4 unique electronics startups to meet in Hong Kong this October

Image Credit: Dreamlight

As a trading hub, Hong Kong often plays host to the world’s businesses and investors. With more than 80 exhibitions each year, the port city attracted some 72,000 exhibiting companies and 2.4 million global visitors in 2017, many of whom are from countries along the Belt and Road.

Nowadays, it’s Hong Kong’s electronics prowess that’s getting attention. Ready access to cheap parts and specialized knowledge means that startups launching the latest electronic innovations are sprouting up in the island, exploring the fields of 3D printing, alternate and virtual reality, and internet-of-things technology.

In October, hardware startups will congregate at the autumn edition of the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). The startup zone, a new addition to the fair, is designed to connect overseas startups with Hong Kong’s manufacturing community.

Here are four electronics companies that will be exhibiting at the startup zone.

Skyless Design

Hong Kong is known for its frequent typhoons. Wet footwear in the rainy season is not just a nuisance, but it’s also the main contributor to bacteria and even fungal buildup on the feet.

Footwear dryer Skyless Base aims to address this issue. Made by homegrown startup Skyless Design, the product has lab-tested absorbent materials and a built-in UV system, allowing the dryer to disinfect and deodorize shoes as they dry.

Humidity is another big contributor to the accumulation of bacteria in shoes. Skyless Base users can control ambient moisture sensors through a smartphone app to help monitor and maintain a low-humidity environment in their shoes.

Skyless Design is currently collaborating with multiple hotel groups in Hong Kong and Macau to install Skyless Base in hotel rooms. Its market reach has also expanded to include buyers from Thailand, India, and Canada.

Dreamlight

Image Credit: Dreamlight

Healthtech startups are venturing into products and services focused on sleep, and it’s a trend that shows no signs of stopping.

US-based startup Dreamlight launched a sleeptech product that helps users relax. Designed like a mask, the product is worn over the eyes and emits light and sound to soothe users to sleep and wake them up at the right times. Light therapy technology and sleep-aid audio are all optimized to help users enter deep sleep, meditate, and even cure jet lag.

Founded in 2017 by Will Lim, the startup is in full swing to get Dreamlight to as many people as possible. The company first launched on international crowdfunding website Indiegogo, raising US$180,441 in April 2018 – over five times the value of its goal. The sleep mask has since been exhibited at CES 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dreamlight is also working with genomics and biotech firm 23andMe to incorporate DNA information into the mask’s system, allowing it to recommend the best sleep schedules for individual users.

Eggplant

Image Credit: Work It

Fitness is another key pillar of healthtech startups. With a founding team experienced in software engineering, biotechnology, and hardware design, Hong Kong-based startup Eggplant created Work It, a modular personal gym that incorporates sensors into home exercise equipment, allowing users to track their workouts from their mobile phone.

The hardware powerlifting comes from the smart handles, which have pressure, infrared, and radio frequency sensors. The handles can be plugged into Work It’s equipment and are capable of counting repetitions and tracking calories. These stats are stored into a mobile app that provides guidance and recommendations on workout routines. A social function also lets users compete with friends on a leaderboard and share accomplishments on social media.

The product was launched on Indiegogo in 2016 and raised US$115,080 – 365 percent of its goal. Eggplant has also participated in HKTDC’s Startup Express program, which connects local startups to global partners.

Digital Oasis

Image credit: Digital Oasis

Voice-activated home assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant are making their presence felt in the hardware scene. Hong Kong-based Digital Oasis is riding this wave by reducing the size of assistants from the familiar bowl-sized versions to that of a small thumb drive.

The assistant, VoiceMojo, is activated by pressing a tiny button on the device. With natural language processing, automatic speech recognition, and text-to-speech processing, it can answer questions, control smart-home devices, and connect to food delivery and transport services.

Equipped with a clip and a lanyard, VoiceMojo can be worn on the body, effectively making it a wearable device. It can also link to Alexa and Google Assistant, meaning that users can still access home assistants while on the move.

The product was launched on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and achieved 113 percent of its US$12,700 goal. Digital Oasis plans to expand VoiceMojo’s capabilities as a multi-language translator for travelers. It currently supports 32 languages and plans to incorporate over a hundred in future, according to company CEO and co-founder Stephen Lam.

Converted from Hong Kong dollars. Rate: US$1 = HK$7.84

These companies and more will be exhibiting at the startup zone of the upcoming HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) to showcase their highly anticipated line-up of new products to potential investors and buyers. The fair will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 13 to 16, 2018.

Explore business opportunities in Hong Kong and sign up for the fair at the HKTDC website.

In addition, the Eco Expo Asia will take place from October 25 to 28, 2018, at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong. Look out for their Startup Zone, which will feature solutions with green technologies.