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The 9th edition of the Elevator Pitch International Competition, also known as the EPIC 2025 competition, officially opened on 14 March 2025. The Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) made the announcement, calling for startups to showcase their ideas in an initial 60-second pitch.
This year’s competition offers a doubled investment pool of US$100 million and introduces two new tech categories, Digital Health Tech and Green Tech, alongside the existing Fintech track.
The global competition invites mid- to late-stage startups under 10 years old that aim to expand their R&D or operations to Hong Kong or the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Applicants must register by 17 June 2025 at 23:59 (GMT +8) to compete for funding, a US$240,000 cash prize, and the opportunity to pitch directly to investors during EPIC Week from 3-7 November 2025 at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in Hong Kong.
The selection process includes online regional pitch sessions in July, covering North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific (APAC), with finalists announced in August.
The Grand Finale will be preceded by EPIC Week, which will feature business and investment matching, networking sessions, industry tours, and the Tech Spotlight program, where selected startups will present their ideas to investors. Last year’s EPIC 2024 saw 603 entries from 47 economies. A German startup, tozero, won the first prize last year.
Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP, shared,
Albert Wong
“Hong Kong is at the forefront of global innovation, where we engage entrepreneurs in addressing the imperative, and EPIC being the origin of many world-first technologies, HKSTP will continue offering haven for startup resources to intersect, and invites like-minded partners to join us on the transformative journey.”
Key dates are as follows: the application deadline falls on 17 June 2025 23:59 (GMT +8), online regional pitch in July 2025, finalist announcements on August 2025, and finally the EPIC week and grand finale from 3 November 2025 to 7 November 2025.
More details on how to apply are on the EPIC 2025 competition website.
