EYE Program selects ten Hong Kong startups for exclusive mentorship program and overseas exchange tour
EYE Program selects ten Hong Kong startups for
exclusive mentorship program and overseas exchange tour
Innovative young entrepreneurs to transform Hong Kong with creative business ideas
HONG KONG, July 22, 2015 – Ten of Hong Kong’s most creative startups have made it to the five-month mentorship phase of the Empowering Young Entrepreneurs Program (EYE Program). These young entrepreneurs will fine tune their business ideas with the help of top minds from the fields of business, technology, law and finance. The teams have come up with creative mobile solutions that can change the way we share information, run the business, learn new things, and connect with others. In October, the teams will head to Taiwan to connect with startups, accelerators and investors, look for possible collaborations, and spark new discussions.
The ten teams emerged after the pitching day include Sam the Local, Clozetto, TapTab.io (formerly known as MyPlayback.co), Carshare.hk, HelloReporter, Sesame, EONIQ, Boutir, R-Guardian, and Studio-R. Their businesses and ideas are built around the theme of Living in the Mobile-First World”, which helps boost the development of mobile applications in Hong Kong. The EYE Program, launched by Google and CUHK Center for Entrepreneurship aims to transform the city’s startup ecosystem, boost entrepreneurship among youth, and encourage creativity in the mobile technology space. The 24 teams who participated in the pitch process will also receive support and can take part in networking opportunities to meet with the EYE Program’s experts.
Dominic Allon, Managing Director of Google Hong Kong said, “In Hong Kong, mobile first is very much a reality, and there’s a new trend emerging – mobile only. But simply acknowledging this fact isn’t enough. Startups need to take this opportunity to be creative with mobile technology and make a difference to Hongkongers lives - and we’ve found ten that are doing just that. We believe they need support from the whole startup economy to thrive - we’re here to bring all of these groups together and transform Hong Kong into a truly connected startup hub.”
Professor Kevin Au, Director of CUHK Center for Entrepreneurship, added, “As we shared in the research report ‘Crouching Tigers, Hidden Dragons’, the five key groups must join hands. In addition, we need to shake social convention; bridge the gap between the willingness to give, and supporting homegrown startups; jailbreak the innovation deadlock; and balance the five groups in the ecosystem, so as to achieve what we identified as ‘The 2% Mission’. The EYE Program offers young Hong Kong entrepreneurs opportunities to test out their business ideas and connect with various stakeholder groups. We’re now one step closer to our goal and continue to provide Hong Kong with creative ideas and talent.”
This year’s EYE Program is supported by Key Partners Cyberport and KPMG; Strategic Partners include Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, ASTRI, Cherrypicks, CUHK EMBA Alumni Association, and StartupsHK; as well as many other supporting organizations and universities
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EYE Program Team |
Description |
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Sam the Local |
Sam the local connects visitors to locals who know the hometown best for customized, interest-based outings for individuals and corporate clients. |
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Clozetto |
Clozetto creates a mini-blog mobile apps and online community where like-minded online shoppers can share and find out where to buy their favourite items, and even buddy up to make group purchases. |
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TapTab.io (Formerly known as "MyPlayback.co") |
TapTab.io gives aspiring musicians the tools they need to learn and improve their skills. The app can visualize the recorded audio, capture comments and add bookmark, organize audio clips with searchable feature, allow playback anytime, and enable sharing for learners to receive feedbacks from teachers and peers. |
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Carshare.hk |
Riding on the sharing economy, Carshare.hk is Hong Kong’s first peer-to-peer car sharing platform for people to rent cars from their neighbours. Carshare also provides identity verification and tailor-made insurance that make car-sharing easy and secure. |
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HelloReporter |
HelloReporter makes info-finding easy for reporters, and offers a simple way for startups and subject matter experts to gain publicity, by creating a platform for them to connect to each other in just a few clicks. |
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Sesame |
Sesame turns a smartphone into a portable language tutor for people to learn and practice a new lingo anytime, anywhere. The mobile app will listen to the learners’ pronunciation, match with the database, and point out the areas that need to be improved. |
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EONIQ |
EONIQ brings the craftsmanship of traditional watchmaking and new technologies together to create high-quality, personalized watches. The mobile app will be intuitive yet powerful for all kind of users to design their own watches. |
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Boutir |
Boutir makes it simple to create a mobile shop front for your business in just 30 seconds, especially for designers and small business owners. With the mobile apps by Bourtir, buyer can complete online shopping with one click and secured payment method, while seller can showcase their products by snapping a picture and manage everything on mobile. |
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R-Guardian |
R-Guardian takes away the worry of losing important things like devices and ID cards. The anti-loss app and devices will alert you when you move too far from your possessions and even helps locate lost items. |
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Studio-R |
Anyone can be an interior decorator with Studio-R, a 3D-decorating tool that allows people to virtually redesign their home that helps better inform what to shop and how all the desired items and furniture fit in your dream home. People can also easily find the designers and latest promotions. |
