The startup scene in China

Xiamen’s municipal area covers six districts: Siming, Huli, Jimei, Haicang, Tong’an, and Xiang’an; Xiamen Island proper is a smaller subarea of the municipality. The Xiamen Torch Development Zone dates to December 1990 and received national high-tech-zone approval in March 1991. Torch describes a manufacturing and electronics cluster that includes displays, computer and telecom equipment, power equipment, software and information services, integrated circuits, and LED, alongside newer activity in biomedicine, materials, and energy.

A local report dated August 24, 2026, characterizes Torch’s model as connecting technology transfer, incubation, and investment. It reports that two centers focused on optoelectronic displays and ocean hydrogen had engaged more than 70 universities and screened nearly 450 projects; the same report describes a display supply chain of more than 2,000 companies. These figures are reported by the local source.

Examples in the same local reporting include Guangxin Liangxian (Xiamen), a display venture founded by a Tianjin University research team, which was reported to have passed pilot validation and entered small-batch trials in Xiamen by August 24, 2026. The report also describes Xiamen Squirrel Precision’s HCG50 six-axis five-linkage optical grinding center as having received BYD recognition and completed an initial export batch. Xingrong Xinyuan, which develops sodium-ion battery cathode material, was reported to have begun its project in 2019 and reached first commercialization in the second half of 2025.

Xiamen University’s Institute of Industrial Technology, established in April 2013, describes support for research commercialization through pilot scale-up, engineering and process development, and a university science-park incubator. Xiamen Gaoxin Investment describes itself as a Torch Zone state-owned venture investor focused on hard technology and reports approximately RMB 2 billion in managed funds. Its official site provides a business-plan submission form and says submissions may be reviewed and selected companies referred to roadshows, without guaranteeing selection. Current application or investment availability is not established here.