Get Exposure For Your Startup By Applying to the ‘Best ICT Startup Awards’

January 14, 2015 by Iris Leung

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Whatever your stance is on the necessity of startup awards, one thing is for certain: They can help raise your company’s profile and credibility. Besides being a catalyst to media coverage, winning an award can also give a startup much-needed exposure to investors.

The Internet Society-run ‘Hong Kong ICT Awards 2015’ is back again and calling for submissions to their ‘Best ICT Startup Award’ category. Having just added the category last year, the ICT awards is keen on honoring tech startups in the ‘consumer market,’ ‘business market’ and ‘social innovation’ streams. Eligible startups will get the chance to meet the judging panel – which is made up of angel investors, successful startup founders and IT experts.

Last year, hardware startup Phonejoy took the top prize, with student-led mobile startup Sensbeat and smartphone accessory maker Muku Labs also placing. See who else placed in our coverage of the awards last year!
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Filed Under: News Tagged With: Best ICT Startup Award, ICT Awards 2015, Internet Society

Meet Cornerstone HK: A Cloud-Based Accounting Firm For Startups

January 8, 2015 by Wendy Tang

1040535_10151757053253708_1222635301_o Cornerstone, an accounting and analytics company, advises startups in Hong Kong to keep their records straight.

They’re the the Hong Kong gold partners and advisors for ‘Xero‘ cloud-based accounting software that startups can access via mobile and on the web. Adrian Lai, managing director of Cornerstone said many startup founders in Hong Kong have a lot of passion but they are disorganized when it comes to administrative work. “They want to go pitch for Series A, they fundraise or to get some sort of external investment, and then it’s a mad rush to try to get some numbers together,” he said.

Lai thinks startups and SMEs need to be disciplined from the beginning: To get their administration and accounting sorted out. He sees too many clients waiting until the last minute to pull numbers together. “Not only are the financials important to external investor,” he said, “but savvy investors also want to find out about whether or not controlled processes of the organization within a startup actually is solid.”

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Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Adrian Lai, Angie Wong, Cornerstone HK, Xero

Startup Trademarks: The Importance of Brand Protection For Startups

January 7, 2015 by Iris Leung

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When starting up, much of a founder’s focus is dedicated to the product: Does it work properly? Would people pay money for it? Besides product development, validation, iteration and customer acquisition – founders also have to keep an eye on cash flow, which may mean constant fundraising.

With so many startup tasks to juggle, branding often falls by the wayside – but it’s creating a recognizable and trustworthy brand that may be the most important of all. Besides cultivating an image that’s both familiar and well-liked, startups also need to consider the importance of brand protection.

Take the cautionary tale of Spacious for example. You may be familiar with Hong Kong property search tool Spacious HK, but have you heard of Spacious UK – a platform that helps startups look for ideal places to work?

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Filed Under: Interviews Tagged With: Nest Investments, Simon Squibb, Spacious HK, Trademarks
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