HKSTP Invites the World�s Brightest Innovators to Join Hong Kong�s First Hybrid Elevator Pitch Competition 2021

Global EPiC pitch event in HK returns to SKY100 and offers US$200,000 in cash prizes plus exclusive cross-border business and investment opportunities to entrepreneurs

HONG KONG–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has formally kickoff the Elevator Pitch Competition 2021 (EPiC 2021) by inviting applications from tech ventures in Hong Kong around the world. Taking place from 5 to 12 November, 2021, participating entrepreneurs can join their peers, investors and innovation eco-system leaders in an international week-long fest of pitching, investment and business matching as well as learning from icons in the startup landscape.

Companies and individuals are invited to EPiC 2021, which is in its sixth year and taking place for the first time as a hybrid event � a dynamic physical and virtual platform to meet the diverse needs of overseas and local innovators. To celebrate HKSTP’s 20 years of leading Hong Kong innovation, the event will return to its iconic SKY100 venue at the top of International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon to re-create a genuine elevator pitch experience.

Over 100 contestants will be shortlisted for the opportunity of competing in the hybrid event where physical attendees deliver a signature 60-second elevator pitch for their world-changing ideas, while virtual participants will make their pitch to our judges via video call. A further ten finalists will be selected to compete for the winning cash prize of US$100,000 as well as unique opportunities for cross-border investment, business collaboration and technology development and adoption.

The international week-long festival of investment and innovation will focus on high-potential ideas in FinTech, Health Technology, Smart City, and the emerging area of Green Tech & Construction Tech.

Robert Luo, CEO and Co-founder of 2020 champion winner MiTerro from the US, said: “Winning EPiC was a validation of our business and vision. We not only met investors but also other entrepreneurs who are finding innovative solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems.”

HKSTP is committed to acting as a bridge between innovators and investors, with HKSTP nurturing over 500 start-up companies and connected them to more than 1000 active investors. All winners from the competition can proceed to leverage the full resources of the HKSTP ecosystem for investment, incubation, market access, technology, and partnership opportunities.

The competition attracted a record number of 476 entries from 37 countries around the globe in 2020. Over 70% of the 170 contestants reaching the semi-final round were from 31 international markets. The event brought more than 1,000 entrepreneurs, venture capital firms, angel investors, industry players, incubators, accelerators and tech disruptors together, to showcase the growing strength of the I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong.

Who can apply:

• Tech startups that are less than five years old and have received less than US$10 million in funding by 31 March 2021 OR individuals who have not yet established any companies
• Ideas should focus on one of the four technology areas: FinTech, Health Technology, Smart City, and Green Tech & Construction Tech.

Applications will close on 10 September 2021, at 23:59 hrs, Hong Kong time.

Please visit https://epic.hkstp.org/ for more detailed information on EPiC 2021.

List of awards and prizes

Award	Cash Prize (for each winner)
Champion	US$100,000
4 Tech Winners (FinTech, Health Technology, Smart City and Green Tech & Construction Tech)	US$10,000
Top 10 Finalists	US$6,000

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

Contacts

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Karmen Cheung

Tel: +852 2629 2339

Email: karmen.cheung@hkstp.org

Edelman Public Relations
Claudia Yau

Tel: +852 2837 4769

Email: Claudia.Yau@edelman.com/ Edelmanhkstppr@edelman.com