Hong Kong Backs 10 Startups Solving Health and Climate Crises

Ten startups working on everything from cancer treatment to children's foot health are about to get serious help breaking into global markets. Hong Kong's Start-up Express program just opened its 2026 application round, and if last year's winners are any indication, the next wave of health and climate innovation is coming from this corner of Asia.

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council runs the program, which selects 10 early-stage companies each year and connects them with training, mentors, promotional opportunities, and investors. Applications are open until April 28 for companies founded since 2019 that have raised less than $10 million and focus on areas like health tech, fintech, sustainable technology, or smart city solutions.

The 2025 winners show where real breakthroughs are happening. ACTuWISE, founded by nurses at Chinese University of Hong Kong, built an AI-powered mental health platform that delivers personalized emotional support using proven therapy techniques. As mental health crises continue affecting workplaces and communities worldwide, employers and healthcare providers are adopting these scalable digital tools.

AniTech developed an AI system that screens drugs for toxicity and predicts effectiveness earlier in development, potentially cutting years off the timeline to get new treatments to patients. The company also created a platform that detects neurological disorders by analyzing brainwave patterns.

CELLmeric, another university spinoff, invented a safer way to modify genes for cancer immunotherapy. Their virus-free system produces CAR-T cells that fight blood cancers and solid tumors, addressing safety concerns that have slowed adoption of cell-based therapies.

Entoptica created a portable device called SLOPE that detects early-stage retinal diseases like macular degeneration using quantum-inspired light techniques. The tool works in routine eye exams and catches disease markers earlier and cheaper than traditional imaging methods.

Some winners are tackling problems that affect daily life. Digitoe made smart insoles that monitor how children walk, then use AI to create personalized 3D-printed orthotics that correct gait issues before they cause long-term mobility problems. The technology was validated through partnerships with Queen Mary Hospital and the University of Hong Kong.

RT Healthtech is working on bionic muscle systems that restore motor function in people with neurological damage by reading brain signals. The company is also exploring how the technology could work in sports, education, and adaptive devices for everyday activities.

The Ripple Effect

These companies represent a broader shift in how innovation happens. University research labs are spinning out real products, governments are investing in early-stage ventures with global ambitions, and regions once known mainly as financial centers are becoming hubs for breakthrough medical and environmental technologies.

Hong Kong's program specifically targets companies ready to scale internationally, connecting them with partners across Asia and beyond. By supporting ventures that address universal challenges like mental health, disease detection, and mobility, the initiative is helping solutions reach the millions of people who need them.

The path from lab to market is notoriously difficult for startups, especially in regulated fields like healthcare. Programs that provide structured mentorship, investor access, and promotional support can mean the difference between a promising technology staying local or reaching global scale.

Each cohort brings forward solutions that seemed impossible a decade ago: AI that predicts drug safety, insoles that prevent childhood mobility issues, portable devices that catch blindness early. The 2026 winners will likely push boundaries even further.