Official facts
Amounts, durations and eligibility come from the cited primary source and carry a verification date. Intake status and terms can still change, so recheck the current guide before applying.
Global resources
International accelerators and technology credits for Hong Kong startups
Global resources can extend runway, but investment, credits, entity structure and on-site requirements must be assessed separately.
50verified programmes
2026-08-25Last verified
Primary sourcesGovernment, official bodies, universities and programme sites
Editorial analysis
Suggested combinations are this site's analysis, not a government promise. Select by stage, cash flow, milestones and administrative cost.
Accelerators and VC
YC, Techstars and SOSV accept international teams, but legal-entity and location requirements differ.
- YC currently invests US$500k through two SAFE instruments.
- Techstars standard and Asia-Pacific terms differ.
- SOSV HAX / IndieBio target hard tech and life sciences; no one current universal cheque is asserted.
- Do not assume a Delaware flip before acceptance; confirm during investment diligence.
Cloud and developer credits
AWS, Microsoft, Google Cloud, Cloudflare, GitHub and NVIDIA publish startup support.
- Benefits are tiered by stage, funding and ecosystem affiliation.
- Higher tiers often require an approved investor or incubator referral.
- Credits have expiry, product scope, overage billing and one-time limits.
- NVIDIA Inception is no-equity but publishes no universal cash or credit amount.
Can a Hong Kong company apply?
Worldwide eligibility often includes Hong Kong, but never guarantees acceptance.
- Check service territory, age, round and product eligibility.
- Consultancies, agencies, blogs and ordinary media are excluded by several cloud programmes.
- Investment programmes may require an approved foreign entity or restructuring.
Official facts
Programme matrix
Compare instrument, stage, published support, equity and matching. N/A means no universal rule was published, not that there is no restriction.
High-risk amount and eligibility fields retain their verified canonical English wording so translation does not alter the rule; names, summaries and fit guidance are localized.
| Programme | Type / Stage | Published support | Equity / Matching | Best for | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS ActivateAmazon Web Services AWS service credits based on stage and ecosystem affiliation; they are not cash for payroll or other vendors. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| Service creditIdea / Pre-MVP / MVP / Pre-seed / Seed / Early growthActive | Activate Founders up to US$5,000; Activate Portfolio up to US$200,000 with an eligible provider Org ID | Equity: NoMatching: No | Technology startups building on AWS and reducing infrastructure burn. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| Cloudflare for StartupsCloudflare Tiered Cloudflare product credits with product caps, exclusions and automatic overage billing rules. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| Service creditMVP / Pre-seed / Seed / Early growthActive | US$10,000, US$100,000 or up to US$350,000 credits depending on tier | Equity: NoMatching: No | Product technology companies using edge compute, security, storage or AI infrastructure. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| Cyberport Accelerator Support Programme (CASP)Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited Partial reimbursement for eligible Cyberport companies admitted to an endorsed accelerator. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| AcceleratorSeed / Early growth / Series A / Scale-upActive | Up to HK$300,000 | Equity: NoMatching: Published subsidy rates vary by expense category, commonly 75% and 50% | Cyberport companies entering an external accelerator and incurring eligible programme or market costs. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| GitHub for StartupsGitHub Partner-referred GitHub platform credits for externally funded early-stage companies. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| Service creditPre-seed / Seed / Early growthActive | US$10,000 in flexible GitHub platform credits | Equity: NoMatching: No | Engineering teams needing Enterprise, Copilot, Actions and security tooling. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| Google for Startups Cloud ProgramGoogle Cloud Tiered Google Cloud credits based on MVP, funding and AI profile; qualifying institutional capital matters for Scale. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| Service creditMVP / Pre-seed / Seed / Early growthActive | Start tier up to US$2,000; Scale tier up to US$200,000, or up to US$350,000 for eligible AI startups | Equity: NoMatching: No | Digital-native startups with a product roadmap using Google Cloud or Gemini. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| Global Fast TrackInvest Hong Kong InvestHK business matching, pitching and market-readiness support; the official programme is not presented as a cash grant. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| Market expansionSeed / Early growth / Series A / Scale-upActive | N/A | Equity: NoMatching: No | Scalable companies seeking Asian customers, partners, investors or a Hong Kong landing point. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| InvestHK startup and landing supportInvest Hong Kong Free setup, expansion and ecosystem guidance for overseas and Mainland companies; this is not cash funding. