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
H2SITE Appoints Javier Cavada as New Chairman of the Board of Directors17.3.2026 08:00:00 EET | Press release
H2SITE, a technology company delivering hydrogen production and separation solutions, announces the appointment of Javier Cavada as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors. Javier joins H2SITE at a strategic phase of accelerated industrial deployment and scale-up of its hydrogen solutions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260316654723/en/ With more than 25 years of international leadership in the energy and industrial sectors, Javier brings extensive experience in industrialising complex technologies, building high-performance organisations, and scaling large-scale energy platforms. He currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Mitsubishi Power EMEA. His track record also includes serving as CEO and President of Highview Power, as well as spending 17 years at Wärtsilä Corporation, where he held senior executive roles including President of the Energy division and a member of the global Exec
AMWC 2026: Galderma Showcases Category‑leading Innovation With a Comprehensive Portfolio and Holistic, Future‑focused Aesthetic Strategies17.3.2026 08:00:00 EET | Press release
Galderma (SIX: GALD) will present nine abstracts at the Aesthetic & Anti‑Aging Medicine (AMWC) World Congress 2026 in Monaco, showcasing innovative and robust scientific data across its aesthetics portfolio, alongside three symposia, and multiple Masterclasses and Meet‑the‑Expert sessions, all highlighting the expanding benefits of Sculptra, Relfydess and the Restylane range.1-9 This comprehensive scientific presence reflects Galderma’s holistic, trend‑led approach to innovation, and its commitment to addressing emerging needs such as menopause‑related skin changes, the growing interest in regenerative treatments, and the rising demand for body injectables. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260316497387/en/ “Patients’ needs are changing faster than ever, whether that’s navigating the skin changes associated with menopause, seeking regenerative benefits, or looking for aesthetic harmony beyond the face. The data
Fujirebio Announces CE Marking of the Fully Automated Lumipulse ® G Nfl Blood Assay17.3.2026 08:00:00 EET | Press release
H.U. Group Holdings Inc., and its wholly owned subsidiary, Fujirebio Holdings, Inc. (hereinafter “Fujirebio”) today announced that Fujirebio Europe N.V. has obtained a CE Certificate of the Lumipulse G NfL Blood assay under the Regulation (EU) 2017/746 on in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDR). This CLEIA (chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay) test allows for the quantitative measurement of Neurofilament light chain (NfL) in plasma and serum. “While our assay menu already features many powerful disease-specific biomarkers, NfL marks a major breakthrough: our first CE-marked blood test that empowers clinicians with insights across a wide range of neurological disorders,” said Christiaan De Wilde, CEO at Fujirebio Europe N.V. “We are excited to bring this test to our customers, further expanding our comprehensive portfolio of fully automated neurological disease testing solutions on the LUMIPULSE G platform. We continue to partner with organizations and clinical experts across the wor
Miro Announces Asia Hub in Singapore to Accelerate Growth Across the Region and Bring AI Collaboration to New Markets17.3.2026 03:00:00 EET | Press release
Miro®, the AI Innovation Workspace for teams, today announced plans to expand its operations in Asia, supporting organisations across the region in their AI transformation journey. Miro is investing in people, resources, and infrastructure as it targets growth in key markets, including Singapore, India, South Korea, and other Southeast Asia countries. As the global innovation centre of gravity shifts toward Asia – where R&D spending reached 45% of global investment in 2024 – the organisations leading this charge need tools and platforms built for the complexity and pace of modern innovation and collaboration. Miro's AI-powered innovation workspace is uniquely positioned to support this moment. Miro gives organisations the shared context layer they need to move from insight to execution faster than ever before. For Asia's most ambitious innovators, where speed-to-market and cross-border collaboration are existential priorities, Miro provides the link between human creativity and AI capa
IQM and Zurich Instruments Launch Real-Time Quantum Error Correction Demonstrator with NVIDIA NVQLink16.3.2026 23:24:00 EET | Press release
Today, IQM Quantum Computers and Zurich Instruments announce a joint project to build and operate a real-time quantum error correction (QEC) demonstrator, enabled by the NVIDIA NVQLink platform. This project marks a significant milestone toward scalable and fault-tolerant quantum computing designed for enterprise and datacenter deployment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260316511715/en/ IQM and Zurich Instruments launch real-time quantum error correction demonstrator with NVIDIA NVQLink As enterprises and public institutions worldwide move from quantum exploration to long-term deployment, the challenge has evolved beyond simply accessing quantum hardware. The focus is now on reliably operating quantum computers, seamlessly integrating them into existing compute infrastructure, and scaling them toward fault tolerance. The announced project directly addresses these needs by focusing on full-system integration f
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