And do I need to be registered in Hong Kong?

• Any registered company with an office or representatives in Hong Kong and is in Series A or prior is eligible to join. 

• Startups should expect to have their showcase their prototype during the competition. 

• Representatives from the startups will need to join the site visit and the competition finale on Nov 27 on-site at HACC. If your team is not able to attend either of these in-person events, please indicate so in the application form. 

• Mentorship: Participants will be able to receive invaluable advice and guidance from established startup founders in Hong Kong. 

• Subject Matter Experts: Learn directly from the case study owners at New World Group and understand how business decisions are decided on the usage of technology.

• Opportunity to commercialize: Finalists will have the chance to pilot and commercialize their solutions with New World Group.  

• Networking: Your network is your net worth. Grow your network by expanding your connections with talented and like minded individuals across Hong Kong.

• Cash Prizes: The top 3 winning teams in the Startup and Student streams will receive cash prizes for their innovative efforts. Be prepared to bring your A game for a chance to win!

• Throughout the program, you’ll be able to network and build business relationships with our management team. 

• On the Innovation Challenge finale day, you will be able to network with other startups and tech partners in the startup ecosystem. 

• The multiple site visits and mentorship opportunities given to the competition finalists will allow your team to understand more about the New World ecosystem. 

 Do I need to bring the prototype to the day of the TechFest finale? 

• Yes, a working prototype is expected in your final demo to the judges. 

• One of the judging criteria will be based on your prototype. We highly recommend you bring it onsite with you on the day of finale.

What if I have a distributed team not in Hong Kong?

• Yes, ideally. If you anticipate that your team will have difficulty in joining the Innovation Challenge on-site, please inform us by sending an email to [email protected]. 

• At least 2 team members are expected to attend the site visits and Innovation Challenge (Nov 27) in Hong Kong . 

• For the first round: You’ll be expected to include a pitch video with a PDF deck of your proposal as well as a link to your demo. We will review all materials in considering which teams will proceed to the final round.  

• For finalists You’ll be expected to have a 5 minute pitch, and afterwards, a 3 min demo with a working prototype. After the pitch and demo we will allow for 3 min Q&A with the judges. 

• In order to apply for the competition, you will need to submit an introductory deck of your startup. 

• To apply, you would just be submitting your generic deck. 

• For the competition, we would suggest your deck include the following materials: 

  • Problem Statement 

  • Proposed Solution/Idea 

  • Business Model 

  • Market Size

  • Competition Analysis

  • Team Info

We will observe the HKSAR Government’s COVID-19 regulations for serving food and beverages on the day of the event.

There is no entry or participation fee for the entirety of the  Innovation Challenge