Specialized, sophisticated SMEs listed with Beijing Equity Trading Center hit 1,000

BEIJING, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Beijing Equity Trading Center, a specialized board for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Chinese capital that develop advanced technologies to produce innovative and unique products, saw its number of listed companies hit 1,000 by the end of November, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology announced on Thursday.

Among these companies, 221 are recognized as innovative SMEs, 541 as specialized and sophisticated SMEs, and 187 as "little giant" enterprises -- a designation reserved for top-tier SMEs with high growth potential, cutting-edge technology and a robust competitive edge in the market.

Launched in August 2023 with an initial cohort of 50 firms, the board is a tailored segment of Beijing's equity market, specifically designed to support technology-driven and innovative SMEs.

Nearly 90 percent of its listed firms operate in cutting-edge fields, including next-generation information technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing and new energy.

To date, companies on the board have raised over 40 billion yuan (about 5.66 billion U.S. dollars) in equity financing, ranking among the top nationally in funding scale, according to the Beijing Equity Trading Center.

The development of SMEs that use specialized, sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products has been highlighted as a key national strategy. It was included in the Communist Party of China Central Committee's recommendations for the formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) for China's economic and social development. ■