The HKUST-Sino One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition 2020 has kicked off in January.To cope with the pandemic situation, this is the first year for the Competition to be hosted online. Over 150 innovative ideas were submitted in the first round of the Competition despite of the coronavirus disease outbreak.

In the second round, 50 teams were selected to compete in the value proposition and impact of the product/service. They were required to submit a 1-minute pre-recorded video for product introduction. To facilitate the teams to get their businesses going, and further reinforce the practical focus of this Competition, a pitching workshop were held on 2 April, co-organised by PALO IT and Entrepreneurship Center. Mentors from PALO IT provided constructive guidance and feedback to prepare for their videos.

Teams meeting with PALO IT mentors

The 50 videos were posted online for voting, drawing over 2000 voters to select their favorite videos for the Best Video Award. To recap the videos, click here.

The videos were then assessed by 3 or more independent judges formed by experienced entrepreneurs, investors, academics and industrial professionals. 24 teams with highest scores entered the Online Elevator pitch held on 28 April. You may recap the performance of the teams in the Elevator Pitch by clicking here.

24 teams pitching online

After the comprehensive evaluation by the Judging Panel, the top 12 teams have been selected to enter the next round of the competition. Click here to see the list and their brief introduction.

The final round will be held on 3 June and the final result will be announced in the Online Award Ceremony on the next day, 4 June. It is not an ordinary ceremony just to announce the award winners, but you can also learn the winning entrepreneurship ideas and interact with the founders of these newest HKUST start-ups. Stay tuned with our news!

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