The HKUST Entrepreneurship Center recently hosted the Startup World Cup Hong Kong Region 2026 Finale, bringing together startups, investors, and industry leaders to showcase emerging innovations and entrepreneurial talent.

Organized in collaboration with Pegasus Tech Ventures, this year's competition marked the third consecutive year that HKUST served as the Hong Kong regional host. The 2026 edition expanded its scope to welcome both established startups and early-stage ventures with promising prototypes, providing founders at different stages of development with opportunities to present their innovations on an international platform.

Ten finalist teams competed at the Kaisa Group Lecture Theater (IAS LT), presenting solutions across sectors including sports technology, sustainability, artificial intelligence, and financial technology. The competition highlighted the breadth of innovation emerging from Hong Kong's startup ecosystem and provided participating teams with exposure to investors, corporate representatives, and industry experts.

Cresento was named Champion of the Startup World Cup Hong Kong Region 2026 for its AI-powered smart shin guard technology designed to support football performance analytics. By integrating wearable technology with data-driven insights, the solution enables athletes and coaches to better understand and evaluate training performance. As the regional champion, Cresento will represent Hong Kong at the Startup World Cup Global Grand Finale in San Francisco, where startups from around the world will compete for investment opportunities and international recognition.

The First Runner-up Award was presented to PetalGard, which developed a data-driven and non-toxic rodent management solution for urban property management applications. OLAXBT received the Second Runner-up Award for its AI-powered trading intelligence platform, Nexus, which supports decision-making and analytics within the digital finance sector.

In addition to the pitching competition, the event featured a panel discussion titled "The Next Big Leap: TradFi and Digital Banking in the AI Era." Industry leaders from the banking and financial technology sectors exchanged perspectives on the evolving role of artificial intelligence in financial services, digital banking, and future industry development.

The Startup World Cup Hong Kong Region serves as a platform for founders to connect with investors, industry stakeholders, and global innovation networks. Through participation in the competition, startup teams gain opportunities to refine their business propositions, expand professional networks, and explore pathways for international growth.

Through collaborations with ecosystem partners, industry leaders, and investors, the HKUST Entrepreneurship Center continues to support entrepreneurship and innovation by providing opportunities for startup founders to showcase their technologies, validate their ideas, and engage with the global innovation community.