CJBS Global Pitch Competition. The 2025 season will continue to focus on early-stage technology teams before the B round, with a special emphasis on the Shenzhen's "20+8" industrial clusters.

By Annie Jin 

Source: PHBS-CIE