The seven co-founders of Guangzhou Heygears Technology, a company dedicated to 3D printing, met at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the United States and shared the same dream.

When they were at school, they spotted that hand-made earphones were popular among the students and sensed a business opportunity, so they began designing their own earphones. It wasn't long before their products gained popularity, earning them $45,000 from their inventions.

In 2015, the team took part in an innovation competition and was crowned champion, gaining the attention of Chinese investors. Not long after, they decided to come back to China and start a business of their own.

Wu Suiping, one of the founders, said they were so worried that they might fail due to the great expense on research and development. However, the startup made it because of previous savings and subsequent financing.

In 2016, the company rolled out its star product, a wireless Bluetooth earphone which is actually a bionic device based on the research and analysis of more than 3,000 pairs of human ears. In just one month, the company sold 60,000 pairs of earphones, selling out of the product.

Apart from earphones, Heygears is striving to tap the medical equipment market in China and has cooperated with many famous medical equipment companies from home and abroad and rolled out a range of products such as orthodontic braces and anti-snoring devices.

Heygears has developed 3D-printed orthodontic braces. [Photo/him3d.cn]

As of now, Heygears has more than 140 employees with an office area covering over 6,000 square meters and has registered more than 100 patents.

Wu attributes his company's success mainly to Guangzhou and its complete industrial chain. "I feel Guangzhou's entrepreneurial atmosphere is great and both the city and the district offer us many preferential policies such as research allowances and investment subsidies," Wu said.

"When we faced our toughest moments, the local government offered us great help, from policies interpretation to guidance for the development direction of our company."

A staff member works in the 3D printing workshop of Heygears. [Photo/him3d.cn]