HKSTP Elevator Pitch Competition (EPiC)
HKSTP's international pitch competition: 60 seconds to explain your business to global investors. Three tracks — digital health tech, fintech and greentech — open to registered companies under 10 years old that intend to extend R&D and operations into Hong Kong and/or the Greater Bay Area. Prize money is equity-free: US$60,000 for the overall champion, US$20,000 for each track winner, US$10,000 for each of the top 12. The 2025 edition closed on 17 June and held its grand finale at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on 7 November; watch the official site for the next window.
Your technology sits in digital health, fintech or greentech, your company is under 10 years old, you genuinely intend to put R&D or operations in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, and what you're short of is investor attention rather than a certificate.
Technology outside the tracks; a company older than 10 years; or you just want a badge for your website — the value here sits in the investor row, and without investment the trip is largely wasted.
- Entry / deadline
- The 2025 edition closed 17 June, 23:59 (GMT+8), with the grand finale on 7 November 2025 at Kai Tak Cruise Terminal; the 2026 window is not yet published — watch the official site
- Who can enter
- A registered business working in digital health tech, fintech or greentech
- Company age
- Established less than 10 years (as at 30 November 2025 for the 2025 edition)
- Hong Kong link
- Must have a strong intention to expand R&D and business operations to Hong Kong and/or the Greater Bay Area
Sixty seconds, judged on three things
Judges score on three criteria: uniqueness (innovation and competitive edge), market size (growth potential and scalability), and strategy (the feasibility of your planned actions and business roadmap). Sixty seconds won't cover technical detail — only why you, why now, and how big this gets.
Why it's worth the trip
The cash is equity-free — HKSTP effectively pays you to come and pitch in Hong Kong, which isn't common among start-up competitions. More practically, investor partners consider investing in entrants, and EPIC Week wraps the finale in Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area business immersion. Read it as an intensive investor BD trip rather than as an award.
- 1
Match a track — if you don't, don't enter
There are only three: digital health tech, fintech, greentech.
Pitfall: Forcing a general-purpose AI tool into a track — cut in the first round.
- 2
Check company age and the Hong Kong intent
Under 10 years old, and a genuine intention to extend R&D and operations into Hong Kong and/or the GBA.
Pitfall: Writing the Hong Kong intent as boilerplate you can't cash in at interview.
- 3
Rehearse the 60 seconds until it's muscle memory
One line each for uniqueness, market size and strategy — cut everything else.
Pitfall: Spending 40 seconds on how the technology works and 20 on the business.
- 01In one of the three tracks and under 10 years old → subscribe on the official site; the entry window normally opens in the first half of the year.
- 02Actually landing in Hong Kong → look at HKSTP's incubation programmes too; the competition and incubation are two doors into the same system.
- 03You want endorsement, not a pitch → look at the ICT Start-up Award under the HKICT Awards instead.
No entry fee is stated on the official pages. The size of the investment pool (media have reported 'up to US$100M') isn't confirmed on the official pages verified here and isn't used. The 2026 edition hasn't been announced.
Sources
- S102 科技园电梯募投比赛 EPiC