HONG KONG SAR – OutReach Media – October 17, 2023 – Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) launches its eighth and largest global Elevator Pitch Competition 2024 (EPiC 2024), inviting leading technology startups from around the world to join the four-city global competition and will have the excellent opportunity for investment of up to US$5 million from HKSTP Corporate Venture Fund (“CVF”). Hong Kong’s leading startup pitch competition also offers a total of US$240,000 in cash prizes, unrivaled funding and business matching opportunities, and an ideal springboard to huge market opportunities in Mainland China, Asia and beyond.
HKSTP is once again partnering with world-leading accelerator Plug and Play to help EPiC participate in this major global expansion. From January to March 2024, four EPiC regional semi-finals will be hosted in Silicon Valley, Stuttgart, Singapore and Hong Kong, culminating with the grand final in Hong Kong in April 2024. Mid-to-late stage technology companies from around the world The whole world is invited to participate in regional competitions to join the list of 72 semi-finalists. The selected semi-finalists will come to Hong Kong to deliver their 60-second live presentation in front of the judges while riding the elevator of the iconic sky100 venue to the top of Hong Kong’s tallest building, the International Commerce Centre. All EPiC 2024 applicants will have the opportunity to seek investment from CVF of up to US$5 million. External companies also have the opportunity to co-invest, further increasing the potential opportunity for final financing.
Additionally, 72 semi-finalists will benefit from HKSTP’s value-added services for six months, even after the competition. These include business matching, investment benchmark, exclusive membership to a city-wide and cross-sector virtual lab (STP platform), access to a coworking space as well as a vast talent pool by contacting Hong Kong’s renowned universities, five of which are ranked in the world’s top 100 according to the QS World University Rankings 2024.
Organized by HKSTP, EPiC 2024 is one of the most anticipated startup events in the world and is now open for applications across three competition tracks – FinTech, PropTech and MobilityTech – from October 17, 2023 to December 31, 2023. The final will take place in April 2024. at the sky100 venue, International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong, recreating a true elevator pitch experience for all participants.
Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP, said: “The global growth of the EPiC pitch competition is proof that Hong Kong is a leading international I&T hub for leading global startups seeking critical support on their journey. growth, connections to entrepreneurs, investors and business partners, as well as access to Hong Kong’s largest innovation and technology ecosystem. Hong Kong is the international hub of China’s Greater Bay Area (GBA) and the heart of Asia, while the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou science and technology cluster is ranked second in the latest global index. innovation of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), making the city the ideal springboard to the investment boom and market potential of mainland China, Asia and beyond.
EPiC is HKSTP’s flagship annual startup event, held in Hong Kong and bringing together entrepreneurs, technologists, investors, corporate partners and ecosystem leaders from around the world to help the brightest innovators to successfully commercialize their ideas in mainland China, Asia and beyond. The success of EPiC 2023, which attracted a record number of more than 600 participants and 55 economies, made it the most international pitch competition ever held in the city. The one-day event generated 150 startup-corporate partnership opportunities and countless investment leads, with four of the EPiC 2023 finalist companies currently on the cusp of becoming full-fledged companies landing at Science Park.
Who can apply to join EPiC 2024:
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Technology startups less than 10 years old as of April 30, 2023
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Ideas should focus on one of THREE technology tracks: FinTech, PropTech and MobilityTech.
Applications will close on
31
December 2023 at 11:59 p.m. (GMT+8).
Please visit
https://epic.hkstp.org/ for more information on EPiC 2024.
List of awards and prizes
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All EPiC 2024 candidates Qualify for a chance at up to $5 million in investment by the HKSTP Corporate Venture Fund. |
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Price |
Cash prize (for each winner) |
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Champion |
Additional USD 60,000 |
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3 technological winners |
Additional US$20,000 |
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Top 12 finalists |
US$10,000 |
Hashtag: #HKSTP
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