Government-Backed Programs: ITC, CreateHK, InvestHK Routes

Beyond the major accelerator programmes, HK-based startups can access additional government funding through: ITC (Innovation and Technology Commission) — the ITF (Innovation and Technology Fund) provides matching grants for R&D projects, the ESS (Enterprise Support Scheme) provides up to HK$10 million for technology commercialisation, and the TSSSU (Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities) provides seed funding for university spinouts. CreateHK — focused on creative and cultural industries, offering project grants and the CreateSmart Initiative. InvestHK — not a funder but a facilitator, providing soft-landing services for overseas startups establishing operations in Hong Kong, including visa support, office space introductions, and network access. The government funding landscape is fragmented — founders should map all available programmes against their company’s stage and sector rather than applying to programmes opportunistically.