Unique Research · Event signup · March 7, 2024
HICOOL Global Entrepreneur Summit & Entrepreneurship Contest is among China’s leading comprehensive international talent events centered on a domestic+overseas founders contest, with strong Beijing municipal support. Since 2020 it has built a “six-in-one” service stack — contest/summit, concierge, business school, industrial park, fund, digital platform — attracting 16,765 projects and 22,301 founders from 133 countries/regions.
Unique Capital is an official partner. Projects that register via Unique’s recommendation receive Unique’s professional pre-contest pitch coaching. Below is the organizing committee’s official contest brief (facts preserved).
2024 basics
- Recruiting open; signup deadline April 15, 2024
- Stages: online prelim → preliminary → semi-final → final
- Indicative calendar: signup by Apr 15 → Apr–May online prelim → May–Jun preliminary → Jul semi → Jul final → Aug awards
- 7 industry tracks: AI / VR / fintech; next-gen IT; high-end equipment; pharma & health; new energy / new materials / energy-saving & environmental; agri-tech / food-tech; cultural creativity
- 7 regions: China; Asia (ex-mainland, incl. HK/Macao/Taiwan); Europe; North America; South America; Africa; Oceania
- Overseas vs Domestic groups — run in parallel with separate advancement/award slots; overseas group requires overseas experience per rules
- Maker vs Growth stages — Maker: not yet Beijing-registered, or registered on/after Jan 1, 2024; Growth: Beijing-registered Jan 1, 2014 – Dec 31, 2023. Different scoring weights; advancement balances both stages
Eligibility (high level)
Individual or team (≤3); one project per person; Beijing company (if any) founded on/after Jan 1, 2014; not a listed company (NEEQ excepted); no major credit/crime issues; IP clear; winners must pay Beijing social security + IIT before claiming awards. Overseas group: overseas degree or ≥1 year overseas study/work/startup, return ≤10 years (after Jan 1, 2014); equity thresholds (individual ≥30% first natural-person founder; team combined ≥50% with each ≥5%). Domestic group: no overseas-experience requirement; individual ≥20%; team combined ≥30%. Restricted: prior Beijing municipal talent-plan awardees who took rewards; prior HICOOL 1st–3rd / excellence winners; prior Beijing returned-scholar startup grant recipients may compete for 1st–3rd but not excellence.
Awards
- 140 award slots: 7×1st ¥2M/project; 21×2nd ¥1M; 42×3rd ¥500k; 70×excellence ¥200k — bonuses IIT-exempt
- Also: Beijing hukou priority (CN winners + spouse/minors); school placement; designated hospitals; overseas-group 1st–3rd extras (2–5 yr residence / permanent residency path; “one old one young” medical insurance for unemployed foreign spouse / under-16 kids; duty-free small research imports)
- Annual prize pool ~¥100M; 28 “Bole” awards; HICOOL fund direct investment; free summit exhibition booths; top-investor / research / Fortune 500 matchmaking; incubators/accelerators/parks; media push
2 CN images; attach on ingest. Register via Unique channel for pitch coaching — no URL invented.
— END —