The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has opened applications for its Start-up Express 2026 programme, a development scheme for early-stage tech companies with international ambitions. The programme selects ten winners annually, providing them with training, mentoring, and investor matching to help them expand globally.
Applicant companies must have been incorporated after January 1, 2019, and have raised less than US$10 million. The selection process involves multiple stages, narrowing down to 40 companies, then 20 finalists, before choosing the final ten winners.
The 2025 cohort highlights a strong focus on healthtech, AI, and green innovation within Hong Kong's start-up ecosystem. Examples include companies developing AI-powered mental health tools, AI for drug development and neurological screening, a virus-free gene delivery system for cell therapy, a portable device for early retinal disease detection, and smart insoles for children's foot health.
Main Topics: Start-up Express 2026 application launch, programme structure and benefits, and examples of innovative healthtech/AI companies from the 2025 cohort.
Hong Kong ignites next wave of global innovation as Start-up Express 2026 opens for application
- HKTDC start-up development programme backs early-stage ventures with international ambitions, following a 2025 cohort led by healthtech, AI and green innovation
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.]
Hong Kong’s trade promotion body has opened applications for the 2026 edition of its Start-up Express programme, as efforts are stepped up to help local tech ventures break into overseas markets and secure commercial partnerships.
Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), Start-up Express is positioned as a curated development scheme for early-stage companies offering innovative and tech-driven products or services.
Ten winners are selected each year and are given access to training workshops, mentoring sessions, promotional activities and investor matching opportunities. The initiative is intended to help start-ups build up capability, connect with partners and raise brand visibility in both regional and global markets.
The 2026 intake is open to start-ups incorporated on or after January 1, 2019 that have raised less than US$10mn in funding and hold a valid Hong Kong business registration.
The programme’s structure has been designed as a multi-stage selection process. A long list will be narrowed to a final 40, followed by a closed-door pitching session, before 20 finalists are chosen to compete at the final pitching day. From that group, 10 winners will be selected.
The 2025 cohort provides an indication of the sectors in which Hong Kong’s early-stage ecosystem is currently active. A strong showing was recorded in health-related technologies, with several ventures rooted in university research or linked to publicly funded innovation platforms.
Founded by the Nethersole School of Nursing at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine, ACTuWISE Limited focuses on mental health solutions powered by AI.
The company’s core offering integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques with digital tools to provide personalised emotional support.
As mental health concerns continue to rise in many developed economies, digital therapeutic tools are being taken up by employers and healthcare providers seeking scalable solutions.
AniTech Limited, a Cyberport incubatee, applies AI to drug development and neurological disease screening. Its electroencephalogram-based drug screening platform combines advanced analytics with preclinical studies in animals to predict toxicity and efficacy at an earlier stage.
A parallel platform has been developed to detect neurological disorders through brainwave pattern recognition. Development timelines are intended to be shortened and costs brought down as reliance on traditional laboratory screening is reduced.
CELLmeric Limited, a spin-off from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, operates in the biotech field. The company has developed a virus-free gene delivery system based on a low-energy gene engineering platform.
The company’s technology is used to produce CAR-T cells with stable gene modification for immunotherapy applications in blood cancers and solid tumours. Interest in cell-based therapies has been growing worldwide, with regulators paying close attention to safety and manufacturing standards.
Eye diagnostics is being addressed by Entoptica Limited, which emerged from the InnoHK Centre for Eye and Vision Research. Its flagship device, SLOPE, applies structured light techniques inspired by quantum technologies to detect early-stage retinal diseases such as macular degeneration.
The portable diagnostic tool has been designed for use in routine eye examinations, with the aim of identifying disease markers earlier and at lower cost than conventional imaging methods.
Digitoe Limited is tackling children’s foot health through a smart insole system. Real-time gait monitoring is combined with AI-generated analysis and personalised 3D-printed orthotics.
Clinical validation has been carried out in partnership with Queen Mary Hospital, the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital and the University of Hong Kong’s Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. By detecting gait issues at an early stage, long-term mobility problems may be reduced.
The company has also indicated that applications in sport, education and play are being explored, with adaptive bionic devices intended to be integrated into daily life.
While healthtech features heavily, the 2025 cohort also reflects activity in environmental and smart city technologies.
Green Vigor Limited has developed HydroVigor, a patented modular system designed to recycle hydropower within building water tanks. As water flows through storage systems in residential or commercial towers, electricity is generated.
The technology has been developed for urban environments where large-scale renewable installations are not feasible. By turning existing infrastructure into micro power generation sites, carbon emissions from buildings may be reduced.
Albacastor Technology Limited operates as a vertically integrated research and development company focused on air pollutant treatment. Its patented photocatalyst technology is applied to oil mist, grease trap emissions, sewage odours and industrial pollutants.
The company combines materials science, mechanical design and Internet of Things data solutions in an effort to provide real-time monitoring and performance optimisation.
In the green and sustainability segment, climate adaptation and urban efficiency have become more pressing as governments seek to meet decarbonisation targets. Technologies that can be retrofitted into existing buildings are often regarded as commercially viable options in dense cities such as Hong Kong.
AI is also being applied outside the healthcare field. Firefilm Group Limited provides a software-as-a-service platform aimed at improving AI-generated video content for commercial use.
Human review is combined with proprietary AI tools and big data feedback mechanisms to refine storytelling, metadata and search engine optimisation. As generative AI becomes more widely used in marketing and media production, demand for quality control services has increased.
Consumer-facing technology is represented by Decennium Platforms Limited, which operates the Peqaboo app. The platform integrates AI-powered pet health tools, daily care management and pet travel support.
With pet ownership on the rise across Asia, cross-border pet travel and digital health monitoring services are being rolled out to cater for new-generation pet owners.
Start-up Express is positioned as part of HKTDC’s broader strategy to connect local businesses with international markets.
Winners are exposed to promotional campaigns and are introduced to potential investors and partners through trade fairs and networking events. Structured pitching opportunities and media exposure are provided to help founders build up credibility when approaching overseas clients.
Start-up Express 2026 will again culminate in the selection of 10 winners. Supporting documents required from applicants include a business registration certificate, certificate of incorporation and a pitch deck outlining the company’s proposition and growth plans.
Start-up Express 2026 is open for application now. Application deadline: 28 April 2026
Meridiano
.png?itok=dGdT3GgM)