The inaugural Cambridge Tech Week 2023 ( May 9 – 12) brought knowledge, insight and experience together to fuel innovation and to foster connections to change how we do things. Crayfish took an active role as a sponsor and exhibitor. 

At the first fireside chat between Dr Mike Short and Oli Barrett, we asked the important question:  #China’s role in helping UK tech companies to scale up internationally. Many   discussions in private afterwards brought business leaders to a widely accepted view (consensus)   that China is still a very important market, one that tech businesses simply  cannot afford to ignore. 

During  the first two days we received many visitors at our exhibition stand, and enjoyed meeting and greeting our clients, colleagues and friends.  We were also delighted to have spoken to startups exhibiting in the Innovation Alley, as well as companies in agritech, cleantech, AI, semiconductors that shared their proposition and potentials in the Chinese market. 

Take a cleantech startup as an example. They see China as the biggest potential market of their technology and would welcome  support from Crayfish to find local partners, and to draft  an action plan detailing where and how to start. Another advanced manufacturing company, having secured its first licensee in China,  would like to identify new customers to expand its presence in the market.

On the last day of Cambridge Tech Week, the first Big Tech Debate was held at the historic Cambridge Union Debating Chamber around  technology’s macro societal and economic impacts. One of Crayfish’s early investors, Dr David Cleevely CBE, and Eben Upton discussed how technology such as Raspberry Pi can help democratise education on a global  scale.  It was also great to catch up with other serial entrepreneurs as well as  our partners in the financial services from London and Cambridge.

We are very proud to have been a part of the success of the Cambridge Tech Week 2023.

From insightful conversations to thought-provoking panels, CTW23 has really showcased  a vigorous ecosystem of  technological innovation,  a dynamic community that is thriving in Cambridge.  We are looking forward to the follow-ups that build on the momentum of the first Cambridge Tech Week.

Ting’s short speech at CTW23: 

“Doing business in China can be daunting for many. My name is Ting Zhang and I am the founder of Crayfish – a company dedicated to helping business succeed in China. 

For the last twenty years, we have been trusted by both public and private sectors, to facilitate engagement between the East and the West.

We offer three types of relationships with our clients:

Firstly, we provide strategic consulting for fast-growing businesses across a range of sectors to help them enter the Chinese market, to expand, and to grow.

Secondly, our digital platform provides immediate access to a wide range of fixed-price, off-the-shelf business services.

And finally, one of the biggest concerns of any company working with China is Intellectual Property. But China also offers enormous opportunities for IP commercialising  and for tech businesses to scale up more quickly,  thanks to its large consumer market and talent base.  

So I am delighted to announce a third, new element to our portfolio where we partner with innovators, tech businesses, and education and research institutions, to help protect, manage and commercialise IP for the Chinese and Asian markets, that would otherwise remain unexploited. 

We would love to talk to you about how we can help you unlock the potential of the Chinese market, so please do come and talk to us or visit us at Crayfish.io. ”