Central Asian startups should study the Chinese market in advance, as it opens up opportunities for equipment development, investment attraction, and international scaling. This was stated by Lazzat Borankulova, founder and CEO of Khan Tengri Innovation Hub, in a podcast during ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026. The hub, established in Shanghai with the support of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, helps regional companies enter China and also operates in Beijing, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and Hong Kong.
According to Borankulova, China has long ceased to be just a manufacturing site: over the past decade, the country has made significant progress in IT and innovation. State-owned technology parks assist foreign startups with registration, funding, and access to computing resources. The choice of city depends on the project's specialization: Shanghai focuses on robotics and AI, Shenzhen on equipment, telecommunications, and drones, while Hong Kong is suitable for attracting capital and creating holding structures.
The expert highlighted three operating models: combining Central Asian developers' software with Chinese hardware, manufacturing proprietary devices in China, and entering the local market through partners and their sales channels. Products need to be adapted to the local digital ecosystem, where some familiar foreign services are unavailable. She named medical technologies, new materials and energy, robotics, industrial AI, agritech, and blockchain as the most promising directions. Competition is higher in e-commerce and fintech, but opportunities remain in niche solutions and products under local company brands.