The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) held the ‘Online Final Pitching of the Education and Social Entrepreneurs Fund (EASE Fund)’ today (4 March). The event was designed to determine 12 winning start-up teams, made up of EdUHK students, staff members and/or alumni, to receive a total of HK$7.2 million in seed funding. The University will offer professional guidance, training and resources that worth HK$3.8 million to help entrepreneurs realise their dreams.

The EASE Fund was established in 2018 and is intended to promote an innovative and entrepreneurial culture. It provides seed funding to the EdUHK community to nurture entrepreneurship as a means of transferring knowledge for the betterment of society. A total of 45 applications were received for 2021 and 2022, and 12 winning teams were selected after two rounds of screening.

EdUHK Vice President (Research and Development) Professor Chetwyn Chan Che-hin commended the outstanding performance of the participating teams. He said, “The themes presented by the start-up teams are all-encompassing, covering education technology, mental health, cultural conservation and environmental protection. They have applied innovative thinking and a human touch in response to societal issues.” He added that the University will continue to collaborate with different stakeholders to promote and establish an environment conducive to innovation and entrepreneurship.

This year, the EASE Fund received matching funds from the Youth Development Fund administered by the Youth Development Commission, under the Home Affairs Bureau to further support EdUHK staff, students and alumni interested in starting a business in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Supporting measures included over 120 hours of workshops on entrepreneurship, with tips on writing a business plan, pitching skills and entrepreneurial strategies in the GBA. An online-to-offline platform was also established to facilitate interdisciplinary and inter-institutional start-up team matching.

Appendix: List of the winning teams, the special award awardees and judging panel

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