Get HK$100,000 in Funding for Your Startup: Applications for the Cyberport Creative Micro Fund Now Open

September 16, 2014 by Iris Leung

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If you’re a young upstart with a great idea but not many resources, the Cyberport Creative Micro Fund might be the place to start.

The CCMF is a seed fund for creative and innovative tech startups still in their idea phase. A HK $100,000 grant will be given to successful applications to be used in a six-month period of proof of concept and prototyping. The deadline to apply for the CCMF is October 15th at 5pm.

Here’s a sampling of the types of startups that have benefited from the fund:

CashYou: a mobile app allowing for person-to-person payment through NFC, QR Code or online
ZeusControls: an automated system that controls at-home devices by detecting and learning from a person’s movements and usage habits

For those startups that have already determined that their target market is the Mainland, the CCMF also runs a ‘cross-border programme. The ‘Hong Kong – Guangdong ICT Young Entrepreneur Program’ is in support of youth between the ages of 18-30 who are still in university or are within three years of graduation. Program offerings include fostering startup connections between Hong Kong and the Mainland and business skills training.

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: CCMF, cyberport, Cyberport Creative Micro Fund, funding

Uber and AirBNB Share their Thoughts on the ‘Sharing Economy’ on 22 September in Hong Kong

September 15, 2014 by Iris Leung

collaborative consumption
Airbnb, an apartment-sharing platform, and Uber, a peer-to-peer payment ride service, are both startups-turned-global companies contributing to the ‘sharing economy.’ Otherwise known as ‘collaborative consumption,’ the sharing economy is essentially built around the core values of people sharing their resources with one another.

While Airbnb expanded into Asia back in 2011, Uber arrived a little later on the scene early this year and the two companies have been transforming the way we travel and the way we interact with one another since.

Moderated by legislative councilor (IT) and founding chairman of ISOC HK Charles Mok, the event will feature a dynamic panel that will include:

  • Mike Orgil, director of public policy for Airbnb
  • Henek Lo, managing director (Greater China) for Airbnb
  • Sam Gellman, head of asia expansion for Uber

A few questions that the panel will tackle: is Hong Kong an ideal environment for collaborative consumption, and if it is – what is the growth potential? What kinds of challenges (such as regulation) might a startup with a peer-sharing business model have in a place like Hong Kong?

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: Airbnb, ISOC HK, Uber

How Will Apple’s New Watch and iPhone 6 Change Hong Kong Startups?

September 10, 2014 by StartupsHK

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Apple launched their new iDevices today in Cupertino – specifically 2 new bigger iPhones and an Apple Watch the phones due in Hong Kong next week and the Watch in early 2015.

Both of these new devices will change the world’s landscape again and we’re wondering what startup founders in Hong Kong are working on now that they’ve seen the new devices?

Snaptee and Spottly will no doubt easily scale up their graphics for the new size, but how does a watch play into tshirt design and finding new places to eat at?

We’ve met a handful of new iBeacon startups in Hong Kong, Apple’s other new technology and we’ve met some startups developing new add-ons for iOS8 – but how does Apple Pay play into Bindo‘s future? Will 8 Securities allow us to buy stocks from our Apple Watches?

Please post some interesting things you may be working on or think could come out of this new technology below.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: apple, Apple Watch, iPhone 6
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