HKSTP’s First-Ever Virtual Elevator Pitch Competition 2020 Opens New Investment and Partnership Opportunities for Global Startups
6.11.2020 15:49:00 EET | Business Wire | Press release
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) held its annual Elevator Pitch Competition 2020 (EPiC) virtually for the first time to unveil new and exciting pitching, investment and partnership opportunities as global startups face a challenging business landscape. US-based biotechnology startup, Mi Terro, topped other finalists to be crowned champion and claimed the top prize at the competition today.
HKSTP’s annual flagship event this year expanded to a week-long virtual programme. It garnered a great response with over 77,000 live views at today’s pitching competition. This year, EPiC attracted 476 entries from 37 countries and cities across five continents. A total of 170 contestants from 31 different markets entered the semi-final round, with nearly 70% of them coming from overseas.
Mi Terro, champion and winner of the Smart City category, is a company that upcycles and re-engineers protein food waste into plastic and cotton alternative fibres for the fashion, medical and packaging industries. The three Tech Category Winners, including UK-based AI & Robotics startup Arctoris, Philippines-based fintech startup PearlPay, and Portugal-based health technology startup RUBYnanomed, showcased their full potential as innovators in the competition.
Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP, said: “This year’s successful staging of the 5th EPiC is a clear sign of our determination to provide a platform of unmatched opportunities to startups around the world to showcase their innovations and demonstrate their entrepreneurial spirit. The week-long programme is also a show of strength and resilience for Hong Kong’s rapidly-growing innovation and technology ecosystem which propels startups and their ideas to success in Hong Kong, Asia and beyond.”
Since inception in 2016, EPiC has drawn a huge number of international startups to make a live one-minute elevator pitch to leading investors and judges at the International Commerce Centre (ICC), the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong. This year, our contestants switched modes to present their innovative business ideas, with a one-minute video pitch submitted to simulate the signature 60-second elevator ride.
The top ten finalists were given another opportunity to face the judges in a three-minute live pitch and two-minute Q&A, before announcing the overall champion, who took away a cash prize of US$100,000 while each of the category winners received a cash prize of US$10,000 and all ten finalists won US$6,000 each.
The competition marks a major progression for startups who gained valuable exposure among investors and industry leaders in their ongoing entrepreneurship journey. To further bolster the growth and development of local and overseas startups, this year’s EPiC provides a wider array of business opportunities to explore and acquire better understanding of the investment landscape in the region with the upcoming “Global Matching” programme from 9 to 12 November and the “Investment x Corporate Innovation Conference” on 13 November.
List of Winners
|
Award |
Company Name |
Market |
||
|
Champion and Tech Category Winner – Smart City |
United States |
|||
|
Tech Category Winner – Artificial Intelligence & Robotics |
United Kingdom |
|||
|
Tech Category Winner – FinTech |
Philippines |
|||
|
Tech Category Winner – Health Technology |
Portugal |
|||
|
Other Top 10 Finalists |
Australia |
|||
|
|
Hong Kong |
|||
|
|
United States |
|||
|
|
Hong Kong |
|||
|
|
Denmark |
|||
|
|
Hong Kong |
About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Comprising Science Park, InnoCentre and Industrial Estates, Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is a statutory body dedicated to building a vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem to connect stakeholders, nurture technology talents, facilitate collaboration, and catalyse innovations to deliver social and economic benefits to Hong Kong and the region.
Established in May 2001, HKSTP has been driving the development of Hong Kong into a regional hub for innovation and growth in several focused clusters including Electronics, Information & Communications Technology, Green Technology, Biomedical Technology, Materials and Precision Engineering. We enable science and technology companies to nurture ideas, innovate and grow, supported by our R&D facilities, infrastructure, and market-led laboratories and technical centres with professional support services. We also offer value added services and comprehensive incubation programmes for technology start-ups to accelerate their growth.
