4 new ways Hong Kong is becoming more startup-friendly in 2017

Hong Kong chief executive CY Leung at the city’s legislative council. Photo credit: Iris Tong.

Disclosure: The author of this post is not affiliated to any of the organizations mentioned in the article below.

As Hong Kong continues to defend its status as one of the world’s premier locations for business in Asia, its government is pushing forward several exciting new initiatives this year that should excite inbound investors.

One of the city’s greatest strengths has always been its location. Due to its proximity, Hong Kong has enjoyed direct access to mainland China, particularly Shenzhen which is just a 45-minute train ride away. Shenzhen which has long been known as the hardware capital of the world is now also touted as the “Silicon Valley of China.”

Hong Kong also happens to be strategically located at the center of Asia and a mere five-hour flight away from half the world’s entire population. (Yes, half. That’s 3.5 billion people primarily from China and India).

Photo credit: InvestHK.

As a result, the city has witnessed unprecedented ecosystem growth in the past few years. The number of startup co-working spaces, innovation labs, and accelerator programs has grown explosively from three to now over 50 in just the last four years.

Standing in the midst of these inbound investments is InvestHK, a department of the local Hong Kong Government. Its mandate is to facilitate inbound foreign direct investment and offer services to companies who want to set up or grow a local office. These companies range from large MNCs to SMEs, all the way down to new startups. The department also provides startup-specific advice through their StartmeupHK platform, which connects academia and the corporate and private sectors.

The department’s ultimate goal, however, is job growth—to bring the best companies in the world to Hong Kong and facilitate startups to scale rapidly, thereby increasing their potential to hire local talent.

Here are four key initiatives worth keeping an eye out for this year.

The loop

In January 2017, officials from Hong Kong and Shenzhen announced in an agreement the development of an 85-hectare innovation and technology park. The Lok Ma Chau Loop is said to be four times the size of Hong Kong’s Science Park. According to chief executive CY Leung, it will be “Hong Kong’s largest innovation and technology platform ever.”

The location will help a number of companies in the city to set up strategic offices on the border of Shenzhen, which is a boon to the city’s tech industry.

Innovation fund

Also announced in early January, during chief executive Leung’s 2017 policy address, was the brand new US$250 million (or HK$2 billion) government investment fund aimed at boosting technology and innovation in Hong Kong. The Innovation and Technology Venture Fund will provide venture support for startups, which would lead to more institutional VC fund flow and startup talent.

StartmeupHK Festival and Hong Kong Fintech Week

Central business district #2