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
Reply Named EMEA Winner at the 2026 GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year Awards30.10.2026 14:23:00 EET | Press release
Reply [EXM, STAR: REY] announced that it has been named the EMEA winner in the 2026 GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year Awards, recognising customer outcomes and GitHub ecosystem impact across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261030597484/en/ Reply announced that it has been named the EMEA winner in the 2026 GitHub Services and Channel Partner of the Year Awards, recognising customer outcomes and GitHub ecosystem impact across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Reply helps organisations adopt GitHub and modernise software development. Its capabilities combine large-scale migration, automation and embedded security to bring fragmented development environments into a shared platform, supporting consistent governance and collaboration across engineering teams. A key example is Reply’s collaboration with Nexi, one of Europe’s leading PayTech companies, to transform s
Centralized Supply Chain Services, LLC (CSCS®), Applebee’s ®, and IHOP ® Recognize 2026 Supplier Partners of the Year30.10.2026 14:00:00 EET | Press release
Centralized Supply Chain Services, LLC (CSCS®), together with Applebee’s® and IHOP®, have named Pacific Prime Meats and Custom Foods of America their 2026 Supplier Partners of the Year, honoring the companies for their collaboration, innovation, and commitment to supporting restaurant success across the Applebee’s and IHOP systems. The awards were presented at the Applebee’s Franchise Conference and IHOP Supplier Summit in Austin, Texas. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261030647942/en/ Pacific Prime Meats was named 2026 Applebee’s Supplier Partner of the Year, recognizing the company’s exceptional responsiveness, agility, and support on behalf of the Applebee’s system. Pacific Prime Meats was named 2026 Applebee’s Supplier Partner of the Year, recognizing the company’s exceptional responsiveness, agility, and support on behalf of the Applebee’s system. “Pacific Prime Meats distinguished itself through its comm
Europerfusion 2026: Eurosets Introduces Trilly Baby, the New Oxygenator for Cardiopulmonary Bypass in the Smallest Patients30.10.2026 13:45:00 EET | Press release
Eurosets presents Trilly Baby at Europerfusion 2026 (Belgrade, October 30-31), a new oxygenator designed for cardiopulmonary bypass procedures in the smallest patients requiring open-heart cardiac surgery. Engineered to operate with flow rates from 0.1 to 1.8 liters per minute, Trilly Baby represents a further step in the evolution of the Italian biomedical company's cardiopulmonary portfolio. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261030531073/en/ Trilly Baby at Europerfusion 2026. Antonio Petralia, CEO of Eurosets, and Gabriele Pastorelli, Sr. Global Marketing Manager Cardiopulmonary - LATAM Area Manager The device, which is expected to achieve the CE mark by the end of 2026, will enter a controlled market release phase starting in January 2027. This initial controlled rollout will involve 14 leading European pediatric surgery centers, selected for their specialization in treating the smallest patients and in advan
Men’s Interest in Appearance Is Growing: 36% Say Looking Their Best Matters More Than Five Years Ago, NIQ Finds30.10.2026 12:45:00 EET | Press release
NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today shared findings showing that 36% of men say looking their best, including beauty and skincare, matters more to them than it did five years ago. More than half (54%) say aging well has become more important over the same period. Yet the opportunity for beauty brands may extend beyond products specifically marketed to men. Across 10 Western European markets, sales value of skincare positioned for all genders grew 7% year over year, while male-targeted skincare was flat. The findings suggest that brands should look beyond traditional product positioning to understand men’s needs, shopping behavior, and the products they choose. In its report, The Permission Gap: The Global State of Male Beauty, NIQ examines how social expectations, generational differences and purchasing behavior are shaping men´s engagement with beauty across markets and categories. Key findings Appearance and aging matter more: 36% of men say looking
INSEAD Establishes Thrive Lab With US$3 Million Funding From Google.org and Google DeepMind30.10.2026 11:00:00 EET | Press release
INSEAD, The Business School for the World, today announced it has received US$3 million in funding from Google.org and Google DeepMind. The funding will support the Research Lab for Human and Organisational Thriving (INSEAD Thrive Lab), aimed at accelerating global research on how people and organisations can flourish in an era of continuous technological transformation. Artificial intelligence is emerging as the most consequential technology that profoundly shapes how people learn, work, live and interact with one another. While it presents near limitless possibilities, we need to give careful attention to the potential risks. How can we strengthen our human, social and psychological capital amid relentless technological change? And how must our ecosystems of learning – spanning educational, community, and professional spheres – evolve to build this capital? These are the central questions that the INSEAD Thrive Lab will focus on. "We want to understand how people can expand their cap
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