Shenzhen Nanshan Professor Startups Head for Hong Kong IPOs as Kuawei Raises RMB 1 Billion

Professor-entrepreneurs from Hong Kong universities in Shenzhen's Nanshan district are moving rapidly toward the capital markets. Kuawei Intelligence recently completed a RMB 1 billion Series B round, reaching a post-investment valuation exceeding RMB 10 billion, and plans to list in Hong Kong. Founded in 2021 by Jia Kui, a tenured professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, the company focuses on embodied intelligence, has delivered more than 1,000 projects, and counts Midea, GAC and Zoomlion among its clients. In the first half of 2026, Kuawei generated revenue of RMB 100 million, with a full-year target of RMB 300 million.

SmartMore filed its listing application with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in March 2026. The company was founded in 2019 by Jia Jiaya, a chair professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Headquartered in Hong Kong, with its R&D center and factory in Shenzhen, SmartMore focuses on smart manufacturing and industrial AI. SmartMore has completed seven funding rounds, raising approximately US$565 million in total, and was valued at US$1.23 billion after its latest round.

Professor-incubated and professor-invested companies are also entering the capital markets. In February 2026, Shenzhen warehouse robotics company Hai Robotics filed with the HKEX, having received early support from HKUST professors Li Zexiang and Gao Bingqiang. Another robotics company, Benmo Power, has passed the HKEX listing hearing; its founder, Zhang Di, studied under Li Zexiang. Coolchip Micro, an early investment of Gao Bingqiang, has also initiated its IPO process.

The roster of professor-founded companies in Nanshan continues to expand. Yuanhua Intelligent, established in 2018, was co-founded by Meng Qinghu, a former professor and department head of electronic engineering at The Chinese University of Hong Kong; the company developed the first HX self-developed robotic-arm orthopedic surgery robot. Surgery robot company Conasteen, founded by CUHK professor Ou Guowei, has raised nearly RMB 2 billion over the past year.

In early July, the X-Day Xili Lake Roadshow held a Hong Kong tech special session at Shenzhen University Town, featuring six projects with Hong Kong university backgrounds spanning new energy, display materials, robotics, digital sports, smart airports and healthcare. Since its launch, X-Day has held 18 themed roadshows, attracting more than 520 project registrations. Fifty-three companies have received equity investment exceeding RMB 2.096 billion, 32 companies have obtained bank credit exceeding RMB 1.145 billion, and eight external projects have established entities in Nanshan.

The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Hong Kong Baptist University all maintain presences in Shenzhen, shortening the distance between university research and industrial sites.