RUBY’s initial shortlist focused on some of the world’s largest industry players — on paper, the obvious prospects. In practice, large global leaders receive constant approaches and have complex procurement structures, making them difficult to reach without a trusted route of introduction. RUBY needed a market view tied to real buyer behaviour and reachability, not size alone.

HI-COM combined China market and industry research with primary interviews involving national companies and large enterprises, then mapped the market beyond the most visible names — screening candidates for relevant capability, product fit and a realistic route to the responsible team. The team then validated reachability through real industry networks, including chamber relationships and contacts developed through the FIC exhibition in Shanghai, before supporting direct outreach to selected targets.