Storyline China's STAR market marks 6th anniversary with 1.1 trillion yuan in fundraising [Voice_over] China's Nasdaq-style Science and Technology Innovation Board, also known as the STAR market, celebrated its sixth birthday in Shanghai recently, having raised a combined 151 billion U.S. dollars through IPOs and follow-on offerings since its launch in 2019. According to information from the Shanghai Stock Exchange, some 589 companies have gone public on the STAR Market. Since its inception, the market has become the preferred listing destination for China's "hard tech" companies, with over 80 percent of listed firms specializing in next-generation information technology, biopharmaceuticals, and advanced equipment manufacturing. [Sound_bite] Wang Bo, deputy general manager, Shanghai Stock Exchange: "There are over 120 listed integrated circuit companies, accounting for 60 percent of all A-share listings, forming China's most comprehensive IC industry chain. The number of biopharmaceutical companies has reached 113, making the STAR market a global hub for listings second only to the U.S. and Hong Kong.” [Voice_over] Data shows that roughly three fourths of China's STAR-listed companies are based in either Jiangsu, Shanghai, Guangdong, Beijing or Zhejiang Province. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]