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Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) today (September 19) announced the 22 semi-finalists of its 2013 StartmeupHK Venture Programme.
The department received 384 entries from 43 countries including the United States (US), Israel, the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, India, Malaysia, Korea and Japan. Local entries were strong, with 70 ventures based in Hong Kong vying for one of the 12 finalist places in this year's Venture Programme.
The 22 semi-finalists include eight ventures from the US, three from Canada, two each from Hong Kong and Israel, and one each from Denmark, France, India, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Their ventures range from air pollution monitoring to a sports coaching application, robotics, sustainable packaging, interactive communications solutions and more (see table below).
Each semi-finalist was chosen by the assessors for the scale of the problem/opportunity being addressed; the effectiveness of the solution and its impact; their venture's viability, sustainability and scalability; and the economic benefit to Hong Kong in terms of knowledge and skills, job creation, social and environmental value, and more.
These 22 semi-finalists will be interviewed by assessors at the end of September to be among the 12 finalists who will take part in StartmeupHK Week from December 4 to 7 in Hong Kong. At the culmination of this year's programme, the Venture Forum on December 5, three Grand Award Winners will be chosen by the judges and attendees.
InvestHK's Director-General of Investment Promotion, Mr Simon Galpin, said he was delighted by the quality of the successful entrants and their diverse geographic and sector origins.
"I am happy to see that the proposals are of such high quality and that they come from so many different countries and cities. I am particularly impressed with the creativity shown by many of these ventures. This is exactly the kind of business creativity we would like to further develop in Hong Kong, to help encourage our home-grown start-up culture," Mr Galpin said.
Details of the 2013 StartmeupHK Venture Programme are available on the dedicated website www.startmeup.hk. The site offers a one-stop portal to the city's start-up community, and is the first such Hong Kong Government portal on start-ups. It also lists the latest start-up events and various government incentive and incubation schemes.
InvestHK 2013 StartmeupHK Venture Programme semi-finalists
Name Origin Business
of Company
---------- ------ --------
AYKOW France Real-time air
pollution
monitoring
D'Arcy New Zealand Polychromatic
Polychrome Ltd pigment paint
Forus Health India Medical
Pvt Ltd pre-screening
devices
FundedByMe Sweden Crowdfunding
Global Spatial Canada Data monitoring
Technology
Solutions
Hanson Robotics US Robotics
manufacturing
IT Central Israel Social media
Station platform
J Plus Hong Kong Sports coaching
Corporation Ltd application
LiTHIUM BALANCE Denmark Battery management
system
Metail UK 3D clothes fitting
Moebius Medical Israel Joint damage
Ltd reduction
technology
Nephosity, Inc US Medical imaging
Phoenix Depot Canada Recycling of
International oil-based waste
Inc for clean fuel
Pinnacle US Energy-efficient
Engines engines
PulpWorks, Inc US Sustainable
packaging
RnR Associates Canada Product design
Sanguine US Biomarker and drug
Biosciences, discovery research
Inc
Stretch US Financial
Payment technology
Solution Inc
VajraSoft Inc US Intellectual
property
portfolio
management
Viclone Spain Interactive
communication
solutions
Wifinity Ltd Hong Kong IoT (Internet of
Things) platform
Zimfly, Inc US Mobile Building
Information
Modelling (BIM)
system
About InvestHK
InvestHK is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government established in July 2000 to take responsibility for Foreign Direct Investment and support overseas, Mainland and Taiwan businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services to help businesses succeed in Hong Kong's vibrant economy. As at September 4, 2013, InvestHK had completed 3 000 investment projects creating more than 33 950 new jobs in the first year of operation or expansion and over HK$78.6 billion of investment. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, September 19, 2013
Issued at HKT 17:14
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