Xu Kaikun, an alumnus of our school, is named to the "2024 Hurun U30 China Entrepreneurship Pioneer List."

On May 8, the Hurun Research Institute, in collaboration with Changshu Kuncheng Lake, unveiled the "2024 Changshu Kunhu Lake - Hurun U30 China Entrepreneurship Pioneer List," recognizing 131 young entrepreneurs aged 30 and under. Xu Kaikun was selected for his innovative breakthroughs and outstanding achievements in the hospitality industry.

Xu Kaikun graduated from the School of Architecture and Engineering in 2017, majoring in Engineering Cost Management.

He launched his entrepreneurial journey at the student entrepreneurship park, founded Shenzhen Banana Stay Technology Co., Ltd., and won a bronze award at the Fourth China International University Student Innovation Competition (formerly the "Internet+" Competition). As the founder and CEO of Banana FUN Hotels, Xu Kaikun adopted a youth-oriented, experiential, and digital strategy, leading his team to establish over 40 hotels across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in just seven years, with annual revenue surpassing CNY 100 million, establishing himself as a rising leader in the hotel industry.

While at school, Xu Kaikun developed entrepreneurial ideas through student club activities and identified a gap in the urban accommodation market, entering the industry with a low-cost soft renovation model. Facing challenges like neighbor complaints, property disputes, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Xu Kaikun leveraged "continuous iteration" to overcome obstacles. In 2020, he pivoted to launch the LIA&BANA hotel brand, incorporating youth-oriented features such as esports and design aesthetics. Through "existing property renovation + digital operations," he opened 30 new hotels during the pandemic, with a "light renovation, high-premium" strategy achieving profitability in 90% of hotels. In 2023, he founded Jolly Hotel Group, announcing a "200 hotels in three years" expansion plan. His brands, including "Liya Hotel" and "Banana Design Hotel," attract over 100,000 guests annually, with a compound growth rate of 200%, and have secured tens of millions of yuan in funding.

His company operates brands such as "Liya Hotel" and "Banana Design Hotel."

Xu Kaikun targets Generation Z’s consumption preferences with differentiated designs, including industrial-style aesthetics, audio-visual rooms, esports and bar crossover experiences, creating an "accommodation, entertainment, and social" composite space. His innovative small and medium-sized hotel renovation model has lowered investment barriers, earning support from numerous small and medium-sized investors and operators. Single-room renovation costs are kept below CNY 20,000, with RevPAR (revenue per available room) 2.5 times higher post-renovation, successfully revitalizing numerous old properties. These innovative measures have enabled Banana FUN Hotels to carve out a blue ocean in a competitive red ocean market.

Since its launch in 2017, the "Hurun U30 China Entrepreneurship Pioneer List" has focused on entrepreneurs under 30, serving as a benchmark for China’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. This year’s list reveals an average enterprise value of CNY 280 million for U30 entrepreneurs, with sectors like software services, education, and consumer goods leading the way. Xu Kaikun’s inclusion demonstrates his entrepreneurial philosophy of "persistence and innovation" while showcasing the effectiveness of Shenzhen Polytechnic’s "Four Truths" innovation and entrepreneurship education model—focused on real needs, projects, benefits, and results—in nurturing young entrepreneurs. Moving forward, Shenzhen Polytechnic will continue to empower young innovators through platforms like innovation competitions, maker centers, and entrepreneurship parks, cultivating more pioneers like Xu Kaikun and advancing the integration of vocational education with industry frontiers.

Industrial Center (Entrepreneurship College) Chen Wen kai