Belt and Road Summit: Cyberport Connects Startups with Investors

The 10th Belt and Road Summit, co-organised by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), took place on 10-11 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Cyberport, participating for the eighth consecutive year, not only supported the thematic breakout sessions but also introduced its first-ever innovative solution pitching session. Themed "Innovating Tomorrow: Cutting-Edge Technologies for a Thriving Belt and Road Initiative", the session provided a platform for seven start-ups to connect with international investors from Belt and Road countries and regions, reinforcing Cyberport’s key role in fostering connectivity with both the Mainland and the world.

Simon Chan, Chairman of Cyberport, stated in his speech, “Cyberport actively supports the Belt and Road Initiative. As a 'super-connector' and a 'super value-adder', we are committed to fostering high-quality digital development across regions and industries. Leveraging our local and global business and capital market connections, as well as Hong Kong's advantages as an international financing platform, we empower enterprises to accelerate their global expansion. These enterprises have not only secured business collaborations and financing deals in Hong Kong but have also successfully expanded into key Belt and Road markets, including the Middle East, ASEAN, and Central Asia, as well as regions like the Americas, Europe, Australia, and Africa. These achievements resonate with this year's Summit theme, 'Collaborate for Change, Shape a Shared Future', and underscore Hong Kong's competitive edge in open markets, professional services, risk management, and green finance.”

The pitching session featured seven start-ups presenting their solutions to international investors, covering AI, data analytics, FinTech, biotechnology, and green energy, demonstrating the strengths of Hong Kong's innovation and technology ecosystem. The participating start-ups, nurtured by Cyberport, offer a diverse range of innovative solutions, including: eSignGlobal, providing secure and reliable electronic signature solutions; HashNut, focusing on fast and efficient Web 3.0 crypto payment services; KUN, specialising in cross-border payments and financial services; Pubrio, launching an AI-driven data analytics platform; and Votee AI, offering AI agent solutions supported by Cantonese large language models. Additionally, the session highlighted regional collaboration by inviting two international companies: Arlan Biotech from Kazakhstan, showcasing its innovative biotechnology solutions, and GetSolar from Singapore, which promotes solar energy adoption for residential and commercial use in alignment with Singapore's net-zero vision.

A panel discussion, moderated by Henry Li, Head of Ecosystem Development of Cyberport, where representatives from the seven start-ups engaged in in-depth exchanges with investors to explore technological advantages, market strategies, and development prospects. The representatives demonstrated strong business insights and clear development roadmaps, creating favourable conditions for subsequent investment collaborations.

As Hong Kong's digital tech hub, AI accelerator, and key incubator, Cyberport hosts over 2,200 start-ups and tech companies. Cyberport has nurtured and supported 11 listed companies and 10 unicorns, with its enterprises’ cumulative financing exceeding HK$46.2 billion, and businesses have expanded into more than 35 markets in the Mainland and overseas. These companies focus on cutting-edge areas such as AI, data science, blockchain, and cybersecurity to support industrial digitalisation and intelligent transformation. Cyberport continues to act as a "super-connector" and "super value-adder", helping enterprises expand their domestic and international networks and establish close ties with innovation and technology parks and major enterprises in regions such as the Mainland, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Malaysia, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and the United States.

The Cyberport Macro Fund (CMF) has so far invested in 28 projects, with a total investment of HK$1.94 billion, at a co-investment ratio of 1:9. Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) has engaged over 210 global investment entities, and facilitated 96 investment projects since its inception in 2017, with a total investment over HK$2.59 billion. Additionally, Cyberport regularly organises investment promotion events, such as the annual “Cyberport Venture Capital Forum” and “Maker in China”, generating approximately 2,500 project leads, contributing to the development of the innovation and technology financing ecosystem.

Cyberport continues to leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages of having connections to both the Mainland and the world, linking enterprises with over 400 major local corporations, government institutions, global investors, leading technology firms, and international professional services providers, facilitating technology adoption, business development, and capital growth. Over the past year, leading enterprises that have landed at Cyberport have effectively utilised its platform to connect with global markets and investors, accelerating their internationalisation process. In Hong Kong, they have secured business and financing deals exceeding HK$624 million while expanding into high-potential Belt and Road markets, such as the Middle East and ASEAN, as well as overseas markets including Europe, the Americas, Australia, Central Asia, and Africa.

Since its launch in 2016, the Belt and Road Summit has become a key platform for fostering regional collaboration and economic and trade investment. This year's Summit brought together officials and business leaders from 18 Belt and Road countries and regions, who explored immense opportunities in areas such as finance and investment, innovation and technology, professional services, infrastructure, and maritime services, thereby driving international cooperation.