China's top technology dealmaker is ramping up its push into investment banking, as markets from Shanghai to Hong Kong prepare for another booming year of initial public offerings.

Over the past decade, China Renaissance Holdings Ltd. has made its name advising and investing in the country's hottest startups. Now, the Bejing-based group is looking to land top positions in blockbuster listings alongside Wall Street banks.

The group is currently working on 13 IPO deals globally, including two mandates for Shanghai's Nasdaq-like STAR Market, said Wang Lixing, China Renaissance's head of investment banking. It is also looking to expand its team of about 30 bankers by 50%.

"I dont think anyone today will bring us on board in an IPO simply because we helped them fundraise in previous rounds," said Wang. As latecomers to the sector, "we need to set ourselves apart to earn a spot," he said.

The group had a lead role in Kuaishou Technology's February listing, the biggest Internet deal since Uber Technologies's debut in 2019, adding to the nine IPOs it was on in Hong Kong and the U.S. last year. As souring relations between Beijing and Washington prompt more Chinese firms to consider listing closer home, bankers in the region expect a bumper year from some of China's brightest new-economy stars.

As it builds its investment-banking bench, China Renaissance is luring management from top Chinese banks. Former ICBC International Holdings Ltd. Chairman Cong Lin, a 30-year industry veteran, joined as group president in July.