The second cohort of three start-ups gets a boost in their B2B incubation journey thanks to the Last-mile Testing Programme

HONG KONG, Nov. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Last-Mile Testing Programme (“LMTP”), organised by Hysan Development Company Limited (“Hysan”) in partnership with Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (“HKSTP”), today concluded its second edition with a Demo Day. The Demo Day showcased the innovative solutions of three shortlisted start-ups under the themes of Smart Living and Smart Sustainability. Hysan and HKSTP, which have been working in partnership since 2022, organised the LMTP as the backbone of The Community Lab, which helps start-ups refine their proof-of-concept (“PoC”) ideas and have them validated by end users in live business and industry environments ahead of full deployment.

Three start-up graduates from the Last-mile Testing Programme Cohort 2 showcase their solutions under the themes of Smart Living and Smart Sustainability and reveal their fruits of this unique B2B incubation journey. (From Left) Prof. Chris Lo, Co-Founder, Immune Materials Limited, Mr. Peter Cheung, CFO, Co-Founder, Albacastor Technology Limited, Dr. Crystal Fok, Head of STP Platform, HKSTP, Mr. Tony Ho, Chief Project Development Officer, HKSTP, Mr. Ricky Lui, Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer, Hysan Development, Ms. Julie Wong, General Manager, Sustainability, Hysan Development and Mr. Alfa Lun, Business Development Manager, Palmeco Tech Limited.

The shortlisted start-ups in the second cohort of the LMTP were Albacastor Technology Limited (“Albacastor Technology”), Immune Materials and Palmeco Tech, each of which demonstrated the potential of their concepts for contributing towards the Hong Kong Smart City Blueprint via different real-life industry scenarios. Albacastor Technology conducted a test at Hysan Place’s food court of its UVent Smart Ventilation System, which provides enhanced odour control through advanced air treatment methods. Immune Materials introduced its patented self-disinfecting vegan leather, which is being tested as a material for the public furniture at Lee Garden Two for a safer and more hygienic community environment. In response to the growing demand for retail pop-up shops, Palmeco Tech had its first trial using the reusable Palmeco Master Board to build a white box in shopping malls as an eco-friendly solution for temporary retail spaces.  

The partnership between Hysan and HKSTP has the goal of establishing a foundation for a future smart city in Hong Kong via the core values of Smart Living and Smart Sustainability. As a business incubator for a growing innovation ecosystem, HKSTP facilitates innovation through its vast pool of start-ups. Hysan, with its real estate and retail assets concentrated in the Lee Gardens Area, provides an ideal living lab for HKSTP’s tech ventures to test drive their PoCs in real-life scenarios, right in the heart of Hong Kong.

In addition to providing an authentic setting for testing and fine-tuning their PoCs, the LMTP platform offers an opportunity for the three HKSTP’s start-ups to acquire domain knowledge in real estate from Hysan’s mentors. As a result, the start-ups found that their PoCs were indeed marketable and explored new business opportunities for further development. As Hysan continues to help PoCs become commercially viable in the Lee Gardens Area, The Community Lab will help identify and connect different end users in the market and utilise successful PoCs as case studies.