Startups stand to gain as Chengdu woos venture capitalists, researchers

Beijing

HOLED up in a shiny glass building in the Chinese city of Chengdu, Y James Kang spends his days researching ways to repair damaged hearts, livers and brains - with the help of stem cells and 3D printers.

The Chinese-born and US-trained biologist set up his healthcare startup, Revotek, in this south-western city in 2014. At the time, he was attracted by the region's rich local supply of monkeys that were ideal for testing human treatments. In Chengdu, the company has drawn 215 million yuan (S$45 million) in funding from a local property company seeking to diversify.