NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--FORTUNE will host the first-ever China Innovation Awards, recognizing outstanding Chinese startup companies whose ideas have the potential to make a significant impact on the world stage, it was announced today by Alan Murray, Editor-in-Chief, Time Inc. and President, FORTUNE.
The awards will be held today at the inaugural FORTUNE Brainstorm TECH International (BSTI), a new conference convening leaders in the global innovation economy space in Guangzhou December 5-6, 2017.
For the past year, FORTUNE has gathered nominations from leading venture capitalists, industry experts, and other sources. Now, the editors have narrowed the list to 15 companies, whose representatives will present their ideas on stage at FORTUNE Brainstorm TECH International. One winner will be selected from each of five categories – e-commerce and fintech; healthcare tech; mobility and green-tech; AI and robotics; and entertainment, media and education. The winners will go on to present their innovations at the FORTUNE Global Forum on December 7.
“There are increasing areas – like mobile payments, drone development and others – where China has become not a follower, but the global technological leader,” said Time Inc. Chief Content Officer and FORTUNE President Alan Murray. “We believe it’s important to recognize the innovative work going on in the tech space here in China, and we hope this new award will help bring international attention to these exciting developments.”
The launch of the China Innovation Awards coincides with the first-ever FORTUNE Brainstorm TECH International conference. This new event builds upon the success of Fortune’s U.S.-based Brainstorm TECH conference, which for the past 16 summers has brought together leaders in tech, media, entertainment and finance in Aspen, Colorado.
Brainstorm TECH International will explore the innovation revolution unfolding in China, including homegrown innovation and mass implementation in fields including artificial intelligence, social media, biotech, fintech, virtual reality, automotive, the sharing economy, and mobile platforms.
Speakers will include Airbnb Cofounder Nate Blecharczyk, CreditEase CEO Tang Ning, DJI President Roger Luo, Mobike CEO Davis Wang, Mobvoi CEO Zhifei Li, and Payoneer CEO Scott Galit.
The two-day event will bring together some of China’s most promising start-up companies and emerging tech stars. The program will feature innovators in China who are finding new pathways to success as well as leaders from around the world, including Silicon Valley, Israel, Europe and other parts of Asia.
Partner sponsors for Brainstorm TECH International include presenting partner Guangzhou Automobile Group, who is presenting the China Innovation Awards, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings, Ltd., and Tencent/Atom Think Tank. The Brainstorm TECH International knowledge partner is McKinsey & Company.
BSTI will be held in conjunction with the FORTUNE Global Forum, a three-day event bringing together CEOs from the world’s biggest companies – the FORTUNE Global 500 – with leaders from China in both business and government. With the theme “Openness and Innovation: Shaping the Global Economy,” this year’s event will be the 15th FORTUNE Global Forum and the fifth one held in China.
FORTUNE is a global leader in business journalism with major franchises that include the FORTUNE 500 and the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For. The Global Forum is one of the signature live events produced annually by FORTUNE Live Media, including FORTUNE Most Powerful Women, FORTUNE Brainstorm TECH and FORTUNE MPW Next Gen. Time Inc. is a global leader in live media with some of the world’s most prestigious brand events, including the FOOD & WINE Classic, ESSENCE Festival, SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Swimsuit, TIME 100 Gala and many more.
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