Third Start-up Express concludes pitch final in Hong Kong

The pitching contest for the third Start-up Express, an entrepreneurship development programme organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), has concluded.

This year's winners are Arical, Arovia Hong Kong, BUG BROS BIOTECH, Gense Technologies, imBee, Inovo Robotics, Open Ocean Engineering, Return Helper, Shopkyo, SPES Tech and Wineworld Xplorer. MICology won the My Favourite Start-up Award in a live poll.

Financial services conglomerate AMTD Group, which has been the strategic partner for Start-up Express for two years, established the SpiderNet Award under which it selects the top performer in the Pitching Final. This year, the award will provide imBee with an opportunity to access the resources and network of the AMTD SpiderNet ecosystem.

The contestants proposed innovative and disruptive solutions to transform business and social ecosystems.

- Arical offers geospatial artificial intelligence (AI).

- Arovia produces collapsible displays which can be connected to mobile devices.

- BUG BROS BIOTECH has an intelligent waste collection and separation system plus insect-based technology in dealing with organic waste.

- Gense Tech makes a home-based device that scans cross-sectional images of a person's lungs, abdomen, or limbs in real-time for diagnostic screening.

- ImBee, a Twilio partner, enables customer relationship management (CRM), lead generation, sales boosts and customer service excellence on messaging platforms such as WeChat, WhatsApp and Line with its software-as-a-service (SaaS) platforms.

- Inovo Robotics produces robot arms.

- MICology provides predictive simulation in interactive 3D environments that are remotely streamed.

- Open Ocean Engineering's Clearbot is an autonomous, solar-powered swarm of trash-collecting robots that use AI vision to detect and collect trash from bodies of water.

- Return Helper has a SaaS platform that leverages big data and machine learning to help online retailers handle e-commerce returns effectively, efficiently and in an ecofriendly way.

- Spaceship.hk from Shopkyo is the first mobile platform in Hong Kong that allows users to compare and book global door-to-door courier shipments online.

- SPES Tech specialises in the development of biomaterials via protein and genetic engineering techniques.

- Wineworld Xplorer is a global wine trading and asset management platform.

Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director of HKTDC said: "Startups have been affected by the economic downturn like much of the world but the true essence of entrepreneurship is persistence in the face of adversity. There can always be opportunities found amid what otherwise appears to be a crisis.

"Traditional business and consumption models are seeing a new normal amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which can in turn increase receptiveness to new ideas. With outstanding achievements in innovation and technology, local startups launched products and services to fight against the pandemic.

"The HKTDC will continue to support local startups in exploring business opportunities amid the pandemic-struck economy, and to promote the city's capabilities in innovation and technology to overseas buyers."

Calvin Choi, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO, AMTD Group - and one of the judges - said: "I am impressed by the innovative ideas and practical solutions presented by our city's young entrepreneurs in this year's Start-up Express Pitching Final presentation. This recurring programme serves as a valuable platform for participants to showcase their unique business ideas and demonstrate the innovative power of the young generation in Hong Kong.

"The current business landscape is full of challenges, but for startups that are agile and versatile in responding to changing conditions and market needs, they can definitely identify and seize the best out of available emerging opportunities."

Jason Chiu, Chairman, Hong Kong Startup Council, said: "In every entrepreneurial journey, there are bound to be challenging times and the strength of a true entrepreneur is the ability to fight through the hard times and learn from each setback. This year has been especially trying due to the health situation that has impacted businesses globally but these startups have shown the resilience to fight through the adversity and succeed.

"It has been great to see how this batch of startups have navigated the past few months to present themselves in a shining light, ready to embrace new opportunities on the international market through Start-up Express' unique support system. The programme helps entrepreneurs build connections and seek opportunities with potential investors and partners. I look forward to the winning startups joining HKStartupSociety and realise their dreams of not only excelling in Hong Kong but on the international stage."

The startups will be invited to exploratory sessions, power meet-up sessions with successful business leaders, business-matching sessions and local events organised by the HKTDC, including Start-up Zones at the Asian Financial Forum, spring and autumn editions of the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair and HKTDC Hong Kong International Medical and Healthcare Fair. The HKTDC will also bring the startups to the international stage by organising overseas missions and setting up Hong Kong Pavilions at international technology exhibitions - including CES in Las Vegas and MWC in Barcelona.

