Invest Hong Kong (announced details of the StartmeupHK Festival 2018, which will take place from January 29 to February 2 and focus on fintech, connected city, retail technology, healthtech) and a new theme of the “Internet of Life” this year.

The festival will take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, with more than 100 industry experts involved in panel sessions, interactive discussions, speaking events and competitions.

InvestHK’s StartmeupHK Venture Forum on day one is the week’s flagship event, offering a unique opportunity to hear from and interact with globally acclaimed entrepreneurs, industry leaders and policymakers through keynote speeches, fireside chats and panel discussions. Subjects will include venture capital trends, bringing corporate innovation in-house, building a “unicorn”, and other topics. The development of the games market in China will also be covered.

The Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Stephen Phillips, said,

“Starting with the Venture Forum on January 29, with the support of our partner organisations, we have put together a very varied and compelling programme for the week. It covers a range of subjects that are very much reality now, but destined to be where the future lies too.”

Partner organization Next Money Asia will host the 2018 Fintech Finals on January 30 and 31. It is expected to draw around 2 000 people, including 500 founders and chief executive officers, to hear some of the sector’s best speakers discussing Fintech design, innovation and entrepreneurship. They will also see 24 outstanding start-ups, selected globally, pitch for prizes and cash.

Alongside the 2018 Fintech Finals on January 30, KPMG will host the Connected City conference, a gathering of industry leaders, government representatives and entrepreneurs from around the world, to discuss and showcase innovations for the next generation of city living. They will look at technological trends in the urban landscape, and examine what it means to enhance a city’s liveability, workability and sustainability.

Also taking place on January 31 will be Retail’s Cutting Edge, hosted by Inside Retail Hong Kong. This event will offer a rare get-together for retailers, start-ups, investors and entrepreneurs and a chance to learn the secrets of retail experts. The event will comprise thematic speeches, exhibitions, round-table discussions, a start-up pitchfest and a cocktail reception.

The Healthtech O2O Summit on February 1, hosted by NexChange, will bring together health professionals, Healthtech entrepreneurs, investors and regulators to share intelligence and experience on the latest developments of health technology.

The week will wrap up on February 2 with the Internet of Life Summit, hosted by the Mills Fabrica and Brinc. With a strong line-up of speakers, the summit will merge technology with everyday life, thereby positioning emerging technology as having the greatest potential to change the world we live in.

The Head of StartmeupHK at InvestHK, Ms Jayne Chan, said,

“The week will give a taste of the future, helping to inspire people to take the plunge and try to convert their ideas to reality. An ever-growing number of people are doing just that, reflecting the ever-improving environment we have here in Hong Kong, from academic institutions through to financial and professional services support infrastructure.”