From safeguarding the nation to serving local communities, military veterans are always present, and their involvement in innovation and entrepreneurship is becoming increasingly prominent. In Shenzhen, veteran-founded enterprises are emerging as a vital force driving high-quality economic and social development. Statistics show that Shenzhen is now home to approximately 107,000 veteran-led companies. Among these, 1,235 are nationally recognized high-tech enterprises, 14 are publicly listed, with combined annual revenues exceeding 1.5 trillion yuan and tax contributions reaching 40 billion yuan. The robust growth of this sector is rooted in the city's comprehensive support system, which spans policy assistance, space provision, financial empowerment, and platform integration, marking a shift from isolated efforts to systematic backing.
A solid top-level design provides the confidence for innovation. Continuous improvements in the institutional and policy environment are crucial for encouraging veteran entrepreneurs to take risks. In 2021, Shenzhen took a national lead by introducing several measures to promote high-quality employment and entrepreneurship for veterans, featuring 25 initiatives including startup subsidies, tax reductions, and rental concessions. These measures have led to cumulative tax and fee reductions of 770 million yuan. More recently, Shenzhen unveiled the country's first exclusive policy supporting veteran-led enterprises, outlining over 30 support measures covering the entire lifecycle—from project discovery and incubation to financial empowerment—specifically addressing common challenges like strong technical capabilities paired with weaker business management. This policy integration ensures benefits are delivered swiftly and directly.
Beyond comprehensive policy support, physical infrastructure provides a solid foundation. The success of Futian District's pioneering high-tech innovation and entrepreneurship base for veterans, which has incubated 11 national high-tech enterprises and achieved revenue per unit area more than double the city's average for tech incubators, exemplifies this. The upgraded Nanshan Zhiyuan base for veteran innovation and entrepreneurship further integrates into the park's industrial chain, innovation, and capital support systems. Shenzhen's veteran-led enterprises are evolving from individual successes to clustered growth. The synergistic support from institutions and space continuously unleashes the innovative potential of veterans, translating it into stable growth momentum.
If policies and space form the fertile ground for growth, financial resources act as the expressway for commercializing technology. For asset-light tech companies, financing difficulties often hinder development. A dedicated financial product introduced by the Shenzhen Veterans Affairs Bureau in collaboration with local financial regulators has successfully addressed this bottleneck. The core innovation of this product lies in optimizing credit approval models by converting veterans' military honors into social credit assets, while also offering relatively favorable loan rates. Unsecured personal credit lines can reach up to 3 million yuan, and for enterprises, up to 30 million yuan.
The turnaround of Tianying Equipment serves as a powerful example of this financial product's impact. "During a critical high-altitude test in Ningxia, the airport required a 500,000 yuan advance deposit. We were financially exhausted at that point, facing what seemed like an insurmountable barrier," recalled Xie Jianli, founder of Shenzhen Tianying Equipment Technology Co., Ltd., vividly remembering the difficult moment. At this critical juncture, the municipal and Longhua District veterans affairs bureaus provided proactive support, coordinating with banks in Shenzhen to offer timely financial assistance. After successfully accessing the dedicated financial product, Tianying Equipment secured cumulative bank credit of 13.5 million yuan and a 1 million yuan personal line, ultimately overcoming the challenge. Today, the company holds over 100 core intellectual property rights, commands a market share exceeding 70%, and its AS9100D international aerospace quality certification has opened doors to the global market.
It is reported that within just seven months of its launch, the dedicated financial product had approved a total credit of 1.295 billion yuan, disbursed 1.1 billion yuan, and served 420 veteran-led enterprises, providing robust financial security and supporting steady progress during their growth phases.
The successful implementation and transformation of innovations require not only policy and funding but also precise connections to application scenarios and market opportunities. Shenzhen has established a two-way empowerment system that balances attracting external resources and facilitating outward expansion by creating multi-dimensional展示 platforms and mechanisms for investment and talent attraction. Targeting veteran talent nationwide, Shenzhen employs competition-based strategies for investment and intelligence gathering. Since 2021, the city's veteran innovation and entrepreneurship competitions have attracted over 470 veteran-led enterprises from across the country, with 270 establishing operations in Shenzhen. The fifth municipal competition in 2025 saw the 60 finalist companies reach a combined valuation of 15.6 billion yuan, over 90% of which were high-tech or technology-focused firms.
In 2025, the Shenzhen Veterans Affairs Bureau, jointly with other departments, conducted specialized investment promotion tours in 11 cities nationwide, engaged with over 50 key veteran-led enterprises, signed意向 agreements with 22 companies to establish presence in Shenzhen, and collaborated with research universities to gather 157 achievements in civil-military technology synergy, building momentum for the city's industrial development.
Concurrently, Shenzhen actively promotes its local veteran brands' expansion through various channels, guiding and selecting companies to participate in national and provincial competitions and major exhibitions to reach broader markets. At the fourth provincial competition, the Shenzhen delegation won four championships, with projects demonstrating high technical barriers and market competitiveness. At a major tech fair, 15 Shenzhen-based veteran companies from cutting-edge fields showcased over 90 innovations, securing意向 transactions and investment intentions totaling 200 million yuan within three days. At another inter-provincial exhibition, Shenzhen companies achieved意向 transaction volumes of 227 million yuan, ranking first among participating regions.
This platform effect has tangibly translated into business performance. Daqi Disinfection, a winner at both provincial and national competitions, broke through a world-class bottleneck with its chlorine dioxide mold and insect prevention technology. Its intelligent grain storage equipment passed acceptance tests by a major state grain reserve company, securing an initial order of 90 million yuan with a total procurement demand of 360 million yuan. Depu CNC achieved technological breakthroughs in high-end five-axis machine tools, garnered合作 interest from 15 overseas companies at the tech fair, and has entered the IPO preparation stage.
In Shenzhen, veteran innovation and entrepreneurship is never a solitary endeavor but a collaborative journey between the city and its veteran entrepreneurs. The vibrant vitality exhibited by Shenzhen's veteran-led sector stems not only from the companies' strong technological capabilities but also from the city's continuously evolving ecosystem. From policy guidance to collaborative ecosystem building, Shenzhen is constantly stimulating market vitality through institutional innovation, opening more opportunities and broader markets to veteran-led entities, injecting a continuous stream of dynamism into the special economic zone's high-quality development, and accelerating its path toward becoming a national hub for veteran entrepreneurship.