WHY CHINA?

China is an enormous, rapidly expanding, and culturally distinct country compared to the United States. The vast majority of products everywhere are manufactured in China, and capital investment and technology adoption are the highest in the world. For startups, the landscape of opportunity is massive.

But we understand that approaching international markets is daunting and risky.

To help startups in the United States unlock new opportunities for growth, we’re facilitating vertical-specific programs to help founders engage with business owners, understand their goals, and forge partnerships abroad.

We’re able to offer exclusive access to China’s Tier-1 companies through our parent company, Legend Holdings.

About Legend:

Legend Holdings is one of the largest conglomerates in China with companies in industries including fintech, real estate, electronics, agriculture, and healthcare. Among its companies, Legend Holdings is the controlling shareholder of Lenovo, the world’s largest personal computer manufacturer. Legend Holdings has assisted many companies with accessing markets in China, including their most recent investment and partnership with WeWork.

To build on its vision for developing advanced technologies around the world, Legend Holdings created multiple investing arms including Legend Star, China’s leading early-stage venture capital fund. Legend Star manages $400M with over 40 employees and made over 200 investments including some of China’s most successful startups such as facial recognition company Face++ (Megvii) and self-driving car company Pony.ai. To further support founders, the Legend Star Union has hosted 10 years of CEO training classes with over 700 founders in their network to date.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Our intention with these programs is to facilitate in-person meetings to open up the dialogue that will start you down the road towards an effective partner or client relationship. We’ve already selected the partners so you can focus on the discussions that matter, with Comet Labs supporting you.

Each program is vertical-specific so that you’re only meeting with the businesses that are most relevant for your startup. Only a few startups will be selected for each program to maximize the interaction you’ll have with each company.

Simply put, these aren’t tours of Chinese companies. The goal is to enhance your business development. By the end of these programs, you’ll have several new partners or clear direction about what you need to do to get there.

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    APPLICATION FAQS

    Our programs in China are designed for startups looking to explore business opportunities and forge partnerships with new clients. They’re an exciting few weeks of high-intensity meetings with the goal of creating deals.

     

    Do I need to know about China before applying?

    Nope! That’s where Comet & Legend come in. We’re here to help you understand how business in China works, take care of the questions you might have, and accelerate your business development there.

    Will the program cost anything?

    It’s free! Comet will cover your travel and accommodations to make this as easy as possible for you.

    What kind of startups are you looking for?

    Each program will differ slightly by industry, but in general, we’re looking for startups with a machine learning or robotics application in a B2B setting. Ideally, you have a product or functional prototype currently being used in your local market, and you’re ready to test on a (much) larger scale.

    How many startups are you accepting?

    For now, because we want to maximize the productive use of your time, we’re only selecting 4 startups in each program.

    How long will the programs last?

    Your time is your most valuable resource. That’s why we’re packing as much activity as possible into a short timeframe. Each program will only require about a week in China.

    How do I apply?

    Check out the available programs above for more specific application info. If the program you want isn’t ready yet, sign up for updates from us!

    Applications for open programs are listed above. Find out more about how you can get involved!

    PROGRAMS

    Questions?

    Shoot us a note: hi@cometlabs.io