Recently, Wuhan has been within the highlight.
Riding on the wave of AI, Wuhan’s optoelectronic business, which has been accumulating for years, has witnessed an explosive development. In the secondary market, firms in Optics Valley equivalent to Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable, Huagong Technology, Accelink Technologies, FiberHome Telecommunication Technologies, and Guide Infrared have all seen their inventory costs double. The newest spotlight is Changjin Photonics, whose inventory worth soared by 1500% on its first day of itemizing, making it a new ten – bagger inventory in Wuhan.
As a consequence, the traders behind these firms have reaped big rewards. The most outstanding funding amongst them truly comes from a college: Years in the past, the entrepreneurial concept of Changjin Photonics germinated in a laboratory at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). And the final funding alternative earlier than its itemizing was additionally given to the HUST group, creating a story of excessive – return funding.
In the previous, when individuals talked about the 985 universities in Wuhan, their first impression might need been Wuhan University. However, within the period of arduous expertise, the HUST legion has made its mark.
Soaring 1500% on the First Day of Listing, the HUST Group Reaps a Huge Reward
The scene remains to be astonishing on reflection. Last week, Changjin Photonics, a particular optical fiber producer, formally listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board with a problem worth of 40.98 yuan per share. Its inventory worth soared by over 1500% on the primary day, setting a new document for brand new A – share listings this yr. As of now, its newest market worth exceeds 63 billion yuan.
So far, the full variety of listed firms in Optics Valley has reached 72, with a whole market worth exceeding 1.6 trillion yuan, which really displays the explosive development of Wuhan’s optoelectronic business.
Behind Changjin Photonics, there may be a outstanding label – the HUST group. You could not know that Li Jinyan, the helmsman of Changjin Photonics, was as soon as a professor at HUST. Since November 2008, Li Jinyan has served as a professor and doctoral supervisor on the Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics at HUST and left his place to begin a enterprise in July 2025.
It was this expertise that made him witness firsthand the home business’s heavy reliance on abroad expertise. In 2012, Li Jinyan based Changjin Photonics in Wuhan Optics Valley, main his group from the laboratory to industrialization.
It will be mentioned that that is a firm with a excessive “HUST content”. Among the 8 core technical personnel of the corporate, 7 are from HUST. As of the tip of 2025, Changjin Photonics holds 37 invention patents, of which 12 have been transferred from HUST.
After greater than a decade of entrepreneurship, these HUST alumni lastly acquired their rewards. They additionally left the largest shock for his or her alma mater. In June 2025, Huagong Venture Capital acquired 750,000 shares of Changjin Photonics from Huagong Mingde at a worth of 24.34 yuan per share. Huagong Venture Capital is likely one of the few funding platforms nonetheless held by immediately – affiliated universities of the Ministry of Education. It primarily focuses on the scientific and technological innovation achievements of HUST, specializing within the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and early – stage scientific and technological investments.
This was additionally the final financing window for the skin world earlier than Changjin Photonics’ itemizing. At that point, Huagong Venture Capital entered Changjin Photonics at a worth barely decrease than the earlier spherical. In only one yr, the ebook return of this funding exceeded 30 occasions.
In addition, one other “Optics Valley brother”, Huagong Technology, additionally seems behind Changjin Photonics. The latter is one other story of profitable scientific and technological achievement transformation at HUST.
Incubated from HUST, Huagong Technology was listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in June 2000, turning into the “first laser stock in China” and the primary college – affiliated listed firm in Central China. For a very long time, Huagong Technology was a college – owned enterprise.
It was not till 2020 that with a view to additional unleash the expansion potential of arduous expertise, Huagong Technology determined to hold out the reform of separating colleges from enterprises and transferred 19% of its shares to Wuhan State – owned Assets Guoheng Fund. Since then, the precise controller of Huagong Technology has been modified to the State – owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Wuhan. In latest years, with the explosive development of its optical module enterprise, Huagong Technology has entered the quick – lane of growth, with a newest market worth of about 160 billion yuan.
This has introduced actual wealth returns to HUST. Currently, Wuhan Huazhong University of Science and Technology Asset Management Co., Ltd., which is 100% owned by HUST, nonetheless holds 2% of Huagong Technology’s shares. Calculated, the worth of those shares exceeds 3 billion yuan.
After years of cultivation, the harvest lastly arrives. Such tales are at all times inspiring.
The Undervalued 985 University in Wuhan
How excellent is HUST?
In 2000, Huazhong University of Science and Technology was fashioned by the merger of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Tongji Medical University, and Wuhan Urban Construction Institute. It is likely one of the key universities underneath the “211 Project” and the “985 Project” and can be among the many first batch of universities underneath the “Double First – Class” initiative.
Among the numerous universities in Hubei, HUST and Wuhan University are the one two 985 universities. However, for a very long time, Wuhan University was higher recognized to the skin world, and HUST was usually undervalued.
It was not till the arrival of the technological period that HUST, which excels in engineering, got here to the middle of the stage.
