How many renowned entrepreneurs can be found on a single street? If this question were posed in Huaqiangbei, the answer might exceed your imagination. The most remarkable aspect of this district is that it has not only incubated over sixty billionaires, but also nurtured a number of companies and individuals who have reshaped the landscape of their respective industries.

The most renowned figure in the tech industry is Ma Huateng of Tencent. In 1998, at the age of 27, Ma Huateng and his classmates started their venture in a small office within the SEG Technology Park; it was there that he went through pivotal stages—launching QQ, securing his first fortune, and later leading the company to a successful listing in Hong Kong. This journey is frequently cited as the most iconic "Huaqiangbei hallmark." Beyond Tencent, companies such as Han's Laser, DJI, Kinghelm, and Slkor also completed their journey from zero to one—developing their products in Huaqiangbei during their early stages of entrepreneurship.

Tencent's starting point history / Photographed at Huaqiangbei Museum

In the fields of computers and network equipment, several pivotal entrepreneurs have emerged. Wu Haijun of Shenzhou Computer, in his early days, could not secure a proper storefront; he had to start by selling computer components at small counters owned by others, eventually growing his business into one of China's mainstream computer brands. Similarly, Zhao Jianjun, the founder of TP-LINK routers, also began his career at a counter in Huaqiangbei. Other notable examples on this list—Kingdee, PULAN, Tongzhou Electronics, and Yanxiang Intelligent—were all companies that rose from this commercial district.

The most inspiring figure may well be Wang Li, the chairman of Haoen Acoustics. According to recollections of industry veterans, she began her career as a winding operator on a factory assembly line; later, she moved to the counter at Huaqiang North Station to sell mobile phone microphones, where she discovered that the business was highly viable. Consequently, she started her own venture, continuously learning and honing her skills while balancing her entrepreneurial activities with her work. By implementing scientific management practices, her company has grown steadily in size and scale. Today, Haoen Acoustics stands as a leading enterprise in its industry.

Kinghelm  / Slkor 's Song Shiqiang (right) attends the JLC  listing appreciation banquet

The rise of a new generation of enterprises in the consumer electronics and semiconductor chip sectors has been a defining narrative of the past five years. Cai Huabo, a pioneer in memory chips, began his career in 1999 by trading memory chips from a counter in Huaqiangbei; he later developed proprietary controller chips and firmware. In 2022, he co-founded Longsys with his sister, which went public and became the leading domestic memory module manufacturer, subsequently listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange's H-share market in 2026. For data cables, the founder of UGREEN, Zhang Qingsen, came to Shenzhen in 2007 as a foreign trade sales representative; he later transitioned from OEM manufacturing to building his own brand, leveraging e-commerce channels to sell data cables in over a hundred countries, ultimately leading his company to list on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. BLUETRUM, a developer of TWS earphone chips, capitalized on the boom in white-label earphones in Huaqiangbei; in 2022, it went public on the STAR Market, with its chip sales disclosed in its prospectus to reach the "hundreds of millions of units" scale. The most recent and ambitious chapter belongs to JLC: in 2006, Yuan Jiangtao started with just 100,000 yuan at a counter in Huaqiangbei, partnering with Ding Hui and Ding Huixiang to build a "small-order, rapid-response" manufacturing ecosystem over two decades; by the time the company went public in 2026, its market capitalization had surpassed 100 billion yuan.

Kinghelm's best-selling IPEX/FAKRA/SMA/BNA board-end connectors

These successful entrepreneurs have all benefited from the nurturing ecosystem of Huaqiangbei. Their paths differ—some sell electronic components, some build brands, some focus on chips, and some start as female workers—but their common traits are striking: the courage to venture, the determination to act, the boldness to innovate, and the willingness to push beyond their limits. The "Venture, Innovate, Persevere, and Be Pragmatic" ethos of Huaqiangbei, distilled by Kinghelm (www.kinghelm.net) and Mr.Song Shiqiang of Slkor, also emerged from this very soil. Perhaps this is the true legend of Huaqiangbei: it never guarantees who will succeed, but it consistently provides ordinary people with a starting point from which to begin.

