NovaX Global Investmatch Carnival 2025: Where Top Minds Gathered and Over 1,000 Investment Matches Facilitated

HONG KONG – The NovaX Global Investmatch Carnival 2025 was successfully convened at the AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong, from June 30 to July 1.

Hosted by Innovating Hong Kong, the event received government support from the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government. The Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE) served as the strategic partner, while InvestHK, Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, Hong Kong Tourism Board, and Financial Services Development Council served as supporting organisations. China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC) served as the official partner, while Hong Kong Gathering Talents Limited and 36Kr served as the special co-hosts.

Under the theme TOGETHER LET'S RAISE FUND!, the event attracted participation from over 300 global investment institutions and 300 innovative enterprises, and nearly 10,000 professional attendees, collectively exploring new opportunities at the intersection of frontier technology and capital synergies.

Government Backing Powers I&T Development

The Chief Executive of the HKSAR, Mr. John LEE Ka-chiu, GBM, SBS, PDSM, PMSM, sent an inscription for the event, highlighting the HKSAR Government's firm resolve to "drive economic transformation through technology" and expressing ardent expectations for NovaX to foster a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At the Opening Ceremony, Ms. Lillian CHEONG Man-lei, JP, Under Secretary for the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau of the HKSAR Government, stated: "Leveraging its transparent regulatory framework and global connectivity, Hong Kong is accelerating the market-driven transformation of global innovation resources."

Mr. Joseph CHAN Ho-lim, JP, Under Secretary for the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau of the HKSAR Government, attended the main stage forum titled Regulatory Innovation and Asset Evolution: The Asian Opportunities in the Web3 Era, discussing Hong Kong's prospects and global trends in the Web3 era.

Mr. HO Kai-ming, JP, Under Secretary for the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the HKSAR Government, also attended the event, engaging with attendees and exchanging insights on the innovation-driven future.

Three Dedicated Stages Fostering In-Depth Venture Exchange

Featuring non-stop panel discussions and pitch sessions across three distinct stage areas, Main Stage, Media Stage, and Founder Stage, the carnival served as a high-energy platform where global dignitaries, distinguished guests, scholars and investors exchanged ideas, matched resources, and explored win-win collaborations.

At the Main Stage, leading investment firms including CICC, Hony Capital, and Fosun Wealth, joined along scholars from the University of Hong Kong, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Hong Kong Polytechnic University for in-depth dialogues on trending fields like Artificial Intelligence (AI), green tech, and Web3.0.

During the Opening Ceremony at the Main Stage, Innovating Hong Kong, the organisers, in collaboration with 36Kr, unveiled the Most Valuable Investment Start-up Award on live. Twenty companies made the list, including Direct Drive Tech, Archifiction, DaFang AI, WiseLaw, Yuji Technology, CraneR Technology, Fleming MedLab, R2C2, and CoreVision Global Technologies (see image above for full list of awardees).

Additionally, Mr. Steve GAO, Executive Chairman of the Hong Kong Young Scientist Association, announced the "Hong Kong Unicorn Index Report 2025" during the opening ceremony. This list spotlighted new, Hong Kong-based unicorns specialising in hard-tech sectors like AI, robotics, biotech, and new energy, providing global investors authoritative references while showcasing Hong Kong's prowess as an international I&T hub.

The Media Stage crafted as a dynamic platform for cross-border tech dialogue, featuring partners including 36Kr and MedTech World. Through thematic forums on topics from oversea expansion, tech globalisation, to biopharmaceuticals, equipping startups with actionable roadmaps and strategies for international scaling.

The Founder Stage adopted a revolutionary "10-minute pitch" format, creating a high-velocity investment platform for nearly 100 high-potential tech projects. Featured segments included a “RAISe+ Special Session” and six popular tracks. The project pipelines combined those selected by top-tier institutions such as the University of Hong Kong, Tsinghua University, and CICC and those stood out from open-applications. Each session attracted over 100 renowned investors, facilitating rapid-fire capital-innovation matchmaking.

