Bildnachweis: InvestHK.
With a rich tradition as a leading global logistics, trade and financial hub, Hong
Kong has turned into an innovation powerhouse with almost unlimited financial
and talent capabilities. Uniquely connecting Mainland China with the rest of the
world, start-ups enjoy unmatched exposure to investors, start-ups and corporates
alike, actively supported by a business-friendly government and public sector.
The Hong Kong ecosystem counts more than 4,600 startups dominated by fintech, ICT, e-commerce, education, and learning as well as data analytics. Hong Kong is a vital connector for start-ups, serving as a primary market for international businesses and a gateway to Mainland China. About 26% of start-up founders in the region are non-locals, primarily from China, the UK, and the US, emphasizing its global appeal. The start-up ecosystem thrives on diversity, offering access to international talent, expertise in global markets, and robust free trade agreements. Key factors such as high English proficiency, ease of business formation, financial stability, and favourable tax policies enhance Hong Kong’s status as an entrepreneurial hub.
Start-up hubs, acceleration and incubation programmes
The Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is more than a regular technology park: it is a vast community of more than 2,000 international technology companies such as NVIDIA, Huawei or CATL that partner with local start-ups and talent to drive R&D in ICT, greentech, biotech, electronics, and more. International start-ups can join customized programmes with generous funding from ideation all the way to regional business expansion. Cyberport is the other large innovation ecosystem in Hong Kong with an own community of over 2,000 start-ups and technology companies focuses on domains such as fintech, smart living, digital entertainment/e-sports, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, big data, and blockchain. Other unique incubation programmes include the Design Incubation Programme for textiles start-ups or corporate programmes such as the Visa Fintech Fast Track Program and the Accenture FinTech Innovation Lab Asia Pacific.
Fundraising for start-ups in Hong Kong
For many years, Hong Kong has been a globally leading location for IPOs and venture capital investments. Companies raised USD 11.3 billion in 2024 alone, ranking Hong Kong number four major among listing platforms worldwide. Backed by an ecosystem comprised of more than 2,700 single family offices and hundreds of venture capital firms, the Hong Kong start-up ecosystem produced 18 unicorns so far including Lalamove, Klook, and WeLab. Early-stage funding in 2024 was led by fintech start-ups with USD 190 million, followed by start-ups in blockchain with USD 121 million. Other strong sectors include energy technologies, healthtech, and environmental technologies.
Four reasons to move your start-up to Hong Kong
First, situated at the epicentre of Asia’s rapidly expanding economies, Hong Kong offers unparalleled opportunities for entrepreneurs aiming to conquer international markets such as Mainland China and the ASEAN region. Second, Hong Kong’s entrepreneurial culture extends across the private and public sector, where the Hong Kong government provides generous start-up funding, a business-friendly operating environment with 100% free ownership of companies, no VAT, no tax on capital gains and no withholding tax. Companies pay no tariff on goods sold in Mainland China and no customs tariffs on imports. Third, Hong Kong’s multilingual and multicultural talent pool is a unique opportunity for foreign start-ups to seamlessly set up in Hong Kong and scale across markets from Japan, South Korea, and Singapore all the way to Australia. And finally: Hong Kong provides through its long-established legal system a robust and solid protection of every company’s intellectual property, including patents, brand names, and trademarks.
About the author:
Dr Kim Zietlow currently serves as Deputy Head of Investment Promotion at InvestHK in Berlin, Hong Kong’s government agency for attracting start-ups, companies, and talent.
