On a recent summer afternoon, young entrepreneurs gulped down cups of coffee and stared intently at computer screens with a burning intensity. They huddled over laptops, developing algorithms, sending e-mails to potential customers and designing mobile apps.

They could have been in the office of any global software company. But these budding business owners were brainstorming in a coffee shop in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province.

For the price of a cup of coffee (15 yuan, or just under $2.50), founders of start-up companies can set up office for the day and have access to reference books, lists of job opportunities and the chance to rub shoulders with investors who also hang out there.