programme

Welcoming Remarks for HKTDC Entrepreneur Day 2022 (Pre-recorded)

Hong Kong Trade Development Council

Ms Margaret Fong

Executive Director

Welcome Remarks

&nbsp;&nbsp;2021 was a record year for venture investment, with venture capitalists investing more than US$675 billion in start-ups worldwide, doubling 2020’s previous all-time high despite the economic impact brought by the pandemic. Nevertheless the investment market is now on a rollercoaster ride, where global venture funding only reached US$74.5 billion in Q3 2022, a drastic -34% quarter-over-quarter, and the largest quarterly percentage drop in a decade.

Will the global VC investment market rise again or continue to fall in 2023? How should start-ups prepare themselves for raising funds and expanding their businesses?

T-Chat – Global VC Investment: Rise or Fall

Wavemaker Partners

Mr Eric Manlunas

Founder & Managing Partner

HKSAR Legislative Council

The Hon Duncan Chiu

Council Member (Technology and Innovation)

Speakers

AngelHub & WHub

Ms Karena Belin

Co-Founder

Moderator

&nbsp;&nbsp;Advancement in AI technology has always been taken as a threat to replace human workforce. Do AI experts think the same way that they are creating a competitor, or if they are providing a companion to enhance performance? &nbsp;

Artificial Intelligence: Companion or Competitor?

Wizpresso

Mr Calvin Cheng

Founder & CEO

The Lancelot

Mr Stephen Chong

Director

&nbsp;&nbsp;VCs have been more cautious during the course of economic turbulence, causing great difficulties for start-ups to raise funds. Join the session to learn from seasoned investors on how to draw investor’s attention and stand out from fellow start-ups, and learn ways to capture funding from the tight pockets.

Capture Funds at Critical Times

ParticleX

Mr Mingles Tsoi

Chief eXploration Officer

Chicago Booth Angels Network

Mr Brian Tsui

&nbsp;&nbsp;Start-up Express International winners to showcase their innovative solutions and products.

Start-up Express International Winners’ Pitching  #1

&nbsp;&nbsp;NFT has been one of the core buzzwords in the business world since 2021. Companies and brands from all walks of life are eager in joining this tech wave and creating their own NFT as a marketing campaign. While some argued that NFTs are pure gimmicks and have minimal effects in supporting business growth. 

Join the session to catch up with the latest application of NFT in the entertainment and fashion industry and how it may generate sales growth and customer loyalty.

NFT: Eye Candy or Key to Gold?

Gusto Collective Hong Kong

Mr Lucas Cheung

Managing Partner

WEAR

Mr Nick Lau

Founder

&nbsp;Co-organiser: Trade and Industry Department&nbsp;&nbsp;Start-ups are capitalising on Hong Kong’s robust ecosystem to innovate and launch solutions that aim to change the world. With a business-friendly environment, the city serves as a melting pot of knowledge and experience for start-up founders to gather and connect. 

Three HKTDC Start-up Express winners will be on-stage to share how Hong Kong helps them start-up and expand into international market.

Entrepreneurship in HK – Scaling up through Hong Kong

Gense Technologies

Mr Justin Chan

CEO & Co-founder

Lify Company Limited

Ms Mazing Lee

Co-founder & CEO

Mr Vivek Mahbubani

Stand-up Comedian

&nbsp;Co-organiser: Hong Kong General Chamber of Small and Medium Business

World SME Summit

Sequoia Capital China

Mr Herbert Chia, JP

Venture Partner

ASTRI

Dr. Denis Yip

Chief Executive Officer

Hong Kong Productivity Council

Ir Samson Suen

General Manager of Smart Manufacturing Division

Federation of Hong Kong Industries

Mr Ricky Chan

Executive Deputy Chairman

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Small and Medium Business Ltd.

