China’s space start-ups eye IPO boom as SpaceX heads for record listing

This is part of a series on the global impact of SpaceX’s historic IPO, tracing how mainland Chinese investors’ strategies, the Hong Kong market and…

This is part of a series on the global impact of SpaceX’s historic IPO, tracing how mainland Chinese investors’ strategies, the Hong Kong market and wider capital flows are being reshaped by Elon Musk’s trillion‑dollar rocket gamble.

The landmark listing of US aerospace giant SpaceX is expected to accelerate and reshape the initial public offering (IPO) plans of China’s emerging commercial space companies, according to industry executives and investors.

The development comes as space technology has become an increasingly important strategic battleground between China and the United States.

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SpaceX has established a commanding lead in reusable rocket technology, widely regarded as the key to dramatically lowering the cost of launching satellites and other payloads into orbit.

As SpaceX moves closer to what could become the world’s largest-ever IPO, a US$75 billion listing on the Nasdaq, more than 10 Chinese rocket manufacturers and aerospace suppliers are pursuing listings in Shanghai or Hong Kong.

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The latest entrant is Beijing-based satellite ground-services provider Emposat, which began pre-IPO tutoring in mainland China earlier this month.