Embarrassment and hope of southern Internet enterprises

The quiet, small and medium-sized Internet enterprises in Shenzhen are secretly brewing a "self-help" campaign.

According to 21CN reporter learned that July 29, the Shenzhen people concerned quietly invited a number of Shenzhen small and medium Internet enterprises. According to people familiar with the talks, the theme of the meeting is "new economy and capital", the participants included the Shenzhen Entrepreneurship Training Center and the Ministry of Marketing, Shenzhen internet Technology Application Association, as well as a number of Shenzhen local internet business executives, but Shenzhen internet industry leading enterprise Tencent (0700. HK), Thunder is not.

Shenzhen the Shenzhen Small and medium-sized Internet enterprises and industry status of a survey. July 18, a participant told reporters that the Shenzhen government is brewing a set of policies for the development of the local Internet industry, including financial support, the establishment of an Internet industry base, "the specific policy is expected to be introduced in the near future." ”

For a long time, despite the emergence of Tencent in Shenzhen, such as China's internet industry, the long-awaited enterprises, but a number of Shenzhen Internet industry people to reporters frankly, "compared to Beijing and Shanghai, Shenzhen in recent years the development of the Internet industry has been seriously lagging behind." ”

Compared with Beijing and Shanghai, Shenzhen has never lacked the innovative spirit and abundant capital as the first special economic zone of China's reform and opening-up. But in fact, the reporter interviewed a number of small and medium-sized Internet enterprises, but found that, compared to the Beijing-Shanghai area, Shenzhen's Internet enterprises market-oriented financing is extremely difficult.

Under the collision of traditional industrial model and internet New Economy thinking, Shenzhen's internet industry is undergoing a long and painful transformation.

Financing dilemma

"It's a lot of trouble to fly to Shanghai a few times a month." "Sit in front of the reporter, Yi Fruit net CEO Guo Jianwu appears very helpless."

Guo Jianwu frequently flew to Shanghai in order to finance, this is a thing that makes Guo have to feel embarrassed-as a location in Shenzhen, where the outside seems to be the capital, the company responsible but to travel far away to seek capital.

"Often it is time to see the VC, when they are free, we are almost on call." Guo reluctantly said, because in a different place, excluding travel costs do not say, the company's day-to-day work has been disrupted.

Although in Guo's view, the company's profit model is clear, the future can be, but because of the place, in the communication with VC is also obstacles.

"VC not only listen to you tell a story, but also want to a company or a project has a long-term understanding process." Guo Jianwu said, but because apart, want to track a long-term project, on both sides is very inconvenient, so in with the VC "marriage" in different places, often the success rate is low.

The grim nature of the reality is that Guo's experience is not a case in point. In recent days, the reporter interviewed a number of Shenzhen Internet companies learned that Shenzhen's Internet enterprises have little experience of the "proximity" advantage.

In contrast, according to the Shenzhen venture capital industry trade union revealed that by the end of 2007, Shenzhen Investment Management Capital Total has reached 60 billion yuan, venture capital related institutions totaling more than 250, of which more than 150 investment institutions, Shenzhen venture capital, whether the number or management of funds, has accounted for about 40% of the country.

"Shenzhen, despite its active capital, is less willing to invest in new economic industries such as the Internet." "Guo Jianwu to the reporter analysis, Shenzhen's capital industry, with the traditional industry started private capital mostly, which led to the search for investment projects, tend to tend to traditional industries, and the Internet and other new economic patterns are very few."

Shenzhen Venture capital trade union Secretary-General Wang also frankly, although the Shenzhen local investment institutions active, but in contrast, in Beijing, Shanghai foreign investment companies set up more, and China's internet industry, more than 50% of the wind investment in foreign investment ventures.

Shenzhen local capital is not completely shut out of internet companies, Internet capital is not active there are other factors.

"The traditional industry background, often lack of new economic model of thinking, they are more focused on short-term financial returns, and some even interfere with the day-to-day management of the original team," Guo Jianwu said, "Not from the local capital completely unable to find financing, the question is such money you dare?" ”

Local capital puzzled New economy

"To be honest, we are not very willing to invest in South China internet companies, including Shenzhen," he said. "On the afternoon of July 18, the head of the Shenzhen office, a prominent U.S. investment company focused on the Internet, told reporters frankly.

In his view, not only is the Shenzhen capital level, many of Shenzhen's internet companies are also derived from the traditional industry, "the Internet is only an online platform, rather than a simple network economic operation model." The above person evaluates.

In Shenzhen, China Investment Net (hereinafter referred to as "investment net") is an example. China Merchants Network CEO Zhangmingliang in hand to reporters on the business card, but also with Hyun Ze investment chairman, the Chinese Investment Research Association Zhang and other titles, he told reporters frankly, "investment net initially is only our investment business of an online platform." ”

Reporter learned that, today, the network has continued to continue line business parallel mode, in addition to the use of network platform, its offline also operating entities investment projects. and engaged in E-commerce Network CEO Guo Jianwu, is also long engaged in foreign trade business, so far, the fruit net also retains e-commerce and offline trade parallel mode.