Mr Yeung Chuen Sing, Eric, JP

Vice President

Lucky Draw

&nbsp;&nbsp;There has been rapid development of youth entrepreneurial bases in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) in recent years, providing massive hardware and software support to innovative and entrepreneurial activities. A government official will be invited to share the latest policies and support for start-ups, while a Hong Kong start-up will share his experience in encouraging local youth to explore and start their business in the GBA. &nbsp;

Embark Your Business at the Greater Bay Area

中山市人力資源和社會保障局

Ms He Lingchuan

科長

i2Cool

Mr Eaphen Chan

Marketing Director

&nbsp;&nbsp;With the growing importance of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) to the public, many companies use ESG criteria to ensure they run their business responsibly. In this session, the world’s largest manufacturer of hangers, an Israeli start-up and a local designer will discuss projects on achieving closed-loop recycling and reuse of plastic products, converting household waste into sustainable bioplastics, and upcycling local wood to make decorative materials, thus driving the development of global circular economy.

Make Good Use of Waste

Mainetti (HK) Limited

Mr Shrikanth Narasimha

Director of Sustainability and Supply Chain, Far East

UBQ Materials

Ms Rachel Barr

Vice President Sustainability

HK Timberbank

Mr Ricci Wong

&nbsp;&nbsp;The complexity of traditional coding and the lack of programming talents are 2 key factors leading to the emergence of low-code/ no-code development tools. Start-up-to-bes could now make use of user-friendly interfaces and various platforms to create an app and build their tech start-ups. It is also forecasted that low-code/ no-code application platforms will account for over 60% of all app development by 2024, proving the rising popularity of simplified tools. 

Join the session to learn about the difference between traditional coding, low-code and no-code development, and pick the right way to build your tech start-up! &nbsp; &nbsp;

To Code or Not to Code When Building Your Tech Start-up

Amazon Web Services

Mr Shing Poon

Senior Solutions Architect

Flowclass

Mr Wong Man Yeung

Co-founder

&nbsp;&nbsp;Talent shortage is the common issue faced by both start-ups and enterprises. How could employers choose the right person for the right job, and keep their employees engaged with their duties? Join the session for crucial advice from experts and form a strong team for your business.

Find and Retain the Right Talent

Cigna Worldwide General Insurance Company Limited

Mr Kevin Wong

Head of Business Development, Corporate Direct Sales

Morgan Philips

Mr Pierre Turgis

Managing Director

&nbsp;&nbsp;Start-ups of CityU HK Tech 300 to share their entrepreneurship stories and business strategies

How is the HK Tech 300 Ecosystem Enlightening Your Entrepreneurial Journey?

City University of Hong Kong

Dr Laura Lo

Associate Vice-President (Mainland Affairs and Entrepreneurship)

Wada Bento

Mr Jason Chen

DimOrder

Mr Tim Lee

Carful Group Limited

Mr Ken Li

Start-up Express International Winners’ Pitching  #2

&nbsp;&nbsp;Learning is no longer confined to the context of schooling and students. Living in a robust world, not only individuals should proactively self-learn and upskill, but enterprises should also provide training to employees to maintain business competitiveness. 

Join the session to get to know the latest EdTech solutions on self-learning of coding and immersive training solutions available for individuals and companies to keep up with the rapid changes in the world. &nbsp; &nbsp;

EdTech – Never-ending Journey of Learning

Preface

Mr Tommie Lo

Nexefy

Mr Schalk Pienaar

&nbsp;&nbsp;To mark the 5th anniversary of Start-up Express, the start-up development programme, the HKTDC has launched Start-up Express International this year to encourage international start-ups to establish a presence in Hong Kong and strengthen the ecosystem-to-ecosystem collaborations between Hong Kong and other countries. Start-up Express International is supported by global partners in mainland China, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, who have nominated start-ups from those countries to participate in the contest. Nominated start-ups come from a diverse range of industries, including greentech, healthtech, edtech and smart city technologies, as well as the metaverse, blockchain, robotics, marketing technology and agritech.<a href="https://portal.hktdc.com/startupexpress/en/s/start-up-express-international">https://portal.hktdc.com/startupexpress/en/s/start-up-express-international</a>

Start-up Express International – Meet the Global Winners

&nbsp;&nbsp;With the growing concerns of global sustainable development, companies from all walks of life are actively engaging in ESG initiatives. However, it is often observed that companies are paying more attention to E and have overlooked the importance of S and G. 

Join this session to learn about how to implement holistic ESG projects for your business.

