Next wave of disruptors unveiled at Start-up Express International 2024
Advertisement
The Start-up Express International 2024, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), showcased some of the most promising start-ups from 11 countries. Seven winners and eight finalists gathered in Hong Kong to present their innovative tech solutions across fintech, medtech, AI and sustainability.
Held as part of Entrepreneur Day (E-Day) 2024, the event reinforced Hong Kong's status as a leading innovation and business hub, providing a platform for entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders to collaborate and explore scaling opportunities in the region.
The judging process was highly competitive, with experts assessing start-ups based on innovation, scalability, market potential, and sustainability. The panel comprised senior executives from Cyberport, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP) and Gobi Partners, who not only selected the winners but also shared valuable insights into Hong Kong's start-up ecosystem and expansion opportunities during a panel discussion.
Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director at HKTDC, opens the Start-up Express International 2024 panel discussion, noting that Hong Kong's thriving ecosystem, government funding and business-friendly environment make it the perfect launchpad for start-ups.
Start-up Express International 2024 global winners take the stage during a discussion session at Entrepreneur Day (E-Day) in Hong Kong, presenting their cutting-edge solutions in fintech, medtech, greentech, AI, sustainability and more. From left: AquaViolet (Singapore), EntoSus (Germany), Everybaby (Ireland), GeoVista (South Korea), Qaiver Fintech (Qatar), Wuxi Yingzhui Technology Development (Mainland China) and Zoala (Singapore).
'Hong Kong serves as a gateway to the Greater Bay Area and beyond. With a thriving ecosystem, government funding and ease of business, we provide the perfect launchpad for start-ups,' said Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director at HKTDC, in his opening address to the panel discussion.As global challenges in water purification, air quality and sustainability continue to grow, innovative start-ups such as AquaViolet and Bioteos are developing cutting-edge solutions to address these issues.
Advertisement
AquaViolet is a Singapore-based deep-tech start-up that has developed UVx disinfection technology, a light-based purification system enhancing water safety and sustainability by eliminating pathogens with multi-band ultraviolet technology.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Starbucks China attracts over 20 suitors amid 8% quarterly revenue jump
Starbucks is making progress with the sale of its China business and has received 'significant interest' from more than 20 potential buyers, chairman and CEO Brian Niccol said, as the world's largest coffee chain regains momentum on the mainland. Advertisement 'We've been working to identify a strategic partner with a like-minded vision and values to help us capture further growth opportunities in China,' Niccol said during an earnings call on Tuesday. 'We remain committed to our China business and want to retain a meaningful stake.' Starbucks' China unit, valued at up to US$10 billion, has attracted interested private equity bidders, including Centurium Capital, which also backs local competitor Luckin Coffee, Carlyle Group, Hillhouse Capital and KKR, CNBC reported earlier this month. The development comes as the Seattle-based coffee chain reported a third consecutive month of revenue growth in mainland China in the fiscal quarter ended June 29. The world's second-largest economy accounts for nearly one-fifth of the company's 41,097 stores globally and 8 per cent of its US$9.5 billion revenue, according to the Post's calculations based on its financial data. Starbucks chairman and CEO Brian Niccol pictured in June 2015. Photo: AP Since Niccol took the reins last September following the departure of Laxman Narasimhan, the coffee chain has made a series of moves to improve its performance in China's intensely competitive coffee industry.


South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Nvidia supplier Victory Giant unveils plans for Hong Kong share offering
The company, one of mainland China's largest printed circuit board manufacturers, said it would sell stock in Hong Kong that would represent no more than 10 per cent of its existing share capital, according to a filing with the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Underwriters would be granted the option to issue additional shares in Hong Kong by exercising an overallotment option. The company will allocate a portion of the offering to local retail investors, while the remainder will be available to an international cohort. Victory Giant was listed on the GEM board in Shenzhen in 2015, with 862.7 million shares traded on the onshore market, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Its shares have surged more than threefold so far this year to 191.2 yuan, giving it a market capitalisation of 162.77 billion yuan (US$22.7 billion). On July 21, the company said it would use the listing's proceeds to expand overseas and 'broaden its financing channels'. It said it would select an appropriate time to complete its listing plan. The company has not disclosed the size or timing of its share sale, but Bloomberg reported earlier this month that its listing could raise about US$1 billion. The company hired Hong Kong-based BDO as its auditor.


South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hackers target Malaysia EV boom, cybersecurity flaws revealed
Hackers are increasingly targeting Malaysia 's growing automotive sector cybersecurity experts have warned in a new report that raises alarm over gaps in threat detection, including potential data theft via phones hooked to vehicular digital dashboards. A key automotive manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia, Malaysia has attracted around 26 billion ringgit (US$6.15 billion) in electric vehicle investments since 2018 from global marquee names including Tesla, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Stellantis and Dongfeng. But the industry's rapid shift towards software-dependent vehicles is creating new vulnerabilities ripe for exploitation by malicious actors, according to Singapore-based Ensign Infosecurity's 2025 report on the cyber threat landscape in Asia-Pacific? 'Malaysia's extensive network of automotive suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers further exposes organisations to vulnerabilities in the cyber supply chain,' Jeremy Moke, senior director of Ensign Infosecurity Malaysia, told This Week in Asia. One vulnerability involves attackers intercepting sensitive data from mobile devices connected to a compromised vehicle's infotainment systems through widely used platforms such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, according to Moke. 'The automotive and mobility sector is an emerging target sector in Malaysia,' Moke said. 'The proliferation of modern vehicles integrating complex computing, software, and the supporting infrastructure creates new points of vulnerability.' Ensign's report puts the automotive sector behind the public sector, telcos, hospitality and banks in the ranking of industries most vulnerable to cyberattacks.