Record Exhibitor Turnout Expected for Entrepreneur Day
8 May 2017 – For those dreaming of starting their own business, a source of support and inspiration gets underway 19-20 May at the ninth Entrepreneur Day, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). The event at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will feature the largest number of exhibitors yet, and will provide aspiring businesspeople a one-stop platform to learn about opportunities, market intelligence and start-up support services. Exhibitions, seminars, forums and pitching sessions are planned for the event which is open to the public with free admission.
Speaking about this year’s Entrepreneur Day, HKTDC Assistant Executive Director Stephen Liang offered details about what visitors can expect from the HKTDC’s flagship event for entrepreneurs. “The two-day event this year features a record of more than 270 exhibitors from different sectors. The HKTDC hopes that the event’s focus on three critical factors – creativity, capital and connections – can help new businesses develop and promote entrepreneurship.”
Sharing creativity
Since successful entrepreneurship requires creativity, Entrepreneur Day will this year feature a new exhibition zone called The Imaginarium. The zone will gather over 50 start-ups to showcase innovative products and technologies in fields such as health technology and biotechnology, FinTech, greentech, the IoT (Internet of Things), artificial and augmented reality (AR/VR), artificial intelligence (AI) as well as robotics. In the zone, innovators from various sectors can exchange ideas and inspire fresh thinking and new outcomes.
“Vision Explorer: Venturing into the Future” is the theme of this year’s two-day Start-up Runway forum. On the first day, entrepreneurship experiences will be shared by WeLab Holdings’ Co-founder Simon Loong, Tink Labs Limited Co-founder Terence Kwok and logistics-industry rising star Lalamove founder Shing Chow.
Two start-ups – one offering travel supplies rental services in a sharing economy concept and another a mobile chatbot using artificial intelligence to provide on-the-go travel information – are set to speak at the TravelTech forum. The HKTDC has invited travel writer James Hong to moderate the forum. Other seminars will examine a range of topics including technology trends and start-up opportunities in areas such as in FinTech and AI as well as keys to successful funding.
Venture capital to help start-ups grow
For good ideas to grow, capital support is also essential – and for start-ups that need help on pitching as a way to seek funding, this year’s event will feature a Pitchathon. Involving organisations including StartHub, Hong Kong Startup Council and Cocoon, Pitchathon is designed to help start-ups pursue incubator support and hone their fundraising skills. Participating start-ups can also compete for a chance to secure angel funding.
Building connections
Another indispensable component of entrepreneurship is the process of making connections, so to help start-ups expand their networks the HKTDC is working with the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups to co-organise the Start-up Mixer. The event allows start-ups to interact with people from different industries and with investors and receive feedback from experts. Co-organised with Startup Weekend Hong Kong, the Startup Weekend Hong Kong Bootcamp is being organised to allow fledgling entrepreneurs to compete and brainstorm with others. Another new event, The Pioneer Meetup offers aspiring businesspeople a forum to exchange ideas with young leaders and successful entrepreneurs. An event for start-ups to hire staff, Start-ups Meet Talent, is being organised with W-Hub, and finally the Fund & Mentor event offers a platform for start-ups to explore cooperation with potential investors.
Report on the Study of Innovative Technology Start-ups in Hong Kong
The HKTDC’s Research Team has released a report on innovative technology employed by start-ups. HKTDC Economist Wenda Ma said core technologies developed or applied by nearly half of the start-ups surveyed were Software/App/Information Communications and Technology (ICT) (47%), followed by Hardware/Electronics/Internet of Things (IoT)/Wearables (22%).
In terms of industries/sectors of applications, the results were more evenly spread, with the top five industries/sectors being Retailing, Advertising, Marketing & E-commerce (21%), ICT/Telecommunications (21%), Media, Entertainment & Gaming (18%), Smart Home/Smart City (16%) and Consumer Electronics (15%).
Regarding markets where companies currently operate, the survey found the top three were Hong Kong (87%), the Chinese mainland (36%), and the Americas and Canada (27%). The top three potential markets identified were the Chinese mainland (56%), Taiwan (49%) and the Americas and Canada (41%). The survey also found that compared with traditional businesses, the new generation of businesses are generally focused on multi-industry applications and solutions as well as mass customisation of personalised products. They also were looking for scalable and disruptive business models, and place an emphasis on value-creation as well as adopt an autonomous and flexible work culture.
