Produced by | Huabo Business Review

In January of this year, DeepSeek's decision to open-source its R1 inference model garnered global attention. This move not only stirred the AI community but also triggered a significant downturn in technology stocks, such as NVIDIA, wiping out hundreds of billions of dollars in market capitalization. Meanwhile, Hangzhou, the cradle of DeepSeek, has sparked widespread discussions: What is it about Hangzhou that nurtured this groundbreaking company, rather than Beijing, Shanghai, or Shenzhen?

"Hangzhou's Six Little Dragons" Ignite Reflection Amongst Major Cities

DeepSeek's rise is no fluke. Long before it captured global limelight, Hangzhou's tech enterprises had already begun to shine. In 2024, six private startups, founded by young tech talents and specializing in cutting-edge fields like robotics and AI, made a splash worldwide, earning them the moniker "Hangzhou's Six Little Dragons." Among them, Game Science, the developer of China's first 3A game "Black Myth: Wukong," generated over $1.1 billion in revenue by November 2024. BrainCo, a global leader in brain-computer interfaces, continues to thrive in Hangzhou. Qunhe Technology, with the world's largest indoor scene recognition dataset, supports the advancement of embodied robots. On December 17, 2024, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian praised CloudMinds Technology's robots for their inspection work in Singapore's power tunnels, marking the official entry of Chinese robots into the overseas power system sector.

Simultaneously, Elon Musk shared videos of Unitree Robotics' robot dogs scaling mountains, crossing rivers, jumping high, and carrying loads, sparking widespread interest domestically and internationally. Unitree Robotics' humanoid robots even performed a cyber yangko dance on CCTV's Spring Festival Gala, introducing countless people to this high-tech Hangzhou-based enterprise. "Hangzhou's Six Little Dragons," epitomized by DeepSeek, have prompted profound reflections among major cities. In Guangdong's new year meeting on February 5, the provincial party secretary highlighted three star enterprises, including DeepSeek and Unitree Robotics. From February 7 to 8, Jiangsu's Xinhua Daily News published three special articles discussing why "DeepSeek emerged in Hangzhou" and "why Nanjing can't develop 'Hangzhou's Six Little Dragons'."

On February 10, Jinan media published an article titled "What Inspiration Do Hangzhou's 'Six Little Dragons' Provide for Jinan?" On February 12, Qilu Evening News posed the question, "Why can't Wuhan, with over 80 universities and ranking among the top five in scientific research nationwide, produce 'Wuhan's Six Little Dragons'?" Qingdao also reflected on "why Hangzhou can" and analyzed the gap between itself and leading cities like Hangzhou at the city's science and technology work conference on February 14.

A City Welcoming to STEM Entrepreneurs

As early as January 31, "Zhejiang Propaganda" published an article titled "How to Pronounce the 'Dragon-Seeking Mantra,'" providing insight into "what Hangzhou did right." The article noted that some enterprises have dubbed Hangzhou "a clear-minded little transparent," meaning the government "never tries to teach entrepreneurs how to run their businesses" but rather "serves when needed and stays out of the way when not." This philosophy of "governing by non-interference" is Hangzhou's unique charm in its technological innovation ecosystem. The Hangzhou government's services are not mere words. The "Black Myth: Wukong" team received full government support in applying for awards, subsidies, and game publication licenses. Unitree Robotics enjoyed swift patent pre-examination services, with the government proactively introducing and guiding operations.

Furthermore, Hangzhou has implemented special supervision of profit-driven law enforcement and justice to shield enterprises from unnecessary interference. These measures extend beyond the "Six Little Dragons" to the entire society. Yang Feng, the founder of Hangzhou Shizhi Fengyun, said, "Entrepreneurs like us, who are 'programmer-types,' tend to be socially awkward, but Hangzhou greatly respects our personal traits and doesn't require frequent government interactions." He added, "Since our establishment, I've met government officials no more than three times. They handle affairs directly, finish, and leave without disturbing." This service model of "non-interference when unnecessary and responsiveness when needed" allows entrepreneurs to focus solely on technological innovation. Zhang Min, the founder of Hangzhou Bowu Culture, also noted, "Hangzhou is undoubtedly a 'STEM-friendly city.' Many leaders here have a profound understanding of cutting-edge knowledge like the internet and AI, making communication seamless."

This "knowledgeable" government service significantly benefits entrepreneurs. In fact, Hangzhou is home not only to the "Six Little Dragons" but also numerous unicorn companies. According to the "2024 Global Unicorn Index" by Hurun Research Institute, Hangzhou boasts 24 unicorn companies, ranking fourth after Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, and tied with Guangzhou. Most of these unicorns are concentrated in the tech sector, such as Lingban Technology in AI and Shumeng Workshop in cloud computing. When a city can continuously attract "STEM founders who dislike social engagements" and enable them to focus on technological innovation, miracles are bound to happen. Today, these enterprises are already transforming the world, and in the future, they may even reshape the entire planet.