HONG-KONG-SCIENCE
24.3.2023 03:01:29 CET | Business Wire | Press release
Hong Kong is open to all and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is ramping up its seventh Elevator Pitch Competition (EPiC 2023) by unveiling its 50 Grand Finale semi-finalists, selected from 618 entries and 55 economies across the world.
EPiC 2023 -- backed by innovation-driven partners Cathay, HSBC, MTR Lab, plus world-leading accelerator Plug & Play -- is the city’s most eagerly anticipated pitch event each year and will take place on 28 April 2023 (Friday) at the summit of Hong Kong’s tallest building, the International Commerce Centre. The annual event is a unique, worldwide competition for mid to late-stage startups in the FinTech and PropTech sectors who seek to expand their footprints into Asia and beyond, while leveraging Hong Kong’s biggest innovation ecosystem at HKSTP.
EPiC provides the best available platform for startups to make real business impact through connections with the Science Park network of 1,000+ investors and 300+ corporate partners.
This year, three quarters of the entries are from overseas, with the proportion of overseas contestants and the number of economies participating hitting a record high since 2016. A total of 50 contestants representing 14 different economies entered the semi-final round.
All 50 semi-finalists have a golden opportunity to be considered for direct investment of up to US$5 million from the HKSTP Venture Fund, as well as market expansion support across Asia and beyond, plus the chance to win a cash prize of US$90,000 if crowned overall champion.
Albert Wong, CEO, HKSTP, said: “EPiC is an iconic mega event that has hit global scale, as record turnout from international startups further demonstrates Hong Kong’s advantages as an international I&T hub. Hong Kong is diversified, vibrant and attracts the very best entrepreneurs, investors and corporate innovators. Grow fast and go beyond is the theme for EPiC this year, and we welcome talents from around the world to explore Hong Kong’s unlimited investment and innovation opportunities.”
The EPiC Grand Finale on 28 April will be hosted at Hong Kong’s iconic Sky 100 venue atop Hong Kong’s tallest building, the International Commerce Centre. The 50 competing teams will pitch their world-changing ideas to a judging panel of renowned investors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders. The actual pitch will comprise of a 60-second elevator ride as participants compete for the title of overall EPiC Champion.
To propel EPiC to the broader public, HKSTP has launched for the first time, the "My Favourite Pitcher" public poll, which is open to all to vote for their favourite pitch video from the shortlisted 50 semi-finalists. The poll is now available at EPiC polling website (epic-voting.hkstp.org) and lasts until 28 April 2023 1pm (HKT). The semi-finalist with the highest number of votes will win the cash prize of US$10,000, plus 200,000 Asia Miles sponsored by Cathay.
HKSTP will also kick off the exclusive Immersion Programme for semi-finalists to experience Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem first-hand and unlock business opportunities through educational talks, business matching and networking with leading corporate partners and investors across the HKSTP ecosystem.
Contestants Breakdown:
Category |
No. of applicants |
PropTech |
266 (43%) |
FinTech |
352 (57%) |
Headquarter |
No. of applicants |
Overseas |
465 (75%) |
Hong Kong |
153 (25%) |
A record high proportion of overseas contestants and economies participation since 2016.
EPiC activities:
Now until 28 April 2023, 1pm (HKT)
"My Favourite Pitcher" Public Polling
- The top 50 semi-finalists' pitching videos is open for public online voting
- The semi-finalist with the highest number of votes will be crowned EPiC 2023's "My Favourite Pitcher" and win the cash prize of US$10,000 plus 200,000 Asia Miles sponsored by Cathay
25 – 26 April 2023
"Grow Beyond Hong Kong" Immersion Programme
- An exclusive 2-day programme for EPiC 2023 semi-finalists to experience HKSTP’s innovation ecosystem.
- Participants will unlock growth opportunities through educational talks, business matching and networking with leading corporate partners and investors in our ecosystem.
28 April 2023
EPiC 2023 Grand Finale
- Venue: Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck
- Top 50 Semi-Finalists will pitch their ideas within a 60-second elevator ride
- Top 10 Finalists will pitch their innovation ideas on stage to renowned investors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders
- All 50 semi-finalists have the golden opportunities to be considered for direct investment of up to US$5 million from the HKSTP Venture Fund, plus the chance to win a cash prize of US$90,000 if crowned overall champion.
For more information on EPiC 2023, please visit: https://epic.hkstp.org/
For full list of the 50 semi-finalists see appendix below.
