TechCrunch is Coming to Shenzhen, and You Could Win a Ticket!

By Sky Gidge, June 15, 2017

TechCrunch is coming to Shenzhen.

For anyone not in-the-know, TechCrunch is not the favored candy of Red-Bull-guzzling neckbeards, but a must-read website in the startup world – and the organizer behind the hallmark Hackathons and Disrupt events that keep the tech world abuzz.

So why Shenzhen? And why now?

Well, Shenzhen’s star has been on the rise for a few years, with Tim Cook stopping in for the 2nd Shenzhen Maker Week in October last year. And though TechCrunch has held events in Beijing and Shanghai in the past, Shenzhen offers something those cities don’t.

"Shanghai and Beijing are known for software – this one will be more hardware intensive," said James Sung, the founder of Shenzhen-based Zocus Strategic Marketing, an official partner of the event.

"Aside from the cliche that Shenzhen is the hardware capital of the world, there is a maker movement here that is spawning innovative trends," Sung said. “Every tech conference has some kind of startup area these days, but [TechCrunch's] Startup Alley for this event in Shenzhen is especially appropriate.”

Startup Alley at TechCrunch

The manufacturing prowess of Shenzhen has attracted all-star speakers like the co-founder of Ofo, the co-founder of Shenzhen-based HAX and the CTO of Meitu. (Find the rest of the main stage speakers here, and side stage speakers here.)

Benjamin Joffe, co-founder of HAX

The pomp of world-class speakers will be paired with more practical concerns. June 21 will see an ‘innovation tour’ around Shenzhen, offering a look at places where work is actually done.

A separate event will see entrepreneurs pitch their companies in a bid to win venture capital.

The conference will take place on Monday and Tuesday.

For more information, see our listing for the event.

WIN!

We're giving away a 2-day TechCrunch ticket valued at RMB3,999, granting access to the conference hall, the ‘start up alley' and the afterparty.

For a chance to win, message our WeChat account at 'ThatsShenzhen' explaining why you should win and including your email address, phone number, name and job title.

[Images via TechCrunch, Crunchbase.com]