From Zero to One
in China
A market-entry expedition for family offices and investors launching a business in China: retail channels, platforms, state-owned partners and operational providers, mapped and pre-qualified.
Our last market-entry expedition, by the numbers
For investors building
a China operation from zero
A complete 360° view of your category's ecosystem, plus the commercial, operational and institutional stakeholders you need to launch.
Who it's for
Family offices, private investors and brand owners launching a new business in China, and boards that want to validate a market entry before committing capital.
The typical ask
A structured route through your category's retail and distribution channels, e-commerce platforms, state-owned partners, distributors and operational service providers.
The goal
A mapped network of pre-qualified partners and a realistic market-entry roadmap, with direct access to the people and channels you need.
Every stakeholder
a launch depends on
From shelf to platform to institutional partner. Organisations our market-entry delegations are introduced to:
Category manager
Category manager
Maternity & baby retail
Maternity & baby retail
B2C category managers
Influencer strategy & acquisition
B2C & cross-border channels
Brand launch & live commerce
Peer visit: imported infant nutrition
Trade fair: distributors & channel partners
Institutional market-access support
Market-entry guidance for EU companies
A sample route & sessions
Across the Yangtze River Delta: platforms, retail, state partners and the providers that keep the operation running. This is an example from a past expedition. Every bespoke route is designed around your own agenda.
Platforms & retail
- ShanghaiCompany visit: Xiaohongshu (RedNote)
- HangzhouCompany visit: Alibaba
- ShanghaiTrade fair: guided participation
- Point of saleBabeMax (Aiyingshi)
- Point of saleHema category manager
- Point of saleMetro category manager
Institutions & operations
- SOENongken Group Shanghai
- SOELanxin Group Shanghai
- NanjingPoint of sale: Kidswant
- PartnersWarehousing and accounting service providers
Signature moments
Inside the ecosystem, not in front of it.
In front of the buyers
Category teams at Hema, Metro, Kidswant and BabeMax give direct feedback on product-market fit, packaging and localisation.
Guided participation
Navigate a major trade fair with us to meet distributors and channel partners you'd struggle to reach alone.
Structure to operate
Meet pre-qualified warehousing, 4PL, accounting and legal partners, and get clear guidance on company setup and compliance.
Which distribution channels, partners and operational structures are actually required to scale successfully in China?
China cannot be understood remotely. Expeditions compress years of fragmented learning into days of direct operational insight.
Strategic outcomes
Platform & category insights
- Meetings with Tmall Supermarket and B2C baby-food managers
- Category performance, competitors and pricing
- Xiaohongshu guidance on influencer strategy, budgets and acquisition
- How Chinese parents evaluate premium imported brands
- Platform algorithms, promotions and retail visibility
Distribution access
- Meetings with Hema, Metro, Kidswant and BabeMax category teams
- Retail feedback on product-market fit, packaging and localisation
- Insights into trading terms, promotions and retail negotiations
- Exposure to maternity and infant consumer trends
Strategic network
- Access to distributors and channel partners via trade fairs
- Access to SOEs and institutional stakeholders
- Insights into welfare, gifting and Tier-2 channels
- OEM negotiation and partnership guidance
- A market-entry roadmap grounded in local intelligence
Market readiness
- Introductions to warehousing, 4PL, accounting and legal partners
- Guidance on company setup, compliance and operations
- Understanding of logistics, inventory and China retail operations
- Identification of pre-qualified long-term operational partners
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
- Family offices and private investors
- Founders launching a new China operation
- Premium FMCG and infant-nutrition brands
- Boards validating a China entry before committing capital
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
Selected use cases. See how four bespoke expeditions were built: the client’s ask, the route and sessions, and the goal behind each programme.
Download Use Cases (PDF)
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
Family offices, private investors and brand owners launching a new business in China, and boards that want to validate a market entry before committing capital.
Retail category teams (Hema, Metro, Kidswant, BabeMax), e-commerce platforms (Alibaba Tmall Supermarket, JD.com, Douyin, Xiaohongshu), state-owned enterprises, distributors and channel partners at trade fairs, and institutions such as ICEX and the EU SME Centre.
We introduce pre-qualified warehousing, 4PL, accounting and legal partners and give guidance on company setup, compliance and operations. Gate Kaizen’s China services can support execution afterwards.
A typical route covers Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing in the Yangtze River Delta, and can include Beijing. Every route is designed around your agenda.
Fully. We start from a strategic brief and pre-screen and schedule the retailers, platforms, partners and decision-makers that match your category and goals.
Verified contacts, structured takeaways and introductions to keep the relationships moving, plus a market-entry roadmap grounded in local intelligence.
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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