Hong Kong, China – Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem, has launched the Hub71 Startup Immersion Programme at Investopia Hong Kong, reinforcing its commitment to building cross-border bridges that accelerate startup growth. The programme introduces later-stage Hong Kong startups to Abu Dhabi’s dynamic tech ecosystem, providing a structured pathway to explore Abu Dhabi as a launchpad for regional expansion and access to global markets.
Investopia, hosted by the Ministry of Economy, served as the international platform to announce the programme, underscoring the UAE’s mission to strengthen global economic partnerships through innovation. By launching at Investopia Hong Kong, Hub71 showcased Abu Dhabi’s role as a global gateway where startups from Asia and beyond can scale internationally.
In the presence of His Excellency Mohammed Alhawi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Investment, Hub71 signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with three leading Hong Kong innovation hub partners: HSITPL, Hong Kong Cyberport and MTR Lab. These partnerships are intended to establish a strong pipeline of high-potential startups into the programme while facilitating reciprocal ecosystem access, knowledge exchange and joint programming opportunities across government, infrastructure and venture capital networks.
- HSITPL is vested with the overall development work of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (HSITP), under the vision of becoming a world-class I&T hub, aligned with the “one river, two banks”, “one zone, two parks” principles of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone.
- Cyberport, as Hong Kong’s digital tech hub, AI accelerator, and “State-level Scientific and Technological Enterprise Incubator”, gathers over 2,200 companies, including 11 listed companies and 10 unicorns. One-third of onsite companies’ founders come from 26 countries and regions, while Cyberport companies have expanded to over 35 global markets.
- MTR Lab is a wholly owned subsidiary of MTR Corporation, focused on investing in and co-creating innovative technologies in mobility, smart city solutions, and sustainability to build a carbon-neutral smart community.
The two-week immersion programme is designed to fast-track market entry for startups by combining a virtual onboarding to build market readiness with an in-person session in Abu Dhabi. Founders will gain direct access to regulators, investors and corporate partners, along with tailored mentorship and curated networking opportunities. They will also benefit from exposure to Abu Dhabi based investors, access to regional pilot projects, and opportunities to collaborate with government and corporate partners driving the emirate’s digital economy. The programme will culminate in a Demo Day during Hub71’s Impact Event in Abu Dhabi.
Ahmad Ali Alwan, CEO of Hub71, said: “Investopia, as a UAE-based platform dedicated to accelerating the growth of the new economy, offers a powerful stage to amplify our collaboration with Hong Kong’s tech ecosystem. Through the Hub71 Immersion Programme launched here, we connect ambitious ecosystems and create pathways for scaling startups beyond their home markets. We are enabling startups from Hong Kong to access new opportunities, leveraging Abu Dhabi’s global access to expand internationally and deliver innovative solutions that address global challenges.”
Dedicated to its vision of becoming a world-class I&T hub, HSITPL intends to collaborate with Hub71 to support startups from Mainland China and Hong Kong that plan to broaden their horizons and scaling into Abu Dhabi and beyond.
Sharing the vision for cultivating entrepreneurship from home and beyond, Hong Kong Cyberport looks to collaborate with Hub71 on helping start-ups expand internationally into the Middle East, while attracting leading enterprises from the Middle East to set up in Hong Kong to leverage its gateway to markets in Mainland China, the Greater Bay Area and Southeast Asia.
Echoing this vision, MTR Lab, one of the key innovation players in Hong Kong, aims to build global innovation ecosystems for smarter, greener future. Through this partnership, MTR Lab connects its portfolio companies with Hub71 to explore opportunities for expansion into the Middle East and other regions.
The programme represents Hub71’s fourth cross-border engagement this year, following recent strategic initiatives in New Jersey, Japan and Ireland. These efforts reflect Hub71’s broader ambition to connect Abu Dhabi with leading global innovation hubs and position the UAE capital as a launchpad for startups expanding internationally.
Applications are now open for Hong Kong-based startups seeking to explore Abu Dhabi as their next base of growth.
About Hub71:
Hub71 is Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem that enables founders to build globally enduring homegrown tech companies in any sector by providing access to global markets, a capital ecosystem, a global network of partners, and a vibrant community filled with highly skilled talent governed by forward-thinking regulation.