Technology businesses benefit from our specialised services and infrastructure at Science Park for applied research and product development; enterprises can find creative design support at InnoCentre; while skill-intensive businesses are served by our three industrial estates at Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long. 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/20201106005290/en/
Contact information
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Sarah Poon
Tel: +852 2629 7015
Email: sarah.poon@hkstp.org
Edelman
Janice Wong
Tel: +852 2837 4775
Email: Janice.Wong@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
Xtep-Sponsored Chinese Teenage Dancer Claims World Championship at Juste Debout Street Dance World Finals10.3.2026 20:46:00 EET | Press release
Xtep, a well-known sportswear brand from China, proudly announced that Xtep-sponsored Chinese teenage dancers delivered an electrifying performance at the Juste Debout Street Dance World Finals in Paris on Sunday, March 8, 2026, claiming top honors and showcasing a unique fusion of traditional Chinese culture with modern street dance. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310519224/en/ Chinese Teens Dance to Glory at Juste Debout World Finals Li Yongqiu, a 14-year-old from Southwestern China’s Chongqing Municipality, made history by winning the Global Championship in the Junior Dance Tour, becoming the third Chinese dancer to achieve this feat. His explosive power and technical mastery, honed through years of training that integrates Kungfu elements, captivated judges and audiences alike. The Chinese contingent's success didn't stop there. Zhang Xinlan and Zhang Chuyi secured a Top 8 finish in the Popping Adult D
ATLAS Infrastructure Invests in H2O America, Backs Long-Term Growth Strategy10.3.2026 19:29:00 EET | Press release
ATLAS Infrastructure (“ATLAS”) is a specialist Global Listed Infrastructure investor managing funds on behalf of long-term infrastructure clients. Following the recent equity placement, ATLAS’s actively managed accounts hold ~10.8% voting and economic interest in H2O America (“H2O”). ATLAS was pleased to support H2Os long‑term strategy to invest in local water and wastewater utility operations through our participation in the recent equity raise. ATLAS recognises the disciplined approach from H2O management which focuses on organic investment in existing businesses alongside targeted and accretive transactions such as the acquisition of Quadvest which materially expands H2O’s regulated water footprint in a premium high‑growth jurisdiction. The upsized equity raise, anchored by ATLAS, supports the company strategy through providing significant balance sheet capacity and financial flexibility well into the Company’s 2026-2030 CapEx plan. “Increased investment in water utilities is essent
Svante and Integrated Packaging Company Advance U.S. Biogenic CDR Project to Feasibility10.3.2026 15:57:00 EET | Press release
Svante Technologies Inc. (“Svante”) announced today that its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) project at a paper mill in the Southeast U.S. has progressed to the feasibility study phase. The project is being developed in partnership with an integrated sustainable packaging company, following an extensive screening and pre-feasibility study conducted across several of the partner’s mills. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260310319382/en/ During the feasibility study phase, the companies will complete further engineering and design activities, cost and schedule estimates, and risk assessments required to evaluate commercial viability ahead of a future engineering study leading to final investment decision (FID). Svante’s subsidiary, Svante Development Inc., is co-investing in this phase with the mill owner. The project is designed to capture and permanently store more than 500,000 tonnes per year
Forbes 40th Annual World’s Billionaires List10.3.2026 15:43:00 EET | Press release
Forbes releases its 40th-annual World’s Billionaireslist, the definitive ranking of the planet’s richest people. Wealth surged to unprecedented levels over the past year, with fortunes climbing at a record pace. This year’s list features 3,428 billionaires, the most since the list’s inception in 1987. The world’s wealthiest people are worth a record $20.1 trillion combined, up from $16.1 trillion in 2025. Elon Musktops the Billionaires list for the second year in a row and is the richest person ever recorded, worth an estimated $839 billion. His net worth skyrocketed by half of a trillion dollars from last year, thanks to a rise in the value of Tesla, and SpaceX which is aiming to go public in 2026. Musk is the first person ever recorded to reach the $800 billion mark, as he moves toward becoming the world’s first trillionaire. “It’s the year of the billionaire,” said Chase Peterson-Withorn, Forbes Senior Editor, Wealth. “The planet added more than one billionaire per day over the past
Andersen Global Expands African Presence with Addition of Bravura10.3.2026 15:30:00 EET | Press release
Andersen Global strengthens its presence in Africa through a Collaboration Agreement with Bravura, a leading independent tax and financial advisory firm based in South Africa and Namibia. Founded in 1999, Bravura provides tax and financial advisory solutions to listed and private companies, entrepreneurs, and high-net-worth families across the region. Bravura combines deep financial expertise with an entrepreneurial mindset to deliver tailored strategies that drive value. The firm’s multidisciplinary team provides advisory services in mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, corporate restructuring, and succession planning. Additionally, the firm offers tax and accounting strategy, international tax structuring, global mobility, and exchange control compliance solutions. “At Bravura, we’re driven to redefine standards and deliver bespoke, results-driven solutions that create lasting value for our clients,” said Ian Matthews, head of business development at Bravura. “Our collaboration
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