As more US tech startups see China as an essential place to do business, increasing numbers of Chinese investors are funding them and helping them expand to the mainland. Chinese venture capital firms backed 28 US companies in 2011, nearly double the number two years earlier, according to Dow Jones VentureSource. Much of the activity is driven by Chinese-born entrepreneurs who made their fortunes abroad. Even the Chinese government is betting on foreign startups, via WestSummit Capital, a venture firm backed by the country's sovereign wealth fund. Formed in 2009, WestSummit invests primarily outside China, and its six partners are all US citizens. For entrepreneurs, the benefits of investors with strong ties to China are clear. Breaking into the Chinese market can be daunting even for multinationals with decades of experience in countries around the globe.