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11 - China Private Sector Innovators: Established Disruptors and New Challengers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2025

Veneta Andonova
Affiliation:
Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
Diego Finchelstein
Affiliation:
Universidad de San Andrés (Argentina)
Juana García Duque
Affiliation:
Universidad de los Andes, Colombia
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Summary

This chapter explores the evolving unicorn landscape in China, from the ‘established’ disruptors of the 2010s to the more recent breed of unicorns, reflecting the changes in the domestic and global business environment. We use short case studies to review the innovation strategies of Chinese companies and show the respective roles of the incumbents and the new start-ups and innovators in China’s innovation ecosystem.

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