The Ripple brought together climate investors, founders, and experts to dig into how China fits into global climate tech and business. The session was lively, full of personal stories and the latest takes on working with Chinese partners.

Here’s what stood out:

- Working with China isn’t just about buying and selling. True value comes through deeper collaborations and long-term partnerships.

- Everyone agreed: China is a global powerhouse in areas like batteries, hardware, and even some software.

- Speed and scale are China’s real edge. Their ecosystem helps companies grow faster, thanks to a dense supply chain and flexible teams.

- It’s possible to learn as much from Chinese partners as they might learn from the West. Collaboration is a two-way street.

- Joint ventures and tech transfers have huge upsides but also real challenges, especially for Western startups.

- Both sides are hungry for new markets, but the competition is tough everywhere.

Overall, the Ripple showed that cracking this market isn’t about copy-paste models. Success means building trust, being flexible, and finding the right fit, together.