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HKU spin-off company Fano Labs Limited has been selected as one of the top five winning teams in the Jumpstarter 2020 Global Pitch Competition organised by Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund. More than 500 teams from all over the world participate in the competition. The top five teams are awarded up to US$5 million in investment commitments, as well as a total cash prize of US$100,000.

Fano Labs Limited is an HKU spin-off company with a start-up fund provided by the HKU Technology Start-up Support Scheme (TSSSU). It is a deep tech startup company utilising artificial intelligence technologies to provide professional solutions and customer services on speech and natural language processing to enterprises. It is regarded as one of the best language AI companies in the Asia Pacific region.

Meanwhile, HKU student team ClearBot has won the championship in Jumpstarter IDEAPOP!, a pitching competition for students from universities in Hong Kong. ClearBot is an artificial intelligence-driven robotic system that automatically collects plastic waste in water, providing a solution to dispose of marine waste plastic.

Jumpstarter 2020 is a global competition organised by Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, with HSBC as the title sponsor and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) as a co-organiser. It is held on 11 and 12 February 2020, which provides a startup platform for young entrepreneurs to achieve their entrepreneurial dreams.

About Jumpstarter
The Jumpstarter is a not-for-profit initiative from the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund. It is considered as the world’s largest online pitch contest for startups. The competition’s 40 finalists, shortlisted from over 2,000 applicants in the retail, fintech, smart cities and deep technology categories, present their ideas to a judging panel comprising leaders from various industries. The top five teams would be awarded up to US$5 million in investment commitments, as well as a total cash prize of US$100,000.

The other award Jumpstarter IDEAPOP! is a pitching competition for students from universities in Hong Kong. It aims to nurture the next generation with an entrepreneurial mindset. Participants will undergo pitching training to learn best practices for jump-starting a business plan, network with industry leaders, and interact with other young entrepreneurs. It is a startup experience programme organised by Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, together with Hong Kong Federation of Business Students (HKFBS) and Social Ventures Hong Kong (SVhk).

About Technology Transfer Office, HKU
The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) manages the use of the intellectual property assets of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) by providing patenting, licensing, and other commercialisation support to the University's researchers. Acting as the bridge linking HKU to society in the area of technology commercialisation, TTO facilitates industries and businesses to access HKU's powerhouse of knowledge, innovation, and expertise through close collaboration. (Website: http://www.tto.hku.hk)

About iDendron
iDendron is the HKU Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub. It was launched in 2017 with the aim of nurturing entrepreneurial and innovative spirit on campus, incubating HKU early-stage startups, establishing interdisciplinary cooperation and engaging the community to support human endeavors and society developments. It also serves as a co-working space, event space, and collaborative community for students, alumni, staff and friends. This is the enabling partner for entrepreneurs, innovators and pioneers. (Website: https://idendron.hku.hk)

Media enquiry:
Communication and Public Affairs Office, HKU
Ms Melanie Wan (Tel: 2859 2600 / Email: melwkwan@hku.hk)

Technology Transfer Office, HKU
Ms Joanne Cho (Tel: 2299 0177 / Email: joanne@tto.hku.hk)