Startups

Ventureport Hosts Soft Launch of InvestHK’s Fast-Track Connect

Six technology companies showcased solutions for financial research, wealth management, consumer insight and security to investors and institutions.

Updated

November 14, 2026 11:54 PM

Arnold Lau and King Leung (back row, fourth and fifth from left), Associate Directors-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, join the Ventureport team and representatives from the six technology companies. PHOTO: VENTUREPORT

Ventureport hosted the soft launch of InvestHK’s Fast-Track Connect at its AI+ Tech+ Finance+ gathering on 30 October, bringing more than 100 guests to Pier 1929 in Wan Chai.

Sponsored by InvestHK, the event brought investors, institutional representatives and technology companies together to explore investment and business partnerships. Six companies took the stage to showcase software solutions for financial professionals, consumer research, local AI computing and digital asset security.

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King Leung, Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, delivers opening remarks. PHOTO: VENTUREPORT

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Connecting companies with investors and institutions

The Acting Head of Startups, at InvestHK, Chin-yung (CY), and the Senior Vice President (Fintech), Pauline Fan, introduced Fast-Track Connect.  They explained how the agency’s international network connects it with technology companies seeking investment, customers and business opportunities in Hong Kong.

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Chin-yung (CY) Lu (left) and Pauline Fan (right) introduce InvestHK’s Fast-Track Connect. PHOTO: VENTUREPORT

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Their remarks also highlight the need for a more structured approach to build these connections. Investors need easier ways to identify companies that match their interests, while institutions seeking new technology need access to businesses whose products could support their operations or benefit their customers.  

To address this need, Fast-Track Connect provides an online platform where technology companies can publish profiles outlining their products and funding needs. Investors and corporate participants can identify relevant businesses and contact them to explore potential investments or collaborations. Service providers and community partners are also part of the platform. Alongside investors and corporate participants, these groups are designated as Champions on the platform.

Curated by InvestHK and supported by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, Fast-Track Connect builds on the Global Fast Track Programme. It aims to help local enterprises expand into Chinese Mainland, Southeast Asia and other markets.

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Guests at Ventureport’s AI+ Tech+ Finance+ gathering. PHOTO: VENTUREPORT

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Financial research and client advice

AlphaPai, an AI-powered investment research platform developed by financial technology company RabyteTech, presented tools for financial research, including gathering data, monitoring financial instruments and comparing information from corporate earnings calls.

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AlphaPai presents its AI investment research platform. PHOTO: VENTUREPORT

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At the event, the team explained how users can give research instructions in everyday language, while the software retrieves and processes information to prepare reports and presentation materials. Examples included tracking market developments and comparing company statements over time. The team also emphasised the importance of traceable sources, allowing analysts to verify the information behind their research.

A2B2.AI, a fintech startup, presented AI- powered tools designed to support investors and wealth advisers. Its specialist AI agents—software designed to carry out particular tasks—help prepare client meeting briefings, monitor financial products approaching maturity and identify market developments relevant to individual clients, according to the team.

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A2B2.AI co-founder Teresa Goh presents tools for investors and wealth advisers. PHOTO: VENTUREPORT

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For investors, the tool can help make sense of lengthy documents provided by advisers and bring information from different accounts together to assess risk exposure. For wealth professionals, the tools support preparation and follow-up around client meetings.

The team described its approach as combining AI with human expertise to support financial decision- making. It also clarified that the platform does not execute investment transactions on behalf of clients, leaving those decisions and actions in their hands.  

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Consumer insight and local AI

Preferences AI, an AI startup specialising in synthetic consumer research, presented simulated consumer profiles that businesses can use to explore how different audiences might respond to products, pricing and marketing messages. These profiles generate modelled responses rather than feedback from people directly interviewed or surveyed.

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Preferences AI co-founder Tamir Abdel-wahab discusses AI for consumer research. PHOTO: VENTUREPORT

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The company described that its profiles are grounded in population data and account for differences between local audiences Businesses can use them to explore pricing or packaging options, as well as ask follow-up questions to understand the reasons behind a particular response. The team also discussed testing its models and working with academics to help validate the approach. It said the technology could help businesses explore consumer preferences more quickly.  

