Beijing Women's Federation

The China Final of the 2021 She Loves Tech startup competition for women was held online. [Beijing Women's International Center]

The China final of the fifth She Loves Tech Global Startup Competition 2021 was successfully held online on October 23 under the guidance of the Beijing Women's Federation (BWF). With the theme "SheTechsCharge," the competition aims to showcase the leading role women can play in science and technology and inspire more women in sci-tech innovation.

The competition covered more than 50 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, with 25 sub-station contests and more than 3,000 teams from various countries participating. After the roadshow, oral defense and other tests, Meridian Medical Network Corp., a company providing a full-range intelligent medical services, won the China final and will participate in the global finals in December with the winning teams of the sub-stations.

The startup projects selected for the China final covered the fields of healthcare, biology, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development. The sci-tech projects were largely concerned with creating social value. First, the projects' sci-tech innovation achievements are more inclusive, which reduces costs and maximizes the vision of "science makes life better." For example, a company provides early diagnosis and precise medical solutions for complex diseases based on big data to achieve early prevention and early detection and treatment; home healthcare services are intended to help the elderly living alone and to meet the challenges of an aging society; and the independently-developed robots can help solve the difficulty in getting affordable medical service.

Second, innovation supports sustainable development and contributes to the construction of an economic system featuring green, low-carbon and circular development. For example, some projects use biodegradation technology to provide environmentally-friendly children's tableware with no plasticizers or heavy metals. And some provide one-stop service solutions for electric bicycles to support green travel. Third, the entrepreneurial teams use international vision to actively explore overseas markets, injecting new momentum for domestic and international development. For example, some provide take-out services in the African market, using the Chinese model for localized operation, and some provide 24-hour convenient tax refund services to attract consumption in international tourism.

Tan Hong, Vice-President of the BWF, said in the opening speech that the competition has become the world's largest startup competition for women and technology after years of support from the BWF, and has been incorporated into the Women's Action in Scientific and Technological Innovation—Beijing Action as an important platform for female sci-tech talents. The competition will continue to leverage its international and professional advantages to help the development of Beijing as an international center for scientific and technological innovation and provide a more open and dynamic development space for women around the world in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Some experts and scholars in the field of science and technology, executives from sci-tech companies and famous investors were invited to share their views on the theme of SheTechsCharge. Ge Yue, Vice President and Managing Director of Greater China at Apple, shared the importance of a diverse and inclusive culture to promote women's full potential in science and technology. Zhang Haixia, a professor at School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University, talked about how she created the International Contest of Innovation (iCAN) and the iCANX technology platform to convey the power of women in technology and innovation to the world. Shang Rong, Vice President of Communications & Government Affairs at Microsoft Asia-Pacific Research and Development Group, and Jiang Yan, Chief Sustainability Officer of CGP Investment, discussed how sustainable investment could play a role in promoting gender equality in STEM.

The judges of the China final came from Beijing Qichen Investment Management Co., Microsoft Accelerator, Z-Innoway, Plug and Play China (an investment company), Taijia Fund (a women's impact venture capital fund), and Qihoo 360 University, which reflected that the venture capital community attaches great importance and support to women's technological innovation and entrepreneurship. Beijing Science and Technology Development and Exchange Center, Beijing Women Professors Association, and Beijing Women Architects Association, Beijing Women's Association for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan Compatriots and Overseas Chinese, and Beijing Youth Science and Technology Innovation Institute also supported the competition.