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Hangzhou杭州

East ChinaNew Tier 16 policieslast updated 2026-04-15
Hangzhou skyline

Photo from Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA).

China's digital-economy capital. Its 12-measure OPC policy pack (Apr 2026) pioneered workstation registration — one person, one laptop, one workstation can legally register a company — plus collateral-free OPC credit and sandbox supervision.

For foreign founders in Hangzhou

Excellent for remote and digital solo founders, with one of the cheapest 'legal footprint' costs in China. No expat-specific OPC measures yet — standard WFOE path for foreigners, but the low friction and cloud ecosystem (Alibaba) make it a strong second-city pick.

Policy support by dimension

RegistrationRegister
Workstation registration (工位注册)

Hangzhou's 12 measures support 'workstation registration' and 'one address, multiple licenses'; eligible founders can even skip the proof-of-address requirement. Data, IP and other intangible assets are accepted as capital contributions.

Official measures, Apr 2026
Compute & AICompute
12-measure AI OPC policy pack

A full-cycle policy pack for 'light-asset, few-employee, knowledge-heavy' startups covering admission, compliance, IP, credit and supervision — with a mature cloud and e-commerce ecosystem (Alibaba Cloud, Taobao logistics) behind it.

Official measures, Apr 2026
FundingFunding
Dedicated credit accounts & no-collateral loans

OPC founders get a dedicated 'credit account' aggregating multi-source credit data, powering proprietary collateral-free OPC loan products. Shangcheng district runs a ¥100M/year special fund to grow OPCs from idea to 'one-person unicorn'.

Official measures, Apr 2026
SpaceSpace
OPC parks & zero-address registration

OPC startup parks (communities) provide low-friction footprints; because a physical address can be waived, founders can run from anywhere with internet access.

Official measures, Apr 2026
Visa & stayVisa
Standard path — no expat measures yet

Hangzhou has no foreigner-specific OPC measures yet; use the standard WFOE and work-permit path. The low entry cost still makes it attractive for foreigners who already have residence in China.

RegulationRules
Sandbox supervision (1–3 years)

OPC parks run sandbox supervision: companies in the sandbox get a 1–3 year observation period during which regulators mainly use administrative guidance and risk alerts rather than penalties.

Official measures, Apr 2026
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