About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has for over 20 years committed to building up Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub to propel success for local and global pioneers today and tomorrow. HKSTP has established a thriving I&T ecosystem that is home to two unicorns and Hong Kong’s leading R&D hub with over 12,000 research professionals and over 1,200 technology companies focused on healthtech, AI and robotics, fintech and smart city technologies.
Established in 2001, we attract and nurture talent, accelerate and commercialise innovation and technology for entrepreneurs on their journey of growth in Hong Kong, to the Greater Bay Area, Asia and beyond. Our growing innovation ecosystem is built around our key locations of Hong Kong Science Park in Shatin, InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong and three modern INNOPARKs in Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long. The three INNOPARKs are realising a vision of new industrialisation for Hong Kong. The goal is sectors like advanced manufacturing, electronics and biotechnology are being reimagined for a new generation of industry.
Through our infrastructure, services, expertise and network of partnerships, HKSTP will help establish innovation and technology as a pillar of growth for Hong Kong, while reinforcing Hong Kong’s international I&T hub status as a launchpad for global growth at the heart of the GBA innovation powerhouse.
More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org.
APPENDIX:
50 semi-finalists for the Grand Finale of EPiC 2023, with 26 from FinTech and 24 from PropTech:
FinTech
Company Name (in alphabetical order) |
Headquarter |
|
1 |
AlgoBot Limited |
Hong Kong SAR China |
2 |
Amuro Limited |
Hong Kong SAR China |
3 |
Canvasland Limited |
Hong Kong SAR China |
4 |
Deland Labs |
Singapore |
5 |
Doconomy |
Sweden |
6 |
Dowsure |
Mainland China |
7 |
Endangered Wildlife OÜ |
Estonia |
8 |
FedML, Inc. |
United States |
9 |
FinCrime Dynamics |
United Kingdom |
10 |
Finema |
Thailand |
11 |
FINGREEN AI |
France |
12 |
PFY Healthcare Technology |
Mainland China |
13 |
Homebase |
Vietnam |
14 |
Leapstack |
Vietnam |
15 |
Miotech |
Mainland China |
16 |
Prometheus Technologies |
United States |
17 |
Redkik |
United States |
18 |
Revix |
United Kingdom |
19 |
Sensor data |
Mainland China |
20 |
Health Exchange Technology Service Group |
Mainland China |
21 |
Speedlegal |
United States |
22 |
Taos Technology LLC |
United States |
23 |
Ultipa |
Mainland China |
24 |
VoiceAI Technologies |
Mainland China |
25 |
Vymo |
United States |
26 |
Wequity |
Belgium |
PropTech
Company Name (in alphabetical order) |
Headquarter |
|
1 |
Archifiction |
Mainland China |
2 |
Bridge5 Asia |
Singapore |
3 |
Collov, Inc |
United States |
4 |
Dfocus |
Mainland China |
5 |
Doratoon |
Singapore |
6 |
EGG Lighting |
United Kingdom |
7 |
Firefly Dimension, Inc. |
United States |
8 |
FLX Solutions |
United States |
9 |
I2Cool Limited |
Hong Kong SAR China |
10 |
IronYun |
United States |
11 |
Kodifly Limited |
Hong Kong SAR China |
12 |
Layer Construction, Inc. |
United States |
13 |
Llewellyn and Partners Company Limited |
Hong Kong SAR China |
14 |
Mimicrete |
United Kingdom |
15 |
PassiveLogic |
United States |
16 |
Photinique Limited |
Hong Kong SAR China |
17 |
Rootie |
Israel |
18 |
SKYLAND INNOVATION COMPANY LIMITED |
Hong Kong SAR China |
19 |
Structure Pal |
Israel |
20 |
Swiss AI |
Switzerland |
21 |
Tensorflight, Inc. |
United States |
22 |
Umi Coating New Material Technology Co., Limited |
Hong Kong SAR China |
23 |
Visionaries 777 |
Hong Kong SAR China |
24 |
VoltSafe Inc. |
Canada |
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230324005001/en/
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Rave Sues Apple in Five Countries Over App Store Removal7.5.2026 17:03:00 CEST | Press release
Alleges Antitrust Violations in U.S., Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands and Russia to Restore Access for Users and Defend Fair Competition for App DevelopersAlleges Apple Acted to Stop Rave from Competing with Apple’s Own Co-Viewing AppRave Launches Proprietary, AI-enabled Moderation System, a-eye.com, to Protect Users from Explicit Content Rave Inc. (“Rave” or the “Company”), the developer and operator of the Rave app, a cross-platform co-viewing “super app” with more than 225 million downloads, today announced that it has filed antitrust lawsuits against Apple in five countries: the United States, Canada, Brazil, the Netherlands and Russia. The lawsuits challenge Apple’s unilateral and anticompetitive decision to remove Rave from its App Store, thereby distorting competition, reducing consumer choice in co-viewing functionalities and increasing the costs to users of switching between iPhone and competing smartphone devices. Rave operates a social entertainment app that allows users in
