¥5,000,000
Grand Prize · highest award tier
The 14th Edition · ASEAN
ITEC ASEAN2026
第十四届朝阳国际人才创业大会（东盟）
For early to growth-stage startups across ASEAN. Compete through Bangkok for a place at the Beijing ITEC summit and a route into Chaoyang District's innovation ecosystem.
Registration period
August – September 2026
Host city
Bangkok, Thailand
Final
Chaoyang, Beijing
86
Award places across six tiers
¥48B
Investment leverage generated
14th
Edition since 2013
80,000+
Entrepreneurs over 12 years
141
Countries and regions · 2025
5,215
Projects attracted · 2025
1,300+
Projects landed in Chaoyang
1st
ASEAN edition · Bangkok
What you receive
More than prize money.
Award-winning projects connect into Chaoyang District's support system — space, capital, policy and settle-in services, not just a cheque.
01 · Awards
Prize funding
- Six award tiers from Grand Prize to Innovation Recognition
- Third Prize and above paid across two years
- Additional incentive available for strong projects
02 · Policy
Policy support
- Access to Chaoyang's published support measures
- Streamlined support across priority technology sectors
- [Add the specific policy programme you can confirm]
03 · Space
Space services
- Registration address support in Chaoyang
- Discounted rent across district innovation parks
- Shared labs, R&D platforms and roadshow space
04 · Capital
Investor access
- Matchmaking with the Chaoyang Sci-Tech Fund and partners
- Introductions to the district's international VC cluster
- Regular salons, forums and acceleration programmes
05 · Landing
Settle-in services
- Registration, compliance and IP support
- Brand localisation assistance for foreign teams
- Housing and daily-living support
06 · Mentoring
Coaching before you pitch
- Mentors from China and Thailand coach shortlisted teams
- Pitch preparation ahead of the Bangkok final
- Support to launch your project at Thailand Science Park
Sectors
Where your technology fits.
Applications are open to early to growth-stage companies with a working product and demonstrable traction, operating in at least one of the areas below.
Embodied Intelligence
Core components, system integration, humanoid and mobile robotics.
Aerospace
Commercial aerospace, aviation systems, avionics and simulation.
Metaverse / Internet 3.0
AI + VR, XR terminals, digital twins, AIGC and blockchain.
Digital Healthcare & Smart Eldercare
AI diagnosis, digital therapeutics, assistive and home-care technology.
Smart Hardware
Edge AI chips, sensors, new materials, solid-state battery and wearables.
Digital Culture
Audiovisual innovation, gaming and esports, IP and digital creativity.
Data Elements
Enterprise data applications, urban data governance and core data technologies.
Future Industries
6G, quantum, cell and gene therapy, hydrogen, carbon capture and new materials.
Artificial Intelligence
Advanced computing, foundation models, intelligent agents, multimodal systems and trusted AI applications.
Industrial AI
Industrial large models, platform services, low-carbon and green solutions.
Competition awards
Six tiers of awards.
Awards are determined through the ITEC competition process, with the highest tier shown first.
Grand Prize
¥5,000,000
1 winner
First Prize
5 winners
¥2,000,000
Second Prize
10 winners
¥1,500,000
Third Prize
15 winners
¥1,000,000
Rising Star Award
20 winners
¥300,000
Innovation Recognition
35 winners
¥100,000
Third Prize and above: 40% paid in year one and 60% in year two, based on local development.
Strong projects may earn an additional 10% incentive.
Rising Star and Innovation Recognition awards are paid as a lump sum.
Final award counts may adjust to participant quality; the highest-level, no-duplication principle applies.
Chaoyang District
Beijing's international gateway.
ITEC is not a rented venue. It runs inside Beijing's largest and most international district.
¥923B
2024 district GDP · up 5% year on year
3.44M
Residents across 470.8 km²
~100%
Of foreign embassies in China are based here
150+
Multinational regional HQs · over 70% of Beijing's total
1 / 3
Of Beijing's unicorn companies are based in Chaoyang
220+
New foreign-invested enterprises in five months of 2025 · up 25.7%
Source: Beijing Chaoyang District Government; Beijing Investment Promotion Service Center · 2024–2025 data.
Entry requirements
Who can enter.
Read these before applying. If you are unsure whether your company qualifies, contact the organizing team rather than guessing.
Your company
- Headquartered in, or holding nationality from, ASEAN
- Early-stage or growth-stage startup with a working prototype
- Operating in one of the sectors listed above
Your project
- Technology, products and patents belong to the applicant, with no ownership disputes
- Has not previously received an ITEC Award
- Able to communicate in English or Chinese
Find your route
Where do you fit?
Start with your company stage. ITEC matches your profile to the strongest entry route before you choose the most relevant industry field.
Route found
Your recommended path
Recommended
Full competition entry
The strongest fit for companies with proven traction, competing for the higher award tiers.
Competition guidelines
Know the rules.
Eight conditions govern entry. Read them before applying — if you are unsure whether your company qualifies, ask rather than guess.
01Age / stage
Established after 1 January 2016
The entity must be within its first ten years. Earlier-stage entries should be Series A or earlier and meet the requirements of their chosen field.
02Founder
Founder-led with at least 30% ownership
Applicants should generally be the main founders; the founder and founding team should retain at least 30% of original shares after penetration and consolidation.
03Status
The participating entity cannot be listed
Publicly listed companies are not eligible to participate.
04Conduct
Lawful operation and professional integrity
All members must comply with PRC laws, have no major dishonesty record, be of good character and demonstrate professional ethics.
05IP
Clear intellectual-property rights
The entity must own or lawfully use its core IP and show meaningful innovation and commercialization potential.
06Entity
Application and award entity must match
Projects already operating in Chaoyang must use that entity. Others must demonstrate a genuine intention and plan to develop in Chaoyang.
07Returning
Previous winners must achieve a higher result
Former ITEC or OTEC winners may return, but cannot receive the same or a lower-level award.
08Phoenix Plan
Recognized Phoenix Plan talent may compete
Entrepreneurs recognized as Chaoyang Phoenix Plan high-level or high-end business talent may participate, but are not eligible for awards.
How projects are judged
Six criteria, independent panels.
Panels are drawn from technology, industry and investment, and score every entry against the same published criteria.
Evaluation panel
Independent experts from technology, industry and investment.
Panels are assembled per session and score every project against the same six criteria. No single judge decides an outcome.
01
Market prospects
A credible market, clear customer need and a realistic route to scale.
02
Team capability
Founder commitment, relevant expertise and the capacity to execute.
03
Technological innovation
Originality, technical defensibility and measurable advancement.
04
Business model
A coherent model for value creation, delivery and sustainable growth.
05
Investment value
Traction, financing readiness, risk profile and long-term return potential.
06
Industry fit
Alignment with your chosen industry field and the ability to create value in Chaoyang.
Final
review
Pitch evaluation→
Due diligence→
Inspection→
Award confirmation
Judges deliberate independently; majority consensus is final. Award places may be adjusted to reflect participant quality.
Mentors & judges
Meet the minds behind the competition.
Leading experts from China, Thailand and across the region sit on the panel — spanning technology, investment, industry and innovation. Names will be announced before the semi-final.
Panel 01
Technology
Deep-tech founders and researchers assessing originality and technical defensibility.
To be announced
Panel 02
Investment
Regional VCs and fund partners weighing traction, risk and financing readiness.
To be announced
Panel 03
Industry
Operators and corporate partners testing market fit and route to commercial scale.
To be announced
Panel 04
Innovation
Ecosystem builders and mentors coaching shortlisted teams before the Bangkok final.
To be announced
Competition roadmap
Six stages, Bangkok to Beijing.
From regional launch and screening through mentoring, the Bangkok final and the Beijing summit.
01
August
Launch & promotion
Regional competition launch and founder outreach.
Open
02
August – September
Initial screening
Online application review to shortlist entrants.
50 projects
03
August – September
Mentoring
Mentors from China and Thailand coach shortlisted teams.
Coaching
04
Late September
Semi-final
Expert review narrows the competition field.
20 projects
05
Early October
ITEC ASEAN Final · Bangkok
Twenty projects compete; the top ten advance to Chaoyang.
10 projects
06
Late October
Beijing ITEC Summit
Innovation summit and award announcement in Chaoyang.
Awards
Application
Start with the application.
Applying early gives your team more time with the mentoring programme. Screening runs alongside the registration window.
01 · Application form
Submit your startup
Company, technology, traction and team details for the initial review. Have a short deck or product summary ready.
Open application form02 · Competition information
Read the brochure first
Track definitions, competition structure, award terms and Chaoyang information — worth reading before you apply.
Partnership & enquiries
Talk to the organizing team.
For sponsorship, mentoring, founder-network partnerships or questions about eligibility.
Sponsorship and co-organizing.
The first ITEC held in ASEAN brings together growth-stage founders, investors and government partners across the region and China.
Ecosystem
Partners and investors.
ITEC connects participating companies with the institutions, parks and capital behind Chaoyang's innovation ecosystem.
Investment Partners
Not ranked in a particular order
Partners
Not ranked in a particular order
