What it is
The Entrepreneurs Community is the Shanghai Directory's network for founders, operators, and investors building in and around the Shanghai Free Trade Zone. It's where the city's startup stack — legal, capital, distribution, hiring — gets discussed by the people using it. The FTZ alone accounts for 18.4% of China's total FDI by value, with over 14,000 foreign-owned enterprises registered across China's FTZs. If you're building something here, you're not alone — you just need to know where to find the others.
Who joins
Founders of WFOEs and joint ventures, early-stage operators, angel and venture investors, and the service providers (accountants, lawyers, HR) who support them. Membership is vetted to keep the signal high — we turn down more than we accept, and that's the point.
What you get
- Monthly meetups — founder stories and deep-dive sessions in Pudong and Jing'an.
- A private WeChat channel for verified members — deal flow, hiring, and vendor recommendations. This is where the real conversations happen.
- The verified vendor directory — accounting, legal, and HR providers the community actually uses, not a paid list.
- Office hours with mentors on FTZ incentives, fundraising, and go-to-market.
How to join
Apply with a short description of your company and stage. We verify and respond within a week. Membership is free for founders; service providers join by referral.
Apply to Join
Tell us what you're building.
Membership is vetted to keep the signal high. Tell us about your company and stage — we verify and respond within a week.