Entrepreneurship Engine Fund
The Entrepreneurship Engine Fund (EEF) is The University of Hong Kong’s flagship initiative to fuel startups and transform research into real-world solutions. As a strategic “anchor fund,” the EEF invests in top-tier early-stage venture partners globally, creating a robust ecosystem of long-term capital and expertise around HKU’s most promising ventures.
Highlights
🔹 Investments of USD 0.5–5 million from our global network of EEF Investment Partners
Eligibility
🔹 At least 20% ownership is held by HKU members (students, staff, alumni, or affiliates).
🔹 Or HKU intellectual property (IP) is licensed.
Application
🔹 Complete the Submission Form to TEC.
🔹 EEF Investment Partners will conduct independent evaluation for your startup/project.
EEF Investment Partner
DEFTA Partners
DEFTA Partners is a Silicon Valley venture capital firm which focuses on early-stage investments in the medical and healthcare sectors.
Charles Li <jli@deftapartners.com>
CASSTAR
CASSTAR, based in Xi’an and Beijing, specialises in early-stage “hard technology” investments and is renowned for its integrated startup ecosystem.
Victor Li <likaiqi@casstar.com.cn>
Gobi Partners
Gobi Partners, with headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong, focuses on Asian emerging markets and has extensive investment experience in the Greater Bay Area.
Fred Li <fred@gobi.vc>
InnoAngel
InnoAngel Fund, derived from Tsing Hua, was founded by angel investors and well-known entrepreneurs in Hong Kong and mainland China and concentrates on venture building and investment in early-stage technology innovation projects.
Mavis WU <maviswu@hkinno.com>
Beyond Ventures
Beyond Ventures, led by experienced Hong Kong serial entrepreneurs, focuses on early-stage projects and has successful exit cases in both Hong Kong and mainland China. venture building and investment in early-stage.
Oliver Chen <oliverchen@beyondventures.hk>
Everbright
China Everbright Limited (Everbright, stock code: 165.HK) has 26 years of experience in cross-border financial services and contributes to advancing science and technology in Hong Kong through investments and incubation.
Shawn Wang <Shawn.Wang@everbright.com>
ZhenFund
ZhenFund, one of China’s earliest angel investment institutions, has a long history of supporting young entrepreneurs and investing in startups.
Yishan Cheng <yishan@zhenfund.com>
BRIZAN VENTURES
Brizan Ventures, co-founded in 2017 by Professor Ko Ping Keung and Andrew Kwong, has curated a portfolio of core robotic chips including RISC-V, FPGA and CMOS forming a robust ecosystem around them. The company makes strategic investments in outstanding technologies and university projects incubated in Hong Kong.
Lucy Liu < lucy@brizanvp.com>
Crystal Lam <crystal@brizanvp.com>
BioTrack Capital
BioTrack is a venture capital firm that focuses on investing in and incubating outstanding early-stage and innovative companies in the healthcare industry. The firm manages five funds, with a total AUM of over USD 1.2 billion.
Lisa Lei <lisa.lei@biotrackcapital.com>
Investment Partnership Models
The EEF collaborates with reputable investment institutions primarily through the following two types of portfolio funds:
*Co-branded Joint Fund (JF):
A newly created fund tailored for HKU, with a funding pool of at least HK$200M, primarily investing in HKU-affiliated startups, along with other support to the HKU ecosystem.
*Lead-investment Partner Fund (LPF):
An existing fund in which HKU participates as a special limited partner (LP), committing to a leading financing amount of at least eight times HKU’s contribution, along with other support to the HKU ecosystem
Future EEF Partnership Opportunities
The 1st call for partnership proposals: https://tec.hku.hk/hku-entrepreneurship-engine-fund/ concluded on 8 Mar 2024.
Eligible investors are welcome to contact Senior Manager, Patrick Chen Qi Ming, at patrick.chen@hku.hk for future partnership opportunities.