Science & Tech · AI · 21 hrs ago
Hangzhou backs eight deep-tech companies beyond consumer-facing tech
Hangzhou is highlighting a group of eight deep-tech companies known as the “New Eight Steeds.”
They work in fields including smart glasses, graphics processors, chips and space computing.
Most sell to businesses and institutions rather than directly to consumers.
That makes them less visible to the public than the “Six Little Dragons,” a previous group of Hangzhou tech companies that drew global attention.
The new group has so far made little impact on social media or public discussion.
Some people question the city’s focus on branding groups of companies, especially because the earlier firms have yet to produce many businesses with proven profitability.
The city is continuing to promote its technology sector, but it is not yet clear whether this new approach will gain wider attention.
Hangzhou is promoting a new group of eight deep-tech companies known as the “New Eight Steeds.”
They work in fields including smart glasses, inference GPUs, compute-in-memory chips and space computing.
Most serve companies and institutions rather than consumers, making them less visible to the public.
The group differs from the “Six Little Dragons,” which helped bring Hangzhou into global technology conversations.
Some critics question the city’s focus on branding companies before many of the earlier group have proven profitability.
- Who
- Hangzhou and eight deep-tech companies known as the “New Eight Steeds.
- What
- The city is backing a new group of technology companies working in industrial and deep-tech fields.
- When
- The article was published on October 11, 2026. It describes the group as Hangzhou’s latest technology bets.
- Where
- Hangzhou, China.
- Why
- The companies work mainly up the industrial chain, serving companies and institutions rather than consumers.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
has the city’s technology marketing playbook stopped working?
The “Six Little Dragons” have yet to produce many businesses with proven profitability, yet the city has already moved on to another coterie.
A Unitree robot kickboxing drew attention on social media, according to the article.
Hangzhou’s latest technology bets had made little public impact, the article said.
- Companies
- Eight in the “New Eight Steeds
- Location
- Hangzhou
- Fields
- Smart glasses, inference GPUs, compute-in-memory chips and space computing
- Customers
- Mostly companies and institutions rather than consumers
Sources
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