The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has concluded the ninth edition of its Start-up Express competition, selecting 10 winning startups from a pool of 20 finalists. The winners span sectors including smart city solutions, green technology, and health tech, reflecting growing momentum among Hong Kong startups in translating innovative technologies into practical applications. The ESG Award was presented to BioZein Technology Corporation Limited for its commitment to sustainability and social impact, while Homing Therapeutics Limited received the My Favourite Start-up Award.
The 10 winning startups will participate in a series of local and overseas business events organized by the HKTDC, providing opportunities to build capability and connections, explore markets, seek business and funding partners, and enhance brand awareness. HKTDC Assistant Executive Director Anna Cheung stated: “When we launched Start-up Express in 2018, we had one simple goal: to help Hong Kong start-ups grow and flourish. Since then, we have supported 80 start-ups in building capacity, enhancing their visibility, making connections, finding new partners and investors and seizing opportunities and markets previously out of their reach.”
The winning startups include Alpha AI Technology Limited, BioZein Technology Corporation Limited, GABES Limited, Hay-koze Limited, Homing Therapeutics Limited, Muuse Limited, O-Spheres Limited, PetWell HK Limited, PregnaSense Co. Limited, and Pyramid AI Limited. The majority operate in smart city solutions, with others specializing in green tech, health tech, and med tech, highlighting the increasing diversity of innovation and technology solutions adopted across industries.
This year’s Final Pitching Day attracted more than 200 industry participants, including investors and business leaders. Booths were set up to allow finalists to showcase their businesses. Judge Jimmy Tao, Chairman of the Hong Kong Startup Council, commented: “The quality of participating start-ups continues to improve year after year. Many of this year’s finalists have successfully integrated artificial intelligence and other innovative technologies into practical applications, demonstrating strong commercial potential. Hong Kong’s start-up ecosystem has continued to flourish, with the number of start-ups reaching a record high of 5,221 last year, an 11% year-on-year increase.”
The HKTDC has long been committed to fostering startup growth by providing platforms to raise market visibility and expand into Chinese Mainland and international markets. Since launching Start-up Express International in 2022, the competition has attracted startups from around the world, including from Chinese Mainland, Australia, France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the UAE, and the US. The fifth edition will be held during Entrepreneur Day in December 2026, supporting overseas winners to establish a presence in Hong Kong and use the city as a gateway to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Taranjit Singh, Chief Technology Officer of Entoptica, a 2025 winner and the world’s first startup applying quantum technology to vision science, shared: “Start-up Express provided valuable opportunities to connect with investors and industry mentors, helping us secure funding to advance clinical trials and expand production capacity.” He noted that participation in CES 2026 in the US, led by the HKTDC, enabled the company to establish connections with potential partners and manufacturers from Shanghai, Japan, and the US, and successfully sold two prototype products at US$100,000 each.
The HKTDC’s support for startups underscores its role in promoting Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub. For more information, visit the Start-up Express website and view the list of 20 finalists.
