China Supplier Search Checklist for AI Hardware and Consumer Electronics Founders

What stage is the product at? (concept / industrial design / validated prototype / BOM complete / tooling-ready / pre-production)

What files currently exist? (sketches / CAD / STP / PCB / BOM / firmware notes / sample unit)

Which files are ready to share now, and which should be held back until NNN is in place?

What does a supplier actually need to see at this stage to assess fit — and what is more than they need?

Is the product design stable enough for production commitments, or is it still in active change?

Is this a prototype stage requiring a prototype shop or rapid-build facility — not a volume OEM?

Is this a tooling build requiring a mold shop (separate from production)?

Is this a full OEM engagement for production-ready product design?

Does the product require a specialized electronics solution provider or module supplier (common for AI hardware with specific chip requirements)?

Is the product complex enough to require an assembly factory managing multiple component suppliers?

Have trading companies been removed from the initial candidate list in favor of actual manufacturers?

Has a China trademark been filed — or at minimum decided — before branded product materials enter supplier communications?

Has a patent or design patent strategy been considered for the product's novel features before the design enters Chinese factories?

Is the product design published anywhere that could be used to establish prior art (press, social, patents in other countries)?

For AI hardware: is the chip architecture, algorithm approach, or hardware-software integration point protectable or already protected?

Are there any design elements that should be withheld even after NNN — held as manufacturing know-how rather than disclosed to suppliers?

Is a China NNN agreement template prepared — in Chinese or bilingual — and ready to send before detailed product information is disclosed?

Does the NNN template cover non-disclosure, non-use, and non-circumvention — not just confidentiality?

Is there a process to verify each supplier's legal entity registration (Chinese name, company type, SAMR record) before the NNN is signed?

Is there a process to verify whether the entity is a manufacturer or a trading company?

For each shortlisted supplier: has the entity signing the NNN been confirmed as the entity that will actually manufacture and handle the product files?

First contact: what can be shared without NNN (general product description, category, size, certifications, volume)?

After NNN signed: what can then be shared (detailed specs, drawings, PCB, BOM)?

After supplier confirmed: what remains restricted (firmware source, algorithm, training data pipeline)?

If tooling is involved: who will own the molds? Is this documented in the tooling fee PO or manufacturing agreement?

Where will tooling be stored, and what is the process for moving it if the supplier relationship ends?

Is there a manufacturing agreement to follow the NNN — covering tooling, molds, quality, IP, and exit terms?