Ant Group, China’s financial technology behemoth and the world’s most valuable private company, this week filed for a dual listing in Shanghai and Hong Kong. The move represents a coup for the mainland’s stock markets. The IPO, which will take place on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and a new Shanghai Stock Exchange board called the STAR Market, could raise as much as $30 billion and value Ant at more than $200 billion.  What is the STAR Market, and what explains its rapid growth? This week, we introduce you to the new exchange and its companies. What is the STAR Market? The Shanghai Stock Exchange’s Sci-Tech Innovation Board, or STAR Market for short, was established in July 2019.  The Chinese government established the board partly to provide a domestic venue similar to Nasdaq in the U.S, for China’s high-tech companies to raise capital.  *main board Data: Dealogic STAR Market’s looser rules compared to those of other mainland Chinese exch