2026 STARTUP IN SHANGHAI Competition

Date: March 24, 2026

Registration deadline: June 15, 2026

Location: Shanghai (online/offline)

Number of applicants: 0

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Event Details

Organizational Unit

Organizer: "Create - Shanghai" International Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition Organizing Committee

Sponsor: Shanghai Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Center

Joint organizing units: Each district's science and technology administrative department, and each professional service institution

Track Setting

Electronic Information

Integrated circuits, photonics, quantum technology, 6G, etc

high-end equipment

Industrial mother machine, aerospace, embodied intelligence, etc

Biomedical and Big Health

Innovative drugs, medical devices, biomanufacturing, brain computer interfaces, etc

Advanced materials

Nano new materials, metal new materials, chemical new materials, etc

New Energy

New energy vehicles, energy storage, photovoltaics, hydrogen energy, and nuclear fusion energy, etc

Artificial Intelligence

Computer vision, robotics, intelligent agents, security AI, etc

Participants

Individuals, teams, or enterprises that have not yet registered and established a company within the Suzhou metropolitan area are divided into three groups based on project development stages:

Growth Group

The company has been registered and established outside the Suzhou metropolitan area before January 1, 2025, and its core products and technologies have entered the market or pilot stage.

Start up group

Not yet registered as a company or established outside the Suzhou metropolitan area after January 1, 2025 (inclusive), with core products and technologies in the research and development or small-scale trial stage.

Seed group

The participating members are full-time college students.

Zone Setting

Regional Competition

Based on Shanghai's "2+3+6+6" modern industrial system, it is implemented according to administrative districts and the Lingang New Area. The following tracks are set up: integrated circuits, biomedicine, artificial intelligence, new-generation electronic information, intelligent connected new energy vehicles,

high-end equipment, advanced materials, new energy and green low-carbon. The group classification is as follows:
Team Group: Currently, enterprises have not been established, or non-local enterprises have the intention to start a business in Shanghai and have specific implementation plans, or enterprises registered in Shanghai for less than one year as of the date of this notice, mainly engaged in the research, development or service of high-tech products, with unique and innovative technical achievements, and without intellectual property disputes;

Start-up Enterprise Group: Non-listed companies registered in Shanghai from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025, with an annual total revenue of less than 30 million yuan (inclusive), mainly engaged in the research, development, production or service of high-tech products, with innovation capabilities and high growth potential, and having independent intellectual property rights;

Growth Enterprise Group: Non-listed companies registered in Shanghai from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2025, with an annual total revenue of less than 200 million yuan (inclusive), mainly engaged in the research, development, production or service of high-tech products, with innovation capabilities and high growth potential, and having independent intellectual property rights.

Industry Classification Competition

For the sub-sectors of emerging industries and future industries, they will be organized and implemented by institutions with certain influence in the industry. This includes but is not limited to: brain-computer interfaces, silicon optics, future communications, brain-like systems, sensors, scientific instruments, innovative drugs, innovative medical devices, A1+ instruments, new fintech, smart agriculture and food, etc.

When participating in the regional competitions for the same project, one can choose to participate in only one specialized competition that suits the characteristics of the project.

Schedule Arrangement

The competition is divided into four rounds of advancement: the preliminary round, the semi-final round, the quarter-final round, and the final round.

The implementation time of the preliminary round: before the end of July 2026;

the implementation time of the semi-final round: August 2026;

the implementation time of the quarter-final round: September 2026;

the implementation time of the final round: October 2026.

Award Settings

Event Rewards

In the semi-finals, no more than 600 enterprise competition projects were selected and awarded the "Outstanding Award". Among them, the start-up enterprise group and the growing enterprise group were allocated in a ratio of 2:1.

In the final round, 150 enterprise competition projects were selected and awarded the "Enterprise Winning Award", and 100 team competition projects were awarded the "Team Winning Award".

Event Rights

(1) Innovation Fund Project Approval

According to the "Measures for the Management of Innovation Funds for Small and Medium-sized Technological Enterprises in Shanghai" (No. 7 of 2025 of Shanghai Science and Technology Regulations), for enterprises that meet the conditions for innovation fund support, the highest amount of fixed-amount funding will be provided based on the award level. The project approval qualification for the team group will be retained for 2 years after the award. During this period, if an enterprise is registered and established in the city (limited to the enterprise where the core team member ranks first as the actual controller) and obtains a 5 million yuan (inclusive) or higher angel round financing and the investment is in place, it can be given project approval support.

The same enterprise can only undertake one innovation fund support project within the same year.

(2) Project Landing Space Support

For projects that have advanced to the final round of the team group in the competition, a maximum of 6-month rent-free independent office or workstation will be provided; for the winning projects of each professional competition in the competition, a maximum of 3-month rent-free independent office or workstation will be provided; for the semi-final projects of the team group in the competition, a maximum of 3-month rent-free workstation will be provided.

(3) Special Priority Qualifications

The project can obtain the priority channel for recognition as a high-tech transformation project in Shanghai; the enterprise where the project is located can receive priority support from the雏鹰计划 of the University Students' Foundation； the enterprise (team) where the project is located can receive support in the form of scientific and technological vouchers in accordance with relevant regulations； the enterprise where the project is located can obtain the priority channel for recognition as a high-tech enterprise； the enterprise can directly enter the technology small giant project cultivation library； the core team of the winning project and the enterprise can be prioritized recommended for relevant talent programs.

(4) Science and Technology Finance Products

Qualified winning projects can receive exclusive rights support from the cooperating banks of the competition； they can obtain the green channels for scientific and technological assistance loans and technology performance loans. They can be preferentially recommended for connection with over 100 leading investment institutions and venture capital services；

(5) "Innovation Incubation Academy" Empowerment

Before the competition， conduct event interpretation； during the competition， provide services such as BP writing coaching workshops， empowerment-style "big lecture" courses， "Create Acceleration Camp" etc.， to provide guidance for projects at different competition stages and help competition enterprises and teams enhance their comprehensive competitiveness； after the competition， organize "Dream Salon"， conduct large and small enterprise integration and connection； "Future Stars - Founder Training Camp"， cultivate the efficient management knowledge and practical abilities of scientific and technological entrepreneurs；

(6) Comprehensive Promotion and Marketing

Through a multi-level and three-dimensional communication matrix， continuously expand the influence of the competition and empower outstanding projects， including exclusive interviews and reports， in-depth analysis of cases， industry resource promotion， participation in important activities such as the Pujiang Innovation Forum， Shanghai Science Festival， World Expo， and Industrial Expo， etc.， to effectively enhance the market exposure and brand value of enterprises.

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