Hong Kong life and health tech entrepreneurs on shared quest to make the world healthier
During a breathwork session, three company founders discuss how the city is the ideal innovation hub for realising their global ambitions
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Hong Kong entrepreneurs share global visions for healthcare during breathwork session
On a winter afternoon, three life and health technology entrepreneurs and a breathwork specialist, all based in Hong Kong, have come together to share their visions of how to make the world a healthier place.
They chose to do so during an outdoor breathing exercise session, where they explored how the practice could help them stay in top form and power ahead on their innovation journeys.
“I trained as a doctor, but the tools available to doctors are limited. There are a lot of new diseases coming, but medicines are limited,” says Xia Jin, one of the session’s participants, who is co-founder and CEO of Immuno Cure. “I felt that by getting into the academic field, I could help develop new medicines and treat more patients.”
The company’s mission is to bridge the gap between the scientific discovery and the making of a drug through biotech. It is making good headway with a therapeutic HIV vaccine and an antibody for cancer treatment, both of which are going through clinical trials.
“Both our vaccine and antibody are first in class,” Jin says. “They have global patents. Once the product is patented globally, it represents the first creation of such a product.”
Brian Lai, the session’s instructor and founder of Primal Breathwork in Hong Kong, was inspired to start his company by his own past struggle with mental health. That experience led him to a meditation retreat where he discovered the power of breathwork.
“The [US] Navy Seals, for example, use this method to bring their nerve system back into balance. Silicon Valley execs use this method as well,” he says.
Others at the session also had personal stories to share. Tian Zhu, co-founder and CEO of GenEditBio, recounted how she embarked on her journey in the life and health tech sector.
“My career dream was to go to law school, but my father passed away from cancer,” she says. “I saw how desperate such a situation could be. So I changed my career plan to pharmaceutical development.”
GenEditBio focuses on developing affordable precision DNA surgery as a curative therapy for genetic diseases lacking cures or effective treatments, which include eye disorders that can lead to vision loss. In some of those cases, surgery is the only solution available, but relapses are not uncommon. “Our product is targeting the root cause of these diseases, the gene. We will fix the gene,” Zhu says.
“When people think about genome editing, they think it’s like something in the movies, that it’s a future medicine,” she adds. “But I think it’s not tomorrow, it’s today.”
Another participant at the session, Ron Tam, is the co-founder and chief architect of Applied Technology, which leverages cloud computing to develop smart healthcare management solutions. His entrepreneurial journey was also sparked by a personal experience.
“I had a health scare a few years ago and had to go through a series of tests and procedures,” he says. “The medical professionals who took care of me were very skilled and compassionate. But I found that there was a lot of waiting time, and that the process was not very efficient.”
Applied Technology’s clinic management platform is being used by more than 10,000 doctors and nurses in Hong Kong, and Tam plans to expand its reach to 10 more markets in the Asia-Pacific in the next three years. The company also recently showcased its technology at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
“We believe that, in the next 10 years, healthcare technology starting from Hong Kong will be a reference for the world,” Tam says.
The city has been consistently punching above its weight when it comes to breakthroughs in life and health tech. As a hotbed of innovation, it attracts entrepreneurs and talent from around the world.
“Hong Kong is the superconnector between mainland China and the rest of the world. I think the superconnector or connecting role is very important,” Zhu says.
Besides its vibrant tech ecosystem, Hong Kong is also known for its rule of law, academic excellence, connectivity and role as an international financial hub. In addition, the city is the world’s second-largest fundraising hub for the healthcare and biotech sector, with 64 pre-revenue or pre-profit companies listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange as of April 2024.
These entrepreneurs are excited about how their work can contribute to a healthier world for future generations. Their companies are among the more than 300 in the life and health tech sector supported by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.
Jin says: “Hong Kong is developing biotech as a major future industry, and the opportunities are great. I think everybody should try to invest in Hong Kong – keep up with Hong Kong.”