German Startup Crowned Champion at EPiC 2024, Hong Kong’s Flagship Global Elevator Pitch Competition

In a thrilling culmination, the eighth edition of the EPiC 2024 championship concluded on April 26, with German startup tozero GmbH emerging as the overall champion. Hosted by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), EPiC is one of the global startups’ most innovative and captivating annual events.

The flagship event, Elevator Pitch Competition (EPiC) 2024, distinguished by its unique’ 60-second elevator’ pitch format, captivated judges, participants, and media alike. Outshining over 70 startups from around the globe, tozero GmbH secured the coveted title. Hailing from Germany, tozero GmbH is a circular economy startup poised to establish Europe’s premier lithium-ion battery recycling plant.

Claiming the EPiC 2024 championship, tozero GmbH garners the top cash prize of US$90,000, along with 1,100,000 Asia Miles, invaluable investor exposure and partnership opportunities.

EPiC 2024: A Premier Global Event:

EPiC 2024 marked a milestone with its Grand Finale, which concluded the first-ever four-city semi-final series spanning the US, Europe, and Asia. This unprecedented global reach underscores Hong Kong’s unique status as a leading global innovation hub and an ideal launchpad for startups aiming to thrive in Asia and beyond.

Drawing 603 contestants from 47 economies, EPiC 2024 showcased Hong Kong’s pivotal role in the global startup ecosystem. The HKSTP signature event featured four semi-finals across Hong Kong, Silicon Valley, Stuttgart, and Singapore. The Grand Finale showcased over 70 companies representing 16 economies, making it the most international iteration of the global pitching event to date. This expansion broadened the horizon, attracting exceptional startups from diverse corners of the world.

The Grand Finale elevated all semi-finalists to the sky100 venue atop the International Commerce Centre in West Kowloon, offering a real-life 60-second elevator pitch experience.

Testimonials from Key Figures

“In the past year, Hong Kong’s startup ecosystem has flourished, surpassing 4,200 startups – a remarkable increase of over one-third compared to just four years ago. Approximately a quarter of these startups originate from outside Hong Kong. Our government is deeply committed to fostering innovation and technology. We are accelerating our efforts in research and development, facilitating the commercialization of innovative ideas, and driving new industrialization with steadfast government support. Moreover, we actively attract strategic enterprises specializing in artificial intelligence, life and health technology, fintech, and new energy and materials. Our collaboration with sister cities in the Greater Bay Area is rapidly progressing, exemplified by the development of a joint innovation and technology park near the boundary with Shenzhen.”

Dr. Sunny Chai, Chairman of HKSTP, said, “EPiC 2024 has firmly established the annual pitching competition as Hong Kong’s mega startup event, drawing the best of the best in tech startups from around the world as they seek to leverage Hong Kong as a launchpad to global success. The Grand Finale caps a truly epic journey for the winners and finalists, competing across the four-city semi-final series around the world, with the final stop in Hong Kong. The city provides GBA, China and beyond.” 

Albert Wong, CEO of HKSTP, expressed optimism about the event’s future, remarking, “This year marks the eighth edition of EPiC, and each iteration surpasses the last. Notably, many startups from previous competitions have found success within HKSTP, such as the CEO of Archireef, whose innovative 3D printing of coral habitat has thrived within our campus. The competition serves as a valuable platform for startups to gain insights into the business landscape of China and Hong Kong, interact with investors, and foster international collaborations. We anticipate even greater achievements in the years ahead.”

Eric Or, Head of Partnerships and Solutions at HKSTP, highlighted the unique aspects of EPiC, including the introduction of Junior EPiC in 2024, stating, “EPiC’s distinctive elevator pitch format sets it apart and has the potential to expand to other cities in China and globally. This year, we introduced Junior EPiC, where young children showcased their remarkable ideas, which have already garnered attention and praise. As we look towards the future, we are considering avenues to further enhance and expand EPiC’s reach and impact.”

Competitors & Categories

Competitors were split across three categories: FinTech, PropTech and MobilityTech, with Bizbaz Pte. Ltd. from Singapore being named as the FinTech category winner, while Roboticplus.AI from Mainland China named the PropTech winner and tozero GmbH from Germany crowned the MobilityTech winner.  

This year witnessed an unprecedented international presence at EPiC, with nearly 80% of semi-finalists hailing from 16 different economies, marking it as the most globally diverse EPiC event to date. Gene Eidelman, representing the US-based startup AZURE PRINTED HOMES, reflected on the significance of reaching the semi-finals, stating, “The elevator pitch is an intriguing concept, and we are thrilled to have made it this far. While winning remains uncertain, attracting an investor for our company is a major achievement in itself.”

Inha Suh, from Korean startup Autocrypt, shared, “Participating in EPiC has been an incredibly enriching experience, especially because it offers a unique twist on the concept of elevator pitching by literally conducting pitches in a physical elevator. The support from the Hong Kong government has been instrumental in making this program possible. They have organized various events and facilitated tours to Shenzhen and Hong Kong, providing us with invaluable insights on how to navigate and enter the Hong Kong and Chinese markets.”

Stefanie Di Bartolomeo, representing US startup Physis Investment, shared her observations on the distinctiveness of the Asian market compared to Europe. She noted, “Having primarily worked with European startups, I sought to explore the Asian market. However, I discovered that the ecosystem here is markedly different. EPiC highlighted the emphasis placed on nurturing the ecosystem, a perspective that may be lacking in Europe. Witnessing the enthusiasm and importance attributed to this ecosystem was truly inspiring. We are delighted to have participated in this event and to have witnessed firsthand the passion driving this ecosystem forward.”

The event was also sponsored by world-leading corporations and industry innovators such as Cathay, HSBC, and  MTR Lab.  Ahead of the EPiC final pitching contest, the semi-finalists also took part in an immersive three-day “Market Discovery Programme” between 22-24 April. Participants explored ways to unlock growth opportunities through a program of business matching, hands-on seminars and networking with leading corporate partners and investors in the HKSTP ecosystem. They also visited the Hong Kong Science Park Shenzhen Branch and were introduced to the fast-emerging innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities in the Greater Bay Area and mainland China.

Reflections from Winners

Sarah Fleischer, CEO and co-founder of overall champion and MobilityTech category winner tozero GmbH, said, “Winning EPiC is a recognition of the hard work of our entire company. It is truly an amazing achievement. Hong Kong is a great place to be as it attracts top talent. At zero, we’re building a battery recycling machine, so we need to hire the best A.I. guys out there, and Hong Kong could be a nice place to do that. Through the EPIC program, we also visited Shenzhen, as well as meeting with some of Hong Kong’s most powerful and recognized people.” 

Vincent Choy, Co-founder of FinTech category winner Bizbaz Pte. Ltd., said, “EPiC is one of the most organized FinTech competitions that I have been in. The elevator pitch concept is genius as it forces us to compress the entirety of what we are about and distill our vision into a minute. I hope EPiC lets more companies know what we do and help with recognition in the region. We see Hong Kong as a key area when it comes to business opportunities, and we will be coming back to establish more roots here.” 

Hyde Meng, Co-Founder and CEO of PropTech category winner, Roboticplus.AI, said, “EPiC was an amazing experience. It was a great opportunity to learn about what technology companies around the world are working on, and to make new acquaintances in a such a short amount of time. With Hong Kong as a connector, we can bring Mainland China’s technology to Europe, the Middle East, and overseas.” 

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) was established in 2001 to create a thriving I&T ecosystem that grooms 12 unicorns, more than 14,000 research professionals and over 1,700 technology companies from 27 countries and regions focused on developing healthtech, AI and robotics, fintech, innovative city technologies, etc.