What is HKUST IPIC Incubation?

HKUST IPIC Incubation is a structured program by the HKUST Entrepreneurship Center designed to support the full entrepreneurial journey of students, alumni, researchers, and faculty. It incubates 80 to 100 startups annually through four progressive stages:

YOUR IPIC Incubation Journey

Stage 1: IDEATION (For Inexperienced Students) 

• At the earliest stage, HKUST provides an encouraging environment for idea exploration and validation.

   

• Entry point for beginners via Entrepreneurship 101 Training or Entrepreneurship Bootcamp. 

   

• Students develop their first startup idea and form a team. After pitching, teams receive HKD$3,000 in-kind support to register their first company.

Stage 2: PROTOTYPING (For Experienced Students)

Through the HKUST Dream Builder, teams get early-stage support: seed funding, coaching, mentorship and training. Goal: Develop a prototype and turn the idea into a viable business plan.

Stage 3: IMPLEMENTATION (Test MVP in Real Business World)

• In collaboration with HKSTP, the HKUST x HKSTP Co-Ideation Program offers: HKD $100K seed funding, coaching, and HKSTP in-house training. 

   

• Teams implement and test their MVP(Minimum Viable Product) with industry partners. 

   

• If using HKUST technologies, teams can get extra HKD $200K via the Lo Kwee Seong Techship Program.

Stage 4: COMMERCIALIZATION (Global Market Entry)

HKUST connects startups to: 

- Local incubators (HKSTP, Cyberport) 

- Mainland platforms (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Foshan, Shanghai) 

- International accelerators (Huawei SAE, TASMU in Qatar, Berkeley Skydeck in United States) 

Selected startups showcase products at major exhibitions: Alibaba Jumpstarter, HKTDC Entrepreneur Day, CES (US), IVS (Japan), COMEUP (Korea).