With the final stop of semi-final contest at Stuttgart, four-city world semi-final series for EPiC 2024 global pitching contest completed and over 70 semi-finalists were selected"Best-of-the-best" semi-finalists to gather in Hong Kong on 26 April 2024 and all applicants target US$45 million investment to be arranged, up to US$5 million in HKSTP venture funding, US$240,000 in cash prizes, plus partnership opportunitiesGrand Finale set to feature stellar cast of judges with innovation gurus and leaders from Cathay, HSBC, MTR Lab and more to added in Grand Finale HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 12 March 2024 - With the completion of the last two EPiC 2024 semi-finals in Hong Kong (29 February 2024) and Stuttgart (4-5 March 2024), Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has successfully wrapped up its first-ever world series of four regional semi-finals for the HKSTP global Elevator Pitch Competition 2024 (EPiC). Over the course of seven weeks from January to March, the brightest and best startups from Silicon Valley, Singapore, Hong Kong and Stuttgart (Germany) have battled in ferocious pitching contests to leave over 70 semi-finalists still standing and set for the EPiC Grand Finale in Hong Kong on 26 April 2024. All applicants have set their sights on the US$45 million investment to be arranged^[1], plus up to US$5 million in HKSTP Corporate Venture Fund (CVF), as well as US$240,000 in cash prizes, plus partnership opportunities. The EPiC 2024 Grand Finale on 26 April 2024 will take place at the iconic Sky100 venue atop Hong Kong's tallest building, International Commerce Centre (ICC), with aspiring startups literally making 60-second elevator pitches while hurtling up the ICC tower. Eric Or, Head of Partnerships, HKSTP, said, "EPiC 2024 has surpassed all expectations with over 70 startups of the highest quality and with the most impressive levels of talent, innovation and judging excellence that we have witnessed since this global contest began. With EPiC 2024, HKSTP has now forged a new global innovation footprint across the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Mainland China, providing unmatched growth opportunities for startups plugging directly into the city's biggest innovation ecosystem and also integrating for seamless expansion from Hong Kong to the China GBA and beyond." This year, HKSTP has handpicked a star judging panel of leading figures from the Hong Kong innovation scene to determine the winners at EPiC 2024. Over 70 semi-finalists will be categorised by the three innovation tracks of PropTech, FinTech and MobilityTech. They will be assessed by the specific track judging teams, who will select four finalists from each track to join a final group for 12 startups for a final on-stage presentation to the final judging panel. From the coming Grand Finale to the series of global semi-finals, HKSTP has assembled over 100 world-class innovation leaders to steer the judging contests and more judges are being confirmed. The current Grand Finale final judges include: PropTech Final Judges:

• Dr Andy Lee, Chairman, East Asia Region, ARUP;
• Ar Donald Choi, JP, Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer, Chinachem Group;
• Michael Chan, Managing Director, MTR Lab;
• Jonathan Chiu, Hong Kong President, Schneider Electric (Hong Kong) Limited.

FinTech Final Judges:

• Sachin Goel, Chief Technology Officer, AIA International Limited;
• Sebastian Paredes, Head of North Asia & CEO of DBS Bank (Hong Kong);
• Bojan Obradović, Chief Digital Officer, HSBC Hong Kong;
• Eric Hui, CEO Zurich (Hong Kong), Chairman Zurich (China) and Chairman of HKFI InsurTech (GI) Task Force.

MobilityTech Final Judges:

• Lawrence Fong, Director Digital and IT, Cathay;
• Ed Lam, CEO, LFX;
• Andrew Ma, Chief Technology Officer, eLab Asia, AS Watson Group.

Before coming on the stage, the selected over 70 semi-finalists will make their live 60-second pitch in front of judges while riding up the elevator at the iconic Sky100 venue atop Hong Kong's tallest building, International Commerce Centre. The current Grand Finale elevator judges include: PropTech Elevator Judges:

• Ir Yan Zhou, Assistant Director, Industry Development, Construction Industry Council;
• Ir Dr Stewart Wan, Head of Innovation, Gammon Construction;
• Johnny Yu, Advisor to Chairman, Henderson Land Development;
• Wilson Cheung, Executive Director and Chief Projects Officer, HKR International;
• Julie Wong, General Manager, Sustainability, Hysan Development;
• Biga Luk, Managing Director – Hong Kong and Macau, Ingram Micro (China);
• Kevin Chu, Deputy Managing Director, Kai Shing Management Services Limited;
• Kiki Wang, General Manager, MTR Lab;
• Kain Chow, Head of Group Technology Strategy, New World Development;
• Kevin Lee, Head of Smart Facilities Management, SOCAM Development.

FinTech Elevator Judges:...