AliCloud and Foxconn join forces to train Chinese startup army

Middle Kingdom players want to breed next gen companies

Alibaba's cloud division AliCloud has hopped into bed with with Apple manufacturer Foxconn, with the intention of creating a space to breed the next generation of companies to take over the world.

The investment "incubator" is intended to nurture SME and "micro" businesses by giving them access to Alibaba's cloud computing platform, while Foxconn will apparently offer design, development patents, and supply chain management support.

The outfits will also work with Intel, and investment outfits Zhubajie.com and Valley Capital to create a support "infrastructure".

The programme has been trialled for the last six months and supported 280 businesses so far.

In its release, Alibaba noted that one startup that benefited from the programme is Silicon Valley’s Moov, a fitness wearable brand with a growing popularity in the US and Europe.

The outfit is now apparently expanding across the US and Europe.

Jian Wang, CTO of Alibaba Group, said: “Alibaba Group is helping enterprises and startups progress by making computing services more accessible."

It follows the ramping up of the division's expansion plans, with the opening of its second data centre in Silicon Valley last week. The firm has also committed to pouring $1bn (£648m) into its global cloud expansion push.

Alibaba's main tactic of achieving global domination will be to hop into bed with local partners and flog its services to Chinese customers doing business abroad. ®