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| Advisory / matchingIdea / Pre-MVP / MVP / Pre-seed / Seed / Early growthActive | N/A | Equity: NoMatching: No | International founders entering Hong Kong and needing setup context or ecosystem introductions. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| Microsoft for StartupsMicrosoft Azure credits, technical guidance and go-to-market resources for private startups that own a software product. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| Service creditMVP / Pre-seed / Seed / Early growthActive | Investor Network referrals may unlock up to US$150,000 in Azure credits; approved offer varies | Equity: NoMatching: No | B2B, software or AI product startups building on Azure. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| NVIDIA InceptionNVIDIA A free, no-equity AI startup ecosystem programme; the public page does not promise one universal cash or credit amount. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| Advisory / matchingMVP / Pre-seed / Seed / Early growthActive | N/A | Equity: NoMatching: No | Incorporated companies building AI, data-science or accelerated-computing products. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| SOSV HAX / IndieBioSOSV Global hard-tech and life-science programmes; cheque size, location and entity structure depend on the selected programme. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| AcceleratorIdea / Pre-MVP / MVP / Pre-seed / SeedActive | N/A | Equity: YesMatching: No | Teams needing specialist hardware, laboratory or biotechnology infrastructure and networks. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| Techstars Accelerator ProgramsTechstars Three-month accelerators with published standard investment terms; foreign entity treatment depends on programme diligence. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| AcceleratorMVP / Pre-seed / SeedActive | Standard programmes: US$220,000; Asia-Pacific programmes: US$120,000 under current published terms | Equity: YesMatching: No | Early technology companies seeking intensive mentorship, corporate access and an international financing network. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
| Y CombinatorY Combinator A global accelerator investing through two SAFE instruments and running an in-person cohort; applications are worldwide. Eligibility, payment and double-funding details
| AcceleratorIdea / Pre-MVP / MVP / Pre-seed / SeedActive | US$500,000: US$125,000 for 7% plus US$375,000 on an uncapped MFN SAFE | Equity: YesMatching: No | High-growth technology startups willing to join the San Francisco cohort and accept the standard SAFE deal. | Official sourceLast verified: 2026-08-25 |
Editorial analysis
Strategy combinations by company type
Solve the company's most real constraint first; the number of applications is not the goal.
AI / Software / SaaS
Validate demand cheaply and use cloud credits before choosing HKSTP, Cyberport or institutional capital.
- Illustrative route
- Founder capital → MVP plus cloud credits → one primary incubator → RTH or ESS after real R&D and hiring needs → equity after traction.
- Key caution
- Do not build a heavy team to chase subsidies; the same cloud bill, payroll or R&D cost cannot be claimed twice.
Deep tech / Hardware / Robotics
Separate university or laboratory R&D, prototyping, trials and production-line work into distinct funding stages.
- Illustrative route
- Technology and IP → university/TSSSU or HKSTP → prototype and patent → ESS/RTH → public trial → smart production line → specialist VC.
- Key caution
- R&D, trial and production-line awards have different scopes; budget for hardware cash flow and reimbursement timing.
Biotech / HealthTech
Build the stack around university IP, laboratory access, regulation and a long R&D cycle.
- Illustrative route
- University IP or licence → Incu-Bio or TSSSU → RTH/ESS → validation and trials → specialist biotech capital.
- Key caution
- Laboratory, clinical and regulatory costs are not automatically eligible; a headline incubator amount does not replace a detailed plan.
FinTech
Cyberport and InvestHK can provide incubation, institutional connections and financing access; a regulatory sandbox is a test route, not funding.
- Illustrative route
- Define compliance → Cyberport prototype/incubation → institutional pilot or regulatory test → acceleration and matching → equity.
- Key caution
- Resolve licensing, data and financial-regulation questions early; never present sandbox admission as a grant.
Visa and long-term status planning
Entrepreneurship does not automatically create immigration status
Forming or operating a Hong Kong company does not automatically qualify anyone for a visa, extension or permanent residence. Entrepreneurship may form part of an individual case, but the Immigration Department decides on the actual facts.
Quality Migrant Admission SchemeAn admission route for highly skilled or talented applicants.Top Talent Pass SchemeA talent route for high-income applicants and eligible university graduates.Immigration Arrangements for Non-local GraduatesA work and stay route for non-local graduates of Hong Kong institutions.General Employment PolicyAn employment route generally based on a genuine professional role with a Hong Kong employer.Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and ProfessionalsAn employment route for Mainland residents with skills or experience needed in Hong Kong.Hong Kong permanent residence and right of abodeUnderstand ordinary residence, the seven-year requirement and long-term status planning.