All eyes will be on Hong Kong from 6th to 10th of July. Amid the new normal, the fifth StartmeupHK is pushing through virtually, and the fully online event promises an equal – if not better – experience as its previous in-person counterparts.
The week-long experience of startup events will feature keynote addresses by renowned industry figures from around the world, exhibitions, investor matching and a jobs fair, and will be open for free to attendees across the globe, with additional paid premium sessions. The festival will showcase the latest developments in smart cities, retail tech, artificial intelligence, fintech, lifestyle tech, and global startup trends and insights. True to its theme, it represents a unique opportunity for startups, entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, students and government representatives to connect, exchange ideas and benefit from business opportunities in Hong Kong, Mainland China and elsewhere in Asia.
Charles Ng, InvestHK’s Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion, emphasised that despite the challenges, “Hong Kong’s startup ecosystem continues to be resilient.”
He credits their solid track record as a testament to Hong Kong’s enduring appeal as a platform for startups to settle, grow, launch, and expand into other markets.
He added, “The number of startups in Hong Kong in 2019 reached 3,184, up by 21 per cent year on year. And, importantly, the number of people working in the city’s startup sector grew 31 per cent to 12,478. Hong Kong’s appeal as a startup hub extends to a wide variety of industries, with sectors such as fintech, e-commerce, supply chain management and logistics technology all having experienced phenomenal growth in recent years.”
Citing InvestHK research on the city’s start-up ecosystem, Charles pointed out that about one-third of startup founders came from outside Hong Kong, with the United States, Mainland China and the United Kingdom being the leading three places of origin.
Five days of connected experience
From Day 1 to Day 5, StartmeupHK promises a myriad of impactful and connected events, hosted by various partners of the festival:
-
- July 6, Day 1 – The Connected Cities Conference hosted by KPMG will showcase innovations for the next generation of urban living. Global and regional speakers from academia and business, including leading entrepreneurs, will discuss successful smart cities around the world and how smart technologies, including the Internet of things, artificial intelligence and data analytics can enhance a city’s liveability, workability and sustainability.
-
- July 7, Day 2 – The Connected Retail Experiences, hosted by Bailey Communications, is a full-day virtual fair and half-day conference for retailers and brand owners. These stakeholders understand that retail is changing and they’re looking for solutions to help reposition their businesses. The event will encompass the technology and innovation that goes into creating seamless branded retail experiences across all channels, as well as the future of retailing and how retailers are able to harness the power of the data lakes of information that they hold on their customers’ purchasing habits.
-
- July 7-8, Day 2-3 – The Startup Impact Summit 2020, hosted by WHub ,will be what its name suggests – an event that brings together the local and international tech communities to showcase ideas and create impact. The event will feature multiple tracks with stages dedicated to venture capital, innovation, social impacts, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and overseas markets. It will also include startup pitches, a job fair, a startup village, workshops, investor matching and a masterclass, as well as an Asia-wide hackathon. The event aims to connect entrepreneurs, corporates, investors and students, and help the audience gain practical skills to start and scale their business.
-
- July 9, Day 4 – An exciting double-header of the Lifestyle Tech Conference and the Ecosystem Summit will commence. The Lifestyle Tech Conference, hosted by Jumpstart Media, will provide key insights into the global startup ecosystem. The half-day virtual conference will bring together high-value speakers from around the world, dissect today’s top trends, and share the experiences of the most promising startups, investors, corporates and change-makers disrupting our world today. It will also include a curated full-day virtual investor-matching session. The event will offer a sneak peek into the future of everyday life – participants will be able to hear first-hand on how lifestyle tech is changing the way we live, eat, work and shop.
- Meanwhile, the Ecosystem Summit, hosted by the Mills Fabrica, will focus on ways to foster and grow the startup ecosystem in Hong Kong and internationally. With a series of panels and roundtables, the half-day event will highlight ways to develop entrepreneurial talent through education and incubation, transform corporates through innovation, take Hong Kong startups global, and promote the city as a world innovation hub.
-
- July 10, Day 5 – The Hong Kong Financial Institutions Awards 2020 Forum will end the festival on a strong note. Hosted by Sina Finance, with support from the Center for Investing at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and S&P Global Market Intelligence, the forum and awards ceremony will celebrate the success of innovators in Hong Kong’s financial sector and recognise awardees’ contributions to the city’s financial markets. This year’s theme is “The road ahead: How will entrepreneurs be adaptive to the changing world in the next decade?”.
An embodiment of the Hong Kong startup ecosystem in action
Jayne Chan, the Head of StartmeupHK at InvestHK mentioned, “Now entering its fifth year, this year’s festival will be truly an embodiment of the Hong Kong startup ecosystem in action – from investors who provide the capital to fuel technological development to startup owners who push the boundaries and corporations that embrace new technological solutions.”
She adds, “participants will be able to witness first-hand how these movers and shakers are transforming every aspect of our lives, by the minute and for the better. The year 2020 marks the start of a new decade. Now it’s time for all of us to join forces to harness the wind of innovation and chart a course for the future.”
To follow the latest startup developments in Hong Kong, please visit www.startmeup.hk.
The post StartmeupHK 2020: Harnessing the wind of innovation and charting a course for the future appeared first on e27.