HKTDC programme supports overseas start-ups’ Asian market entry
- Companies selected for the 2025 Start-up Express International cohort operate across health technology, sustainability and enterprise software, with Hong Kong used as a base for regional activity
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Ten overseas technology start-ups were selected in December for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s 2025 Start-up Express International programme, which provides market access support for companies planning expansion across Asia and the Greater Bay Area.
The companies, announced during HKTDC Entrepreneur Day at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, span health technology, green technology, AI, hardware and creative industries.
All are non-Hong Kong registered, under five years old and at series A funding stage or earlier. Each was nominated through HKTDC’s network of global partners and assessed on commercial readiness and relevance to regional markets.
Launched in 2022, the programme, has become a key element of HKTDC’s strategy to channel overseas innovation into Hong Kong’s business ecosystem.
Start-up Express International focuses on market access by pairing exhibition exposure with introductions to corporates, investors and professional service providers through its “Start-in Hong Kong” support package.
Market access considerations
For many of the selected companies, early expansion plans are focused on access to Asian and Greater Bay Area markets. Hong Kong has been cited as an operational base, thanks to regulatory frameworks, capital market access and proximity to the Chinese mainland.
Several firms in the 2025 cohort have cited the city’s regulatory environment, capital markets and proximity to the Chinese mainland as practical considerations when planning early Asian operations.
Health tech companies account for a substantial share of this year’s cohort.
Founded in 2024, UK-based abYcloud is developing an AI-driven platform for anti-body drug discovery that combines computational design with automated laboratory validation.
The company reports that its system shortens development timelines compared with conventional approaches, with commercial pilots already conducted in Europe. Asia Pacific pharmaceutical companies have been identified as a key target customers.
Stimuliver of Denmark, another health-focused firm, is pursuing a different route into the region. Founded in 2021, the company develops stem cell-derived liver implants designed to support patients with acute and chronic liver disease.
Its “Remote Regeneration” technology is based on the subcutaneous implantation of liver tissue intended to perform detoxification and other hepatic functions.
Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland have been identified as initial clinical markets, with investigator-initiated trial frameworks viewed as a means of generating early data. The company has already established a Hong Kong entity as part of this process.
Mainland start-up TAO Medi-Tech, founded in 2023, also operates in the healthcare sector but with a manufacturing focus.
The company specialises in additive manufacturing for personalised orthopaedic implants, using patient-specific anatomical data to produce customised hip, knee and spinal components as well as surgical tools.
Having completed series A financing, TAO Medi-Tech has indicated plans to pursue a Hong Kong listing over the longer term, pointing to the city’s capital markets as part of its growth strategy.
Sustainability and the built environment
Sustainability-related technologies are also represented in the cohort, particularly in materials science and the built environment.
Vietnamese company BioWraps, established in 2022, produces biodegradable packaging materials derived from agricultural waste, including orange peels. Its products are aimed at food, FMCG and logistics companies seeking alternatives to conventional plastics.
The company operates a circular production model and has identified Hong Kong as a potential entry point to Northeast Asian markets, where demand for compliant packaging is rising.
Singapore-based Ecovolt Technologies, founded in 2025, addresses sustainability from a different angle. The company develops a cloud-native building operating system that aggregates real-time data across energy, water, lighting and air quality systems.
Intended users include property managers, developers and institutions seeking more granular control of utilities consumption and reporting.
While Ecovolt is currently active in Singapore, Hong Kong has been named among its priority expansion markets, given the city’s concentration of commercial real estate assets and its growing focus on ESG disclosure.
Enterprise software and applied AI
AI and enterprise-grade service providers make up another large share of the selected companies, though most are positioned as turnkey solutions that address real-world challenges.
India-based Innobull Technology Solution, founded in 2024, operates Broot AI, a product designed to integrate with existing customer relationship management systems. The software captures and enriches sales leads from online and offline sources, including business cards, LinkedIn QR codes and website traffic.
Thai start-up SABLE, founded in 2022, provides an agent-based marketing platform that combines customer data with automated campaign execution across messaging, advertising and CRM channels.
The system has been built with data protection compliance in mind, a consideration for companies operating across multiple jurisdictions.
From Latin America, Vita represents a different use of applied AI. Founded in Chile in 2025, the company offers a software platform for clinics, physiotherapy centres, gyms and wellness studios. Its system integrates scheduling, payments, patient communication and administrative automation, with features such as reminders and follow-ups handled automatically.
Vita is currently active in Chile and is preparing to enter other Latin American and Southeast Asian markets, targeting healthcare operators seeking to reduce administrative workload.
Hardware, monitoring and creative tools
Apart from software and healthcare, the cohort further includes companies working in hardware-enabled monitoring and creative technology.
Established in 2023, Italian firm Space11 develops digital twin systems that combine data from drones, satellites and ground-based sensors.
The technology is used for monitoring and predictive analysis in industrial and urban applications, with deployments in sectors including infrastructure, energy and sport.
Space11 has been incubated by the European Space Agency’s Business Incubation Centre, reflecting the crossover between aerospace research and commercial monitoring applications.
French company Tones Garden, founded in 2022, operates in the cultural and creative sector. It produces digital tools designed to simplify music composition, including a harmonic MIDI tool for music production software and a mobile application for intuitive harmony exploration.
Participants receive exhibition access at Entrepreneur Day, introductions to potential partners and investors, and support related to company setup and market development, but are expected to pursue their own commercial strategies.
Selected companies are also offered membership of HKStartupSociety, a community platform launched in 2018 to connect founders, investors and ecosystem organisations in Hong Kong and overseas.
Operating on an online-to-offline model, the society provides peer discussion, expert input and access to networking events, with members including more than 200 start-up founders and several Hong Kong unicorns such as WeLab, Klook, GOGOX, Lalamove and Animoca Brands.
The next cohort is expected to be announced at Entrepreneur Day 2026, with attention likely to focus on how many of the current companies translate initial exposure into sustained regional operations.