Student startups set to surge as 'digital natives' drive innovation

A new generation of high-tech entrepreneurs is emerging from China's colleges. Zou Shuo reports.

As a "digital native" — someone born after the invention of the internet — Wang Zhenyang believes that the digital approach to life has bright prospects. That's why he has started a business focusing on the emotional support and companionship that can be provided by "virtual humans".

The 22-year-old student was a member of a team from Zhejiang University that took third place at the eighth China International College Students' "Internet +" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, held at Chongqing University last month.

A total of 3.4 million projects were submitted for consideration in this year's competition, while the number of students that applied to take part reached 14.5 million. They hailed from 4,554 universities and colleges in 111 countries and regions. The event saw the number of hopeful participants exceed 10 million for the first time. Since the event was inaugurated in 2015, nearly 39.83 million students have applied to take part.