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Startup ecosystems can be fragmented, competitive, and hidden to newcomers, which is detrimental for local startups and community growth. The Startup Ecosystem Canvas seeks to provide local entrepreneurs with a clear list of resources for every stage of their startup journey, and outline a basic framework for communities to map their support ecosystem.

With applications for the Hong Kong Founder Institute coming to a close, we are excited to release the Hong Kong Startup Ecosystem Canvas, which is currently in Draft v3 below! It was developed by the Hong Kong Founder Institute and local leaders Jeffrey BroerLeo Ku, and Brian Chen.

This is just a draft, and more input is needed, so please leave your comments on this collaborative Google document to help us complete the list. There are definitely omissions on this current version. 

Are you looking to build a startup in Hong Kong? Then apply to the Hong Kong Founder Institute today!

A text version of the infographic is included below, for searchability: 

Startup Stages


There is no one right way to build a technology company, but for the sake of simplicity we have outlined a basic, common, sequential framework.

1. Idea Stage

This is where new entrepreneurs get inspired, learn best practices, develop skills, validate ideas, and begin to build their team and product.

A. Inspire

  • Hong Kong Startup Media: Listings, local tech news, and other startup publications. (i.e. startup blogs/ publications/ lists/ FB groups/ newsletter)
    1. FinTech News Hong Kong
    2. Hong Kong Startups List
    3. Jumpstart
    4. StartbaseHK 
    5. Startmeup.HK
    6. StartupsGBA
    7. Tech in Asia Hong Kong
    8. Tech.co Hong Kong
    9. W-hub
  • Inspirational Events: Open, inclusive, beginner startup events (i.e. Startup Weekend, idea fairs, and inspirational meetups) 
    1. DrinkEntrepreneurs Shenzhen
    2. Entrepnr Hong Kong Meetup
    3. Friday Beer Bay for Web, Tech & Startups
    4. HK Young Lady Startup Meetup
    5. Hong Kong Data Lab 
    6. Hong Kong Hardware Massive Startups Meetup
    7. Hong Kong IT Startups Meetup @ Thinkaholic
    8. Ladies Business Club Hong Kong Meetup
    9. Shenzhen Hardware Startups Meetup
    10. Shenzhen Startups
    11. Startup Blink Hong Kong
    12. Startup Salad Shenzhen
    13. Startup Weekend Hong Kong
    14. StartwareHK Hardware Massive Meetup
    15. Thursday Social Meetup

B. Educate

  • Best Practices: Beginner knowledge-sharing startup events in Hong Kong. (i.e. beginner events that serve to educate more than inspirate, like Startup Founder 101).
    1. Agile Hong Kong Meetup
    2. Clarity
    3. CoCoon Entrepreneurship Community Meetup
    4. HK Crowdfunding Salon for Female Entrepreneurs
    5. HK Entrepreneurs, Start-ups & BlockChain Lovers Community
    6. Hong Kong Startup: Idea to IPO
    7. Hong Kong Startup and SME Organization Meetup
    8. Hong Kong Startup Founder 101
    9. Startup Grind Hong Kong
    10. Startup Grind Shenzhen
    11. Startup Resources Meetup
  • Training & Feedback: Tech events that focus on skill & Idea development. (Ex. bootcamps and comprehensive training programs)
    1. AlphaCamp
    2. Altcademy
    3. Founder Institute Hong Kong
    4. Make School
    5. Paperclip Startup Campus

C. Validate

  • Team Formation: Events, meetups, and resources for finding co-founders. (i.e. events or other resources that facilitate early-stage recruitment and cofounder matching)
    1. CoFounders Club
    2. CoFoundersLab
    3. Founders Central
    4. Founder2be
  • Build Your First Product in HK: Hackathons & product development events. (i.e. hackathons and other builder-focused events and resources)
    1. Hack Horizon
    2. HackTrain
    3. Mirosoft Imagine Cup


2. Launch Stage

In this stage, entrepreneurs establish and formalize the company, develop the product, get feedback from customers, and prepare for the next step.

