HKUST-Nurtured Startups Triumph at the HICOOL 2026 Global Entrepreneur Summit and Entrepreneurship Competition

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) nurtured startups showcased their innovations at the HICOOL 2026 Global Entrepreneur Summit and Entrepreneurship Competition and seized four prestigious accolades: the Overseas Group Championship, First Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize. This achievement not only underscores HKUST’s strong capabilities in deep-tech and cutting-edge innovation but also highlights the immense commercialization potential of its research breakthroughs to a global audience of industry leaders and investors. It further reinforces the University’s leadership in innovation and technology, leveraging research excellence to accelerate industry advancement and generate meaningful societal impact.

As a premier annual event for global entrepreneurial talent, HICOOL 2026 took place in Beijing from August 26 to 29 this year, drawing over 10,000 startup projects from 141 countries and regions, alongside about 600 exhibitors. Among the innovators at the exhibition were eleven HKUST-nurtured startup teams, founded by faculty, students, and alumni. They presented a diverse range of innovations, including an Al-powered pathology platform enabling precision cancer care; AI-enabled chip design and process technologies; eco-friendly metamaterial soundproof wall panel; long-acting water purifiers for black-odorous water restoration; an edge-native agentic AI platform for safeguarding pharmaceutical IP data security; a wearable metabolic rate and thermal comfort sensing system; sensors with aerospace-grade measurement accuracy; an underwater robot for cleaning ship propellers; bionic immune cell technology; multimodal whole-body electronic skin; and spatial intelligence infrastructure. These groundbreaking innovations highlight HKUST’s excellence in innovation and technology, as well as its strong track record in translating research outcomes into real-world applications.

In addition, three HKUST-nurtured startups achieved outstanding performance in the entrepreneurship competition. Among them, Dr. YAN Zhaoxu, PhD graduate in Microelectronics of the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering of HKUST and Co-founder of Mosense Technology, together with his team, was awarded the Overseas Group Championship and First Prize. The project is the world’s first multimodal whole-body electronic skin based on electromagnetic metamaterial mechanics. Its flagship product, Moskin, is a full-body electronic skin that precisely detects distributed 3D tactile information, including force magnitude, direction, slip, static friction, material, and temperature. Featuring high sensitivity, fatigue resistance, low cost, and a high degree of integration, the technology enables robots to achieve sensing capabilities that closely resemble those of human skin. This technology has broad application potential across embodied intelligence, consumer electronics, and medical devices. The company has also secured angel-round funding from leading investment institutions, providing strong momentum for business expansion.

Skyland Innovation, the startup incubated by the HKUST-led Hong Kong Center for Construction Robotics, has been recognized as a National High-Tech Enterprise. Founded by Dr. PAN Jie, MPhil graduate of the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering of HKUST, the team secured the Overseas Group Second Prize for their spatial intelligence infrastructure project. Their core technologies include 3D laser scanner and indoor autonomous inspection drones. These innovations serve diverse application scenarios such as embodied intelligence, robotics, intelligent construction, and industrial intelligent inspection.

Prof. TSENG Man-Chun, Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering of HKUST; Dr. CHENG Yuechu, PhD student and co-founder of OSenze Technology Limited, and their team developed the project “LightSkin: Optical Tactile Robotic Skin,” which won Third Prize in the Overseas Group. This innovative technology converts contact, pressure, and slip information into high-density tactile data, providing a new sensing foundation for robotic tactile sensing, smart wearables, and human-machine interaction.

At today’s keynote forum themed on source of innovation, Dr. Shin Cheul KIM, Associate Vice-President for Research and Development (Knowledge Transfer) of HKUST, highlighted the University’s significant achievements in knowledge transfer over the years. Dr. Kim noted that HKUST has actively built a diverse array of interdisciplinary research platforms to foster excellence in research and innovation. Currently, the University hosts three State Key Laboratories, leads five research centers under the InnoHK research clusters, and operates approximately 60 research institutes and centers, supporting HKUST community’s pursuit of cutting-edge research and technological advancement. To date, 19 HKUST-led projects have received funding through the HKSAR Government’s Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme, with total funding exceeding HKD1.85 billion.

Dr. Kim further noted that HKUST was among the first universities in Hong Kong to champion entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education. Since establishing the HKUST Entrepreneurship Center in 1999, the University has been committed to fostering a vibrant innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Supported by a range of venture capital initiatives, including the Redbird Innovation Fund and the HKUST Entrepreneurship Fund, HKUST provides startups with end-to-end support throughout their entrepreneurial journey, from ideation and prototype development to product launch and commercialization. The University also actively facilitates collaboration between startups and industry partners.

Beyond nurturing entrepreneurial talent and driving innovation through platforms such as the Founders’ Club, the One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition, and Unicorn Day, HKUST has launched InnoBay, a deep-tech incubation hub at its Clear Water Bay campus, which began operations last year. The facility provides high-quality co-working space and dedicated support for startups, streamlining the journey from IP creation to company formation. Building on the success of this model, HKUST is now expanding its innovation and entrepreneurship footprint to several key cities across Chinese Mainland.

Dr. Kim concluded by highlighting the encouraging results of HKUST’s innovation and entrepreneurship efforts. To date, members of the HKUST community have founded over 2,000 active startups, including 11 Unicorns and 22 exits (IPO or M&A). HKUST also boasts a patent utilization rate of 33%, comparable to that of leading universities in Europe and North America, underscoring the University’s strong capability in translating world-class research into real-world impact.