Ready to pitch your business idea and get your startup off the ground? Here are our picks for the top venture capital firms in Hong Kong.
Access to funding is one of the most vital factors for entrepreneurial success. To seek out funding, startups can consult venture capital (VC) firms that can offer a sum of capital for businesses to get started, as well as mentorship opportunities and accelerator programs. There are well over 3,000 startups in Hong Kong drawn to the region by global investment and quality of life, and of course, an abundance of venture capital firms ready to invest in the next big thing.
Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund
A not-for-profit initiative launched by Alibaba Group in 2015, the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund was established to help Hong Kong and Taiwan-based entrepreneurs and young people realise their visions for their businesses and communities. The Fund invests in young companies with innovative ideas and technologies, helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses on Alibaba’s e-commerce marketplaces as well as other platforms. Entrepreneurs selected by the Fund’s investment managers can enjoy access to financial capital and strategic guidance. As a not-for-profit institution, the Fund uses profits generated from the growth of venture investments for re-investment to ensure an evergreen source of capital.
Arbor Ventures
Arbor Ventures is a FinTech-oriented venture capital firm focused on shaping the future of financial services, cybersecurity, blockchain, big data, and digital commerce. Arbor aims to establish vital strategic networks and accelerate the growth of next-gen FinTech. Arbor was among the VC firms that financed the Dubai-based buy-now, pay-later company Tabby, having capitalised on the shift toward online retail and e-commerce caused by the pandemic. The Hong Kong-based venture capital firm also contributed towards the US$50 million in funding that Bangkok-based payments platform 2C2P secured to date.
Brinc
As a “different breed of venture capital and accelerator firm”, Brinc believes that our biggest challenges, from sustainability and FoodTech to logistics and healthcare, can be solved by entrepreneurs looking to make a positive impact on the world. Brinc aims to support and mentor founders and their teams, and provide investment to help technology startups grow, driven by the belief that technology-focused startups can fundamentally change how we live, for the better.
Brinc has invested in a total of 149 startups, with a combined total value of US$483 million. The venture capital firm unveiled their new investment plan in December of 2020, saying that it will commit to investing in 1,000 “climate-conscious startups” within five years.” The new commitment comes in recognition that Brinc and its global business partners need to do their part to slow down the effects of climate change,” said Brinc. Wildfire Energy, an Australian CleanTech startup whose gasification technology enables waste to turn into renewable energy, is part of Brinc’s bold new plan. The firm has also partnered with Avant Meats, Hong Kong’s leading cellular FoodTech startup.
Click Ventures
Named “Consistent Top Performing Venture Capital Fund Manager” by Prequin Global Private Equity, Click Ventures believes that our world is full of processes that can be reimagined by new technologies and innovative systems. The venture capital firm focuses on disruptive ideas in technology designed to bring positive change to how people live, work, and communicate, and is involved in a variety of industries such as music, research, food, crowdfunding, mobile application, and e-commerce.
Good Fashion Fund
Created as a response to the lack of capital available to scale and implement sustainable fashion technology, the Good Fashion Fund invests in disruptive technologies and circular innovations in the textile and apparel production industry in Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, and Vietnam.
The Fund helps manufacturers and operators implement new innovations to significantly improve the positive impact of apparel manufacturing, chiefly by investing in projects working towards recycled and upcycled materials, clean energy, a circular textiles economy, as well as fair and ethical labour. They have recently signed its first deal with Indian manufacturer Pratibha Syntex Limited, a partnership that will involve the replacement of machinery and expansion of sustainable equipment.
Horizons Ventures
Another VC firm specialising in disruptive innovations in the tech space, Horizons Ventures sports a portfolio with some of the best known names in technology, including Facebook, Skype, and Spotify. The venture capital firm has been based in Hong Kong since 2006, and has since expanded into 10 countries in the US, Europe, and Asia. Owned by the Hong Kong business magnate Li Ka Shing, the firm has also managed numerous investments for the Li Ka Shing Foundation.
This May, Horizons Ventures announced that it would make Southeast Asia a priority, with particular focus on Indonesia’s digital economy. Partnering with Jakarta’s Alpha JWC Ventures, Horizons seeks to identify startups that could make it big in the region.
WNJ Ventures
WNJ Ventures invests in companies using technology to transform how millennials and Gen Z learn, work, and play, with coverage extending across sectors such as EdTech, e-commerce, consumer FinTech, as well as esports and gaming. WNJ argues, in their In Control research series, that gaming, streaming, and esports is the “the next great entertainment revolution” — an exciting and highly profitable industry that will only keep growing in the near future. As such, they have partnered with Macau-based esports team, KIX.
WNJ has also partnered with FamBamHK, whose focus lies in connecting product and service providers who cater to family activities and education. By assisting FamBam with financial advisory and marketing, WNJ aims to make a true impact on the next generation of parents and children.
Featured banner image from brinc.io
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