Zhaomu Mountain Area: A haven for entrepreneurs

Zhaomu Mountain Area is home to over 5,000 enterprises, with thriving software, automotive, industrial internet, IoT, and AI industrial chains. This ecosystem attracts both established players, such as Avatr, and young entrepreneurs pursuing their dreams in shared workspaces.

 

Zhaomu Mountain Area hosts leading companies such as Mashang Consumer Finance and Avatr. [Photo by Wang Yantong] 

At 10 pm, the area's Kr Space is still ablaze with light. In this co-working hub, more than 70 hot desks are piled with laptops and office supplies. For just 30 yuan ($4.80) daily, or 1,499 yuan annually, members can access shared lounges, coffee bars, policy advisory services, and expert-led salons.

"Our community thrives with young founders and freelancers, many in software development, creative design, and digital media," said He Xueyan, a member of the Kr Space Chongqing management team. Next-generation internet, AI, industrial software, automotive electronics, IoT, and digital content clusters here attract innovators from across many sectors.

Beyond offering workspaces, Kr Space runs regular networking salons, policy briefings, and training sessions, with at-door services that include business registration, tax compliance, talent recruitment, and brand promotion, streamlining operational hurdles for business growth. 

A nearby enterprise service center provides 207 types of high-frequency government and business services, from social security to finance, offering one-stop support through four manual service windows and six self-service kiosks.

Established in 2021, Kr Space has witnessed many start-ups scale and succeed. This 3,500-square-meter incubator maintains over 95 percent occupancy, has hosted more than 110 SMEs, and nurtured five national high-tech firms and 30 municipal-level tech enterprises.

Chongqing Mine Technologies started from a Kr Space hot desk in 2014 and now hires nearly 100 employees in an office building just a few paces away. Specializing in optoelectronic sensing for consumer electronics and smart vehicles, the company supplies Jaguar Land Rover and is a recognized national high-tech enterprise.

According to a Chongqing Mine Technologies executive, the area’s ecosystem, encompassing government support, industry empowerment, innovation resources, and capital, propelled the company's growth. 

Zhaomu Mountain Area now hosts multiple incubators similar to Kr Space, delivering full-chain services to accelerate young innovators' growth. With demand surging, an additional 5,000 sq m of maker space is planned to fuel start-ups further.