At the 2026 Fortune Global 500 Forum held in Guangzhou on September 16, Xia Zhijin, Managing Partner of Vertex Ventures, addressed the audience. When asked about potential bubbles in current AI investment, he pointed out that the pace of technological iteration across various hard-tech sectors in China has accelerated significantly over recent years.

“Compared to the past, tech companies can now grow from zero to trillion-yuan or hundred-billion-yuan listed entities within just five years—something that was unimaginable when we first invested in hard tech over a decade ago,” he explained.

Xia expressed unwavering optimism about China's future technological development in AI and related fields. “I don't believe this is a bubble—I think it's the starting point,” he stated.

Additionally, he advised entrepreneurs to pay greater attention to cross-industry or cross-domain applications of technology. He cited an example of a Guangzhou-based embodied intelligence company that, upon recognizing intense market competition, pivoted its technology toward the gaming industry. This shift has already produced intriguing product prototypes that have never been seen before, even on a global or historical scale.

“Advancements in one industry often drive applications in others. Entrepreneurs can identify opportunities from this cross-pollination perspective,” he suggested.