Press Release

27/11/2024

HKHS and Cyberport Continue to Nurture Start-ups for Advancing PropTech Development

The Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) and Cyberport celebrated the achievements of 13 start-ups, who are the inaugural cohort joining the Hong Kong’s first PropTech co-working space “Smart-Space PropTech” established jointly by HKHS and Cyberport, after 18 months of operations of the co-working space. Various innovative PropTech products and solutions have been developed successfully.  At the celebration ceremony, HKHS and Cyberport also welcomed a new cohort of another 14 start-ups to commence the second phase of the Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Programme at the co-working space. The officiating guests of the ceremony were HKHS Chairman Prof Ling Kar-kan and Cyberport Chairman Simon Chan. Other guests included HKHS Chief Executive Officer James Chan, Cyberport Chief Executive Officer Dr Rocky Cheng, Cyberport Chief Public Mission Officer Ir Eric Chan, and representatives of the start-ups.

HKHS Chairman Prof Ling Kar-kan said, " As a ‘housing laboratory’, the Housing Society has always been bold in pioneering new initiatives. The fruitful accomplishment of the 13 start-ups of the PropTech PoC Programme marks a solid and good beginning for the PropTech co-working space and contributed to the Northern Metropolis’s development as a new engine for driving the innovation and technology industry. By funding and incubating promising local start-ups, HKHS facilitates the development of innovative PropTech solutions leveraging advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things, Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence, fostering a win-win collaboration among HKHS, industry stakeholders and the community. Some of these innovative solutions, such as tools for enhancing construction safety and detecting building facade deterioration, have been adopted by HKHS to address operational challenges. I look forward to seeing the achievements of the second cohort in 18 months, driving further momentum in making Hong Kong a smart city. "

Mr Simon Chan, Chairman of Cyberport, said, "Cyberport is delighted to see the fruitful results of the PropTech PoC Programme jointly organised with HKHS. Through the 18-month programme, the first cohort of 13 start-ups have secured funding to complete their PoC efforts, using opportunities to demonstrate and apply their solutions to HKHS properties on-site, as well as exchange views with industry leaders through various activities organised by Cyberport, thereby leading the industry in adopting technological advances. With the arrival of a new cohort of 14 start-ups, they will focus on developing solutions related to property management issues such as combating tenancy abuse, enhancing security guards’ work efficiency, enhancing smart carpark operations and management, as well as improving waste recycling, which will help drive the innovation and technology (I&T) ecosystem in the Northern Metropolis and help develop Hong Kong into a smart city.”

At the ceremony, representatives of the start-ups participating in the first cohort shared their experiences and achievements acquired from more than 10 field trials conducted in HKHS’s rental housing estates over the past year and a half. They also shared insights gained through Cyberport’s entrepreneurial guidance under the programme. By participating in various activities including workshops, business matching, and industry exchanges, the start-ups are empowered to accelerate business growth, expand market reach, and unlock new opportunities for collaboration.


Following the successful completion of the first phase, the second phase gets off the ground thereupon. The new cohort of 14 PropTech start-ups will focus on PropTech products and innovations related to property management, that cover combating tenancy abuse, enhancing efficiency of security work, facilitating smart carpark management, improving waste recycling, and more, over the next 18 months.

The collaboration between HKHS and Cyberport was launched in October 2022 and set for five years, aiming to drive PropTech development.  HKHS provides funding support to the start-ups and offers mentorship by professional staff on knowledge and experience relevant to housing development and management. The start-ups are given opportunities to conduct field trials at HKHS rental estates, construction sites and some properties managed by HKHS for PoC validation. Cyberport provides entrepreneurial guidance and organises activities to inspire start-ups to develop and implement PropTech-related products and solutions in an effort to drive digital transformation in the industry and attract young people to the I&T sector for building a smart city. The Smart-Space PropTech occupies two floors with a total usable area of 8,000 square feet, located inside the new regional office of HKHS in Fanling. It has adopted innovative technological products developed by Cyberport start-ups including office robots and smartphone booths, showcasing the application and integration of smart technology.


 

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