ByteFuture, an AI infrastructure startup, focused on running AI on users’ own hardware. It introduced Olares, its operating system, and Olares One, a device designed to run AI models and applications locally.

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ByteFuture co-founder Shayla presents Olares, a system for running AI locally to keep data private. PHOTO: VENTUREPORT

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Its applications included personal assistance, financial research and content creation. The team argued that users handling private documents or proprietary trading strategies may prefer to retain that material on equipment they control.

A demonstration of AI-generated video illustrated creative work the team said could run locally. It also described applications and agents available through its software marketplace.

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Digital assets and agent security

PureGlobal, a fintech company, addressed digital asset custody: the systems used to safeguard access to digital assets. Its team described technology for protecting access credentials and supporting offline transactions without a conventional internet connection.

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Chief Business Officer of PureGlobal, Larry Lundy, discusses digital asset security. PHOTO: VENTUREPORT

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The presentation focused on infrastructure for institutions holding and transferring digital assets, including security under different operating conditions.

SlowMist, a blockchain security firm, examined the risks of giving AI agents permission to read information and perform tasks. Its examples included malicious instructions concealed in material an agent might encounter and attacks exploiting access granted to software.

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Tony Tan, HK Community Lead of SlowMist, discusses AI agent security. PHOTO: VENTUREPORT

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The team discussed security auditing, monitoring and investigations alongside risks arising from third-party tools and an agent’s stored information. One scenario involved exposing a wallet’s recovery phrase, which can give someone control over its assets.

Keep Reading

Deep Tech

Hong Kong Startup Bitmo Lab Rethinks the Design of Location Trackers

Bitmo Lab is testing an ultra-thin, bendable tracker built to fit inside items traditional trackers can’t

Updated

March 17, 2026 1:02 AM

Bitmo Lab's MeetSticker tracker. PHOTO: BITMO LAB

Location trackers have become everyday accessories for keys, bags and luggage. But as personal items grow slimmer and more design-focused — from minimalist wallets to passport sleeves and specialised gear — tracking them has become less straightforward. Most trackers are built as small, rigid discs that assume the presence of space, loops or compartments. That assumption has created a growing mismatch between modern product design and the technology meant to secure it.

Hong Kong–based startup Bitmo Lab is attempting to address that gap with a device called MeetSticker. Instead of the solid plastic casing typical of most trackers, MeetSticker is engineered to be flexible and ultra-thin, measuring just 0.8 millimetres thick. The bendable design allows it to sit within narrow compartments or along curved surfaces without altering the shape of the object. Rather than attaching to an item externally, it is intended to integrate discreetly inside it.

That structural shift is the core of the product’s proposition. By removing the rigid shell that defines conventional tracking hardware, MeetSticker can be placed in items that previously had no practical way to accommodate a tracker. Bitmo Lab states that the device connects through a proprietary network and a companion application compatible with both iOS and Android, positioning it as a cross-platform solution rather than one tied to a single ecosystem.

The implications extend beyond form factor. Objects without obvious attachment points — such as compact travel accessories or specialised tools — could potentially be monitored without visible add-ons. In doing so, the device broadens the scope of tracking technology into categories where aesthetics, aerodynamics or compact design matter as much as functionality.

Before moving toward retail distribution, however, the company is focusing on validation. Bitmo Lab has launched a five-week global alpha testing programme beginning February 9. Sixty participants will receive a prototype unit and early access to the app. According to the company, the programme is designed to assess durability, usability and real-world performance before a wider commercial release. Participants who provide feedback will receive a retail unit upon launch.

Such testing is particularly relevant for flexible electronics. Unlike rigid devices, bendable hardware must withstand repeated flexing, daily handling and environmental exposure. Early user data can help refine manufacturing processes and software optimisation before scaling production.

As with other connected tracking devices, privacy considerations remain part of the equation. Bitmo Lab has stated that data collected during the alpha programme will be used strictly for testing purposes and deleted once the programme concludes.

Whether flexible trackers will redefine the category will depend on how they perform outside controlled testing environments. Still, the introduction of a near-invisible, bendable tracking device reflects a broader shift in consumer technology. As everyday products become thinner and more design-conscious, the tools built to protect them may need to adapt just as seamlessly.