A key driver for Start-up Express participants has been the opportunity to enhance brand and media awareness, while also connecting with mentors, partners and investors through HKTDC-organised local and overseas events. This has provided startups with the chance to learn from experts and strengthen their core business.

Start-Up Express past winners include Miscato, which developed and patented aromatherapy solutions that can be controlled with a mobile app, and Quikec International, which developed a one-stop cloud-based supply chain management solution.

Michelle Fno, Founder & CEO of Miscato said: "HKTDC's strong network has helped us land interview opportunities with local and overseas media outlets, which in turn allowed me to share how my company developed our new series of antiviral smart aromatherapy products. Thanks to this increased exposure and HKTDC's support, we've since been able to capture new business opportunities and expand our clientele."

Peter Li, President and Co-founder of Quikec International said: "Start-up Express has provided us an opportunity to participate in different exhibition and international exchange events. This has helped us expand our client base and find excellent partners despite operating on a tight budget. For example, meeting with Duncan Chiu, a well-known investor, offered many valuable lessons for us as he offered suggestions on business-development strategy."

The HKTDC will continue to support Hong Kong's status as a competitive business city and hub for innovation. The organisation recently launched the HKTDC Transformation Sandbox (T-box), offering free support on branding, e-commerce, manufacturing relocation and new market development for enterprises, as well as a Voice of Start-ups series online to show how local startups' creativity and versatility help them thrive and capture local and overseas business opportunities.

In addition to organising Start-up Express, HKTDC will support startups by hosting an annual Entrepreneur Day in July.

Source: HKTDC. Start-up Express Pitching Final winners photographed with jurors and guests.

The HKTDC promotes assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels.

HKTDC fairs for gifts, premiums, printing and packaging attract over 60,000 buyers

Source: HKTDC. 

The 31st Hong Kong Gifts & Premium Fair  and 11th Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair attracted more than 60,000 buyers from 134 countries and regions, said organisers the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). Around 50,000 buyers visited the Gifts Fair, while over 14,000 buyers attended the Printing & Packaging Fair. Markets such as the Chinese mainland, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia saw growth.

"In the face of a fluctuating global market, suppliers should promote their brands and products even more proactively, while distributors and retailers should seek out new competitive products," said Benjamin Chau, HKTDC Deputy Executive Director. "Showcasing top-quality items and providing a diverse range of choices, the two fairs are the ideal platform for both promoting and sourcing products."

The HKTDC organised a total of 171 buying missions from 75 countries and regions for the two fairs, comprising more than 13,200 buyers. At the fairground, business matching services were also provided to foster business opportunities and partnership-building. Moreover, in view of the keen demand for small-order sourcing, the HKTDC Small Orders display at the Gifts Fair featured over 360 showcases offering more than 2,500 products available for orders of between five and 1,000 units. A total of 23,000 business connections were generated during the four-day fair.

Chau also noted that, during the Gifts Fair the HKTDC signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Thailand, a key ASEAN country, to strengthen business promotion and cooperation between Hong Kong and Thailand. This includes offering a top-quality promotion platform for Thai products through the HKTDC's fairs and online promotion services, covering sectors such as garments, fashion accessories, textiles, food and agricultural products.

Decorative gifts, figurines lead market growth

The HKTDC commissioned an independent onsite survey during the Gifts Fair, interviewing some 920 buyers and exhibitors about their views on market prospects and product trends. The survey found that the industry is cautiously optimistic about the gifts market this year. Close to half of the respondents expect overall sales to remain the same in the coming year with 20% expecting sales to improve. Thirty-seven per cent of respondents expect production costs and sourcing costs to increase. More than 60% of respondents, however, do not expect to raise free on board (FOB) selling prices or retail prices, suggesting that they will not transfer increasing costs to customers. 

Source: HKTDC. Tian.

As to the market with the highest growth potential, most respondents pointed to the Chinese mainland, followed by Hong Kong and Korea.

