Building Bridges Between China and Europe

The Asia Growth Exchange (AGX), an initiative focused on fostering collaboration and driving cross-border commerce between European and Asian businesses, continues to gain momentum. Supported by Ventech China, an Asia-focused venture capital actively facilitates inbound and outbound opportunities while enabling Chinese innovation to thrive globally.

The series brings together industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers to explore strategies for to explore strategies for adapting to the dynamic business ecosystems of China and Europe.

Kicking Off in Munich: Lessons from the “Think & Do Tank”

The AGX Q4 roadshow in Europe began with a “Think & Do Tank” in Munich on 19th November, hosted in partnership with Excubate Corporate Startups; this event brought together approximately 20 participants, including representatives from Henkel, HCL, Zeiss, Infineon Technologies, KUKA, and others, to explore the Germany-China business dynamic, contrasting Germany’s engineering precision and stability with China’s speed and agility. Participants distilled years of cross-border experience into four key principles for navigating this evolving landscape:

1. Go where it hurts.
2. Don’t make everyone happy.
3. Incentivize for performance.
4. Have a plan to clean up when things go wrong.

This event highlighted how German companies can blend their strengths with China’s operational agility to develop transformative strategies and seize new market opportunities.

Scaling Up in Zurich: Exploring E-Commerce and Mobility Opportunities

Following Munich, on 21st November, the Zurich event, AGX partnered locally with the Swiss-Chinese Association (https://schweiz-china.ch/) 瑞中协会, to convene over 40 participants, including representatives from On, AGCO Corporation, Helvetia?Group, Asia Society, Pacojet, SIG Group, JP Morgan, and others. The focus shifted to examining China’s expanding impact on European markets through technological advancements, consumer trends, and e-commerce innovation.

Key topics included:

• E-Commerce Disruption: Bianca Pestalozzi-Houchangnia, GM EMEA at On, discussed the rise of platforms like Douyin (China’s TikTok), revolutionizing online shopping through live-streaming and content-driven models.
• Supply Chain Innovation: Alexandra Scherrer of Carpathia AG explained how platforms like Temu use consumer-to-manufacturer (C2M) models to streamline supply chains and reduce costs.
• EV Leadership: Dr. Daniel Kirchert highlighted how China’s advancements in EV technology are setting global benchmarks, with opportunities for European companies to collaborate on decarbonization and sustainability goals.

Bridging Europe and China for Mutual Growth

Both the Munich and Zurich events emphasized that China is a crucial market for European businesses. Ventech China, a key supporter of AGX, is committed to helping foreign brands navigate the complexities of entering China. It leverages its deep market insights and networks to unlock growth opportunities.