"Engaging in traditional industries and switching to the Internet often requires a cognitive process for the business model of the network economy." IDGVC senior manager Cao Dijun thinks.

Zhangmingliang to reporters frankly, do the internet in the early days, he has been confused about the new economy. The reporter noted that in early 1999, an investment agency in Hong Kong had taken the initiative to seek a capital injection of HK $3 million, but was rebuffed by Zhang, not that he thought the offer was too low, but that he wanted to see it again.

Cao Dijun told reporters, engaged in traditional industries, often pay attention to the immediate financial profit, but less for the network business model of long-term strategic planning, and the latter is precisely the most valued VC.

"You let them (the traditional industry to the Internet companies) in two years, to burn 50 million of dollars, and do not consider immediate profit, they often lack of courage." "Cao Dijun analysis, because VC based on the time cost of investment cycle, so basically do not consider dividends return, mainly rely on listing or mergers and acquisitions exit, and the lack of new economic business model of the Internet enterprises, in the process of listing is often not to be optimistic about the capital market, which is not willing to invest in VC

On the other side of reality, the capital will from traditional industries will often clash with the new economic model of the Internet.

Chiapo, president of Shenzhen Internet Technology Application Association, said to reporters, its association has a family engaged in the network community member enterprises, to seek a Shenzhen local venture capital, originally agreed three-year steps to invest 50 million, can be the first round of investment 7 million, less than 1.5 of the time, the investor decided not to add additional investment, " The reason is that the management has seen this for more than a year, not how to make money ' can't wait '. ”

Chiapo that at present an Internet project needs at least 3-5 years of incubation period, and compared to professional VC, private capital is often impatient.

In addition, there are more ambitious financing plans in the capital raising phase has been "stillborn." May 2007, Shenzhen A group of Internet enterprises to set up a scale of more than tens of millions of "incubation fund" to support in the entrepreneurial period of small and medium-sized Internet enterprises. "But because of the traditional capital that was originally planned to participate, and ultimately lack of awareness of the Internet industry, the project has miscarried." "July 22, as one of the sponsors of the project, Chiapo clearly told reporters.

The shock of Ma Yun

This February, Guangdong provincial party secretary Wang Yang visited Alibaba, and invited Ma Yun to Guangdong to develop E-commerce, which includes Shenzhen, including the internet industry in South China caused no small shock.

"On the one hand, the local government has begun to attach great importance to the Internet industry, but on the other hand, the development of local Internet enterprises has been relatively lagging behind." Guo Jianwu said it made it "very exciting" for Internet entrepreneurs in South China, including him.

It is in this context that Shenzhen from the government to the enterprise, began to brew an Internet economy industrial transformation, with a view to Shenzhen's internet industry has a breakthrough. In fact, the Shenzhen Internet industry and its supporting enterprises have nearly 3,000, the output value of 7 billion yuan, employees 150,000.

"We hope that the Government will be able to introduce some practical policies in the financing and listing support." July 9, the participants told reporters that the local small and medium-sized Internet enterprises in Shenzhen, many in the start-up phase, in a purely market-based financing difficulties, I hope the government can help.

The reporter learned from the insider, 29th this month, the Shenzhen stock market will also hold a "new economic and Capital Markets Seminar", will invite the domestic new economic entrepreneurs, industry researchers and sponsor experts to analyze the development of new economic industry and business model characteristics of the new economic enterprises to use the capital market, Urgency and the special issue of domestic listing.

"The listing of local Internet enterprises in Shenzhen will be one of the key points of this study." "People familiar with the matter said that up to now, in the A-share market only Sheng technology (now known as" Business Treasure ", 002095.SZ) an Internet enterprise, in the gem will launch the expected, domestic listing will also become a mainland Internet enterprises a capital channel.

However, in IDGVC Senior manager Cao Dijun view, from the global internet economy, are based on the high level of capital marketization, the rise of Shenzhen Internet industry should focus on the market itself.

Shenzhen is a distributing center of China and the world, which provides a good industrial foundation for its development of internet trade. "Cao Dijun believes that E-commerce will be including Shenzhen, South China's Internet enterprises, the next point of focus."

It is reported that in addition to electronic products, Shenzhen is the country's largest apparel market distribution center, Jewelry Market Distribution center. Relevant data show that the annual production value of Shenzhen jewelry is as high as 43 billion yuan, occupy a 70% of the Chinese jewelry market share, the government invited Ma Yun to Guangdong, but also based on the characteristics of local industry considerations.

"How to integrate the industrial advantages of the line and online e-business effectively will be an important battle for the rise of small and medium Internet enterprises in Shenzhen." Cao Dijun that, how to do not only rely on traditional industries, but also do not adhere to the shackles of traditional business model, will be the key to the success or failure of the transformation.