Startup China Launchpad
A time-bounded China expansion engagement for founders and growth companies. Defined objective, crisp execution, honest assessment at the end.
Not open-ended consulting. A finite China sprint.
The Launchpad is built for founders who want to take a specific China question seriously — a distribution partnership, a hiring push, a market validation, a JV prospect — without committing to open-ended consulting fees or a full local team up front.
We scope the objective, run the sprint, and deliver a written recommendation at the end: proceed, don't proceed, or proceed differently. Clients who proceed typically continue with us under the China Desk, but that's a choice made with evidence, not a renewal reflex.
Founders and growth-stage operators making real bets on China.
Launchpad engagements fit Series A–C startups evaluating APAC expansion; growth-stage companies with a specific Chinese partner or customer prospect to validate; and founders who want a credible in-country operator for a defined chapter of the company's growth.
It does not fit companies looking for exhaustive market reports. Launchpad is an execution engagement — meetings taken, conclusions drawn, next steps proposed.
Three capabilities, one sprint team.
Your sprint blends these as needed — Sinomark operators don't charge by the line item.
Partner Outreach
Identify, contact, and qualify Chinese counterparts — distributors, manufacturers, channels, JV candidates, or enterprise customers.
- Objective-led prospect list
- Direct outreach in Mandarin
- Qualification calls
- Intro meetings for your team
On-the-Ground Meetings
Represent your company in-country — with or without your team present — with structured notes and honest debriefs after each meeting.
- In-person meeting attendance
- Structured meeting notes
- Follow-up coordination
- Cultural translation in real time
Launch Support
Operational scaffolding for the chosen path — vendor onboarding, light legal navigation, hiring support, and the handoff to ongoing representation.
- Vendor / partner onboarding
- Light regulatory navigation
- Initial hire coordination
- Handoff to China Desk (optional)
Four shapes a Launchpad usually takes.
Identify a distribution partner
You need a Chinese distributor or channel partner for your product. We run the search, qualify candidates, and get you to a short list with real conviction.
Validate (or invalidate) a China thesis
Leadership thinks China is the next market. We test the hypothesis with real customer and partner conversations — and tell you honestly what we find.
Explore a JV or strategic partnership
You've been approached — or you want to approach. We run the discovery and diligence in-country so you enter a serious conversation with eyes open.
Lay the ground for a first China hire
Before committing to a local entity and full-time headcount, we scope the role, meet candidates, and help structure the arrangement.
Four phases. Ninety days. A decision at the end.
-
WK 1–2
Scope & landscape
Lock the objective in writing. Build the initial prospect list. Frame what a yes, a no, and a pivot look like.
-
WK 3–6
Outreach & meetings
Run direct outreach in Mandarin. Attend intro meetings on your behalf. Build a qualified short list.
-
WK 7–10
Deep diligence
Go deeper on the short list — second meetings, reference checks, on-site visits, commercial structure.
-
WK 11–12
Recommendation & handoff
Written recommendation with evidence. Clean handoff to ongoing representation if you proceed.
Fixed sprint fee. Decisioned continuation.
Fixed 90-day sprint fee
Launchpad is priced as a fixed fee for the 90-day engagement, billed in installments across the sprint. Continuation under the China Desk is optional — and decided with evidence, not because a subscription keeps running.
We do not take success fees tied to deal close, because a well-timed "no" is often the right call — and success fees make honest "no" answers costly.
- Fixed fee, fixed scopeBoth defined in the engagement letter before the sprint begins.
- Installments across the sprintCash flow aligned with work delivered.
- Optional continuation to China DeskDecided at week 12, not assumed.
- Expenses billed at costTravel, venues, translated materials — documented and passthrough.
Common questions
Can the sprint be longer or shorter than 90 days?
What happens if we decide not to proceed at the end?
Do you help with legal entity setup and regulatory work?
Can our team travel with you during the sprint?
Who owns the relationships we build during the sprint?
One platform, three ways to engage.
Have a China sprint in mind?
Request a private briefing and tell us what you'd want out of 90 days in China. We'll tell you honestly whether Launchpad fits — or point you to what would.