SBC China and PwC Launch Chengdu Digital Health Startup Accelerator

On December 16, the “Entrepreneurial Tianfu · Jingrong Innovation Sharing Session – Digital Health International Summit,” hosted by SBC China, grandly opened at the SBC China International Innovation Space. National-level technology business incubator Tianfu New Valley, SBC (Europe’s largest startup accelerator), PwC China, renowned hospitals, and various investment institutions attended the event, focusing on frontier topics in digital health and discussing the current status and trends of the industry’s international development. At the summit, SBC China officially launched the Chengdu Digital Health Startup Accelerator program. Meanwhile, SBC China signed a strategic cooperation agreement with PwC China, kicking offSBC·China-Chengdu Digital Health Startup Accelerator Applications Now OpenSBC China: A New Chapter in Development.

Strong Alliance,SBCChina and PwC Join Forces in Major Move

Wang Mingxin, Chairman of Chengdu Xingu Group and Co-founder of SBC ChinaCarsten Kølbek, Huang Jia, Chief Partner of PwC China Shanghai, and Steven Tong, CEO of SBC China, jointly launched the Chengdu Digital Health Startup Accelerator, unveiling the beginning of SBC China’s development.

At the conference,SBCChina and PwC China Officially Sign Strategic Cooperation Agreement.Strategic Cooperation Between the Two PartiesIt is a collaboration between two strong partners, leveraging complementary advantages.The collaboration will focus on the exploration and cultivation of innovation and entrepreneurship technologies, talent, and business models, aiming to promote innovative development in industries such as digital health, fintech, smart transportation, and smart cities.To attract superior talent and provide broader services.

SBC also used this signing to signal a powerful alliance between China and top-tier global professional service firms. “The strategic partnership with PwC will accelerate the incubation of more high-quality projects. In the future, PwC will provide world-class professional consulting and services to teams selected by SBC China.”

Huang Jia, Managing Partner of PwC China’s Central Region Market and Senior Partner in Shanghai, delivered a keynote speech, stating, “This collaboration will maximize the respective strengths of both PwC and SBC. PwC’s strong market position and influence in China will greatly benefit international startup teams entering the SBC Startup Accelerator. Meanwhile, PwC’s extensive international resources can also help Chinese startup teams expand into global markets.”

Greater Focus on Quality: How SBC Differs from Chinese Accelerators

Carsten Kølbek, Founder of SBC and Co-Founder of SBC China, Introduces SBC’s Global Footprint

Startupbootcamp (SBC) is a globally leading, Europe’s top-ranked vertical-focused startup accelerator, boasting extensive operational expertise and broad industry resources. Currently, SBC operates 16 acceleration programs worldwide. Since 2010, 345 startup teams have successfully graduated from its programs, with 73% securing investment, amounting to approximately RMB 1.3 billion in total funding. Introducing SBC’s operating model, founder Carsten stated, “Our operating model differs from accelerators in China. We selectively accelerate only the top 1%–2% of outstanding startups among applicants. We prioritize quality over quantity. We build a specialized and robust partner ecosystem around a specific vertical domain, including mentors and investors, to help startups achieve rapid growth.”

SBC·China CEO Steven Tong – Outlining SBC China

In April 2016, SBC entered the Chinese market for the first time by signing a cooperation agreement with Tianfu New Valley, a national-level technology business incubator, and officially establishing SBC China. This initiative aims to organically integrate advanced international models with local advantageous resources to build China’s highest-quality startup accelerator. With Chengdu as its inaugural base, SBC China leverages the city’s competitive advantages and industrial logic to launch digital health acceleration programs, creating synergies with SBC’s digital health initiatives in Miami and Berlin.

Regarding why SBC China’s first accelerator was established in Chengdu, Feng Jinyue, Chief Operating Officer for the Chengdu region at SBC, stated, “Based on our company’s development plans and market research, we believe that Chengdu offers substantial growth potential in the digital health sector. We also recognize that Chengdu has set building itself into a national central city as its current development goal. This urban branding initiative, vigorously promoted by the local government, is certain to attract startups and entrepreneurial talent from around the world to establish themselves in Chengdu. Our presence here will help accelerate the growth of more outstanding startup projects.”

SBC China not only provides free co-working spaces, substantial seed funding, and a comprehensive support team, but also connects startups with industry resources and mentors to unlock opportunities in the sector.

Over the next three years, SBC China will establish dozens of startup accelerators in innovation hubs such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, focusing on each city’s areas of strength to build an international entrepreneurial ecosystem.