A. Start

  • Establish: Best HK law firms & banks for startups
    1. Bank of China (Hong Kong)
    2. Charltons
    3. Citibank Hong Kong
    4. DBS Hong Kong
    5. Dechert LLP
    6. Dentons
    7. Dorsey
    8. Dragon Law
    9. Dundons Solicitors
    10. HSBC Hong Kong
    11. Hang Seng Bank
    12. Letters & Thoo
    13. Morrison Foerster
    14. Orrick
    15. Standard Chartered Bank
    16. Tanner De Witt Solicitors
    17. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
  • Workspace: Co-working and open workspaces for startups
    1. Campfire
    2. Central Park Co-Working Space
    3. Centre O
    4. CoCoon
    5. MakerHive
    6. Paperclip
    7. Playground.wor
    8. The Coffee House
    9. The Desk
    10. The Garage Society
    11. The Hive
    12. The Loft
    13. The Wave
    14. Three Commas
    15. Three Keys
    16. UNO Co-working
    17. WanderLoft
    18. WeWork
    19. Wynd
    20. YoofHex

B. Develop

  • Formalize: Accounting services, development and HR for early-stage startups.
    1. A Match Consultant
    2. Cornerstone HK
    3. Digital Butter
    4. Fastlane Capital
    5. Fresh Accounting
    6. Grayscale
    7. Harbour Studios
    8. Hong Kong SEO HK
    9. Hudson
    10. Javacatz
    11. Jump Hong Kong
    12. One Solution
    13. Oursky
    14. Pathfinder Talent Solutions
    15. Profit Accounting
    16. Robert Walters
    17. Robert Half
    18. Rush Hour Media
    19. Salt Digital Recruitment
    20. sans
    21. Set Sail Software
    22. WECREATE
    23. We Software Limited
  • Prepare for Seed: HK Incubators and advanced mentorship. (i.e. advanced knowledge sharing, later stage events and resources for startup TEAMS)
    1. Cyberport Incubation Programme
    2. Global Development Incubator
    3. Hong Kong Design Incubation
    4. Impact Incubator
    5. LimeHK
    6. The Cage

C. Launch

  • Seed Accelerators in Hong Kong: Seed funding mentor programs (Techstars-style programs that provide funding)
    1. Ablaze
    2. Betatron
    3. Brinc
    4. DBS Accelerator
    5. FinTech Innovation Lab
    6. G-Startup Worldwide Hong Kong
    7. LimeHK
    8. SOW Asia i2i Accelerator Programme
    9. SuperCharger FinTech Accelerator
  • Pitch & Demo Day events: Show local startups for investment (i.e. demo days for companies seeking seed investment)
    1. CoCoon Advanced Pitch @ TDC
    2. Fintech O2O: FinTech Beyond Borders - Exploring Korean FinTech Pitch and Panel in Hong Kong
    3. HRTechTank Hong Kong HR Technology Demo Day
    4. SuperCharger 2.0 Demo Day


3. Growth Stage

Here, a startup proves their utility, receives recognition, and scales up. This usually requires funding, angels, VCs, and ways to connect them to startups.

A. Recognition 

  • Investor Networking in Hong Kong:  Connect professional investors with founders. (i.e. events or groups that facilitate connections with professional investors)
    1. Angel Investment Network Hong Kong
    2. AngelVest Group
    3. Big Bloom
    4. Ellevate
    5. FundForum Asia
    6. Hong Kong Business Angel Network
    7. Hong Kong Investor Relations Association
    8. Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association
    9. iFAST
    10. RISE Conference
    11. TiE Hong Kong
    12. Venture Investor Alliance of Hong Kong
  • Major Hong Kong Tech Media: Mainstream local business press. (i.e. major local or regional publications that frequently champion local businesses)
    1. BeFast.TV
    2. Headline Daily
    3. Hong Kong Business
    4. Hong Kong Commercial Daily
    5. Hong Kong Economic Journal
    6. Hong Kong Economic Times
    7. Hong Kong Free Press
    8. Ming Pao
    9. Sing Pao Daily News
    10. Sing Tao Daily
    11. South China Morning Post
    12. StartupBeat
    13. The Standard

B. Funding

  • Hong Kong Angel investors: Seed-stage investors
    1. Adam Lindemann
    2. Alan Chan
    3. B. Paul Santos
    4. Brett Mason
    5. Carman Chan
    6. Chipper Boulas
    7. Edith Yeung
    8. Gordon Yen
    9. Hilton Tam
    10. Jag Singh
    11. Martin Haigh
    12. Matt Cheng
    13. Max Burger
    14. Richard Chan
    15. Rick Myers
    16. Shu Duan
    17. Sid Mewara
    18. Tommy Chia
    19. Tytus Michalski
    20. William Bao Bean
    21. Yat Siu
  • Venture Capitalists: Series A and beyond
    1. Apax Partners
    2. Arbor Ventures
    3. Bigcolors
    4. Bright Success Capital
    5. Click Ventures
    6. Fresco Capital
    7. Golden Gate Ventures
    8. Horizons Ventures
    9. Mind Fund
    10. MindWorks Ventures
    11. Mount Parker Ventures
    12. Nova Founders Capital
    13. Regatta Capital Management
    14. SXE Ventures
    15. Sequoia Capital
    16. Steamboat Ventures
    17. Vickers Venture Partners
    18. Vectr Ventures