At HUST, there are a variety of main nationwide scientific analysis bases such because the Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, the National Center for Pulsed Strong Magnetic Field Science, the National Center for Precision Gravity Measurement Science, and the National Innovation Center for Digital Design and Manufacturing. It additionally has 7 nationwide key laboratories and a couple of nationwide expertise innovation facilities… offering a steady stream of skills for scientific and technological analysis and growth.
A set of knowledge is extra intuitive: Drawing a circle with a radius of two.5 kilometers centered on HUST, inside an space of practically 20 sq. kilometers, there are practically 40,000 expertise – associated enterprises.
For many HUST college students, step one after commencement is to begin their careers on Guanshan Avenue, which is south of the college gate. Looking round, there are Huagong Technology, Guide Infrared, Juxin Microelectronics, Huayin Optoelectronics, Changjin Photonics… Currently, among the many greater than 70 listed firms in Optics Valley, greater than 10 are based or managed by HUST alumni.
The transformation of scientific and technological achievements is within the DNA of HUST. According to the 2025 annual particular reward publicity for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements launched by Wuhan Optics Valley, HUST ranked first amongst universities and analysis institutes with a whole bonus of 9.5174 million yuan. HUST has contributed greater than half of the “bottleneck” applied sciences remodeled in Optics Valley lately.
In this manner, a virtuous cycle has been fashioned: The group conducts core expertise analysis and growth at HUST, after which the enterprise realizes industrialization in Optics Valley. Tens of 1000’s of HUST skills have chosen to remain in Wuhan after commencement, serving as technical backbones in enterprises and researchers in scientific analysis establishments.
In the meantime, HUST has additionally began to play a position from the attitude of enterprise capital. When alumni take step one in entrepreneurship, it gives actual – cash help. After finding out, HUST has immediately or not directly supported the entrepreneurial initiatives of its alumni equivalent to Huagong Technology, Changjin Photonics, Huazhong CNC, Biochip Corporation, and Huake Cold Core. As you may see, the fruits are beginning to be reaped.
Among them, there may be additionally a group of traders who graduated from HUST. They are passionate about supporting their alumni, which can be a spotlight within the enterprise capital circle. Not way back, the HUST Seed Fund was formally established. This fund will give attention to the excessive – high quality innovation achievements of HUST and the entrepreneurship initiatives of its alumni. Among them, Jiadao Capital contributed as an LP. Its founder, Gong Hongjia, referred to as the “most outstanding angel investor in China”, is a effectively – recognized alumnus of HUST.
When collectively, they’re a blazing hearth; when aside, they’re stars within the sky.
From Cambricon to Zhipu, Universities Reap Big Rewards
This is a distinctive scene within the technological period.
A brand new wave of technological revolution is approaching, and disruptive applied sciences equivalent to synthetic intelligence, quantum info, and life science are booming. The supply of technological innovation usually comes from universities. After a lengthy interval of analysis within the laboratory, these initiatives have profound technological benefits and at the moment are of their finest period.
In the nationwide rating of the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of universities, Tsinghua University ranks first. Now, Zhipu is bringing a big reward to Tsinghua. Tracing again, Zhipu originated from the Knowledge Engineering Group (KEG) Laboratory of the Department of Computer Science at Tsinghua University. In 2019, with a view to maximize the worth of scientific analysis achievements, Zhipu was established.
With the Tsinghua gene, Zhipu has stood out amongst many home giant – mannequin startup firms. In January this yr, Zhipu was formally listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, turning into the “first large – model stock in the world”. Over the previous few months, its inventory worth has been rising in a spiral, and its market worth as soon as approached HK$900 billion. Currently, Huakong Technology, a subsidiary of Tsinghua, holds 3.48% of Zhipu’s shares, with a corresponding worth of greater than HK$20 billion.
Cambricon remains to be breaking information. Currently, Cambricon’s market worth is fluctuating round 900 billion yuan. As is effectively – recognized, behind Cambricon are two brothers from Jiangxi, Chen Yunji and Chen Tianshi. Their entrepreneurial story has at all times been a matter of curiosity to the skin world. The two brothers joined the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences one after one other and devoted themselves to the analysis and growth of AI chips, laying the inspiration for the institution of Cambricon.
As the supply of expertise, the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences holds about 15.57% of Cambricon’s shares by means of its wholly – owned platform, CAS Computing Source. Calculated, the corresponding market worth exceeds 100 billion yuan.
Scenes like these are essentially the most highly effective solutions to the importance of the transformation of scientific and technological achievements in universities.
Behind every technological challenge, there was a lengthy – time period analysis and growth course of, and numerous scientific analysis skills have endured years of hardship. Beyond the rewards, it additionally makes individuals extra satisfied that each perseverance will ultimately repay. It is foreseeable that the period of the explosion of college – primarily based expertise has arrived.
Just just like the previous saying goes: The finest time to plant a tree was ten years in the past. The second – finest time is now.
This article is from the WeChat official account “Investment World” (ID: pedaily2012), writer: Wu Qiong, revealed by 36Kr with authorization.