Northern Light supports first Sino-US incubator

The incubator will provide physical space and services to companies, act as a soft landing platform for cross-border development of US and Chinese enterprises, and work closely with the Chinese authorities to support US firms entering the country.

"InnoSpring symbolizes a proud moment for Northern Light and our partners," Feng Deng, founding managing director of Northern Light, said in a statement. "China's fast-growing group of entrepreneurs and Silicon Valley's globally-minded startups now have additional support as they seek cross-border expansion opportunities."

Technology incubators have sprung up throughout China in the last couple of years. The best known example is Innovation Works, which was founded by Kai Fu Lee, former head of Google China. It operates under an incubation-plus-investment model. The incubator identifies companies or individuals with potential and gets them started, with those deemed to have sufficient potential receiving early-stage backing from the Innovation Works Development Fund. The fund announced a final close last September at $180 million.

Several US-based incubators are also seeking to establish a presence in China. TechStarts now has a Chinese affiliate called Chinaccelerator, while 500 Start-ups and Silicon Valley Bank recently made their first forays into the country.

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Save this article  
• Send to  

• Topics
• Early-stage
• Greater China
• North America
• Venture
• seed
• Venture
• Innovation Works