Successfully Launching Chinese Start Ups as an Expat - with Vericant CEO Guy Sivan

The Harbinger - China Tech & VC Podcast

We sit down with Guy Sivan, who - immediately upon graduation from Columbia University - moved to Beijing in 2005 and has since started 4 different companies. In 2010, he sold his third startup’s core technology to a publicly listed company, and today he is CEO of Vericant, a Shunwei backed company that helps US schools better understand their international and Chinese applicants through video interviews and spoken English evaluations. As we know, there are few examples of foreign tech companies entering China and being successful in the long run, and similarly the start-up environment within China is just as tough for expat founders. With over 10 years of experience in Beijing, Guy offers a unique view and shares with us some of his lessons. For example, what are major cultural differences and how do you avoid the classic expat blunders? What advantages (if at all) do you have as an expat founder, and how can you play to your competitive strengths? What are trends in the lucrative Chinese education space that has churned out several unicorns. And lastly, what is like working out of Chinaccelerator, and what is their value proposition? Link to write-up here: https://www.theharbingerchina.com/blog/successfully-launching-chinese-start-ups-as-an-expat-with-vericant-ceo-guy