A delegation of hardware startups from the Edinburgh based tech accelerator, Seed Haus, is travelling to China to enhance ties with manufacturers and suppliers in the world’s electronics capital, Shenzhen.
The city has grown rapidly and is widely regarded as being the world-leading home of electronics innovation with a strong pedigree across advanced manufacturing, robotics, and artificial intelligence.
The inaugural Seed Haus startup trip to Shenzhen will see the likes of robotics company, Casta Spes Technology, and social impact electronics firm Power a Life, enhance relationships with key partners on the ground.
“This trip will provide us with key insight into the growing technology and manufacturing hub of Shenzhen,” said Selby Cary, chief executive of Casta Spes Technologies. “By purchasing the newest high-quality components from the source, and making actionable supplier contacts, we will accelerate our product development considerably”.
Shenzhen has a complete ecosystem that contains everything needed for all stages of electronics production all in one place. This has turned the city into a staging ground for large high-tech companies, rising startups, and independent innovators from all over the world looking to get their products made as efficiently as possible.
The cities of Shenzhen and Edinburgh signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2013 which aimed to provide reciprocal support for incubation spaces in each cities. The Seed Haus startups will look to take advantage of on-the-ground support afforded as a result of this initiative.
Calum Forsyth, chief executive of Seed Haus commented: “We firmly believe that our portfolio companies need to be thinking globally. It’s fantastic to see the startups taking the initiative and making the trip out to Shenzhen. The established relationship already in place as part of the Edinburgh-Shenzhen linkage are invaluable here and the startups will be sure to take advantage of this setup”.
Seed Haus’ startups are already making tentative plans for a second trip later this year.