Two start-ups from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) have been honoured at the “2023 Deloitte Hong Kong Technology Fast and Rising Star” awards. The awards aim to identify and recognise fast-growing and innovative local companies that promote the development of innovation and technology ecosystems in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and beyond. One of the the CityU start-ups was recognised for its innovative liquid biopsy technology for accurate cancer diagnosis and disease monitoring, and for its high revenue growth rate. The other start-up was recognised for its expertise in electricity-free cooling technology, which is helping to facilitate the global transition to carbon neutrality.

The two winning start-ups, Cellomics and i2Cool, were both founded based on research developed by CityU. Cellomics received the "2023 Deloitte Hong Kong Technology Fast Award” for its remarkable performance in sustained innovation and an impressive revenue growth rate over the past three years. i2Cool was recognised as a “2023 Deloitte Hong Kong Rising Star” for its leading position in its sector and high growth potential.

Both start-ups have applied CityU’s research and received funding from the Technology Start-Up Support Scheme for Universities (TSSSU) and were selected as one of the “Forbes Asia 100 to Watch”. Cellomics was also selected as one of “Top 50 Biotech Enterprises” in 2022 and 2023 by KPMG China. The company has received investment from CityU Enterprises Limited and incubated by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. i2Cool is a start-up nurtured by “HK Tech 300”, a large-scale flagship innovation and entrepreneurship programme organised by CityU, and has received seed and angel funding from the programme to support the company’s product development and growth.

Professor Freddy Boey, CityU President, extended his congratulations to the start-ups. “CityU is committed to translating scientific research into practical applications, further promoting innovation and entrepreneurship development. Through HK Tech 300 and the newly established CityU Academy of Innovation, CityU will continue to build a leading innovation and technology ecosystem to nurture young entrepreneurs, incubate deep-tech start-ups and foster university-industry collaboration in the city and the region,” he said.

Both Cellomics and i2Cool are honoured to receive this recognition. Cellomics was co-founded by Professor Michael Yang, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityU and Chair Professor of Department of Biomedical Sciences and his research team in 2017. CEO of Cellomics, Mr Andy Liu, expressed his gratitude to Deloitte China for awarding the honour of “2023 Hong Kong Technology Fast” award to Cellomics. He reiterated the company’s commitment to providing efficient precision oncology products and services, with a goal of contributing to the early diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and ultimately, to the improvement of human health.

Dr Martin Chu, CEO and Co-Founder of i2Cool and a CityU PhD graduate, said, “This award not only affirms and encourages the i2Cool team, but also recognises our commitment to sustainable development and innovative technology in the field of electricity-free cooling. We will continue to strive for a low-carbon and sustainable future.”

Mr Edward Au, Deloitte China Southern Region Managing Partner, said, “The 2023 Deloitte Hong Kong Technology Fast and Rising Star winners have all shown remarkable growth
and potential to scale up even further through innovation. They come from a vast range of sectors – from AI-based vision intelligence, digital engineering, laser sensing and micro-LED displays, to Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS), precision medicine and medical robotics, reflecting the expansive innovation and diversity of Hong Kong's tech ecosystem.”

The “2023 Deloitte Hong Kong Technology Fast and Rising Star” awards ceremony was held on 26 January. A total of 15 local high-growth companies were honoured with the “2023 Deloitte Hong Kong Technology Fast” award, while 20 start-ups that have achieved outstanding performance within a relatively short period of operation received the “2023 Deloitte Hong Kong Rising Star” accolade.

About the two start-ups

Cellomics

Cellomics was founded in 2017 by CityU research team. With its headquarter and research in Hong Kong, and development and production in Shenzhen, the company specialises in liquid biopsy technology for early cancer screening and disease management, and is recognised as a high-tech enterprise by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Cellomics offers a series of NMPA-approved and CE-marked products which are used in over 40 hospitals in mainland China.

Cellomics has received funding from the University Technology Start-up Support Scheme (TSSSU) and CityU Enterprises Limited, and incubated by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. The company has also received investment from well-known venture capitals, private equity funds, and listed healthcare companies in Hong Kong and Shenzhen.

i2Cool

i2Cool is a technology-based start-up that was incubated with the CityU HK Tech 300 programme’s seed and angel funding, and has won multiple innovation and technology awards. The company was founded based on research developed by CityU and has developed a patented environmentally friendly passive radiative cooling paint for energy saving and decarbonisation to achieve net-zero buildings. The technology provides cooling capabilities and energy-saving potential for buildings and can help reduce carbon emissions.
The technology has been applied to various types of buildings and extended to school buildings and sub-divided units in collaboration with NGOs to improve the environment for underprivileged groups in society. It has been applied in various countries and regions, including Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the America.