Hong Kong’s Cyberport reported more than HK$74.5 billion in cumulative funding for its startup community as it opened its annual venture capital forum on Nov. 4, highlighting growing investor interest in artificial intelligence, blockchain and other emerging technologies.
The two-day Cyberport Venture & Capital Forum 2026 (CVCF), held at Hong Kong Cyberport, brought together more than 80 venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and industry leaders to discuss investment trends, cross-border expansion and the changing technology landscape.
The forum, themed “Scaling in a Changing World: Winning the Next Competitive Cycle,” focused on enterprise AI, agentic AI, one-person companies, digital assets, frontier technologies and tokenization. It also examined Hong Kong’s role as a connection point between mainland China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia and global investment networks.
Cyberport said its community now includes more than 2,400 companies. Over the past year, it welcomed 19 listed companies and two unicorns, reflecting the growing scale of its technology ecosystem.
Among the companies cited for recent high-value fundraising rounds were Finloop, Qupital and Premialab, which are developing businesses involving AI, blockchain and digital assets.
The figures were presented as evidence of sustained investor interest in emerging technologies and the growing role of Hong Kong-based startups in regional and international markets.
Lillian Cheong, acting secretary for innovation, technology and industry, and Simon Chan, Cyberport chairman, led the forum’s opening ceremony.
Venture network marks nine years of connecting startups and investors
The forum also marked the ninth anniversary of the Cyberport Investors Network (CIN), which has facilitated more than HK$6 billion in cumulative funding for startups.
The anniversary coincided with a leadership transition, with the chairmanship passing from Hendrick Sin to John Ng. Sin, Hon. Duncan Chiu and Cindy Chow were designated as honorary chairs in recognition of their contributions to the network and its investment ecosystem.
The transition was also discussed during remarks by Eric Chan, chief public mission officer, and Johnny Chang, chief investment officer. Their presentation highlighted the role of venture capital partners in supporting startups beyond the provision of funding, including their involvement in startup selection, acceleration, investment and access to overseas markets.
The program they discussed supported more than 30 early-stage AI and blockchain startups across two cohorts. Five projects secured venture capital investment in less than 12 months, demonstrating how investor participation throughout the startup development process can help move promising projects toward financing.
The initiative also sought to connect founders with investors beyond Hong Kong. Cross-border matching activities included introducing Cyberport founders to regional venture capital firms, including investors from Thailand. Founder pitching sessions provided startups with opportunities to present their businesses and technology to potential investors.
The speakers identified continued deal flow, programs supported by venture capital firms, capital partnerships and a broader investor network as priorities for the next phase of development.
Another financing channel, the Cyberport Macro Fund (CMF), had invested in 30 startup projects as of September 2026. Its total investment, including co-investments, exceeded HK$2.7 billion, with a co-investment ratio of more than 1:9.3.
Cyberport also cited partnerships formed with BOCHK Asset Management and BOC Group Investment in May 2026 and Taiping Financial Holdings in August 2026 to establish venture capital funds supporting promising Hong Kong innovation and technology startups.
Partnerships target Hong Kong, ASEAN and Middle East markets
Cyberport signed two memorandums of understanding during the forum, one with Gobi Partners and another with Thailand’s National Innovation Agency (NIA), to expand cross-border cooperation and create new opportunities for startups.
The agreement with Gobi Partners aims to strengthen collaboration in developing technology enterprises, supporting market expansion and facilitating investment opportunities across Hong Kong, Asia and the Middle East.
Gobi has invested in more than 24 Cyberport companies, including through CMF co-investments.
The agreement was signed by Rocky Cheng, Cyberport CEO, and Fred Li, managing director of Gobi Partners’ Greater Bay Area team. The signing was witnessed by Cheong, Chan and Chibo Tang, managing partner of Gobi Partners’ Greater Bay Area team.
The second agreement, with Thailand’s NIA, is intended to promote cooperation in startup development and knowledge exchange, particularly in AI, smart cities and other digital technologies.
The partnership covers market-entry support, business matching, innovation programs, community engagement, joint events, and proof-of-concept and pilot projects.
The agreement was signed by Cheng and Krithpaka Boonfueng, NIA executive director, with Cheong, Chan and Preechaya Panyakrua, NIA innovation counsellor, serving as witnesses.
The partnerships reflect Cyberport’s efforts to position Hong Kong as a base for startups seeking access to regional markets while connecting overseas companies and investors to the city’s technology ecosystem.
Forum examines AI investment and emerging technology markets
The CVCF program was organized around three themes: mega trends and AI frontiers; regional market focus and global corridors; and market focus and strategic capital dynamics.
The opening keynote was delivered by Mahesh Krishnaswamy, founder and CEO of Taara, who discussed how the company developed a high-speed optical communications solution from an ambitious technology concept.
His presentation, titled “The Innovation Playbook: Capitalizing on Moonshots and Faster Cycles in the Age of AI,” examined how shorter innovation cycles are changing the process of developing and scaling breakthrough technologies.
Other sessions brought together venture capital representatives from Gobi Partners, Alumni Ventures, Rasmal Ventures, Primavera Capital, Draper Dragon, Pegasus Tech Ventures and Plug and Play.
Discussions covered AI-driven investment shifts, opportunities across the Middle East, ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area, and the role of public-private partnerships and corporate capital in helping technology companies scale.
The first day also featured founder pitching sessions, investor matching, startup showcases and clinics offering strategic guidance. These activities gave early-stage companies and more established startups opportunities to present their products, meet investors and seek advice on business development.
The forum’s second day will focus on the Agentic Economy Summit, themed “Intelligent Frontiers, Tokenised Horizons.” Joseph Chan, undersecretary for financial services and the treasury, is scheduled to deliver a keynote address.
The summit will examine how agentic AI could reshape business operations and how digital assets could change the movement and exchange of value. Topics include digital identity, institutional tokenization, Hong Kong dollar stablecoins, programmable payments, machine-to-machine commerce and the emergence of one-person companies.
Startup workshops will also cover practical approaches to pitching and expanding into new markets.
Full disclosure: All news articles published on the TechSabado website are written by human journalists, unless otherwise specified. Final text editing is also performed by human editors, with artificial intelligence (AI) used only to assist with additional grammar and style guide corrections..
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