- City backs AI, humanoid robotics and semiconductor ventures with subsidies
- Program revives Hangzhou’s startup incubation push for deep-tech companies
Hangzhou has formally recognized 106 early-stage technology companies under its “New Eagle” startup program, as the Chinese tech hub ramps up support for industries including AI, humanoid robotics and advanced semiconductors.
The final list for the 2025 cohort was completed this month following a preliminary announcement and public notice period that begin on April 14, according to local authorities.
Selected companies span sectors including general AI, brain-inspired computing, synthetic biology, low-altitude aviation and frontier chip technologies.
To qualify, companies were required to meet a series of technical and financial thresholds, including maintaining research staff at no less than 20% of total employees, allocating at least 10% of revenue to research and development, and holding at least three core intellectual property assets.
Largest concentrations
The largest concentrations of selected firms came from Hangzhou’s Xihu, Binjiang, Yuhang and Xiaoshan districts.
Xihu district included robotics-focused startups, such as Westlake Robotics (西湖机器人) and PhibotNacci (西湖交互) incubated from the WestLake University innovation ecosystem, while Binjiang saw brain-computer interface developer Cereblink (博灵脑机) make the list.
Xiaoshan entrants included Molar Intelligence (整数智能), while Yuhang recorded the largest number of recognized firms, including AI chip and new-energy startups such as NineData (玖章算术) and Carbon One New Energy (碳一新能源).
The “New Eagle” initiative was introduced in September 2024, when Hangzhou’s Science and Technology Bureau released new management measures aimed at supporting technically capable startups during their earliest growth phase. The policy formally took effect in October that year.
Cash rewards, R&D subsidies and more
Under the program, newly recognized companies can receive up to 500,000 yuan ($73,690) in initial awards. They are also eligible for R&D subsidies of as much as 3 million yuan and technology insurance premium subsidies covering up to 50% of costs, capped at 500,000 yuan per company.
Participating firms will also gain access to startup training programs, shared scientific research infrastructure and Hangzhou’s broader tiered technology incubation system.
The initiative forms part of Hangzhou’s wider strategy to build a long-term pipeline for deep-tech startups, guiding companies from laboratory research into commercial deployment through staged policy support.
By 2027, the city aims to cultivate a cumulative total of 300 “New Eagle” companies.
Origins of the ‘Eagles’
The program also revives elements of Hangzhou’s earlier “Eagle Plan,” launched in 2010 to foster technology startups over a five-year period.
By the end of 2014, the city had recognized 997 “Eagle” enterprises, nearly reaching its original target of 1,000 firms.
