SuperCharged: accelerator picks 4 early and 4 late-stage start-ups in Hong Kong to give fintech industry a boost
Cutting-edge financial technology (fintech) companies and an old industrial neighbourhood in Hong Kong may not sound like a natural fit, but the area of Kwun Tong is now home to an accelerator programme for early and late stage start-ups.
The SuperCharger Accelerator is a 12-week programme for fintech start-ups that is taking a different approach from other such projects in the city by selecting four late-stage and four early-stage companies from a pool of more than 160 international applicants.
“We thought that the early stage companies could learn from the late-stage companies, how they managed to grow, some of the challenges and for the late-stage companies it’s also interesting to see business potential that might be out there,” said Renu Bhatia, managing director of SuperCharger.
SuperCharger is sponsored by Standard Chartered, Chinese internet search giant Baidu, and TusPark Global Network. Start-ups on the programme hail from China, India, Africa and Hong Kong.
Fintech is seen as a potential growth area for Hong Kong to create innovative new products or services based on its existing financial expertise and talent pool.