A Guide to the Hong Kong Startup Community!

To say that Hong Kong’s startup ecosystem is growing, is an understatement! It’s booming! As more and more success stories pile up, HK is beginning to stake its claim as one of Asia’s hottest startup hubs.

Tytus Michalski (MD, Fresco Capital) wrote in a recent content piece that the most important factor for the tremendous progress during the past five years has been the entrepreneurs themselves. Capital from angel investors and real estate from coworking spaces has surely made it easier overall.

To be honest, there isn’t one particular industry that Hong Kong entrepreneurs belong to. Yes, we are inherently well-suited to FinTech thanks to our legacy of being Asia’s financial headquarters. And hardware, while easier said than done, is becoming the weapon of choice for many — attributable, of course, to the proximity to the world’s hardware capital Shenzhen. Other than these two, we’ve got logistics, productivity application, entertainment, content discovery, gaming and even online platforms for startups themselves.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into the HOT boiling cauldron of HK Startups:

Accelerators/Incubators to get into…

In no particular order:

1. Blueprint
   Backed by Swire Properties, one of HK’s most prominent property developers, blueprint is a no-strings attached accelerator for B2B startups. A batch of 10–11 startups shares the 10k sqft. space & 70 mentors over 6 months.
2. Cyberport
   Cyberport is a HK government-run massive facility for tech companies and startups. Cyberport has an accelerator and an incubation programme. The Cyberport Creative Micro Fund (CCMF) is a 6-month accelerator that invests HK$ 100,000, whereas the incubation programme lasts for 2 years and provides support upto HK$ 530,000.
3. Hong Kong Science and Technology Park
   The 3 incubation programmes operated by Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) — Incu-App, Incu-Tech, and Incu-Bio — are custom-made for startups involved in web and mobile technology, technology and biotechnology respectively.
4. Brinc
   Brinc is an IoT accelerator based in Hong Kong that differentiates itself by providing easy access to the Pearl River Delta, known for manufacturing and distribution expertise. For 2015, their goal is to support >20 companies that do IoT right with a strong focus on the consumer.
5. Nest
   Nest is a startup incubator that has invested in a number of startups over time. Over the last couple of months, they’ve launched 2 corporate sponsored accelerators for health tech and fintech startups in partnership with AIA and DBS Bank respectively.

Coworking spaces to work at…

In no particular order:

1. Blueprint
   No, this is not a mistaken repetition. Blueprint has a coworking space, also of 10,000 sqft., located one floor below the accelerator. While the initial capacity was 300 members, I’ve heard they have expanded that to accommodate the high volume of requests received.
2. Cyberport Smart Space
   Cyberport Smart Spaces are aimed at helping technology companies that are seeking to grow or enter Mainland China and Asian markets and want to use HK as their stepping stone. The best things about their space are the prices, their flexibility and the view!
3. TusPark
   TusPark Hong Kong is the latest, and by some accounts the largest (the Kwun Tong building is 9 floors!), addition to the HK scene. A subsidiary of Beijing based Tus-Holdings, it is backed by Tsinghua University and their vast network spread all over Mainland China and abroad.
4. Garage Society
   One of the buzziest spaces in Hong Kong, GS plays host to loads of startup events providing tons of opportunities to network. The original location is bang in the middle of the business district Central, and they’ve just launched a second one a short distance away.
5. CoCoon
   The original (maybe, second) Hong Kong coworking space CoCoon opened way back in 2012 and has been the cornerstone for the startup zone here in HK. The space is a favourite among freelancers and almost always has packed events, all year round.

Entrepreneurs to look up…