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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)’s wholly owned subsidiary, CUHK Innovation Limited (CUHK Innovation), and CUHK’s Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services (ORKTS), co-hosted the CUHK Innovation Summit 2025 yesterday. The Summit attracted over 150 attendees, fostering exchanges between CUHK startups and the investment community. During the Summit, CUHK Innovation also announced the latest developments of the University’s investment platform, further supporting CUHK startups in transforming their research outcomes to benefit society.

The Summit began with welcome speeches by Dr Norman Chan Tak-lam, Vice-Chairman of CUHK Council and Chairman of the Board of CUHK Innovation and Professor Sham Mai-har, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research). They highlighted the proud achievements of CUHK academic community and investment endeavours.

Dr Chan said: “Over the past year, our joint investment platform has expanded significantly, forging deeper connections with institutional investors. We have gained better insights into the needs of our venture teams. By organising events, workshops and meet-up sessions, we are building a more dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem at CUHK.”

Professor Sham said: “I am excited to share that the seven pioneering initiatives under the first round of the RAISe+ Scheme are set to launch soon. Equally significant is the establishment of SEAM@InnoHK, Hong Kong’s third InnoHK research cluster, which focuses on sustainable development, energy, advanced manufacturing, and materials. With the government prioritising industrial collaboration and commercialisation, we expect that CUHK will serve as an even stronger link between academic excellence and real-world applications.”

CUHK Innovation announced that a Memorandums of Understanding was signed with four new investment partners including Greater Bay Area Homeland Investments Limited, Hong Kong X Technology Fund, Radiant Tech Ventures Ltd. and ZhenFund. These partnerships aim to support startup development and facilitate the commercialisation of innovative outcomes.

The Summit also featured two panel discussions. The investors’ panel discussion, themed “Unlocking Potential: Insights from Investment Leads”, invited guest speakers including Mr James Ji, Legal Director of Hong Kong X Technology Fund and Hong Kong X-Tech Startup Platform; Mr Lin Sen, Chief Operating Officer of Surrich International Co. Ltd.; and Mr Man Lap, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Beyond Ventures. It was moderated by Ms Joyce Ng, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of CUHK Innovation. They shared insights on assessment criteria for investment and gave advice on research commercialisation plans and deal breakers.

Meanwhile, the founders’ panel, themed “From Lab to Market: Insights on RAISe+ Application”, invited Professor Barbara Chan from the School of Biomedical Engineering; Professor Francis KL Chan from the Department of Medicine & Therapeutics and Professor Zhao Ni from the Department of Electronic Engineering. It was moderated by Dr Victor Lau, Head of Venture Acceleration and Entrepreneurship, Office of Research and Knowledge Transfer Services. The speakers addressed topics including start-up challenges, entrepreneurial mentality and personal reflection from the RAISe+ Scheme.

Additionally, the Summit showcased innovative solutions from 10 CUHK startup teams. They demonstrated their technologies and creativity and engaged in-depth discussions with investors on-site, seeking potential collaborations and funding support. These interactions not only facilitated the growth of startups but also provided investors with a platform to discover emerging technologies and investment opportunities.

CUHK remains committed to fostering innovation and contributing to society, while at the same time welcoming new forces, strengthening collaboration between industry and academia, and allowing the University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to thrive.

For more information about the CUHK Innovation Summit, please visit: https://cuhkinnovation.hk