With its history of manufacturing (made in Hong Kong) and its expertise as the financial hub of Asia, no wonder the top startups you find in Hong Kong are Makers and Fintech.
Makers? Yes, guys and girls who build stuff you can touch, with open-hardware sailing boat Protei or "scale-down" manufacturer Makibox.
Fintech? The best brains of the financial services go startup and make p2p lending, social media trading and more possible.
Check out this review of the best startups of the Hong Kong tech ecosystem.
Read more about us as we roam the world to explore the emerging markets startups scenes, from Iran to Chile, from China to Nigeria.
Reach us at: martin@innovationiseverywhere
www.innovationiseverywhere.com
Exploring the Future Potential of AI-Enabled Smartphone Processors
Innovation is Everywhere - Startups from Hong Kong (2014)
1. Startups from Hong Kong
Following the Protei Hackathon & Dim Sum Lab meetup
March 2014
2. #1 – Protei, the DIY boat with environmental data
• Protei makes DIY boats as makers do, with fast prototyping, DIY materials and
Arduino electronics to get it work
• Has been working in Fukushima waters to test radioactivity
• Open-hardware principles: anyone can build on it! Soft launch done for a boat
now under $1000
3. #2 – Makibox: let’s scale down manufacturing!
• Makibox could be yet another maker doing an affordable 3D-printer
• Jonathan Buford’s goal is more to find a technology and a process to
scale down manufactuing and empower makers to find a tool to create
products that are between the prototype and the mass-production
4. #3 – 8securities, when trading meets social media
• Founded by the team who already made E-Trade, the first reputed
trading digital service
• 8securities mixes the lure of trading with the power of the crowds,
adding social media data to the value of stocks
• 50k users and $1bn assets played with on the platform
5. #4 – WeLend, the p2p loans engine in Hong Kong
• WeLend is a peer-to-peer loan platform, with 5k users who have
lent/borrowed about $300m in two years
• Typical transaction is a $10-20k, 24-month loan
6. #5 – BigColors, p2p platform for early-stage investors
• BigColors is a platform for early-stage investors to trade their shares, advice and
connections
• Founded by an ex-banker from Goldman Sachs & JP Morgan
• Now expanding to other countries in Asia (Singapore in Dec. 2013), $8m raised
7. #6 – 6Waves, mobile gaming publisher
• 6Waves publishes mobile games, has raised $17.5m so far
• Sued by King (publisher of Candy Crush) for copying too many of
its successes (Farm Heroes Saga -> Farm Epic)
9. Innovation has no place in a global world, it’s everywhere
Innovation ecosystems can learn from one another
Local context matters and should be a source for innovators
This is why…
We’re on a world tour of innovation ecosystems!
We believe…
10. Martin Pasquier
Entrepreneur in
Singapore (social
media agency), long-
time traveller
Mixes economics,
politics and travels to
analyze ecosystems,
reports on innovation
About our team
Analysis, community & network
Anne Lalou
CEO of Innovation
Factory & Web School
Factory in Paris
Transfer knowledge of
ecosystems to new
generation and to a
network of top French
companies
Nicolas Loubet
Serial entrepreneur
in Paris
with 3 companies,
growth hacker
Manages and
nurtures creative
communities
on & offline
11. A world tour of innovation: 2013-2014
SUPPORT US! Travel & time of exploration isn’t free
Custom reports on emerging markets & trends
Workshops, talks on innovation trends
Connection to key local players for VCs, brands, tech communities