One-stop shop to help startups break into China

Singapore

SINGAPORE startups contemplating a foray into China now have what is believed to be a first-of-a-kind opportunity to hobnob with, and learn from, some of China's most influential founders and investors - through VentureCraft, a S$4 million initiative launched this month to help startups expand into overseas growth markets.

Among the big-league names are Sun Tongyu, a founder of Alibaba and ex-president of Taobao; Cai Wensheng, one of China's top angel investors and executive chairman of Xiamen Meitu Technology; and Zhong Xinghua, managing partner at Shanghai venture-capital firm, Healthy Capital. They are shareholders in Singapore HealthTech (SHT), the private investment company behind VentureCraft, and can offer their localised expertise, mentorship and contacts to help Singapore startups navigate the huge, lucrative Chinese market, said Isaac Ho, managing partner of SHT.