The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Sino Group have long been partners in nurturing the next generation of creative talents, organising the 'HKUST-SINO One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition’ as a platform for aspiring young entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions. This year, a record-breaking 340 teams from Hong Kong and around the world participated in the competition, with a new ‘International Student Track’ introduced for overseas university students. This initiative fosters collaboration between local and overseas universities, stimulating creative exchanges among global talents.

Sustainability and healthcare were among the focus areas in this year’s ‘HKUST-Sino One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition.’ Participating teams applied innovative technology to creatively address environmental and health challenges. Among them, Pest0, TerraGreen Limited, and EC Innovation Limited received the Platinum, Gold, and Silver awards, while the newly added ‘International Student Track’ featured winning teams from HydroTech Solution (Singapore), Pawsible Foods (Singapore), and Empathera (USA).

Prof. Tim CHENG, HKUST Vice-President for Research and Development said, "This year’s theme, 'Empower Your Future,' highlights the remarkable achievements of our aspiring entrepreneurs. I am particularly excited about the launch of the new 'International Student Track,' which provides university students with opportunities to exchange in entrepreneurship and expands our HKUST One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition footprint from Greater China to the globe. This also demonstrates that HKUST is the leading university in driving the development of entrepreneurship education. With nearly a quarter of our participating teams representing 15 countries, including Australia, Singapore, Thailand and the United States, this international involvement enriches the diversity of our competition and fosters a dynamic exchange of ideas. By embracing broader global participation, we aim to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a global hub for innovation and startup incubation." 

Mr David NG, Group Associate Director of Sino Group said, ‘Sino Group is committed to nurturing talent and fostering a thriving innovation and technology ecosystem in Hong Kong. We have been supporting start-ups and entrepreneurs from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and overseas in realising their innovative ideas through the “Sino Inno Lab”. We believe that Innovation and technology are essential drivers of “Creating Better Lifescapes”, and we are pleased to have collaborated with the HKUST team for seven consecutive years to empower young and aspiring entrepreneurs. This is especially important for those developing solutions that address global challenges while incorporating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. We hope this year’s winning teams, like those in previous years, will make full use of their prize fund as seed capital to pursue their entrepreneurial goals, continue their research and business development efforts, and contribute to the sustainable development of the innovation and technology sector.’

The list of winners is as follows:

HKUST Track
Platinum Award (Champion) – Pest0
Gold Award (First runner-up) – TerraGreen Limited
Silver Award (Second runner-up) – EC Innovation Limited

International Student Track
Platinum Award (Champion) – HydroTech Solution 
Gold Award (First runner-up) – Pawsible Foods
Silver Award (Second runner-up) – Empathera

Sustainability Impact Award
(in alphabetical order)
Apeirocycle
InsectX
VisionDrop AI

Please refer to the appendix  for details of the winners.

Winners of the Hong Kong competition will compete with the winners from Beijing, Foshan, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen divisions in the Grand Final round later this year, where they are expected to exchange ideas and compete for the Grand prize.

(This news was originally published by the HKUST Global Engagement and Communications Office here.)