Start-up Express, an entrepreneurship development programme organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), has returned for its third edition.
The pitching contest under the programme successfully concluded today as a judging panel selected exceptional start-ups to participate in local and international activities to build connections, explore markets, seek partners and enhance brand awareness. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Pitching Final was livestreamed online with a live polling of the “My Favourite Start-up Award“, which was awarded to MICology.
Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director of HKTDC said:
“Start-ups have been affected by the economic downturn like much of the world but the true essence of entrepreneurship is persistence in the face of adversity. There can always be opportunities found amid what otherwise appears to be a crisis. Traditional business and consumption models are seeing a new normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which can in turn increase receptiveness to new ideas. With outstanding achievements in innovation and technology, local start-ups launched products and services to fight against the pandemic. The HKTDC will continue to support local start-ups in exploring business opportunities amid the pandemic-struck economy, and to promote the city’s capabilities in innovation and technology to overseas buyers.”
The contestants propose innovative and disruptive solutions to transform business and social ecosystems through biotech, fintech, robotics, artificial intelligence, big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) and responded to questions raised by a distinguished judging panel and online audience. This year’s winners of the Pitching Final include: Arical, Arovia Hong Kong, BUG BROS BIOTECH, Gense Technologies, imBee, Inovo Robotics, Open Ocean Engineering, Return Helper, Shopkyo, SPES Tech and Wineworld Xplorer.
The start-ups will be invited to exploratory sessions, power meet-up sessions with successful business leaders, business-matching sessions and local events organised by the HKTDC, including Start-up Zones at the Asian Financial Forum, spring and autumn editions of the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair and HKTDC Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair.
The HKTDC will also bring the start-ups to the international stage by organising overseas missions and setting up Hong Kong Pavilions at international technology exhibitions – including CES in Las Vegas and MWC Barcelona.
The HKTDC said it will continue to fully support the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to maintain Hong Kong’s status as a competitive business city and hub for innovation. To support enterprises, the HKTDC has launched the “HKTDC Transformation Sandbox (T-box)”, offering free support on branding, e-commerce, manufacturing relocation and new market development. A “Voice of Start-ups” series has been launched on the HKTDC online platform to promote the success stories of local start-ups and to show how their creativity and versatility help them thrive and capture local and overseas business opportunities.
In addition to organising Start-up Express, HKTDC will support start-ups by hosting the annual Entrepreneur Day in July. The Council will also set up dedicated start-up zones at its world-class trade fairs in Hong Kong to help local start-ups reach out to overseas buyers and suppliers for potential partnership opportunities.
