2026 Zhongguancun Early Investment Forum and AI New Scene Industry Innovation Conference Held in Beijing

2026 Zhongguancun Early Investment Forum and AI New Scenario Industry Innovation Conference was successfully held in Haidian District, Beijing on January 28, 2026. The event was co-organized by the Zhongguancun Angel Investment Alliance, Haichuanghui, Beijing Frontier International Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, Pencil Road, and AC Accelerator. As the largest annual gathering for early-stage investment in the country and the first professional forum focused on “AI scenario innovation,” this conference attracted over 1200 entrepreneurs and investors related to the AI industry. More than 100 investment institutions and 200 active investors engaged in deep discussions to explore the development path of the AI new scenario industry.

Policy-Driven Focus on AI Scenario Innovation

The conference was held under the backdrop of the “State Council’s Opinions on Deepening the Implementation of ‘Artificial Intelligence+’ Action” and the “Implementation Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Accelerating Scenario Cultivation and Opening up to Promote Large-Scale Application of New Scenarios.” The aim was to promote the deep integration of AI technology with practical application scenarios and accelerate the innovation of the AI industry. As a significant source of technological innovation in China, Zhongguancun plays a vital role in the field of AI scenario innovation.

In his opening speech, Jia Yiwei, President of the Zhongguancun Angel Investment Alliance and Deputy General Manager of Zhongguancun Development Group, stated that Zhongguancun is committed to becoming the national source of AI innovation by integrating innovative resources, optimizing the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and enhancing the investment and financing system to provide comprehensive support for AI scenario innovations.

Yao Yao, Deputy General Manager of Beijing Bank’s Zhongguancun Branch, elaborated on the practical path of financial empowerment for AI scenario innovation. She emphasized that supporting technological innovation has always been a key mission for Beijing Bank, and they have innovated financial service plans covering the entire life cycle tailored to the characteristics of AI scenario innovation enterprises.

Zhou Lixia, Honorary Chairwoman of the Angel Alliance, highlighted the need for early-stage investment institutions to build consensus and collaborate around AI new scenarios to support the growth of high-quality projects.

Significant Releases to Guide the Direction of AI New Scenario Industry

During the conference, XU Yong, Secretary-General of the Zhongguancun Angel Investment Alliance, founding partner of AC Accelerator, and founder of Evolutionary Home, released the “AI New Scenario Industry Innovation Report (2026-2028).” This report systematically outlines the trends of AI technology’s innovative applications across various sectors such as education, healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and office settings, providing entrepreneurs and investors with forward-looking industry insights.

Additionally, the conference officially launched the country’s first special support plan for “AI scenario innovation”—the AI New Scenario Entrepreneurship Acceleration Plan. This plan aims to integrate industrial, investment, and technological resources to provide comprehensive services for AI scenario innovation projects from early incubation to scaling, facilitating the rapid growth of more AI innovation projects.

Intellectual Exchange: Top Investors Analyze Industry Trends

Li Zhu, founding partner of Inno Fund and Director of Beijing Frontier International Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, stated in his keynote speech that the “14th Five-Year Plan” period will be a golden era for the integration of scientific innovation and AI development. The deep combination of technological innovation and industrial applications will create numerous investment opportunities, urging early-stage investment institutions to focus on the core theme of AI scenario innovation and strategically invest in projects with technological barriers and application value.

Wu Shichun, founding partner of Plum Blossom Venture Capital, shared insights on investment opportunities and logic for 2026. He believes that the AI industry has transitioned from a technological exploration phase to an application explosion phase, where AI scenario applications that address real pain points and create actual value will be the focus of investments. Investors should pay attention to entrepreneurial teams with data accumulation, algorithm advantages, and scene understanding capabilities.

Sheng Xitai, founding partner of Hongtai Fund, analyzed the underlying logic of AI technology and application scenarios in his speech titled “The Second Half of AI.” He pointed out that in the second half of AI, investment institutions should focus on teams that not only understand technology but also deeply engage in the industry and can genuinely comprehend customer needs, as these teams are more likely to develop competitive AI scenario application products.

Zang Yuhong, Chairwoman of Haichuanghui, discussed “Empowerment Practice for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the AI Era,” sharing her exploration experience in building an AI entrepreneurial ecosystem. She stated that open innovation platforms will play a greater role in the AI era by connecting large enterprise resources with the needs of startups, accelerating the implementation of AI technology in various scenarios.

XU Jinghong, Chairman of Zhongguancun Longmen Investment, delivered a speech titled “Boundaryless Symbiosis: Embracing AI.” He emphasized that innovation and entrepreneurship in the AI era require breaking traditional boundary thinking and building an open and symbiotic industrial ecosystem. There should be no division between technology and application, capital and industry, or large enterprises and startups; instead, they should form a collaborative and symbiotic organic whole.

Deep Communication: Building Bridges for Industry-Finance Cooperation

The conference featured three major investment connection sessions: “Financing Light Consultation,” “Investor Lounge,” and “Investor Diagnosis,” providing entrepreneurs and investors with one-on-one deep communication opportunities. Over 100 investment institutions and 200 active investors engaged in practical and efficient discussions with AI entrepreneurship projects, with several projects reaching preliminary investment intentions on-site.

Simultaneously, the AI New Scenario Industry Innovation Exhibition attracted leading enterprises such as Volcano Engine (ByteDance), Beijing Bank, and Hanvon Technology, along with AI star projects and platforms like Pixel Bloom (AiPPT.com) and Way To AGI. Exhibiting companies showcased innovative applications of AI technology in various scenarios, fostering deep communication and cooperation along the industry chain.

Building Consensus: Supporting High-Quality Development of China’s AI Industry

Currently, artificial intelligence is profoundly changing the way economic and social development occurs, with scenario innovation becoming a key path for the implementation of AI technology. The successful hosting of this conference has not only provided a high-quality communication platform for entrepreneurs and investors in the field of AI scenario innovation but has also formed a broad consensus in the industry on “driving innovation through scenarios and empowering development through capital,” which will have a positive and far-reaching impact on the innovative development of China’s AI industry.

The organizers indicated that they will continue to promote the implementation of the AI New Scenario Entrepreneurship Acceleration Plan in the future, gathering more industrial resources and investment forces to contribute to the high-quality development of China’s AI industry and help China secure a leading position in the global AI industry competition.