Inside China’s
Deep-Tech Machine
A high-intensity immersion for venture investors and innovation leaders: frontier founders, hardware ecosystems, factory floors, and the policy makers behind China's technological rise.
Our last deep-tech expedition, by the numbers
For investors and builders
who need to see it first-hand
Not polished company presentations. Direct exposure to the operational logic, policy context and people behind China's tech rise. Intellectually demanding, not touristic.
Who it's for
Venture capital and growth investors, corporate venture and innovation teams, deep-tech founders and CTOs who need an unfiltered view of China's technology ecosystem.
The typical ask
A high-intensity immersion into the companies, founders, factories, incubators and policy makers shaping China's technology, in both its polished and its gritty sides.
The goal
Challenge outdated assumptions, spot investment and partnership opportunities, and build a lasting network across China's frontier-tech ecosystem.
Decision-makers shaping
China’s technology landscape
Every expedition is built around the people you need in the room. Companies our deep-tech delegations have met, or that we can add to your route:
Qwen AI model team
Global cloud & AI business unit
Brain-computer interfaces
Autonomous aerial vehicles
Car factory & plant management
Humanoid robots
Computer vision & AI
EVs, batteries & vertical integration
Legged & humanoid robots
Quadruped robots
Drones & imaging hardware
Startup incubator & founder sessions
A sample route & sessions
Pearl River Delta → Yangtze River Delta. From hardware to platforms to policy. This is an example from a past expedition. Every bespoke route is designed around your own agenda.
Pearl River Delta
- ShenzhenCompany visit: EHang
- ShenzhenCompany visit: GAC car factory
- ShenzhenCompany visit: Tencent
- Factory visitPCB electronics manufacturing, with situational interpreter & technical guide
- HuaqiangbeiHalf-day technical immersion + workshop: build your own iPhone
- Tencent WeStartIncubator visit · 4 founder meetings
- Plug and PlayIncubator visit · 2 founder meetings
- Innovation tourRobotics, drones, self-driving cars · Li Auto store · unmanned Tmall store
- BaishizhouUrban village visit
Yangtze River Delta
- HangzhouCompany visit: BrainCo
- HangzhouCompany visit: Alibaba
- HangzhouRobot Experience Centre
- ShanghaiForeign tech entrepreneur discussion
- ShanghaiMayor meeting + Hongqiao CBD incubator visit
Signature moments
Inside the ecosystem, not in front of it.
EHang's air-taxi showroom
Step inside the passenger-grade autonomous aircraft programme and talk international expansion with EHang's team.
Robots built for real work
See humanoid robots trained for factory and logistics tasks, and discuss deployment and scale with the engineers behind them.
Tencent Cloud International
A walkthrough of Tencent's global cloud and AI infrastructure with its international business unit.
What strategic advantages is China developing that Western tech ecosystems still underestimate?
China cannot be understood remotely. Expeditions compress years of fragmented learning into days of direct operational insight.
Strategic outcomes
Policy first-hand intelligence
- Shanghai Jing'an District Mayor meeting
- Understanding of government policy for FDI and local innovation support
- Connected to 3 incubators across the visited regions
- Feedback from foreign tech founders in relevant industries in Shanghai
Hardware prototyping capability
- Awareness of the sourcing process in China
- Contacts in PCB and consumer electronics aligned with sourcing interests
- Technical guide contact for prototyping
- Contacts in electronics quality control
- Understanding of sourcing negotiation dynamics
Insider access to local tech startups
- Access to seed-stage startup founders
- Contacts in Series A startups in Shenzhen
- Access to founders from leading Chinese AI and robotics startups
On the ground with
previous delegations
Real moments from recent Gate Kaizen delegations. Tap any photo to view it full screen.
Built around your agenda
Strategic brief
We map your objectives, target sectors, companies and the decisions the trip has to inform.
Tailored agenda
We pre-screen and schedule the companies, decision-makers, factories and partners that match your brief.
On the ground
Senior bilingual guides, technical interpreters and all logistics handled, so your team can focus on the meetings.
Follow-through
Verified contacts, structured takeaways and introductions to keep the relationships moving afterwards.
Designed for
- Venture capital & growth investors
- Corporate venture & innovation teams
- Deep-tech, AI & robotics founders
- CTOs and hardware product leaders
What is included
- Accommodation (4★ hotels, with breakfast)
- Domestic transport (high-speed trains, flights, vans)
- Corporate visits & official briefings
- Senior bilingual guides, technical & situational interpreters
- Meetings, workshops, and B2B matchmaking
- Welcome & closing dinners + scheduled meals
- Visa invitation letter & on-arrival assistance
- Travel insurance coverage, SIM & communications
- International flights
- Personal extra meals and expenses
- Visa costs (when applicable)
Explore other use cases
Alberto Díaz
Founder & Expedition LeadWith years of on-the-ground expertise in the Chinese business ecosystem, Alberto opens doors rather than just planning itineraries. Every bespoke expedition is built personally around the client’s strategic agenda.
Connect on LinkedIn →Institutional & B2B partnerships
Partner with Gate Kaizen to offer high-value, co-branded learning expeditions to your members.
Frequently asked questions
Deep-tech delegations have met or can add companies such as Alibaba (Qwen AI team), Tencent Cloud International, BrainCo, EHang, GAC, UBTECH Robotics, SenseTime, BYD, Unitree Robotics, DEEP Robotics, DJI and Plug and Play China, plus founders at incubators such as Tencent WeStart.
A typical route runs from the Pearl River Delta (Shenzhen: hardware, frontier tech and startups) to the Yangtze River Delta (Hangzhou: platforms, AI and robotics; Shanghai: policy, founders and incubators). Every route is designed around your agenda.
Yes. Past routes included the GAC car factory, a PCB electronics manufacturing visit with a technical guide, a Huaqiangbei hardware workshop and the Hangzhou Robot Experience Centre.
Yes. Our last deep-tech expedition included a meeting with the Shanghai Jing’an District Mayor and a briefing on government policy for FDI and local innovation support.
Yes. It is designed for venture capital and growth investors, corporate venture and innovation teams, deep-tech, AI and robotics founders, and CTOs and hardware product leaders.
Verified contacts, structured takeaways and introductions to keep the relationships moving after the expedition.
Let’s design your expedition
Answer a few quick questions and our team will come back to you with a first route proposal for your group.
hello@gatekaizen.comCross the Gate into China
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