From Beirut to Shenzhen

“We were really amazed by how fast things can move,” says co-founder of Band Industries Hassane Slaibi. Their first product, Roadie Tuner, a device that tunes guitars automatically by placing it on the guitar pegs, is due for distribution in June. After having gone through an acceleration program in Shenzhen, China, at hardware startup accelerator Haxlr8r, the team decided to launch the company’s manufacturing operations in the country – known for its impressive manufacturing sector. Going to China for manufacturing “was a no-brainer,” according to Slaibi, who adds that the main reason he and co-founder Bassam Jalgha applied to Haxlr8r was to get a leg into China’s large manufacturing sector. “We went there because all the signs told us we should go there,” he says. He adds that China has the best manufacturing knowledge and the most efficient practices for a fraction of the price that it would cost elsewhere. “All the