Balancing E with S and G

Microsoft Hong Kong

Ms Maria Hui

Chief Operating Officer

TripleLine.ie

Ms Aedín O’Leary

ESG Consultant & Independent Non-Executive Director

&nbsp;&nbsp;Sino Group is committed to integrating sustainability into all aspects of their business operation. With the vision of Creating Better Lifescapes, see how Sino teams up with Hong Kong start-ups to create values for stakeholders and build a better community.

Enterprise Connect: Sino Group X Sustainability

Sino Group

Ms Melanie Kwok

Assistant General Manager (Sustainability)

Open Ocean Engineering Limited

Mr Sidhant Gupta

Archireef Limited

Ms Natalie Man

Operations Manager

By invitation only

HKTDC x Hang Seng InnoClub: Metaverse Anniversary Night 2022

&nbsp;Co-organiser: Qianhai International Liaison Services Limited

Opportunities In GBA  – Qianhai Latest Development and Policies

The Shenzhen Qianhai Authority

Prof Witman Hung, JP

Principal Liaison Officer for Hong Kong

Speaker

&nbsp;Co-organiser: The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups&nbsp;2 edtech start-ups from HKFYG programme to share their entrepreneurship stories and business strategies

Keeping Abreast of New Trends in EdTech

TURNED-E! Education Limited

Mr Leung Kwan Cheung

Madness XR Limited

Mr Leung Ho Yin

&nbsp;Co-organiser: CUHK Alumni Torch Fund&nbsp;&nbsp;2 health tech start-ups of CUHK Alumni Torch Fund will share their entrepreneurship stories and business strategies during and after COVID-19

CUHK Alumni Torch Fund Presents: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities in the Time of COVID-19

Environmental Sustainability Guardian Limited

Mr William Chow

ÖKOSIX

Mr Eddie Yu

&nbsp;Co-organiser: Trade and Industry Department&nbsp;&nbsp;With limited resources, it is always difficult for start-ups to curate a comprehensive promotion campaign for reaching out to potential partners and customers. Experienced mentor will advise you on 4 essential skills on start-up marketing, assisting you to build your own brand and formulate the best marketing campaign.

How to Market Your Start-up

T12M Ventures Ltd.

Mr Alvin Lam

Allklear Health Limited

Mr Angus Au

Chief Marketing Officer

&nbsp;&nbsp;As international travel was heavily restricted due to COVID-19, the travel industry has experienced one of the greatest troughs ever. In order to prevail in this challenging period, travel-tech start-ups have reformed and re-positioned themselves for new business opportunities. 

Join the session and learn from the first and only travel-tech unicorn in Korea, Yanolja, on how it has ridden out of the storm, and how would it equip themselves for a new wave of growth as international borders are re-opened. A Hong Kong travel-tech start-up, Flow, will also join the discussion and get tips from Yanolja on how to scale up its business.

Unicorn Fireside Chat – Revival of the Travel Super App

Yanolja

Mr Jong Yoon Kim

Flow

Mr Eric Lai

Co-founder & Director of Operations

Jumpstart Media Ltd.

Ms Relena Sei

CEO & Editorial Director

Start-up Express International Winners’ Pitching  #3

&nbsp;&nbsp;Start-up community builders from Japan, Korea and Australia will share the latest development of start-up ecosystem in the region, as well as introducing the support and incentives for Hong Kong start-ups in encouraging them to explore new markets.

Start-up Ecosystem in RCEP

Fishburners

Mr Clive Mayhew 

Chair of the Board

Bigbang Angels, Inc.

Dr Michael ByungSun Hwang

01Booster Inc.

Mr Takehiko Ishida

Manager

&nbsp;Co-organiser: Hang Seng Bank&nbsp;Female entrepreneurs are gradually entering the scene of the start-up ecosystem as recent data revealed that 14% of the 595 unicorns in 2021 worldwide had female founders or co-founders. 4 outstanding female entrepreneurs in Hong Kong will share their experiences in operating businesses related to new technologies such as NFT, Cryptocurrencies and Metaverse, as well as start-up investment, and encourage more to join them in the future.

PROGRAMME