New Policy Boost: China Unveils Three-Year Plan to Accelerate AI Entrepreneurship

On September 4, the General Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the "Artificial Intelligence SME Entrepreneurship Support Plan (2026-2028)" (referred to as the "Plan"). The initiative outlines an ambitious three-year roadmap to cultivate a large number of AI startups with strong innovation vitality and significant growth potential, focusing on key areas such as industry applications, data services, and intelligent computing power.

Under the Plan, authorities aim to foster the creation of over 10,000 new technology and innovation-oriented SMEs, with more than 2,000 "little giant" enterprises achieving specialized and sophisticated status. A wave of gazelle and unicorn companies is expected to emerge, injecting fresh dynamism into the sector. To support this ecosystem, the Plan calls for the establishment of 10 high-standard technology business incubators and 10 national public service demonstration platforms (bases) for SMEs, alongside the development of 10 national-level SME-specific industry clusters. The overarching goal is to sustain the entrepreneurial momentum within the AI sector and lay the groundwork for AI-powered high-quality development across SMEs.

A key component of the Plan is the strengthening of affordable and inclusive computing power resources. By leveraging the national computing power platform, the initiative seeks to integrate and flexibly allocate computing resources, offering startup enterprises efficient, intensive, and low-cost computational support. This infrastructure push is designed to lower barriers and accelerate innovation among emerging AI players.

Additionally, the Plan emphasizes the pivotal role of the National SME Development Fund, the National AI Industry Investment Fund, and the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund in guiding social capital toward a new generation of early-stage venture capital and startup funds dedicated to AI. The objective is to establish a comprehensive patient capital support system that spans the seed, startup, and growth phases, ensuring sustained financial backing for ventures at every critical stage of their lifecycle.