The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) announced the 10 winning start-ups of the ninth edition of Start-up Express at the Final Pitching Day held today. The competition, which began in 2018, aims to support local start-ups in building capacity, enhancing visibility, and connecting with potential partners and investors. This year's winners represent diverse sectors including smart city solutions, green technology, and health technology, underscoring the increasing translation of innovative technologies into practical applications.
The winning start-ups are Alpha AI Technology Limited, BioZein Technology Corporation Limited, GABES Limited, Hay-koze Limited, Homing Therapeutics Limited, Muuse Limited, O-Spheres Limited, PetWell HK Limited, PregnaSense Co. Limited, and Pyramid AI Limited. BioZein Technology Corporation Limited received the ESG Award for its commitment to sustainability and social impact, while Homing Therapeutics Limited was honored with the My Favourite Start-up Award.
HKTDC Assistant Executive Director Anna Cheung highlighted the program's impact: "When we launched Start-up Express in 2018, we had one simple goal: to help Hong Kong start-ups grow and flourish. Since then, we have supported 80 start-ups in building capacity, enhancing their visibility, making connections, finding new partners and investors, and seizing opportunities and markets previously out of their reach." The winners will next participate in a series of local and overseas business events organized by the HKTDC, providing opportunities to build capability and connections, explore markets, seek business and funding partners, and enhance brand awareness.
The Final Pitching Day attracted more than 200 industry participants, including investors and business leaders. Booths were set up to enable finalists to showcase their businesses and foster networking. Judge Jimmy Tao, Chairman of the Hong Kong Startup Council, noted the improving quality of participating start-ups: "Many of this year's finalists have successfully integrated artificial intelligence and other innovative technologies into practical applications, demonstrating strong commercial potential." He added that Hong Kong's start-up ecosystem continues to flourish, with the number of start-ups reaching a record high of 5,221 last year, an 11% increase year-on-year.
Start-up Express also facilitates market expansion and commercialization. Taranjit Singh, Chief Technology Officer of Entoptica, a winning start-up from 2025, shared that participation in HKTDC events helped secure funding and broaden networks. He added that the company's participation in CES 2026 in the United States, led by the HKTDC, enabled connections with potential partners and resulted in the sale of two prototype products at US$100,000 each.
In addition to local ventures, the HKTDC runs Start-up Express International, launched in 2022, which has attracted start-ups from around the world over four editions. The fifth edition will be held during Entrepreneur Day in December this year, providing overseas winners with support to establish a presence in Hong Kong and explore opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and international markets. More information is available at the Start-up Express website and the list of 20 finalists.