C. Growth

  • Infrastructure: Office space, HR, local business insurance. (i.e. office space/ HR/ insurance providers for capital-rich companies to grow and scale) 
    1. AMAC Human Resources Consultants Limited
    2. AXA Hong Kong
    3. Compass Offices
    4. Corporate Locations Hong Kong
    5. HMI
    6. Hong Kong Commons
    7. Hong Kong Offices
    8. IBNR Insurance
    9. Instant Offices
    10. JPWALL
    11. Korn Ferry
    12. Links International
    13. Manpower
    14. Marsh
    15. Mercer Hong Kong
    16. Nova Insurance
    17. Prime Office
    18. Prolink Consulting
    19. Randstad
    20. Regus
    21. Search Office Space
    22. TTP Consulting
    23. Tricor Hong Kong
    24. Willis Towers Watson
  • Expansion: Growth accelerators/consultants. (i.e. programs and business consultants for capital-rich companies to grow and scale)
    1. A&A Limited Business Consulting
    2. Accenture
    3. Alvarez and Marsal
    4. Bain & Company
    5. Boston Consulting Group
    6. Deloitte
    7. FTI Consulting
    8. Fiducia Management Consultants
    9. Hay Group
    10. KPMG
    11. McKinsey & Company
    12. PwC
    13. Roland Berger
    14. Value Partners Management Consulting


4. Success Stories

Successful homegrown companies that have raised significant institutional funding, employ a large workforce, or have achieved liquidity.

  1. 9GAG
  2. Acadine
  3. AfterShip
  4. Boxful
  5. Coachbase
  6. CoinSimple
  7. Dragon Law
  8. Flexport
  9. JobsDB
  10. Oddup
  11. OneSky
  12. Pacnet
  13. Soundbrenner
  14. WeLab
  15. Yuneec


Supporters


To facilitate the steps, every ecosystem needs strong supporters.

1. Startup Advisors

Successful local founders who lead the ecosystem & frequently mentor newbies.  (i.e. Local leaders who have taken a leadership position, speak at a lot of startup events, mentor all the programs, etc)

  1. Andrea Livotto
  2. Bart Verkoeijen
  3. Bay McLaughlin
  4. Danny Yeung
  5. David Brabbins
  6. Derek Kwik
  7. Donny Siu
  8. Fernando Diez
  9. Gary To
  10. Graham Leach
  11. Jeffrey Broer
  12. Leo Ku
  13. Mark Munoz
  14. Michael Prahl
  15. Mike Mastroyiannis
  16. Nio Liyanage
  17. Raymond Chu
  18. Raymond Yip
  19. Simon Loong
  20. Tony Tong


2. Government

Public organizations that facilitate local economic development

  1. American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
  2. AustCham
  3. British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
  4. Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong
  5. European Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong
  6. GovHK: Investing in Hong Kong
  7. Hong Kong Economy
  8. Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce
  9. Innovation and Technology Bureau Hong Kong
  10. Innovation and Technology Fund Hong Kong
  11. InvestHK


3. Talent

Major local business or tech universities and employers that attract and retain local talent.

  • Local Universities (universities with prominent technical or business programs)
    1. City University of Hong Kong
    2. PolyU: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
    3. The Chinese University of Hong Kong
    4. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
    5. The University of Hong Kong
  • Local Employers (Major technical employers, like Microsoft or Google or large local companies, with large local offices) 
    1. AECOM
    2. Apple
    3. AWS
    4. China Mobile
    5. Cisco
    6. Facebook
    7. GE
    8. Google
    9. HP
    10. Hong Kong Telecom
    11. Intel
    12. Microsoft
    13. Samsung
    14. Sony Corporation
    15. VTech


Learn more about the Startup Ecosystem Canvas here, and leave us your thoughts on the Hong Kong Canvas on this collaborative Google document (This is just a DRAFT, and more input is needed!)

Are you looking to build a startup in Hong Kong? Then apply to the Hong Kong Founder Institute today

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