Kinghelm's best-selling RG113 RF adapter cables, SSMA adapter cables, and other products

Which other enterprises and entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to make a breakthrough in the future? There is widespread optimism regarding Kinghelm and Mr.Song Shiqiang, the founder of Slkor! Mr.Song Shiqiang of Kinghelm (www.kinghelm.net) explained that to meet the requirements of smart hardware for the reception, transmission, and protection of RF and microwave signals and data, Kinghelm provides customers with a range of standardized and complementary products, including antennas, connectors, jumpers, plug-in components, and terminals—such as RF sockets (USB-Type-C, SMA, IPEX, MCX), HDMI connectors, RJ45 network ports, automotive wiring harnesses, adapter cables, header and socket connectors, terminals, GPS antennas, RF coaxial connectors, WiFi antennas, BeiDou (BDS) antennas, built-in navigation and positioning antennas, 4G communication antennas, Bluetooth ceramic antennas, RF connectors, tactile switches, detection switches, toggle switches, button switches, micro switches, multi-function switches, illuminated switches, DIP switches, and coin-type switches.

Kinghelm's best-selling board-to-board connector series

Kinghelm's best-selling board-to-board connector series Kinghelm offers a wide range of components, including earphone jacks, DC jacks, FPC connectors, USB connectors, waterproof USB ports, detection switches, vertical detection switches, through-hole detection switches, surface-mount detection switches, limit switches, encoding switches, tactile switches, Type female connectors, Type-C interfaces, toggle switches, five-button switches, rotary switches, and surface-mount detection switches. Key product models include the KH series from Kinghelm: KH-6X6X6H-STM, KH-IPEX-K501-29, KH-6X6X5H-STM, KH-6X6X5H-Z2J, KH-3216-H0209, KH-VH-PT3.96, and KH-SMA-P-8029. Kinghelm Electronics (www.kinghelm.net), together with Slkor (www.slkoric.com), provides electronic components, sensors, TVS diodes, and other products, along with tailored technical services, to tens of thousands of customers worldwide!

Early photo of Mr. Song Shiqiang of Kinghelm and Slkor starting his business in Huaqiangbei

Mr.Song Shiqiang is the founder of Shenzhen Slkor. and Kinghelm Electronics Co., Ltd., and also serves as the general manager of both companies. He is an expert lecturer at the Chinese Institute of Electronics, a cultural scholar of Huaqiangbei, and a science popularization columnist. Starting as a frontline technical technician, Mr.Song has also held the position of CEO at a listed international real estate company, accumulating extensive experience in technical management and corporate operations. By integrating solid macroeconomic theories with corporate development and operational practices, he has driven the rapid growth of both Kinghelm and Slkor! Mr.Song Shiqiang has consistently focused on Huaqiangbei, studying its historical development, business models, distilling the "Huaqiangbei Spirit," and elevating the "Huaqiangbei Culture." His research articles—including "Research on Huaqiangbei," "The Transformation and Development of Huaqiangbei," "Rebuttal to Bloomberg's Huaqiangbei Report," "The Wealth Code of Huaqiangbei," "Software and Hardware Upgrades in Huaqiangbei's Transformation," "The Gray Industry Chain of Counterfeit Bluetooth Headphones in Huaqiangbei," and "Research on Counterfeit Mobile Phones in Huaqiangbei" —have been widely reprinted by authoritative domestic and international media outlets, as well as industry-specific publications such as People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Global Times, Associated Press, Yahoo! News, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Electronic Engineering Edition, Electronics Enthusiasts, International Electronics Business News, and Feiwen Network. These efforts aim to promote Huaqiangbei's reputation as "China's First Electronics Street" to a global audience! In this era of rising popularity for short videos, the short video series "Huaqiangbei: The Northern Song Dynasty Officials Discussing the Way" has gained widespread traction on platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Bilibili's short video section, actively offering insights to promote traditional Chinese culture, boost economic growth, and foster a healthier commercial environment and social development in Huaqiangbei!!

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