EYESHENZHEN  /   Business  /   Entrepreneurs

Entrepreneur to help more HKers realize dreams

Writer: Chang Zhipeng  |  Editor: Stephanie Yang  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2021-09-08

Chan Yun-Fu, a Hong Kong entrepreneur at the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub (E-Hub), said he aims to help more young Hong Kong entrepreneurs who seek business opportunities on the mainland with the services of the incubator he manages.

Chan Yun-fu poses for a photo beside an unmanned aircraft during a study tour. Courtesy of the interviewee

Currently, Chan is operating his company Qianhai FC Studio (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. at the Greater Bay Area Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (YIE) of the nonprofit Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Association in the second development phase of the E-Hub.

Chan said that Shenzhen is known for its innovation and entrepreneur-friendly environment, adding that “Qianhai offers various, comprehensive supportive policies for young entrepreneurs, especially for those who are from Hong Kong.”

In 2019, Chan won an entrepreneurial incubation program in Qianhai and received about HK$150,000 (US$19,290) in entrepreneurial subsidies. He also got an office space free of charge and a subsidy of 60,000 yuan (US$9,293) and 10,000 yuan respectively from Qianhai Authority and the city’s human resources and social security bureau for establishing a company in Qianhai. In addition, some other subsidies and allowances covering Chan’s various costs also helped him alleviate financial pressure. He said it would be impossible for him to obtain the fund he needed to establish his own company without the subsidies.

Since settling his company in Qianhai in 2020, Chan’s company has realized fast and steady growth. The Hard Lion — a cultural intellectual property he created — has obtained a patent certification issued by the China National Intellectual Property Administration and he has established cooperation relationships with several offline sales channels such as the Easyread book bar. Chan said he is also devoting himself to psychology education and the promotion of the cultural and creative industries through cooperation using his cultural products.

Chan arrived in Shenzhen as early as 2015 for career development, believing in the mainland market’s immense potential.

“I already made up my mind to pursue my career on the mainland before joining a project in Georgia [the U.S.], as I believed the mainland has a great economic growth potential,” he said.

Chan worked on the branding and marketing for three companies after relocating to Shenzhen. In December last year, Chan became deputy general manager of the YIE, helping more young Hong Kong entrepreneurs like him realize their dreams.

So far, 56 startups from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan have been incubated at the YIE, with about 30 from Hong Kong.

Chan said he wants to try to narrow the cultural and ideological differences between Hong Kong and the mainland through his efforts, letting more young Hong Kong people better understand and participate in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area construction.

“I wish to match the abilities of young Hongkongers with the needs of Qianhai, Shenzhen and the Greater Bay Area,” he said.