Gen.T+
The annual EPiC competition seeks to identify future business success stories
On April 28, 50 semi- finalists selected from more than 600 participants, gathered high above the city to compete in the seventh edition of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation’s (HKSTP) Elevator Pitch Competition (EPiC), inside the iconic Sky100, atop Hong Kong’s tallest building, the International Commerce Centre.
Aimed at the people behind mid- to late-stage startups who seek to expand their footprint into Asia and beyond, 57 per cent of contestants entered from the fintech industry and 43 per cent from proptech.
During the grand finale, 50 semi-finalists took the 60-second elevator ride to the observation deck while pitching their ideas to investors and industry experts, hoping for the chance to win up to US$5 million investment from HKSTP Venture Fund. Albert Wong HKSTP’s CEO said “The quality of pitching is very high. You can feel the change this time, the companies are getting more and more mature,” he said. “And it’s not just this particular event, but the whole Hong Kong I&T [innovation and technology] ecosystem— I’m witnessing its growth.”
Participants were narrowed down to just ten finalists, who went on to pitch on stage for the champion title. Supported by sponsors HSBC, MTR Lab and Cathay, the afternoon ceremony saw local Hong Kong metaverse advisory and production studio, Canvasland win the competition’s first “My Favourite Pitcher” award, with a US$10,000 prize and 200,000 Asia Miles. FinCrime Dynamics from the UK won US$20,000 fintech prize money, and finally, Skyland Innovation, which uses robotics and AI to help property owners and contractors communicate better on construction sites, was named proptech winner, crowned EPiC 2023 champion and took away a total of US$90,000 in prize money.