Thames meets Suzhou: UK tech firms explore partnerships on Shanghai's waterfront

by Huang Jingyuan

A group of UK technology companies visited Shanghai this week, joining Chinese counterparts for a waterfront business exchange in the city’s Suhewan district—part of a broader push to deepen cooperation in areas such as fintech, sustainability, and professional services.

The event, themed around the meeting of Suzhou Creek and the Thames, focused on dialogue between Chinese and UK technology companies. Held on March 21, it brought together 14 British firms and more than 40 Chinese and international companies from the Yangtze River Delta. Organised as part of a China visit by a London-backed business accelerator programme, the exchange marked the largest UK tech delegation to visit the country in recent years.

HR tech firm Diversifying.io is exploring China’s employment market, data privacy rules, and regulatory environment. Tracy Anderson, co-CEO of SendSpend, announced a new partnership with a KYC (know-your-customer) service provider during the trip, aimed at helping Chinese firms enter the European market more easily. SendSpend is a cross-border financial services company focused on digital payments and payment gateway solutions, The company also plans to apply for a payment licence in Hong Kong and open offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen by the end of the year.

Other companies such as TipaSolar focused on China's growing sustainability and green energy sectors, while fintech firms like Abound examined cross-border settlement mechanisms and the digital payments landscape.

For representatives from these firms, China’s evolving sustainability policies, large-scale digital adoption, and demand for cross-border expertise present compelling opportunities. The creative industries and professional services—including law, finance, and consulting—also emerged as areas with strong collaboration potential.

The event took place along Suzhou Creek, a once-industrial waterway that has been gradually transformed into a high-profile urban zone. The 6.3-kilometre “golden waterfront” in Suhewan now blends century-old buildings with new developments, including a commercial complex designed by British architecture studio Foster + Partners.

Suhewan has recently attracted global firms such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and NXP, along with domestic leaders in finance and consulting like Guotai Junan Securities, Roland Berger, and Grandall Law Firm. The district has become a hub for professional services, drawing both multinational and Chinese companies.

To support the visiting firms’ interest in entering or expanding in the Chinese market, local venture capital firms and consulting agencies were invited to offer guidance on project incubation, market entry, and cross-border strategy.

According to organisers, the Shanghai visit was the final stop for the UK delegation’s China tour and served as a preview for the upcoming Surging Tides: Global Urban Dialogues from Shanghai, a cultural and business exchange series. The program will hold its next round of events in London in June, continuing a dialogue between the two cities on urban development, innovation, and collaboration.