Shenzhen, China
About the Mentor
Andrew Lan is the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Programme Director at XNode Shenzhen, a platform connecting innovation activities in China to the world. He is in charge of innovation ecosystem partner building and managing XNode programmes in GBA, including the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) and Go Singapore programmes supported by Enterprise Singapore.
Prior to XNode, he was a Senior Consultant for Globaltech IP in London and Nanjing China, a networking platform designed to promote innovation collaboration amongst the global community of GlobaltechIP partners, entrepreneurs, and investors from the UK and Russia. As part of this role, he spent a year executing technology transfer and commercialisation projects at the Nanjing Jiangbei New Area Science and Technology Bureau.
Before that, Andrew spent 10 years across 3 Fortune Global 500 MNCs, including 5 years as a Key Account Manager in Schneider Electric, 2 years as a Business Development Manager in United Technologies Corporation (UTC), and 3 years as a Sales Engineer in Panasonic, all focused on high-tech solutioning and B2B business development in Smart Cities.
In his capacity as a King's Global Health Institute (KGHI) Global Health Ambassador, Andrew helps KGHI to connect with China and the broader global health community, building networks to encourage international collaboration. He is also an active participant in policymaking efforts for the gerontechnology communities and eldercare industries in China and globally.
Andrew holds a Master of Science in Business Innovation with Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management at the Birkbeck Business School University of London and Master of Science in Ageing and Society at King’s College London, sponsored by the Chevening Scholarship.
About the Company
Headquartered in Shanghai, XNode is an innovation platform with offices in Shenzhen and Singapore. As one of the most international cross-border platforms for innovators, XNode provides quality Chinese localization services to startups and entrepreneurs, and connects them to topnotch domestic and international stakeholders for business partnerships.
On top of providing workspaces for entrepreneurs across Shanghai, XNode also partners with and leads 10 incubators and innovation programmes from around the world, including the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) programme under Enterprise Singapore, to foster a community where both Chinese and overseas entrepreneurs can exchange ideas and re-define existing structures in their respective industries.
Some of the multinational companies that XNode runs corporate innovation programmes for include Intel, Foxconn, Scania, and more.
Mentorship Experience
ATTIS
Automated Transborder Trade Integrated Settlements (ATTIS) is a Kazakh international trading software platform that brings terminals across the trade value chain onto a single platform, enabling end-to-end digital trade. The solution integrates support for anti-money laundering, logistics, customs clearance, and cross-border settlements for streamlined trade.
Andrew and his team helped ATTIS establish dialogue with the Nanjing municipal government and authorities, and guided ATTIS in understanding how the policies surrounding the Jiangsu Free Trade Zone applied to them. Andrew and his team also facilitated direct negotiations with Nanjing Customs, China Silk Road Group, and the Industrial and China Construction Bank (Nanjing Jiangbei New Area Branch), among others. ATTIS went on to win the Nanjing Entrepreneurship Competition Award and set up a presence in Nanjing.
Softomotive
Softomotive is a British world-leading provider of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) with over 15 years of experience and the creator of WinAutomation. They provide RPA technology for organization-wide digital workforce development.
Andrew worked with a team to develop a dedicated consulting report for Softomotive's China market entry strategy, providing a detailed analysis on the competitive landscape in China. The report helped Softomotive better understand the value of their product in the Chinese market, and sharpened their entry strategy. The company was successfully acquired by Microsoft a few months after Andrew and his team successfully delivered their consulting services to Softomotive.