Efficient Matching: 1,600 Investment Deals Facilitated

The carnival’s pioneering “1-on-1 Speed Matching”, powered by AI, leveraging an intelligent matching system where investors and startups conducted an impressive number of 1,600 matches over two days – averaging one connection every four minutes.  

At the Founder Stage’s pitch sessions, multiple ventures secured funding opportunities through a virtual Letter of Intent (LOI) bidding mechanism, significantly compressing the investment decision cycles.

Hard-Tech Exhibition Zone: Where Innovation Takes Physical Form

The carnival assembled nearly 300 companies spanning high-growth sectors like AI, biopharma, and fintech. Leading innovative firms such as China Railway Construction Corporation, i2cool, Castor Construction Robotics, vizper.ai, and GAMSING Technology showcased their live demos, from robotic construction to AI-powered healthcare, vividly illustrating the potential of technology to transform lives and drawing crowds of investors for deep-dive discussions.

NovaX+ Global Welcome Reception & Venture Capital Gala: Top Minds Explore the Future of the GBA

Held on June 29 at The St. Regis Hong Kong, the NovaX+ Venture Capital Gala brought together top minds to discuss Hong Kong’s strategic opportunities within the development of the GBA. Prominent guests included Dr. GE Ming, Commissioner for Industry (Innovation and Technology) of the HKSAR Government; Mr. Nicholas CHAN Hiu-fung, BBS, MH, JP, Deputy to the National People's Congress and Chairman of ITVF Advisory Committee of the HKSAR Government; Ir. Allen YEUNG Tak-bun, JP, Deputy to the National People's Congress; Mr. Raymond ZHAO, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Organising Committee of NovaX Global Investmatch Carnival; and Co-Founders of the carnival Mr. Clarence LING and Mr. Steve GAO. The dialogue centred on emerging venture capital opportunities with emphasis on cross-border tech commercialisation and policy synergies.

HKTE Driving Deep Collaboration, Powering I&T Ecosystem Development

As the strategic partner of the NovaX Global Investmatch Carnival, the Hong Kong Talent Engage (HKTE), an office under the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the HKSAR Government, played an integral role throughout the carnival. Under their strategic partnership, the NovaX Welcome Reception was successfully held on the afternoon of June 29 at The St. Regis Hong Kong.

Mr. Anthony LAU, Director of HKTE of the HKSAR Government, delivered a keynote speech titled "Hong Kong — A World of Opportunities" to 50+ government representatives, entrepreneurs, and investors from Mainland China, HKSAR, and overseas. His speech detailed the features and application procedures of the Top Talent Pass Scheme, with its unique benefits and streamlined application, reinforcing Hong Kong’s appeal as a global hub for innovation and technology talent.

The event further featured shared experiences from Mr. Jovan Trajceski, Co-Chair of the Innovation Committee of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, and Ms. Celia DING, Founder and CEO of BrightPath Holdings, who offered practical guidance for overseas professionals navigating Hong Kong’s innovation ecosystem and equipping attendees with actionable strategies to access their success stories here in Hong Kong.

At the main carnival with their dedicated exhibition booth, HKTE provided attendees with detailed briefings on Hong Kong’s talent admission schemes while offering personalised consultation services.

Beyond that, HKTE co-hosted the panel “Age of AI-Native Innovation; From Breakthrough Models to Real-World Application”, featuring insights from Youth Founders Network, the largest non-profit community for young founders under 25 in Germany, to underscore Hong Kong’s role as a global innovation nexus. Through these multifaceted efforts, from policy education, resource matchmaking, to cross-border knowledge exchange, HKTE drove meaningful integration of international talent and capital into Hong Kong’s thriving I&T ecosystem.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Raymond ZHAO concluded: "This event, through public-private collaboration and cross-border resource integration, reaffirms Hong Kong's position as Asia's innovation transformer".

The NovaX Global Investmatch Carnival has successfully redefined collaborative innovation by forging unprecedented synergies between government policy support and market-driven forces through its pioneering public-private partnerships and cross-border initiatives. This year’s event created a new, transformative paradigm for regional innovation and development, offering a replicable template for efficient global resource matching within the tech ecosystem, and further validated Hong Kong's irreplaceable role as a bridge connecting Mainland China with global innovation resources.