China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has officially released a new initiative aimed at invigorating the entrepreneurial ecosystem within the artificial intelligence sector. The "AI SME Entrepreneurship Support Plan (2026–2028)," published on September 4th, is designed to foster a dynamic and thriving environment—often described as a 'tropical rainforest'—for innovation, ultimately driving the emergence of high-quality small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The plan outlines an ambitious three-year roadmap targeting critical domains such as industry applications, data services, and intelligent computing power. By the culmination of this period, the initiative seeks to cultivate more than 10,000 new technology-focused and innovative SMEs, elevate the number of specialized and sophisticated 'Little Giant' firms beyond the 2,000 mark, and give rise to a new cohort of 'Gazelle' and 'Unicorn' companies. To ensure a robust support structure, the plan calls for the high-standard construction of ten technology business incubators and ten national SME public service demonstration platforms (bases) specifically within the AI field. Additionally, it aims to establish ten new national-level SME clusters with distinctive characteristics, fostering a landscape where AI-powered entrepreneurship flourishes and forms a foundation for high-quality development across the broader SME community.
To meet these goals, the Support Plan details a series of key operational measures. A significant focus is placed on enhancing the supply of essential entrepreneurial resources. This involves leveraging a unified national computing platform to consolidate and flexibly allocate computational resources, providing startups with affordable and efficient access to high-performance computing. The plan also promotes the deployment of edge computing facilities to improve the integration of computing networks and strengthen the delivery of intelligent computing power. Furthermore, it aims to optimize existing online service platforms to better connect computing resource providers with the specific needs of startup enterprises.
Addressing the critical aspect of financial support, the plan outlines robust measures to bolster financing services. This includes leveraging the guidance of major national funds—such as the National SME Development Fund, the National AI Industry Investment Fund, and the National Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund—to encourage private capital to establish early-stage venture and startup funds dedicated to the AI domain. This approach is intended to create a comprehensive and patient capital support system that covers the seed, start-up, and growth phases of a company's lifecycle. The initiative also proposes the creation of a specialized AI investment and financing section on the high-quality SME cultivation platform, complete with an 'online roadshow' feature to streamline connections between venture capital institutions and entrepreneurs. Moreover, it encourages investment funds to support high-quality open-source projects and promotes novel support mechanisms, including exploring models where computing power or data can be exchanged for equity, as well as strategies that integrate venture capital with incubation services.
Recognizing the recent rapid growth of single-person enterprises, the plan dedicates attention to cultivating these emerging business models. It encourages local governments to adopt a tolerant and supportive stance toward micro-entities, often referred to as 'one-person companies' or 'super-individuals,' that leverage intelligent tools to conduct agile and lean entrepreneurship.