HKSTP Crowns Overall Champion Skyland Innovation at EPiC 2023 Pitching Competition Beating Over 610 Global Startups
28.4.2023 18:11:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) today successfully held its 7th Elevator Pitch Competition (EPiC), naming Hong Kong startup, Skyland Innovation, as the overall 2023 champion, beating over 610 startups from 55 economies around the world. The signature event has partnered with the city’s leading corporations: Cathay, HSBC, MTR Lab, plus global accelerator Plug & Play, to become a true iconic mega event that has hit a global scale.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005353/en/
Mr Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP (Centre), alongside EPiC 2023 Top 10 overall finalists. (Photo: Business Wire)
As Hong Kong’s flagship and largest pitching contest, 50 Grand Finale semi-finalists joined the city’s most eagerly anticipated pitch event this year at sky100 at the top of the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon to re-create a real-life 60-second elevator pitch experience.
The EPiC 2023 judging panel of the region’s top entrepreneurs, investors and innovation ecosystem leaders selected Skyland Innovation from Hong Kong, as this year’s overall champion. The winner of the grand prize of US$ 90,000, helps property owners and contractors to coordinate and communicate seamlessly on construction sites through the use of robotics and AI. The local proptech is also a spinoff from the Hong Kong Center for Construction Robotics (HKCRC) within the HKSAR Government backed AIR@InnoHK research cluster located at Hong Kong Science Park.
Along with all 50 semi-finalists, Skyland Innovation also qualifies to be considered by the HKSTP Venture Fund for additional investment deals. If selected, each company can potentially receive up to a maximum investment of US$5 million.
EPiC 2023 competitors were split across the two themes of FinTech and PropTech with FinCrime Dynamics from the UK named as the overall FinTech category winner, and Skyland Innovation Company Ltd named the overall PropTech winner from Hong Kong. This year, Canvasland, a FinTech startup from Hong Kong was also voted by the public as the “My Favourite Pitcher" winner, taking away US$10,000 and 200,000 Asia Miles. The top 10 overall finalists also won US$10,000 each (Full winners and finalists list below).
Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of Hong Kong SAR, said: “Hong Kong has a strong, thriving startup ecosystem with 4000 startups, up more than 50% from 2018. Hong Kong is also a natural gateway to the GBA, which offers tremendous growth opportunities. Successful products and services will surely have an edge in the GBA, the whole of the nation and around the world. I am truly excited to be here at EPiC 2023 where startups strive to make their 60-second pitch truly count. I congratulate all the EPiC 2023 winners and invite startups from all over the world to join us in Hong Kong where the future is built.”
Sunny Chai, Chairman, HKSTP, said: “EPiC 2023 showcases the most exciting innovations from the world’s star-studded next-generation global tech ventures. Together with the Hong Kong Government's solid commitment, as reinforced by the Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint, our city provides the ideal platform to expand into the vast Asian market. Hong Kong is also Asia’s world city and a bridge between the mainland and the world, making us a magnet for global innovation talent and enterprises.”
Albert Wong, CEO, HKSTP, said: “This year’s EPiC competition features a record international turnout and shows Hong Kong is truly back with a strong show of unicorns and soonicorns from around the world among this year’s finalists. But EPiC is more than just a competition, it is a prime example of Hong Kong’s unique ability to help startups grow fast and go beyond by providing a network of global investment opportunities and innovation talent to turn cutting-edge science, technologies, and ideas into game-changing solutions."
A magnet for global investors and innovation talent
EPiC 2023 surpassed all expectations, attracting over 610 entries from 55 countries and cities across five continents. Over 75% of contestants come from overseas, a record high proportion of overseas contestants and economies participation since 2016. Startups joining EPiC 2023 can fully leverage the largest I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong and HKSTP’s direct connections to over 1,000 investors and more than 300 corporate partners.
In addition to the EPiC final pitching contest, the 50 semi-finalists have also taken part in the "Grow Beyond Hong Kong" Immersion Programme. This exclusive 2-day programme ran from 25-26 April, immersed the EPiC 2023 semi-finalists directly into HKSTP’s innovation ecosystem. Participants will unlock growth opportunities through educational talks, business matching and networking with leading corporate partners and investors in our ecosystem.
Winners List:
|
Overall Champion |
Skyland Innovation Company Ltd. |
||
|
“My Favourite Pitcher” Winner |
Canvasland Limited |
||
|
FinTech Winner |
FinCrime Dynamics |
||
|
PropTech Winner |
Skyland Innovation Company Ltd. |
||
|
Top 10 Overall Finalists |
FinTech Finalists:
FinCrime Dynamics Homebase Ultipa VoiceAI Technologies
PropTech Finalists:
I2Cool Limited
Mimicrete VoltSafe, Inc. Skyland Innovation Company Ltd. |
Contestants Breakdown:
|
Category |
|
|
No. of applicants |
|
PropTech |
|
|
266 (43%) |
|
FinTech |
|
|
352 (57%) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
No. of applicants |
|
Overseas |
|
|
465 (75%) |
|
Hong Kong |
|
|
153 (25%) |
A record high proportion of overseas contestants and economies participation since 2016.
For more information on EPiC 2023, please visit: https://epic.hkstp.org/
About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has for over 20 years committed to building up Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub to propel success for local and global pioneers today and tomorrow. HKSTP has established a thriving I&T ecosystem that is home to two unicorns and Hong Kong’s leading R&D hub with over 13,000 research professionals and over 1,300 technology companies focused on healthtech, AI and robotics, fintech and smart city technologies.
