Innovative Chinese startups with a global vision have bright futures, and Shanghai firms are leading that charge.

They have helped develop technologies used in artificial intelligence, overseas transfer payments and advanced chipsets used in telecommunications.

A number of factors and incentive policies work in their favor. The national Belt and Road Initiative is paving the way for business expansion into South and Central Asia, Europe and Africa,with rail connections and hefty infrastructure investment. Startups with expected market value of US$1 billion or more— so-called “unicorns” — now have an express green channel to raise funds through initial public offerings on mainland stock exchanges.