Google for Entrepreneurs has joined hands with People Squared, a network of tech hubs supporting China-based entrepreneurs in Beijing and Shanghai. The announcement will be taken as a positive move as several Google services have been blocked in China over the years.
Bob Zheng, Founder of People Squared, has expressed his excitement over joining the global Google for Entrepreneurs partner network as the first member from China. People Squared will now receive financial help from the search giant and start-up companies will access all the resources connected with Google for Entrepreneurs programme.
"With this tremendous support from Google, in the form of financial resources and expertise, we hope to make the journey for these Chinese entrepreneurs into larger domestic and increasingly international markets a little quicker and a lot more successful," Bob Zheng said in a statement posted on Google Asia Pacific Blog.
People Squared, which has 20 spaces spread throughout Shanghai and Beijing, said that the 300 start-ups based in its hubs have raised more than $300 million so far. It added the platform should make Chinese entrepreneurs grow not only in the country but also globally.
The new partnership with Google for Entrepreneurs will enable start-ups to have access to work from more than 25 member spaces globally and a host of programmes like Google for Entrepreneurs Exchange.
It may be mentioned that China has banned several popular sites, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Google's services like Android, Gmail and Docs too were banned in the country before it was lifted in 2014. So, the search giant could be trying to make its presence felt in China through its partnership with the People Squared.
Google for Entrepreneurs currently partners with four tech hubs in Asia-Pacific region namely Fishburners in Sydney, Australia; 10,000 Startups in New Delhi, India; Maru180 in Seoul, South Korea; and Nest i/o in Karachi, Pakistan.