Start-ups at different stages of development also face a range of challenges according to the study. At the early and/or concept-development stage, the biggest challenges were identified as access to funding/financing (57%), customer scepticism with regard to new products/services (43%) and to start-ups overall (43%). At the prototype and/or testing stage, the problems companies said they need to tackle included access to funding/financing (69%), hiring and retaining talent (47%) and commercialisation of existing technology (44%). As start-ups reach the market launch stage, they saw their top three challenges as access to funding/financing (58%), overseas expansion (50%) and customer scepticism with regard to new products/services (44%). When start-ups reach the growth/expansion stage, access to funding/financing (58%), overseas expansion (42%) and hiring and retaining Talent (42%) are seen as the biggest hurdles.
Summary of Survey Results:
More than 30 face-to-face interviews with start-ups and supporters were conducted and 180 survey responses from start-ups were obtained.
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Start-up Trends* |
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Core Technology Developed or Applied |
Industries/Sectors of Applications |
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Software/App/Information Communications & Technology (ICT) |
47% |
Retailing, Advertising, Marketing & E-commerce |
21% |
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Hardware/Electronics/Internet of Things (IoT)/Wearables |
22% |
ICT/Telecommunications |
21% |
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Data Analytics/Informatics |
9% |
Media, Entertainment & Gaming |
18% |
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Smart Home/Smart City |
16% |
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Consumer Electronics |
15% |
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Challenges Faced by Start-ups at Different Stages* |
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(1) Early and/or Concept Development Stage |
(3) Market Launch Stage |
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Access to Funding/Financing |
57% |
Access to Funding/Financing |
58% |
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Customer scepticism with regard to New Products/Services |
43% |
Overseas expansion |
50% |
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Customer scepticism with regard to Start-ups Overall |
43% |
Customer scepticism with regard to New Products/Services |
44% |
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(2) Prototype and/or Testing Stage |
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(4) Growth/Expansion Stage |
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Access to Funding/Financing |
69% |
Access to Funding/Financing |
58% |
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Hiring and Retaining Talent |
47% |
Overseas Expansion |
42% |
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Commercialisation of existing technology |
44% |
Hiring and Retaining Talent |
42% |
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Start-ups’ Current Markets* |
Start-ups’ Potential Markets* |
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Hong Kong |
87% |
Chinese mainland |
56% |
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Chinese mainland |
36% |
Taiwan |
49% |
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Americas and Canada |
27% |
Americas and Canada |
41% |
*Multiple Selections allowed
HKTDC Entrepreneur Day (Open to Public, Free Admission)
Dates and Opening Hours: 19 May (Fri) 10:30am – 6:30pm
20 May (Sat) 10:00am – 6:00pm
Venue: Hall 1, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
Website: www.hktdc.com/eday
Survey Result: http://bit.ly/2pUMd2i
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HKTDC Assistant Executive Director Stephen Liang says this year’s Entrepreneur Day will focus on creativity, capital and connections to help aspiring entrepreneurs develop their businesses. The two-day event will feature a record number of more than 270 exhibitors from various sectors |
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Guests attending the press conference include (from left to right): Miranda Wong, Supervisor of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups; Benny Foo, Committee Chairman, Cross Matching Showcase 2017, Innovative Entrepreneur Association; Stephen Liang, HKTDC Assistant Executive Director; and Wenda Ma, HKTDC Economist |
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Zunosaki showcases robotic arm technology to help motor rehabilitation and enhance motor functions for the elderly and stroke patients |
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Air Button demonstrates its small wireless button that does not require batteries as it controls various functions on a smart phone |
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At the press conference, MedEXO Robotics displays its wearable robotic exoskeleton that helps Parkinson's disease patients stabilise tremors and regain independent movement and normal living |
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Playto’s headset monitors brainwaves while the wearer is playing games, and can help children improve their concentration |
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iSEE Mobile Apps showcases its mobile app developed for the visually impaired. The app provides social information and support audibly to help the visually impaired live a normal life |
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3D Vision demonstrates how its technology can turn 2D lines into 3D shapes |
Media enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC's Communication and Public Affairs Department:
Joe Kainz Tel: (852) 2584 4216 Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org
To view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tc
About the HKTDC
Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong’s businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus.