• 

  Funding Support HK$600,000

  A grant of HK$480,000 and an interest-free loan of HK$120,000

• 

  Up to 24 months Incubation Support

  • Mentorship
  • Legal Services
  • Financial Services
  • Training Workshops
• 

  Structured Entrepreneurship Training

  • Lean Launcher Training Programme
  • HKU TEC’s Entrepreneurship Academy
• 

  Public Exposure and Networking

  Participate in competitions/forums/exhibitions/online showcase events

• 

  From Prototyping to Market Launch

  Learning and exchange opportunities in the Greater Bay Area or overseas

• 

  Workspaces in HK & ShenZhen

  iDendron at HKU and Qianhai, ShenZhen

An application must be made by either a start-up company or a team of at least two members,  of which:

1. the Person-in-Charge (PIC) must be an HKU member (student, staff, or alum of HKU or its affiliated institutions), and HKU members should own at least 20% ownership in total in the applying or to-be-established company;

OR

1. the start-up company must be an existing or prospective HKU IP licensee (with a licensing agreement already signed or being negotiated)

AND

• For company applicants, the entity must be a limited company incorporated in Hong Kong pursuant to the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) for less than 3 years by the Application Deadline;
• For team applicants, they are required to incorporate a limited company in Hong Kong prior to the commencement of the Funding Period;

The PIC and the core team member(s) of each application must be Young Entrepreneurship Applicant(s) (YEAs) who meets the following criteria:

• Age: 18-39 (as of the Application Deadline)
• Holder of a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card
• Not subject to any bankruptcy orders or proceedings
• Have not received funding from the Entrepreneurship Scheme under the YDF (including previous and current rounds from any NGOs)
• Have established or plan to establish operations in Hong Kong or GBA cities (other regions not excluded)

While no restrictions are imposed on proposed entrepreneurship projects regarding the businesses they involve, businesses that are unlawful, illegal or involving tobacco, advocacy of gambling, obscenity, etc., will not be supported

Non-YEA members or shareholders shall not possess more than 20% of the equity of the start-up company as of the Application Deadline and during the Funding Period.

Unless with prior written approval from the Government, the Awarded Start-ups shall not assign, transfer, subcontract, or dispose of any of their interests, rights, benefits, or obligations under their business during the Funding Period. If any new partner(s) or shareholder(s) is/are added to an Awarded Start-up, such new partner(s) or shareholder(s) shall also meet the above eligibility criteria.

The Applicant must complete an online application form and the following documents on or before 6 July 2025, Sunday (23:59 PM GMT+8). Late submissions will NOT be accepted.

• Pitch Deck (no more than 15 slides)
• 3-5 minutes Pitching Video
• CVs of Person-in-Charge (PIC) and Team Member(s)
• Signed declaration form to use HKU IP and copies of IP licensing agreements (if applicable)

Applicants must submit the Pitch Deck, Pitching Video, and CVs by providing a valid, accessible, and downloadable link to the files when submitting the application. These files should be uploaded to a file-sharing platform (e.g., Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, etc.)

Pitching Video Guideline

For selected applicants participating in the Final Assessment, the following must also be submitted at least 10 working days prior to the Final Assessment:

• A detailed business plan
• Staff/ Student card or graduation certificate for proof of association with HKU
• Copy the Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card of ALL YEAs
• Company documents including BR, CI, AOA and NNC1 (for company applicant)
• Other supplementary information required by the University

Due diligence meetings may be required if necessary.

• Tech-Up GBA Innovators Programme [Guidelines]
• Declaration Form of Use HKU IP [Oct 2024 edition]
• How to record the pitching video [Pitching Video Guideline]
• Briefing Session [Slides]

We will provide the Lean Launcher Programme to the shortlisted teams from Aug to Sep with 1 day bootcamp and followed by 5 report back session.

The tentative training date: Lean Launcher Bootcamp followed by 5 report back session on every Monday evening. (Tentative)

This comprehensive training initiative is designed to guide participants through the essential processes of in-depth market validation and customer discovery. The programme will equip you with the tools, strategies, and insights needed to effectively assess market opportunities, understand customer needs, and refine your business ideas for greater success.