Apple has cut the ribbon on its first app design and development accelerator in China.
The accelerator, located in Shanghai, aims to help Apple scale its operation in one of the world’s biggest markets.
Apple will hold regular lectures and networking sessions for developers at its new accelerator. All of Apple’s platforms will be covered, including iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, and tvOS.
Enwei Xie, Apple’s Head of Developer Relations in Greater China, said:
"Local developers in China have launched a number of world-leading apps in the App Store, and we're proud to take this opportunity to help them grow again.
From education and health to entertainment, we see many amazing innovations in China. We look forward to these talented developers recreating."
Some of the most popular apps and games in recent years have come from China. Video sharing phenomenon TikTok, for example, was developed by Beijing-based studio ByteDance. With its new accelerator, Apple will be hoping to help nurture the next TikToks and more.
“Developers here in China are leading the world with some of the most popular apps on the App Store, and we are proud to be providing this additional support for them,” said Xie in a statement.
Apple claims Greater China has more than 2.5 million developers creating for its platforms. Chinese developers have earned more than 200 billion yuan since the App Store went live in the country in 2010.
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