Visitors try out virtual reality equipment at the Internet Expo in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, on Tuesday. [ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY]

Small and medium-sized firms rubbed shoulders with industry bigwigs at the Internet Expo which has started in Wuzhen.

The expo, which is more of a curtain raiser to the Second World Internet Conference, also served as a platform for China to showcase its entrepreneurial and innovative capabilities in the Internet sector.

Spread over 21,000 square meters, the expo has attracted 258 firms, including big names such as Microsoft, Samsung and Alibaba. About 160 small and medium-sized enterprises have set up a special innovation zone at the expo to showcase innovation and further mass entrepreneurship.

The huge presence of small and medium-sized firms at the expo is testimony to the government efforts to nurture grassroots talent in the information technology sector, said Lu Wei, director of the Cyberspace Administration of China.

Hangzhou U-way Technology Co Ltd, which is showcasing its latest smartphone application at the expo, was one of the stalls that had lots of visitors. The company's app helps users to locate the nearest available parking spots in cities and also provides an interface for users to pay parking fees, said Yu Miaomiao, a marketing executive with U-way.

Beijing-based M Fresh High-Tech Co Ltd, a trading company that recently changed its focus to air purifiers, also attracted crowds. According to Zhu Hengnan, public relations director of M Fresh, the company is showcasing its latest purifiers at the expo and the products are available on major online retail platforms such as Tmall.

For the sports enthusiasts it was the Hangzhou Enter Electronic Technology Co Ltd stall that attracted attention. The company showcased its electroencephalograph app called Kether Mind Controlled Slot Racing Car, which can analyze brain concentration levels of the user.