31 October – 1 November Event Brings Together Top Investors and Entrepreneurs to Examine Challenges and Uncover the Future Path of Hong Kong in Becoming the International Innovation and Technology Centre
HONG KONG SAR 17 October 2023 – In the face of ongoing global uncertainties, economic and geopolitical issues, the annual Cyberport Venture Capital Forum (CVCF) returns this year with an inspiring theme – ” Venture Forward: Game Changing through Innovation” . Scheduled to take place from 31 October to 1 November in hybrid format, this premier event aims to explore the burgeoning optimism among investors and entrepreneurs seeking to harness the awakening global economy and capitalise on the limitless potential of emerging technologies such as Web3 and artificial intelligence (AI).
Cyberport, as a digital technology flagship of Hong Kong, is committed to helping local startups to showcase the innovation and technology competence of Hong Kong internationally, and to foster the growth of the regional venture capital landscape. With the Hong Kong SAR Government implemented a variety of initiatives including Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES), Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme” (RAISe+ Scheme), and the enhancing collaborations with the Middle East to foster innovation and technology development to stimulate growth and diversification in the technology ecosystem, as an annual signature event in the venture capital market that discusses global successes of tech investments and hot trends of venture capital markets in the digital technology space, CVCF plays a crucial role by providing a platform for start-ups and investors to connect and collaborate, facilitating deal sourcing and fostering partnerships. Possessing a shared vision for I&T development, the government and CVCF work together to create a thriving environment that promotes innovation, collaboration, and technological advancement.
To kick start the Forum, Professor Sun Dong, the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, will give the opening remarks. Elites from industry including CMGE Technology Group, Global Ventures, HashKey Capital, Plug & Play, Polygon, Sunway iLabs and more will share in-depth insights and outlook on the venturing ecosystem, deep-diving into three key areas of discussion: 1) Impacts of geo-politics in relations to deal flows 2) Emerging technologies especially Web3 and AI continuing to spearhead innovation and technology, and 3) The dynamics of the tech venture landscape in the Greater Bay Area, Asia, the Middle East and beyond.
Peter Yan, CEO of Cyberport, said: “For the past 20 years, Cyberport has been committed to enhancing fundraising capabilities for start-ups to accelerate their corporate growth, and was recognised by the Ministry of Science and Technology as the State-level Scientific and Technological Enterprise Incubator three years ago. Regional economies have grown into key drivers of global development, and emerging technologies have opened up new opportunities for capital markets. The HKSAR Government also rolled out various initiatives to attract business and investment. Cyberport Venture Capital Forum will gather local, Mainland and overseas venture capitalists and entrepreneurs to jointly explore the global capital markets, with a particular focus on the promising markets in the Middle East, Asian and the Greater Bay Area, as well as new technology industries related to Web3 and AI. The Forum will also engender a platform for start-ups to showcase their innovative prowess and facilitate more investment matchings, leading the technology innovators to seize opportunities for development and achieve breakthroughs in the challenging macro environment.”
Hendrick Sin, Chairperson of Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) Steering Group and Cyberport Macro Fund (CMF) Investment Committee; Co-Founder & Vice Chairman, CMGE Technology Group Limited said ” Despite global economic and geo-political uncertainties, it is the support from the Central Government under the 14th Five-Year Plan framework, and from the HKSAR Government with its strategic pathway from the Blueprint to the focus on digital economy, Web3 and GreenTech in this year’s Budget, as well as Hong Kong’s unique connections within Asia and other regions actively developing the I&T, that inject momentum into Hong Kong’s I&T and venture capital markets. Cyberport will continue to devote to the growth of the city’s and the world’s startup and venture ecosystem with programmes and initiatives such as Cyberport Investors Network (CIN) and Cyberport Macro Fund (CMF).”
Empower companies to propel their ventures forward
Aligning with Cyberport’s mission to foster industry development by promoting strategic collaboration with local and international partners, CVCF serves as a unique venture platform to bring together funders and founders while discussing fundraising strategies and the latest technology trends featuring an array of incisive panel discussions from industry heavyweights, with an aim to provide attendees with actionable insights and strategies. Elite innovators include AirWallex, alfred24, Animoca Brands, DigiFT Tech, and PropCap Technologies etc., will discuss the landscape and opportunities of Web3 & AI and share their keys to success in funding in Investor-Investee dialogues.
Given the overwhelming demand from previous years, CVCF 2023 will continue its highly acclaimed “Investor Matching Session” , which provides a distinctive platform for deal sourcing, connecting start-ups and investors through both face-to-face/in-person and online interactions. Based on tech sectors and investment preferences, it ensures relevant connections between start-ups and investors, serving as a marketplace for innovative solutions, enabling start-ups to showcase their offerings to a diverse audience. The session provides start-ups with an unparalleled opportunity to showcase their innovative technology solutions not only at the 20+ on-site booths but also through the dedicated online platform running from 31 October 2023 to 15 November 2023, allowing them to network and match with local investors as well as a global audience of potential backers.
Web3 Spotlight Events and GreenTech and Sustainability Venture Day
With the Hong Kong SAR government setting out a clear stance to seize the potential of Web3, Cyberport has been committed to fuelling the city’s adoption of the emerging technology. As a continuation of the conversations from CVCF, a series of spotlight events focusing on Web3 will be held, these include: 1) Co-organised by Scroll and Newman Group, ETH Hong Kong brings together over 50 experts in the Ethereum community, including Ethereum’s Co-founder Vitalik Buterin, to shed lights on the development of blockchain and Web3 technology with a focus on Ethereum technology research; 2) Organised by DRK Labs, the Web3 Scholars Conference will focus on discussing technical innovations within the blockchain ecosystem, including but not limited to security, MEV, cryptography, Cryptoeconomics, DAOs, and organizational studies; 3) Future of Web3.0, co-organised by Wanxiang Blockchain Labs and Hashkey, will focus on discussing DePIN and its massive adoption; 4) The two-day Ahoy! event, co-organised by Memeland and Newman Group and supported by MTR and AWS, will culminate in a pitching competition that is designed to highlight and support the most promising innovations in the realm of decentralized web technologies. Officiated by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau and InvestHK, an estimation of 500 – 1,000 participating builders and developers will take part in 2 rounds of pitch in front of a judging panel formed by prominent VCs including Havemind Capital from the US and Cypher Capital from the UAE, as well as Spartan Group, Web3 Harbour, Newman Group and Memeland from Hong Kong and Asia. 5) Co-organised by Cyberport, Central Research and leading organisations in the industry, Web3 Big Demo Day VIII is a large-scale Web3.0 that will help projects obtain more industry resources, project promotion and financing services.
Poised to be the centrepiece of the International GreenTech Week introduced in the 2023-24 Budget Speech, Cyberport launched GreenTech and Sustainability Venture Day, in partnership with Friends of the Earth, HK Green Finance Association, MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node, and GIS Academy. Taking place on the second day of CVCF, on 1 November, GreenTech and Sustainability Venture Day will gather green-minded Cyberport Startup Community members, investors, entrepreneurs, academia, enterprises, and government officials in the FinTech sector through four captivating sharing sessions and networking opportunities to forge partnerships and explore rewarding investment opportunities in the green tech landscape.
CVCF is a highly anticipated flagship tech venture event for investors and entrepreneurs in the global digital technology arena. The hybrid format attracted more than 2,500 participants in 2022, with a total of more than 120,000 views. Over 260 investors participated with more than 300 deal flows facilitated. For detailed information on this year’s CVCF, please visit the website: http://cvcf.cyberport.hk/
