01
China Premium Market Validation
Test demand, pricing and positioning with carefully selected Chinese consumers before committing significant time and capital to China.
China · Japan · South Korea · Wider Asia
Market Development & Execution
Validate Markets. Build Opportunities. Deliver Across China and Asia.
SALT helps companies test demand, identify and engage the right commercial opportunities, and deliver physical ideas—from market validation and AI-enabled business development to production and on-the-ground execution across China and Asia.
- Working with
- International agencies, brands and B2B companies
- From
- A market question, target account or physical brief
- To
- Validated insight, qualified conversations or delivered work
01 Introduction
Who SALT is for
Built for companies moving across borders.
SALT helps agencies, brands and B2B companies validate new markets, identify the right commercial opportunities and execute physical projects across China and Asia.
We combine AI-assisted research with human judgement, then bring the same disciplined approach to personalised outreach, sourcing, supplier coordination, production and on-the-ground delivery.
02 Who we work with
Four routes in
Through an agency, or straight to us.
SALT works both as a local partner behind an international agency and directly with brands, in-house teams and overseas companies. The route changes; the accountability does not.
- 01
International Agencies
A local partner who protects the creative intent, reads a drawing the way you do and manages production or execution on the ground.
- 02
Global Brands
Direct support for brand-side teams who need something developed, made and delivered without routing every decision through a third party.
- 03
Overseas Companies
Development, sampling, tooling, fabrication and quality coordination for companies producing in China for the first time or the fiftieth.
- 04
In-house Project Teams
A behind-the-scenes extension of your internal team — briefed once, working in your time zone and reporting in your language.
03 Capabilities
01 — 08
What we take on.
Eight areas of work. Most projects use several of them, managed as one line of accountability rather than a handoff between vendors.
- 01
Sourcing & Supplier Coordination
Identifying and coordinating the specialist suppliers and factories a project actually needs, then managing them as one accountable line of communication.
- 02
Product Development
Working from a brief, sketch, drawing or reference towards something that can be made — resolving construction, materials and finish alongside the people who will build it.
- 03
Prototyping & Sampling
Physical samples and prototypes to review, approve or revise, so decisions are made against an object rather than a render.
- 04
Tooling & Mold Development
Coordinating tool and mold development with the appropriate partners, including review stages, trial shots and revisions before production is committed.
- 05
Fabrication & Production
Custom fabrication and production runs managed against the approved sample, with progress reported as work moves through the floor.
- 06
Packaging
Retail, transit and presentation packaging developed alongside the product so what arrives is protected, correct and ready to use.
- 07
International Delivery
Consolidation, documentation and freight coordination for delivery to Europe and other international destinations.
- 08
China & Asia Execution
On-the-ground execution for brand and event projects in China, Japan and South Korea, with regional coordination across wider Asia.
04 Strategic Services
Validate — Develop
Know the market. Reach the right clients.
02
AI-Enabled Business Development
Combine AI-assisted market research, target-account discovery and decision-maker mapping with human review and personalised outreach.
05 Selected Work
07 entries
Selected work.
A focused selection of production and execution projects delivered across China and Asia.
-
01
ZARA
Production & Execution · Shanghai
In collaboration with Profirst
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02
Delvaux
Pop-up Production & Operations · Beijing
Designs developed by Delvaux's European headquarters
-
03
Massimo Dutti
Fashion Show & Retail Experience · China
Selected fashion and retail experiences delivered in China
-
04
Valextra
Retail Opening & Pop-up Execution · Beijing
Flagship-store opening and Vintage Museum pop-up, Beijing
-
05
KOSÉ
Exhibition Design & Production · Shanghai
China International Import Expo, Shanghai
-
06
Extended Production Network Experience
Xiaomi
Production, Logistics & Installation · Europe
Production and execution experience delivered through SALT's extended partner network.
-
07
Extended Production Network Experience
Beats × Jennie
Production & Execution · Seoul
Production and execution experience delivered through SALT's extended partner network.
06 Working relationship
Stages 01 — 08
One partner from development to delivery.
Most problems in cross-border production are communication problems. The structure below exists to remove the gaps where intent usually gets lost.
- 01
Clear international communication
One point of contact, working in your time zone and reporting in plain English.
- 02
Brief and specification review
Drawings, references and specifications read for buildability before anything is quoted.
- 03
Supplier and factory coordination
The right specialist partners identified, briefed and held to the same specification.
- 04
Prototype and tooling management
Samples and tools developed through defined review stages before production is committed.
- 05
Production oversight
Work followed on the floor and reported as it progresses, not after it finishes.
- 06
Quality coordination
Checks against the approved sample, with issues raised while they can still be fixed.
- 07
Packaging and delivery
Packing, documentation and freight arranged so what arrives is correct and undamaged.
- 08
Regional on-the-ground execution
Install and event execution supported in person where the project calls for it.
07 Regional coverage
Based in China
China-based. Asia-ready.
Production and coordination run from China. Regional execution is handled where we have worked before, and assessed honestly where we have not.
- 01
China
Base of operations. Sourcing, development, tooling, fabrication, packaging, quality coordination and event execution.
- 02
Japan
Project experience supporting brand and event work, coordinated from China with local partners.
- 03
South Korea
Project experience supporting brand and event work, coordinated from China with local partners.
- 04
Wider Asia
Regional coordination considered project by project, based on what the brief and the timeline genuinely require.
08 About
Founded by Figo Zhang & Lyris Chan
Experience behind the opportunity and execution.
SALT was founded by Figo Zhang and Lyris Chan to help international companies move from market question and commercial opportunity to reliable cross-border execution in China and across Asia.
The team combines market research, international business development, events, brand production, product development, fabrication, international delivery and cross-border collaboration.
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Co-founder
Figo Zhang
Around fifteen years of experience across events, business development, brand production and execution. Has developed international business through direct outreach since 2018 and leads market research, opportunity development, production planning and delivery.
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Co-founder
Lyris Chan
Works across client communication, project coordination and production management, keeping international teams and local suppliers aligned from brief through to delivery.
09 Next step
Have a market, client target or project to move forward?
Share your company, objective, target market or physical brief. We will recommend the right validation, business development or execution route.
Discuss an OpportunityUseful to include
- Company or website
- Objective or brief
- Target market
- Ideal client profile
- Target timeline
- Delivery destination, if relevant