Chen Zhaohui Plans 100 Cloud Venture Coffee Shops in Five Years

In April 2015, just days before the opening of Cloud Capital Coffee (3C) in Zhengzhou, a Bentley University grad who had spent seven years studying finance in the U.S. sold his car, booked a flight, and told founder Chen Zhaohui he was coming home. Not for a corporate job, but to join Chen’s new offline-to-online ecosystem—centered on a new kind of specialty coffee shop built for startups and investors.

Yes, Chen plans to open 100 3C coffee shops across China within five years. Each acts as a physical hub connecting 500 entrepreneurs or investors, building a national network of 50,000 business-minded individuals. These cafes pair with an online O2O list platform to host events, pitch sessions, and co-investments—all designed to fuel 'Internet+' transformation and rapid growth.

But this isn’t your typical Silicon Valley-style incubator coffee shop. Unlike first-generation venture cafes, 3C focuses on helping experienced business owners—those with teams, industry connections, and capital—accelerate projects through digital transformation. And it all kicks off in Zhengzhou.

What Is Cloud Capital Coffee?

Officially launched on April 11, 2015, at the Jianye Headquarters Harbor in Zhengzhou’s CBD, 3C Coffee was the first tangible piece of Chen Zhaohui’s broader O2O ecosystem. The cafe serves as the “offline landing platform” for what Chen calls the “cloud club O2O integration cloud”—his umbrella for connecting people, capital, and ideas across industries.

These coffee shops are designed to bridge the gap between startups and investors. With regular project roadshows, quick co-investments, expert salons, and training sessions, 3C Coffee fosters deal flow and networking. The long-term plan: 100 physical locations forming a “ground network,” paired with the existing online O2O list platform to create a seamless pipeline for startups seeking funding and veterans seeking the next big thing.

Why This Model Works Now

Traditional paths—like climbing the ladder at a Wall Street investment bank—no longer excite everyone. Take Tian Mengyu, the Bentley grad who ditched his U.S. career plans. He saw the explosion of 'Internet+' startups raising tens of millions overseas, the rise of platforms like JD’s equity crowdfunding, and Microsoft and other giants rushing to serve Chinese entrepreneurs.

That momentum convinced him: the future wasn’t in staying put—it was in going back to China to help build the ecosystem. The same trends convinced dozens of other professionals to engage with 3C Coffee. The result is a new kind of community: experienced founders and savvy investors looking to move fast, digitize legacy businesses, and tap into real-time deal flow.

Real Projects, Real Traction

The first day of operation featured multiple compelling pitches. One standout was a hotel O2O concept: a Yao medicinal wellness-themed hotel targeting exhausted business travelers. Founder Yang Shanming, an EMBA grad from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and former VP at a New Third Board-listed company, designed the concept to integrate traditional Yao medicine into hotel stays—offering services like eye diagnosis at check-in, sleep-enhancing Yao baths, medicinal teas, and aromatherapy-infused rooms.

The business model? In-room experiences drive QR-code-linked purchases via an online store. Yang plans to open 1,000 such hotels in three to five years—with a long-term goal of offering free lodging, supported entirely by wellness product sales.

Another pitch came from a veteran FMCG executive with a hyper-local O2O grocery play called “” (Cloud Kitchen). The idea? A platform that lets neighborhood stores deliver kitchen staples—like premium rapeseed oil for ¥72 (vs. supermarket price of ¥79)—in under 30 minutes. The value proposition cuts across producers (flatter distribution), retailers (more sales & data), and consumers (fast, cheap essentials). A built-in social feature also helps rebuild community ties.

Then there’s Diamond CFO—a vertical recruitment service targeting companies seeking senior financial talent, especially for those eyeing the New Third Board. By combining CFO expertise with hiring solutions, the platform helps businesses pivot to “finance-led” operations. By year-end 2015, it expected 100 clients at ¥100,000 each, generating ¥1 million in revenue and ¥500,000 in gross profit.

O2O, Verticalization, and the Future of Chinese Startups

All these ventures share a common thread: operators from traditional sectors using mobile internet tools to remove middlemen, get closer to customers, and reclaim their position in the value chain. Unlike disruptors who build from scratch, these entrepreneurs know their customers—but need help shedding legacy inefficiencies.

The risk? Becoming the next forgotten utility—like traditional telcos reduced to pipelines as WeChat ate their messaging business. As one article quoted from Liu Cixin’s “The Three-Body Problem” puts it: “，”—“Your destruction has nothing to do with me.” The message: adapt or vanish.

3C Coffee aims to be the platform that prevents that. By identifying businesses eager to “go Internet+” and connecting them with the right investors, expertise, and co-founders, it turns coffee shops into launchpads. Using a professional-led, crowd-investing approach, 3C helps vetted entrepreneurs raise capital efficiently—and lets investors back the right projects with confidence.

What Industry Insiders Are Saying

“The rise of internet-driven business models means anyone can now build nationwide reach quickly,” says Tian Weidong, head of an O2O research institute. “Cloud Venture Club creates a data-backed bridge between ideas and capital, closing the loop for entrepreneurs and investors alike.”

Zhang Jianguo, chairman of a biotech firm, adds: “For traditional businesses, O2O isn’t optional. It’s survival. 3C Coffee brings together the capital, talent, and models that can drive real transformation in Henan and beyond.”

Chen Guanghui, a cooking oil exec, recalls his own failed pre-O2O startup in 2005. “Back then, I had no access to mentorship or funding. Today’s founders have that chance—if they’re in the right ecosystem.”

Investor Tian Dongwu notes that while Beijing-Shanghai-Guangzhou-Shenzhen have no shortage of finance-focused cafes, 3C is the only professional O2O venture hub in the Central China region. “It solves the core mismatch: good projects can’t find investors, and investors can’t find good projects. 3C fixes that.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cloud Capital Coffee (3C)?

Cloud Capital Coffee, or 3C, is a network of physical cafes designed to connect startup founders and investors focused on O2O and 'Internet+' projects. Each location serves as a hub for events, pitching, and networking, paired with an online platform to facilitate investment and collaboration.

How many 3C coffee shops does Chen Zhaohui plan to open?

Chen Zhaohui aims to open 100 Cloud Capital Coffee locations across China within five years to build a national network of entrepreneurs and investors.

What makes 3C Coffee different from other venture cafes?

Unlike early-stage incubators, 3C focuses on experienced entrepreneurs with existing businesses who want to digitize or expand via O2O. It targets a more mature, capital-aware audience rather than raw startups.

What kinds of projects get pitched at 3C Coffee?

Pitched projects include hotel O2O concepts, community grocery delivery services, vertical recruitment for CFOs, and wellness-focused hospitality models—all emphasizing 'Internet+' transformation and real-world traction.

Who attends or invests through 3C Coffee?

The network includes seasoned entrepreneurs, professional investors, and startup founders looking for co-investment opportunities, mentorship, and rapid deal flow in a trusted environment.

Where is the first 3C Coffee shop located?

The first 3C Coffee shop officially opened in April 2015 in Zhengzhou’s CBD, at the Jianye Headquarters Harbor commercial district.

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