The sixth edition of Start-up Express, an entrepreneurship development programme organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), came to a successfully concluded recently. The judging panel at the in-person Final Pitching, held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, selected 10 winning start-ups from 20 finalists.
The My Favourite Start-up Award, decided through live polling of the audience, was awarded to Meat The Next, while the ESG Award went to Negawatt Technology in recognition of its sustainable and socially impactful business solution. The 10 winning teams will participate in a series of local and international events to develop their businesses by building connections, exploring markets, seeking partners and enhancing brand awareness.
The record number of applications for Start-up Express 2023 reflected the great enthusiasm of Hong Kong’s entrepreneurs. The 20 finalists come from diverse sectors such as ed tech, con (construction) tech & prop tech, fintech, health tech, as well as metaverse, Web 3.0, smart city, HR tech and food tech. More than 100 industry players were invited to attend the Final Pitching Day in person, including investors, business leaders, representatives from overseas entities and more. Booths were also set up during the event to showcase Start-up Express past winners and finalists, in addition to demo-pitch from secondary school teams.
Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director of the HKTDC, said Hong Kong start-ups were highly adaptive and had shown great resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We’re still at an initial phase of post-COVID-19 recovery, when the global economic outlook is still uncertain. Investors remain conservative, and start-ups are in need of more support. Finalists of this year’s Start-up Express have developed products with advanced technology, and they have great potential to become unicorns. With business matching via HKTDC’s physical and online platforms to help start-ups connect with international investors and partners, we will step up efforts to promote local innovations to the world, and grasp post-COVID-19 opportunities,” Mr Liang said.
The 10 winning start-ups are: Big Bang Academy, DimOrder, Haofood, Kodifly, Meat the Next, Moongate, Negawatt Technology, Neuropix, Rocket Academy, and Syngular Technology.
Start-up Express gives start-ups the chance to promote their business ideas. They can take part in exhibitions in Mainland China and overseas, and investor meetings in Hong Kong and the mainland. They can also strengthen their business networks, as well as expand their markets and businesses through the exposure they have gained.
Dr Martin Zhu, Co-founder of i2Cool, a winner last year, said “Through Start-up Express, we have unlocked many publicity opportunities. HKTDC’s global network also helped us obtain many new customers from all over the world. For example, at last year’s Entrepreneur Day, we met with a construction company from the Philippines, and signed a large-amount business order with them on the spot. All of these are valuable opportunities offered by Start-up Express.”
Launched in 2022, Start-up Express International has attracted participants from around the world. Start-up Express International will return during Entrepreneur Day in December. The HKTDC will support the winning international start-ups to set up their businesses in Hong Kong, as well as to explore the mainland and Greater Bay Area markets.
For more details visit Start-up Express.