Backed by the Government of Abu Dhabi and Mubadala Investment Company, Hub71 is growing its vibrant community of tech startups, investors, government, and corporate partners to ensure the availability of investment, commercial activities, and incentives from the public and private sectors. Through Hub71’s entrepreneurial infrastructure, value-add programmes, enabling services and support packages, founders can build, and scale widely adopted technologies with purpose and impact. Hub71 is on a mission to introduce new minds and technologies to Abu Dhabi, finding new ways to build globally enduring technology companies and sustain the nation’s continuous economic development.
About HSITP
Located in the Northern Metropolis of Hong Kong, HSITP spans approximately 87.7 hectares of land, adjacent to the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and the Lok Ma Chau control points. The Hong Kong Park, together with the Shenzhen Park on the other side of the river, form the Hetao Shenzhen Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (the Co-operation Zone). Under the country’s staunch support, the Co-operation Zone is a brand-new testbed for pilot cross-boundary policies, in line with the principle of “one zone, two parks” at “one river, two banks” under the auspices of “One Country, Two Systems”.
HSITP strives to evolve into a world-class I&T hub by advancing its development in four major directions: to build a world-class industry-academia-research platform, to establish an internationally competitive research and development transformation and pilot production base for industries; to foster a hub for pooling global innovation and technology resources, and to cultivate a testing ground for institutional and policy innovation.
Cultivating a testing ground for institutional and policy innovation, HSITP will develop in accordance with the basic principles of “being free and open, connecting the Mainland and the rest of the world, and facilitating movement”. The Hong Kong and Shenzhen governments also plan to implement innovative policy measures to promote the convenient cross-boundary flow of innovation elements.
The development of HSITP will be completed in batches, aiming to put basically in place a highly efficient mechanism for synergistic development of innovation with the Shenzhen Park by 2030, laying a solid foundation for further promoting the comprehensive development of the Hong Kong Park. By 2035, a comprehensive development pattern will emerge, facilitating the advancement of the Co-operation Zone into a global leader in I&T.
For more information, please visit https://www.hsitp.org/
About Hong Kong Cyberport
Wholly owned by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, Cyberport is Hong Kong’s digital tech hub and AI accelerator, with a vision to empower industry digitalisation and intelligent transformation, to promote digital economy and AI development, and to foster Hong Kong to be an international AI, innovation and technology (I&T) hub. Cyberport gathers over 2,200 companies, including 11 listed companies and 10 unicorns. One-third of onsite companies’ founders come from 26 countries and regions, while Cyberport companies have expanded to over 35 global markets.
Cyberport, with Hong Kong’s largest AI Supercomputing Centre and AI Lab as the engine, has been building the AI ecosystem with industry-leading AI companies and over 400 AI and data science start-ups. Through development of tech clusters, namely AI, data science, blockchain and cybersecurity, Cyberport empowers industries across smart city and government, banking and finance, digital entertainment, culture and tourism, healthcare, education and training, property management, construction, transportation and logistics, green environment and more, while hosting Hong Kong’s largest FinTech community. Commissioned by the HKSAR Government, Cyberport has implemented proof-of-concept and sandbox schemes, subsidisation for digital tech adoption, industry tech training and start-up incubation, to drive technology R&D, translation and commercialisation, thus propelling digital transformation and intelligent upgrade across industry and society.
Also as “State-level Scientific and Technological Enterprise Incubator” and Hong Kong’s key incubator, Cyberport supports entrepreneurs with funding and office space, extensive networks of enterprises, investors, technology corporations and professional services for business growth and expansion to Mainland China and overseas markets, all-round facilitation for landing in Hong Kong, talent attraction and cultivation, ready as a launchpad to take start-ups in any stages of development to the next level.
For more information, please visit https://www.cyberport.hk/en.
About MTR Lab Company Limited
MTR Lab Company Limited (“MTR Lab”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of MTR Corporation Limited. MTR Lab creates strategic value through investment in technologies and formulates innovative solutions that support the long-term growth of communities. With a commitment to co-creating a smarter, greener future, MTR Lab aims to benefit communities by investing in and introducing technologies across different sectors, including mobility (MaaS, new mobility modes, rail tech), new retail technology, property and construction technology, and financial and data services, driving positive impact within two overarching themes: smart city and sustainability. Its unique position as an innovation investor enables MTR Lab and its partners to strategically collaborate toward creating a carbon-neutral smart community. Together, let’s Keep Cities Moving!