20 days in China to bring your idea to life
Colabtec Start is an in-person immersion program in Zhuhai. Each cohort brings together 20 Brazilian projects for 20 days of mentorship, factory visits, supplier meetings, and a real development plan. This is not an import shopping trip: it's for people who want to build technology, not just buy finished products.
- 20
- days of immersion in Zhuhai
- 20
- projects per cohort
- 4
- cohorts per year
- since 2006
- in China
Start is for you if…
Inventors and engineers
You have a product idea, a prototype, or a technology and want to understand how to actually develop it in China.
Early-stage startups
Your startup needs to prototype, validate, and scale hardware, electronics, or software — and you want to do it with people who already know the way.
Companies with technology needs
Your company has a real development need and wants to assess costs, timelines, risks, and execution routes straight at the source.
Professors, students, and technical investors
You want an inside look at China's ecosystem for manufacturing, robotics, AI, and electronics — with access to real labs and factories.
Plenty of Brazilians go to China to visit trade fairs and import finished products. But if you have your own idea to develop, there's almost no door in.
- ✕Immersion programs in China built for people who already have an idea, a technology, or a startup barely exist.
- ✕Without a local network, you don't know which suppliers to approach, what prototyping costs, or where to even start.
- ✕Trade fairs show finished products — they don't teach you how to build, validate, and scale your own.
- ✕Making mistakes alone in China is expensive: in time, money, and missed opportunities.
Colabtec Start exists to solve this
Step by step, no mystery
- 01
Submit your project
Fill out the form telling us your idea, its current stage, and what you hope to develop in China. Each cohort selects around 20 projects.
- 02
Arrive in Zhuhai
Welcome to the city, an introduction to Colabtec and its facilities: coworking, labs, and the ecosystem that will support you for 20 days.
- 03
Assessment and mentorship
Project evaluation sessions, one-on-one and group mentoring, technical talks, and guidance on development, prototyping, and suppliers.
- 04
Factories, markets, and people
Visits to factories and tech markets, conversations with Chinese suppliers and with Brazilian business owners already operating in China.
- 05
Leave with an action plan
The program wraps up with a report or action plan: costs, timelines, risks, and real execution routes for your project.
What you get with Start
Real facilities, not promises
The immersion happens at Colabtec's base in Zhuhai: roughly 1,000 m² of coworking space, labs, and training rooms, right next to the Zhuhai Kameda Technology factory, with an SMT line and electronics engineering.
Your guide knows the way
Nelson Kameda has been operating in China since 2006, connecting Brazilian companies to the Chinese ecosystem. You tap into that accumulated experience instead of learning by trial and error.
Small cohort, real attention
Just 20 projects per cohort. That means every idea gets individual evaluation, with an assessment and guidance tailored to your case.
Direct access to suppliers
Factory visits, tech markets, and face-to-face conversations with Chinese suppliers — connections that would take years to build on your own.
A network that lasts
You join the Colabtec ecosystem: Brazilian entrepreneurs in China, engineers, mentors, and the platform's other programs.
A set calendar
4 cohorts a year, with dates announced in advance. You can plan your trip with confidence, and the next cohort is always featured on the site.
Start beyond the pitch
Real people, real infrastructure — the way it actually happens in China.
Colabtec concept shoot — illustrative images.
Choose your path
Immersion Plan
Contact us
You pay for access to the program and arrange your own trip: flights, lodging, meals, local transportation, insurance, and visa.
- ✓Full access to the 20-day program
- ✓Mentorship, talks, and project assessment
- ✓Coworking and a technical agenda in Zhuhai
- ✓Visits to factories and tech markets
- ✓Access to the Colabtec ecosystem
Complete Plan
Contact us
Everything in the Immersion Plan, plus the logistics package — which can be handled by a partner travel company.
- ✓All program activities
- ✓Lodging and local transportation
- ✓Transfers and logistics coordination
- ✓Support on arrival, departure, and with your schedule
- ✓Partial accompaniment during the immersion
Travel and tourism items can be handled by specialized partners. Get in touch to receive pricing for the next cohort.
Start in pictures
Your idea deserves 20 days in China
Tell us in a few words what you want to develop in China. We read every application carefully and reply with the next steps for your cohort.
FAQ
Still have questions?
Is Start an import trip, like the Canton Fair?
No. Start is for people who want to build technology, not just buy finished products. The focus is evaluating your idea, understanding how to prototype, produce, and scale in China, and leaving with an action plan. Trade fairs may make it onto the agenda, but they're not the heart of the program.
Do I need to already have a company or a prototype?
No. The program welcomes everyone from people with an idea to companies with real technology needs and revenue-generating products. In the form you tell us your project's stage, and the assessment during the immersion is tailored to that stage.
What's included and what do I cover myself?
In the Immersion Plan, Colabtec provides the full program: content, mentorship, coworking, a technical agenda, and activities in Zhuhai. Flights, lodging, meals, transportation, insurance, and visa are on you. In the Complete Plan, logistics are included in the package and can be handled by specialized travel partners.
When do cohorts run and how many spots are there?
There are 4 cohorts a year, with around 20 participants or projects each, and a calendar set in advance. The next cohort is always featured on the site. Fill out the pre-registration to receive the dates and the selection process.
Can I bring my team?
Yes. In the form you indicate whether you plan to travel alone or with others, and how many people. We'll figure out the best way to fit your group into the cohort.
Who's behind the program?
Start is run by Colabtec in Zhuhai, built on the foundation of Zhuhai Kameda Technology — a factory with an SMT line, labs, and electronics engineering. Nelson Kameda has been operating in China since 2006, connecting Brazilian companies to the Chinese ecosystem.