The annual StartmeupHK Festival returns in a hybrid format on September 5 to 10 following last year's success. Curated by Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) and guided by the theme "A Future Unlimited", the 2022 Festival will explore the latest topics ranging from the metaverse, NFTs (non-fungible tokens), gaming, healthtech and proptech to sustainability and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). As the leading startup event in Asia, last year's festival engaged 806 speakers and attracted some 39 000 attendees from 103 countries and regions, with more than 470 successful business matchings made.
Featuring seven main events and several diverse community events, the week-long festival will comprise keynotes from global business leaders, thought-provoking panel discussions with entrepreneurs, startup pitches, investor matching, competitions, exhibitions and job fairs, giving attendees a chance to exchange ideas, make new connections and define a blueprint for future of startups.
"The StartmeupHK Festival 2022 will be more exciting than ever as we deep dive into trending topics on the latest tech advancements and innovations to make doing business easier, communication faster and lives better, engaging the minds of both young and experienced leaders from around the world," said Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK Mr Charles Ng.
"Hong Kong continues to foster a thriving startup ecosystem which has remained strong despite unprecedented times. The challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic helped to fast-track the city's development into an international centre for innovation and technology. As the pandemic changes society's habits, digitalisation has accelerated, resulting in numerous advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, robotics, and healthcare."
Mr Ng continued, "Hong Kong has proven itself as a gateway to unlock limitless potential, where the city's entrepreneurs have continued making technological breakthroughs and discovering award-winning innovations over the past two challenging years. With steadfast support from the Government, Hong Kong's innovation and technology development will only continue to accelerate, establishing a world-class innovation and technology powerhouse to be reckoned with. We look forward to welcoming new talent and creative minds into our resilient, ever-expanding ecosystem with the StartmeupHK Festival 2022, encouraging all attendees and stakeholders to make use of Hong Kong's fantastic links to the GBA and beyond, whilst influencing all kinds of connections."
Day 1 (September 5) – As the opening event of the Festival, the GBA Innovation Summit 2022 by TusPark will provide an invaluable glimpse at the vast potential of the GBA, e.g. the development in fintech and green finance, its blueprint for automation and sustainability, and more. Business matching, startup pitching competition and virtual exhibitions will also enable innovators, government officials and stakeholders to connect and share ideas. Held concurrently on Day 1, the hybrid 1.5°C Summit – The Defining Decade for Impact with Tech, hosted by Eureka Nova and New World Development, will focus on how technology can reduce climate change and build a more sustainable future. Topics include net-zero electricity innovation, energy-saving technologies in green buildings, greener transport solutions and reimagining waste reduction.
Day 2 (September 6) – Hosted by Brinc, the Asia Healthcare Innovation Summit 2022 will bring together members of Asia's expansive healthcare ecosystem to explore biotech, healthtech, medtech, and blockchain adaptation in the industry. What's more, the Asia Healthcare Innovation Pitch Competition will be held on the same day to showcase startups with innovative life-science solutions that address some of the latest issues in the sector.
Day 3 (September 7) – All worlds collide at Scaleup Impact Summit 2022 – Universe x Metaverse, a two-day event by WHub, spanning across Day 2 and 3 of the Festival. Attendees may join either in person, virtually or via the metaverse, to hear from world-class speakers on web 3.0, industry 4.0, quantum computing, foodtech, gamefi and other next-generation disruptions, bearing witness to exciting scale-up showcases as they pitch to investors, and perhaps even mint exclusive NFTs.
Day 4 (September 8) – A new addition to the Festival, Game On! 2022, is a 1.5-day event hosted by MaGESpire, promoting gaming, art, music, and entertainment (GAME) industries. Passionate gamers, artists, developers and investors will come together to explore the realms of defi, gamefi, NFT ecosystems, IP (intellectual property) rights and other latest-tech offerings that are transforming the entertainment space. Also kick-starting on Day 4 is Asia PropTech Beyond 2022, by Asia PropTech, a 1.5-day event which will be live-streamed from Hong Kong on September 8 and 10, during which forward-thinking leaders, corporates and startups at the forefront of the proptech evolution will discuss issues such as immersive retail experiences, real estate in the metaverse, nanotech in eco-friendly buildings, and climatetech.
Day 5 (September 9) – Hosted by KPMG, The Connected Cities Conference will showcase innovations for the next generation of city living. Global and regional speakers will showcase examples of different smart and connected cities around the world, and how Internet of Things, AI, data analytics and other proptech could enhance a city's liveability, workability, and sustainability.
Day 6 (September 10) – Youth engagement is the predominant focus of the Festival's final day of events. Asia PropTech Beyond 2022 will resume under the theme "PropTech for Youth" which places emphasis on its youth outreach programme. Meanwhile the accompanying community event Young Pioneers Forum will bring together more than 500 teenagers from more than 30 countries and regions to innovate and act towards a more sustainable future through six youth-led programmes.
The StartmeupHK Festival is also proud to present a selection of other community events. Its brand new Women Scale-Ups event (September 5) will highlight how local entrepreneurs and global businesswomen can succeed in Hong Kong and beyond. On the other hand, participants will also be introduced to the HK Tech 300 – Pitching Arena (September 6) by the City University of Hong Kong, a component of the school's large-scale flagship innovation and entrepreneurship programme which facilitates startups as they embark on their business journeys.
To register and find out more information about the StartmeupHK Festival 2022, visit the event website www.startmeup.hk/startmeuphk-festival-2022.
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