The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) organized the PolyU Entrepreneurship Parade on campus today (2 December) to honour start-ups awarded by PolyU Micro Fund , HKSTP-PolyU Tech Incubation Fund and PolyU Tech Launchpad Fund.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Miranda Lou, Vice President (Administration and Business) of PolyU, said, "PolyU has dedicated its efforts in promoting innovation and entrepreneurship through collaborating with different like-minded partners, including incubators from Shanghai and Hong Kong and angel investors. 'Micro Funding Platform' has been established with diversified funding schemes for start-ups at various stages, with the aim to nurture young entrepreneurs with the 'Do Well Do Good' entrepreneurial spirit."
Under a stringent assessment process, 34 business propositions out of 183 applications from PolyU Micro Fund, HKSTP-PolyU Tech Incubation Fund and PolyU Tech Launchpad Fund were selected and received funding this year which include education and e-commerce platform, fashion design, mobile application, environmentally friendly products, etc. The respective start-ups will either receive PolyU entrepreneurship funding, admission to incubation programme offered by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, or receive dollar-for-dollar matching grant from PolyU against collaborating investors.
Among the awarded start-ups, some of them have showcased their products in the international arena. Ms Nicole Or, a graduate from Department of Applied Social Sciences, has developed the camera app named Spincle which was presented in TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2016 Startup Battlefield in San Francisco, USA. Spincle is a camera app for creating 360° video as well as generating 3D virtual reality visual. In addition, Loom Loop, a local fashion brand established by our School of Design graduate Ms Polly Ho, had also been showcased in New York Fashion Week and other overseas fashion shows. Loom Loop incorporated the eco-friendly Canton Gambiered silk in designing its chic and trendy fashion.
As of now, 129 start-up ventures have received the funding support from the mentioned schemes in which almost 400 young entrepreneurs were nurtured. These ventures have received over 60 local and overseas awards on innovation and entrepreneurship, and secured over HK$66 million further funding and incubation support.
At the ceremony, Dr Lou also announced the establishment of InnoHub in PolyU and PolyU Shenzhen Base next year. InnoHub is a co-creation space bringing corporate experts, entrepreneurs, investors together for innovative, cross-discipline and cross-sector collaborations. It aims to create synergy among all and develop new technology and start-ups to help solve the problem of each sector or society at large.
In celebrating PolyU 80th Anniversary, Institute for Entrepreneurship will organize a series of innovation and entrepreneurship programmes in February and March 2017, including Weekend PolyU, Maker Faire, PolyU Hackathon, Social Innovation Forum and Good Seed Awards Ceremony.
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