The survey also analysed product trends in the gifts and premium market. Most respondents said they expect decorative gifts and figurines to have the strongest growth potential this year, followed by tech gifts, then advertising gifts and premiums. As for products, the industry generally believes that consumers are increasingly focused on product practicality and quality, followed by their pricing and cosmetic design.

Exploring business opportunities

Tian Guofeng, Director, Exhibition Department, China International Center for Economic & Technical Exchanges, Ministry of Commerce, said this was the first time that the Ministry had organised a delegation to the Gifts Fair, comprising 10 companies from Yunnan Province. "As the Hong Kong fair is not only the world's largest gifts and premium fair but also the most influential show of its kind, it will help Yunnan manufacturers develop overseas markets," said Tian. 

Source: HKTDC. Fukushima.

"Exhibitors from Yunnan Province are showcasing a wide variety of high-end products such as metal ware, silverware, wooden gifts, pottery, stone carvings and gunny handbags. Responses from buyers have been very encouraging."

Shosuke Fukushima, Director of Japan Pavilion, Business Guide-Sha, said that Japanese exhibitors achieved very good results at last year's fair, so they returned this year with 17 companies joining the Japan Pavilion, the largest-ever such delegation. "Japanese exhibitors are here showcasing all kinds of trendy products such as cosmetics, garments, stationery, toys and video games. The Hong Kong fair is an international trade fair where Japanese exhibitors can talk to many buyers and learn more about the market needs. More importantly, Hong Kong is a key gateway for Japanese companies to look for distributors and retailers from all over the world. We'll continue to organise the Japan Pavilion next year."

Hong Kong exhibitor Eco Concepts, which produces various green products with PLA (polylactic acid), was at the event for the fifth time. PLA is a type of biodegradable plastic that comes from renewable resources such as corn or tapioca. Phoebe Wong, Director of Eco Concepts, said the company had received a US$9,000 order from a Thai buyer on the first day of the event. 

"Through business matching services provided by the HKTDC, we have met with more buyers from Europe, probably because our products can meet their strict requirements in terms of environmental protection. On the first day of the fair, we have already got an order worth US$9,000 from a Thai buyer," said Wong.

Source: HKTDC. A wide range of product samples were on show.

Another Hong Kong exhibitor, Gianna Company, strives to inject new design elements into products. The company's Managing Director Lawrence Tong said the market trend towards innovative designs is prevalent. "We received onsite orders worth over HK$2 million in total from long-time clients. We have also established contacts with many potential buyers from various countries at the fair," said Tong.

Meanwhile, at the Printing & Packaging Fair, Hong Kong exhibitor Tommy Yu, Senior Manager of VersaTech Energy Innovation, and Environmental Consultant of The Hong Kong Printers Association, noted cleaner production is the way forward amid growing environmental concerns. The Hong Kong Printers Association made good use of the Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair to promote new technology for cleaner production. "Many large-sized printers have taken the task seriously and we want to encourage more SMEs to join the wave through the exhibition. In the first few hours of exhibition, about 50 visitors including printing-related companies from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, the Philippines and Taiwan approached us. They showed keen interest in how new technology in cleaner production can work for printers."

New products and onsite orders

Sia Yew Ming, Senior Corporate and Trade Marketing Manager, Mediacorp TV Singapore, was a first-time visitor to the Gifts Fair. She came looking to develop products that are related to their TV programmes with a view to selling them to consumers through convenience stores and bookshops in Singapore. She said that, with so many suppliers at the fair, there was a great variety of products at competitive prices. She placed an order of 500 units of USBs and 500 units of power banks on the second day of the fair. "I have found a lot of new ideas and new products here. I have found 10 potential suppliers and will follow up after the show," she said.

B. Food Product International from Thailand sells food products domestically as well as to different markets worldwide including Asia and Europe under two major brands S-Pure and Betagro. Sakhorn Jullarat, the company's Product and Process Development Director, said, "We put strong emphasis on the quality and safety of the food we produce every day. This is our first visit to the Hong Kong International Printing & Packaging Fair. We've already found five potential suppliers for packaging items that will be used for our frozen and chilled food products. We can find a lot of interesting packaging products and ideas here. We would like to visit the fair again next year."

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