Hong Kong Tech Pavilion propels start-ups onto European stage at VivaTech 2025
Over four days of demos and one-on-one meetings in Paris, 20 Hong Kong ventures forged strategic partnerships and attracted investor interest as they set their sights on the European market
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Organised from June 11 to 14 this year at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Viva Technology 2025 featured the Hong Kong Tech Pavilion, presented by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) in collaboration with the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels.
Invest Hong Kong, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation and Hong Kong Cyberport also joined forces as supporting organisations in bringing 20 Hong Kong start-ups to Europe and facilitating business opportunities across seminars, pitch sessions and networking events during the four-day event.
“Companies choosing Hong Kong for their international headquarters exemplify its role as a ‘super connector’ and a ‘super value-adder’ between Mainland China and the rest of the world,” said Prof Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, in his keynote address at the “From Hong Kong to the World: Embarking on the New Journey of Innovation”.
Point Fit Technology Limited
Point Fit Technology began as a 2019 university research project led by co-founder Kenny Oktavius, who modelled wearable sensors on athlete biomechanics. In 2020, the team perfected a skin-patch sensor and companion wristband that continuously monitors sweat biomarkers, eliminating the need for blood draws.
At VivaTech, Point Fit’s “Fitness Park – Paris” let semi-professional athletes trial the sensors on cycling, rowing and weight machines, drawing significant interest from gym operators.
The highlight came when Point Fit signed a memorandum of understanding with France’s Kinomap, one of Europe’s leading connected-fitness platforms.
“Apart from signing an MoU with Kinomap, we also linked up with a top European football club and secured key partners to help us further penetrate the European market,” said Kenny Oktavius, co-founder and CEO.
To optimise costs, Point Fit outsources manufacturing to Guangzhou and Shenzhen, reducing unit expenses to roughly one-third of those in other Asian regions. The company is also building EU-based data infrastructure to meet GDPR requirements by mid-2026.
“Hong Kong’s government support has been the most generous I’ve seen, far beyond other ecosystems. And through HKTDC’s Startup Express programme, we gained funding and overseas exposure; we were in Paris exactly because of that support.” Oktavius noted.
Under CEO Yang Ming, Westwell delivers turnkey port-automation solutions, specifically autonomous guided vehicles, straddle carriers and cranes centrally managed by its proprietary “Manager System”.
Developed at its Hong Kong Science Park R&D centre, the platform integrates protocols from over 30 OEM brands, enabling terminals to automate without replacing existing equipment.
Since opening its Hong Kong international headquarters and R&D centre in August 2023, Westwell has been invited by InvestHK and the Innovation & Technology Bureau to London Tech Week and the Future Investment Initiative in Saudi Arabia, where it was named one of 200 “globally spotlighted” tech firms.
At VivaTech’s workshop, Westwell recreated a scale-model container yard, streaming real-time telemetry and dynamic routing from the Manager System. “Our strength lies in integrating any manufacturer’s machinery into one cohesive workflow. Terminals need not scrap existing equipment to automate,” Yang explained.
She is especially pleased with the fact that the HKTDC and Science Park programmes have enabled Westwell teams to visit nearly ten cities, including Spain, the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, to forge overseas partnerships.
“After two decades of rapid development, China’s advances in tech and AI have become an inevitable force, drawing clients and partners not only for cost efficiency but also for performance and reliability,” Yang said.
Building on its 100-vehicle deployment at the Port of Felixstowe, Westwell is in talks with major terminals in Europe, and views 2025-27 as a critical window to secure three more European pilots before expanding into Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Founded and led by CEO Eddie Yu, OKOsix produces low-carbon, bio-based polymer pellets that match petroleum-derived plastics in strength yet fully biodegrade in both composting and landfill environments.
After two years of R&D, OKOsix cut its cost premium from 10× to under 2×, a breakthrough amid Europe’s Single-Use Plastics Directive and a 12 per cent import-duty waiver on eco-materials.
“We’re the first company to develop these specific low-carbon and biodegradable formulations. Our IP gives us a clear head start in this market,” said Yu. And because many European clients manufacture in mainland China, OKOsix ships raw pellets directly to existing plants, streamlining the supply chain. “It makes logistics very simple,” he explained.
European buyers also benefit from regulatory and commercial incentives. The 12 per cent duty waiver on eco-materials and the ability to monetise carbon-saving credits, "as if Tesla selling carbon credits," he noted, which help absorb the company’s modest price premium.
The company is exploring higher-barrier medical applications using the same pellet platform, and several customers have proposed co-investment, which Yu believes demonstrates their confidence in OKOsix’s scale-up potential.
At VivaTech, OKOsix showcased raw pellets and semi-finished “bio-Gore-Tex” films and began pilot trials with a leading European medical-supply manufacturer that confirmed cost competitiveness once duty waivers and lifecycle savings were modelled.
Yu noted that participating in the Hong Kong Tech Pavilion provided direct access to high-quality investors and corporate buyers through HKTDC’s curated business matching programme, and that without HKTDC arranging their meetings in Paris, pilot talks with leading European partners would not have launched so swiftly.
To accelerate adoption, OKOsix has also deployed an AI-driven lead-generation engine targeting PPE and specialty textile manufacturers and will exhibit next at Medica in Düsseldorf (Nov 2025) and Techtextil in Frankfurt.
