Shanghai to Boost Tech Funding and Pre-Profit Listings

Shanghai is exploring dedicated funds to tackle “choke point” technologies and new channels for offshore yuan capital to invest in China’s tech board, while allowing pre-profit tech firms in AI and nuclear fusion to go public.

The municipal government will encourage the launch of dedicated funds focused on addressing “supply-chain gaps and breaking through ‘choke point’ technologies”.

The funds would pool investment from corporate investment arms of state-owned enterprises, government-backed funds and private investors to support companies developing critical technologies.

The city will also seek to attract offshore yuan capital to invest in the country’s domestic technology sector, through its Qualified Foreign Limited Partner programme, according to a government document released on Thursday. The city also plans to make it easier for established overseas fund managers to operate in Shanghai by streamlining approvals, easing foreign-exchange procedures and providing tax-compliance support.

On the public markets side, Shanghai will expand access for companies in sectors such as artificial intelligence and the low-altitude economy to list on the tech board before seeing profits, by introducing listing-review guidelines.

It will also encourage companies in emerging and future industries – including controlled nuclear fusion, embodied intelligence, large language models, quantum computing and brain-computer interfaces – to list on the exchange.

“We will make capital markets more accommodating and adaptable for unprofitable companies in cutting-edge technology sectors,” the Shanghai Municipal Financial Commission said in a statement.