Established in 2001, we attract and nurture talent, accelerate and commercialise innovation and technology for entrepreneurs on their journey of growth in Hong Kong, to the Greater Bay Area, Asia and beyond. Our growing innovation ecosystem is built around our key locations of Hong Kong Science Park in Shatin, InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong and three modern INNOPARKs in Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long. The three INNOPARKs are realising a vision of new industrialisation for Hong Kong. The goal is sectors like advanced manufacturing, electronics and biotechnology are being reimagined for a new generation of industry.
Through our infrastructure, services, expertise and network of partnerships, HKSTP will help establish innovation and technology as a pillar of growth for Hong Kong, while reinforcing Hong Kong’s international I&T hub status as a launchpad for global growth at the heart of the GBA innovation powerhouse.
More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230428005353/en/
Contact information
Media Contact:
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Betsy Leung
Tel: +852 2629 2300
Email: betsy.leung@hkstp.org
Edelman Public Relations
Lisa Tse
Tel: +852 3756 8632 / 6347 2009
Email: Lisa.Tse@edelman.com / Edelmanhkstppr@edelman.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Xsolla and Skich Announce Strategic Partnership to Bring Merchant of Record Payments to an Alternative Mobile Game Marketplace14.5.2026 19:00:00 EEST | Press release
Xsolla, a leading global video game commerce company, today announced a strategic partnership with Skich, an alternative mobile game marketplace operating on iOS in the EU under Apple's Digital Markets Act provisions and on Android globally. Under the agreement, Xsolla will serve as Merchant of Record for in-app purchases and paid game sales distributed through the Skich Store. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260514867730/en/ Graphic: Xsolla Skich serves as an alternative to traditional mobile storefronts, offering developers a way to reach players outside platform-controlled distribution channels. The partnership with Xsolla enables Skich to offer a fully compliant payment and commerce layer, with Xsolla managing payment processing, tax collection, refunds, and regulatory compliance on behalf of developers, removing a significant operational and legal barrier for studios looking to distribute through alternat
Boomi Teams up With Gong to Bring Revenue AI to Boomi Agentstudio14.5.2026 19:00:00 EEST | Press release
Boomi, the data activation company for AI, today announced a collaboration withGong, the leader in Revenue AI, to bring revenue signals captured in Gong natively into the Boomi Enterprise Platform. This collaboration enables enterprises to establish an active data foundation designed to transform customer conversations into coordinated, automated actions across systems and functions enterprise-wide with Boomi Agentstudio. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260514443012/en/ Boomi Teams Up with Gong to Bring Revenue AI to Boomi Agentstudio Gong goes beyond capturing deal activity to surface real-time insights into risk, buyer intent, competitive dynamics, and key engagement signals. That intelligence moves from conversation to coordinated action, flowing across CRM, ERP, product, and operational systems with the governance and security that enterprises require. Through this collaboration, these signals can be serve
Boomi and Guru Partner to Deliver AI-Powered Enterprise Knowledge Enriched by Real-Time Data Activation14.5.2026 17:30:00 EEST | Press release
Boomi, the data activation company for AI, and Guru, the AI-powered enterprise knowledge platform, today announced a technology partnership to help organizations unlock the full value of their enterprise data for AI-driven decision-making. Unveiled at Boomi World 2026, the partnership makes Guru a launch partner for Boomi Connect, Boomi’s new managed connector service, and integrates Guru’s knowledge agents with Agentstudio and the Boomi MCP Registry to deliver richer, more accurate, and more actionable insights to knowledge workers and AI agents alike. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260514440755/en/ Guru was selected as a Boomi Connect launch partner because its AI-powered knowledge platform represents one of the highest-value consumption patterns for managed enterprise connectivity. Knowledge agents are only as effective as the data they can access, and Guru’s ability to synthesize insights across enterpris
IQM and Real Asset Acquisition Corp. Announce Public Filing of Form F-4 Registration Statement with the SEC14.5.2026 16:55:00 EEST | Press release
IQM Finland Oy, a global leader in full-stack superconducting quantum computers (“IQM”, “IQM Quantum Computers” or the “Company”), and Real Asset Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: RAAQ), a special purpose acquisition company (“RAAQ”), announced today the public filing of a registration statement on Form F-4 (the “Registration Statement”), which includes a preliminary proxy statement, with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in connection with the proposed Business Combination Agreement announced February 23, 2026. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260514989293/en/ IQM Radiance quantum computer Jan Goetz, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, IQM, said: “This filing is a milestone we have worked hard to reach, and it signals our readiness to operate at a new level. Public markets will give IQM the platform and capital to accelerate everything we are building as we work towards delivering fault-toleranc
MOBX to Acquire U.S. Defense Rare Earth, Critical Minerals Company14.5.2026 16:40:00 EEST | Press release
Mobix Labs (Nasdaq: MOBX) today announced a non-binding Letter of Intent to acquire Special Project Delivery LLC ("SPD"), a U.S. company building sovereign supply chains for rare earth elements, critical minerals, and energy storage. The proposed acquisition would extend Mobix Labs' national security work — already supplying U.S. and allied fighter jets, missiles, submarines, and satellites — directly into one of the world's most strategically important industrial sectors. MOBX is moving directly into the supply chain powering modern defense, aerospace, and AI infrastructure. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements regarding the proposed acquisition of Special Project Delivery LLC ("SPD"), which are subject to risks and uncertainties described in Mobix Labs' SEC filings and similar provisions under applicable non-U.S. securities laws. The Letter of Intent is non-binding, and there can be no assurance that a definitive agreement will be executed
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom