Jelte Ansgar Wingender, CEO of the businesses FoundersLair, Dealflow and Flair, shares his best practices on how to manoeuvre the government-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem in China. He further gives hands-on advice on how to secure your IP if you are building a hardware startup.
Key tips include:
- Enter Chinese startup competitions since it is a great way for you to develop an understanding of the government-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem, its dynamics and your Chinese competitors.
- Use the FoundersLair platform to gain an overview of startup competitions and find the best fit for your industry.
- Try out China’s 2nd TIER cities if you want to test out your product. (Your office might still be best located in BJ and SH, as they offer the best international connectedness.)
- There are multiple ways to effectively protect your IP in China. Foxconn (Honhai Technology Group), for example, can help hardware startups to file Chinese patents to secure their hardware related IP.
- Investigate China with your own team first and truly understand, learn and build trust. Don't outsource to a partner or middleman from the start.
About:
Jelte Ansgar Wingender: linkedin.com/in/jelteansgarwingender
FoundersLair website: founderslair.com
FoundersLair on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/founderslair
Foxconn IP Consulting: https://www.honhai.com/en-us/
GINN: linkedin.com/company/german-innovators/
Bettina Scheibe: linkedin.com/in/bettina-b-scheibe-b069b45a/
