HONG KONG, Oct. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 6th Alibaba Entrepreneur Fund/HSBC JUMPSTARTER 2023 Global Pitch Competition ("JUMPSTARTER 2023") is in full swing. After numerous rounds of pitching, the top 30 teams have been shortlisted and the Grand Finale will be held on November 16-17 at the harbourfront of Hong Kong Cultural Centre, where the teams will compete for the Top Winner title and other honours, with cash prizes totalling HK$1 million.
Cindy Chow, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund and Frank Fang, General Manager, Head of Commercial Banking, Hong Kong and Macau at HSBC, announced the arrangements for the JUMPSTARTER 2023 Global Pitch Competition Grand Finale and the JUMPSTARTER 2023 Tech by the Harbour event this year.
In addition to the Grand Finale, JUMPSTARTER 2023 will also bring technology, culture and art from around the world to Hong Kong this year. A large-scale innovation festival named JUMPSTARTER 2023 Tech by the Harbour will be held along Hong Kong's iconic Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront, where a series of offline interactive activities will take place during the period of November 8-19.
"As JUMPSTARTER celebrates its sixth edition, we continue to push boundaries this year by organising a two-week Tech by the Harbour event against the stunning backdrop of the Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront in Hong Kong. We hope to create a dynamic platform where innovations and creativity from around the world converge, while providing the public with an interactive and fun experience that showcases the latest trends in innovation. AEF believes that startups are the driving force behind the development of our society and we hope that JUMPSTARTER will continue to be an important stage for them to seek recognition by the market and investors. We are also looking forward to the Tech by the Harbour event, which will allow the public to witness and immerse themselves in the captivating world of global innovation and technology," said Cindy Chow, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of AEF.
"Hong Kong's maturing innovation and technology ecosystem has enabled start-ups and tech ventures to fully utilise their competitive advantages and develop strategic foothold in the Greater Bay Area and beyond. At HSBC, we strive to connect businesses in various stages of their lifecycle to emerging opportunities from the ever-changing economy. We are pleased that HSBC once again partners with Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund in the JUMPSTARTER Global Pitch Competition and Tech by the Harbour to springboard promising start-ups to exciting new heights and inspire the wider community with innovative ideas," said Frank Fang, General Manager, Head of Commercial Banking, Hong Kong and Macau at HSBC.
JUMPSTARTER 2023 attracts over 1,000 startups from 85 countries and regions
Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund (AEF), the organizer of the annual JUMPSTARTER events, expanded this year's edition to cover eight industry focuses in light of the latest development trend in the startup sector. Apart from continuing to cover Sustainability, Healthcare, Fintech, Art-Tech and Deep Tech/AI & Data/Robotics, the competition this year has added new categories including Biotech/Life Science, Industry 4.0 and Web 3.0. In terms of awards, in addition to the first prize, there will be the Top Innovation Award (two winners), Social Impact Award, Environmental Impact Award, Diversity & Inclusivity Award, and Web 3.0 Innovator Award. Committed to identifying promising start-ups, AEF will evaluate all of the top 30 finalists for potential investment this year.
This year, JUMPSTARTER received over 1,000 applications from 85 countries and regions worldwide. The majority of the top 30 teams are from the Deep Tech/AI and Data/Robotics (six startups), Sustainability (six startups), Biotech/Life Science (five startups) and Healthcare (five startups) sectors. The judging panel of JUMPSTARTER 2023 considers it to be a reflection of the fact that these industries are leading the development of the startup market, and also represent the enormous development opportunities in the relevant industries.
In terms of regions, 57% of the shortlisted teams come from Hong Kong, China (17 startups), 17% from mainland China (five startups), and 10% from Singapore (three startups). There are also notable entries from regions as far as Africa.
Tech by the Habour to showcase startups through virtual reality, light and shadow, and robotics
JUMPSTARTER 2023 Tech by the Harbour will be taking place along the iconic Tsim Sha Tsui harbourfront during November 8-19, integrating various innovative technologies and cultural art forms against the backdrop of the world-renowned Victoria Harbour. Activities include Vision by the Harbour, a technology exhibition showcasing this year's JUMPSTARTER top 30 teams and selective innovative projects from Hong Kong. Visitors can even experience the world's first VR version of "Squid Game" developed by Sandbox VR, an investee of AEF.
Additionally, international and local creative teams WOW and Way of Difference have collaborated for the first time to curate Art Tech Park, an art installation that combines captivating visual art with cutting-edge technology innovation. This abstract expression represents Hong Kong's distinctive elements, including skyscrapers, the Victoria Harbour, and multiculturalism, merging them together to showcase the pulse and vitality of Hong Kong's skyline.
Robotics by the Harbour will feature a spectacular performance with a collection of more than 80 robots from nine different categories, making it the largest robotic performance in the city to date. On the other hand, the global networking platform "StartMeetUp" will provide a platform for startups to exchange ideas and interact with each other.
In addition, the JUMPSTARTER 2023 Grand Finale will take place during Tech by the Harbour from 16 to 17 November. The public can witness for themselves the innovative ideas of the top 30 finalists. Industry experts, entrepreneurs and opinion leaders from around the world will be invited to attend the event to share their entrepreneurial experiences and tips for success. The speakers include Jingren Zhou, CTO of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, Elia Timotheo, Co-founder and CEO of East Africa Fruits, an ag-tech food distribution company from Tanzania which won the first prize in the 2022 Africa's Business Heroes Prize Competition sponsored by the Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation, Professor Chen Zhiwei, Director of the AIDS Institute, Professor of Department of Microbiology, HKUMed, and Adam Mendelsohn, Chief Executive Officer of Vivani Medical, a biopharmaceutical company.
Please refer to below appendix on the top 30 JUMPSTARTER 2023 finalists. For more information about JUMPSTARTER 2023 Tech by the Harbour, please visit www.jumpstarter.hk.
About Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund
Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund ("AEF") is a non-profit initiative launched by Alibaba Group in 2015. To vitalize the development of innovation and technology, AEF's mission is to help Hong Kong entrepreneurs and young people realize their dreams and visions for a Hong Kong that is vibrant and engaged regionally and globally. As part of its investment program, AEF provides Hong Kong-based entrepreneurs with investment capital and strategic guidance to help them grow their businesses and penetrate the mainland Chinese and global markets, by utilizing Alibaba's ecosystem. For more information, please visit the website: http://ent-fund.org.
About JUMPSTARTER
JUMPSTARTER is a not-for-profit initiative created by Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund that provides a platform for all entrepreneurs and young people to jump start their dreams in Hong Kong. It is a first-of-its-kind startup event focused exclusively on showcasing quality startups and providing high-impact networking opportunities. Its goal is to build, empower and boost Hong Kong's startup ecosystem and entrepreneurship by bringing entrepreneurs, corporations, investors and the public together, helping to transform Hong Kong into a leading hub for global innovation and technology. For more information, please visit the website: https://www.jumpstarter.hk/.
