Hong Kong is cementing an innovation and technology (I&T) startup ecosystem in which the administration, academia and industry are strengthening collaboration with each other to drive entrepreneurship and technological advancement in the city.

The HKU Super Angel Symposium 2026, organized by the University of Hong Kong and CAS Star Technology Venture Capital, announced on Friday the launch of the HKU Venture Mentoring Service (VMS) and the first close ceremony of the FutureTech Stars-HKU Venture Limited Partnership Fund.

The VMS, which connects students, researchers, and alumni with top-tier mentors who have shared practical and real-world guidance to help innovative ideas into successful and impactful ventures, is the first official sister technology startup mentor program in Hong Kong recognized by the United States’ Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

ALSO READ: HK I&T ecosystem connects startups, industry, talent via tech commercialization

With a total fund size of HK$300 million ($38.3 million) contributed by the HKU Entrepreneurship Engine Fund (EEF), Bank of China Group Investment, and Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Ltd Co, the FutureTech Stars-HKU Venture LPF will fully leverage CAS Star’s years of experience in technology transfer and actively utilize Hong Kong's unique global location advantage to drive technology commercialization.

“VMA and EEF are building strong bridges between academia and industry, combining funding, mentorship, networks and global credibility to help our deep technology ventures grow and thrive,” HKU Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) Stephanie Ma Kwai-yee said at the ceremony.

“Looking forward in 2026, we will launch several vertical sector incubations with our partners to provide deeper and more targeted support for emerging innovations,” she added.

Winnie Tang Shuk-ming, chief convenor of the HKU Super Angel Network, said: “We are building more than an angel network and we are a driving force for impact. If you believe ethical, patient capital and committed mentorship can transform research into societal and economic value, join us to make a difference.”

READ MORE: Chan: Robust financial and I&T ecosystem vital for HK’s development

Undersecretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Lillian Cheong Man-lei said at the ceremony: “The national 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) both indicated clear support to Hong Kong’s development into an I&T center.

“With the support of the country and the policy initiatives that the government is implementing, we have indeed entered an era of boundless opportunities where Hong Kong startups to shine brighter than before.”

Cheong added that since the government had allocated HK$10 billion to develop the InnoHK research clusters, as of Friday, this had cumulatively funded setting up 30 research and development centers, attracting about 3,000 global I&T professionals, and cultivating a thriving talent-rich environment that accelerates the environment of startups.

In 2025, Hong Kong had registered a record high of more than 5,200 startups, a 40 percent increase from five years ago. Over the past decade, the city has witnessed the growth of 20 unicorn companies.

CAS Star Founding Partner Mi Lei said Hong Kong and the mainland’s I&T sector should form a pattern of differentiated development and complementary advantages.

“Hong Kong’s core advantage lies in original innovation and international capital access while the mainland has unparalleled advantages in market size, industrial support, and manufacturing costs. Through close connection, the two can reduce overall innovation costs and build a complete hard technology ecosystem loop from original innovation to industrial implementation and global market expansion,” Mi said.

CAS Star is a Chinese mainland venture capital firm established in 2013 that focuses on investments in hard technology startups. The firm has invested and incubated over 580 key and core technological enterprises, including Hong Kong-listed artificial intelligence modeling company Zhipu AI.