emnify named a Visionary in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed IoT Connectivity Services, Worldwide7.5.2026 17:00:00 CEST | Press release
First-time positioned vendor emnify recognized for its Completeness of Vision and Ability to Execute emnify, a global provider of cloud-native IoT connectivity solutions, today announced it has been recognized as a Visionary in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed IoT Connectivity Services, Worldwide. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260507642325/en/ emnify named a Visionary in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Managed IoT Connectivity Services, Worldwide. Get the report As a first-time recognized vendor, emnify believes this recognition reflects its forward-looking approach to IoT connectivity, building a platform designed to anticipate where enterprise needs are heading rather than replicating the connectivity models of the past. "We feel being named a Visionary in our first appearance in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ recognizes our deliberate strategy of the last decade: from owning our core netw
UAE Commits $49bn to Local Manufacturers7.5.2026 16:00:00 CEST | Press release
UAE to localize 5,000+ products in push for industrial sovereignty – Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and ADNOC Group CEO Dr. Sultan Al Jaber The United Arab Emirates (UAE) pledged $49 billion in industrial procurement opportunities on Monday and announced plans to localize more than 5,000 products as the Gulf state doubled down on its industrial sovereignty agenda. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260507855698/en/ UAE commits $49bn to local manufacturers (Photo: AETOSWire) Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, made the announcement at the opening of the fifth edition of Make it in the Emirates, which follows a period that has tested the region. “History remembers the challenges nations face. But it also remembers how nations respond to them and what they build next,” he said. TA’ZIZ announced $40.5 billion worth of agreements aimed at expanding UAE chemical producti
Datavault AI Announces Board of Directors Has Requested Management’s Complete Plan for Dividend Spin-Out of Acoustic Sciences Division into Stand-Alone Public Company7.5.2026 15:07:00 CEST | Press release
Initial planning calls for Data Sciences Division to focus efforts in cyber secure infrastructure with dedication in fintech and patented Information Data Exchange® (IDE®) Management will harness its API Media acquisition, robust patent portfolio, ADIO® Inaudible Tones, WiSA® and Dolby® partnerships to establish worldwide acoustic industry standards in high-definition wireless transmission, spatial-audio control and interoperability Plan includes API media’s stand-alone and renewed execution of WiSA semiconductor and software modules strategy with an R&D effort targeted to new robotic and drone applications Datavault AI Inc. (“Datavault AI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:DVLT), a pioneering technology licensing company seeking to redefine data valuation, monetization, and secure Web 3.0 experiences, today announced that Company management has commenced its evaluation of a potential dividend spin-out of the Company’s Acoustic Sciences division which includes its ADIO®, WiSA®, Event Citadel™,
Incyte Announces 24-Week Long-Term Data from Phase 3 TRuE-AD4 Trial of Opzelura® (ruxolitinib) Cream in Adults with Moderate Atopic Dermatitis7.5.2026 14:50:00 CEST | Press release
First presentation of Week 24 results from TRuE-AD4 study in adults with moderate atopic dermatitis (AD) who had an inadequate response, intolerance or contraindication to topical corticosteroids (TCSs) and topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs)at the 2026 EADV SymposiumThe vast majority of patients achieving EASI50 at Week 8 and continuing double-blind, as needed treatment with Opzelura® (ruxolitinib) cream through Week 24 demonstrated disease control, with 84.3% achieving EASI75 (a ≥75% improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index score from baseline) and 70.6% achieving IGA-TS (Investigator’s Global Assessment Treatment Success)Data support Type-II variation application submitted for ruxolitinib cream 1.5% for the treatment of adults with moderate AD in the European Union (EU), feedback expected in 1H 2026 Incyte (Nasdaq:INCY) today announced final 24-week data from the Phase 3 TRuE-AD4 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Opzelura® (ruxolitinib) cream in adults with mode
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom
