Four Columbia and Tsinghua Consumer Goods Startups Shine at ‘Pioneer Open Mic’ Roadshow

The Pioneer Open Mic, a business incubation program launched by the Columbia Global Centers | Beijing and Zhongguancun Collaborative Innovation Center, kicked off its second roadshow, with four consumer goods entrepreneurs showcasing their new products and creative business ideas.

The selected entrepreneurs are graduates from Columbia University and Tsinghua University whose products target consumers that demand healthy and refreshing drink options.

Naizeng Karl Fang GSAS '14 of COCO100: Explore the infinite possibility of coconut.

Yuan Ma of L'Origine (Columbia): The new supplement brand for Gen Z.

Xinran Frances Hou CBS '17 of Dr@ma (Jiaxi): Create gender-neutral RTD (ready to drink).

Haiteng Li of Yueling: Traditional Chinese supplement for the young.

Each entrepreneur was given 20 minutes to pitch their business to investors, who are actively looking for new investment possibilities with an impressive product. These investors represent the region’s most influential venture capital firms, including Zhen Fund, Sequoia Capital, Frees Fund, MiraclePlus, and 23 others.

In collaboration with the Columbia Alumni Association of Beijing, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen, the second roadshow received over 20 business plans from student and alumni entrepreneurial teams of Columbia University, Tsinghua University, Yale University, MIT, and New York University.

The 'Pioneer Open Mic' business incubation program provides students, alumni, and young entrepreneurs of Columbia University and other Ivy League schools with access to high-quality entrepreneurship resources, a diverse network of mentors, in-kind business support, and life-changing opportunities in China to empower their talents and passion for innovation.

The third roadshow will take place on Sunday, August 8. Stay tuned for more information.