Starting a business a 'treacherous journey'

The road to entrepreneurship is often treacherous, with numerous unforeseen detours.

That's what 27-year-old Hong Kong-based entrepreneur Wiva Wei Jiajun found in his foray into Chinese mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

He said that helping Hong Kong's young would-be entrepreneurs, who seek opportunities in the Greater Bay Area but lack information and connections, is vital for startups on the mainland.

"Starting from scratch on your own is a far cry from that of starting with guidance and comprehensive information," Wei said.

After graduating from the University of Hong Kong, Wei and a friend set up a technology company in the city five years ago. In 2018, they launched a 3D holographic imaging system using Infanity3D — a technology they had researched and developed.

"Our product, applying vision technology and high-intensity LED technology, could display 3D images in midair without a physical headset," he said.

The technology and design soon caught the eye of some high-end brands and were used in shopping malls and retail shops to attract customers. Wei later decided to expand his operations on the mainland.

"The Greater Bay Area, with 72 million people and similar cultural backgrounds, is a great springboard for business," he said.

Wei opened his first mainland office in Shenzhen. He likened taking his business northward to "crossing the river by feeling the stones".

As Wei's company merely offers technology products and creative advertising proposals to customers, he realized that Shenzhen's supportive policies and industries don't fully meet its demands. "Shenzhen's policies and advantages are heavily tilted toward high technology."