Singapore’s NEU Battery Materials wins top prize as record 1,200 global start-ups converge on Kai Tak, reinforcing Hong Kong’s status as an international innovation hub
Singapore’s NEU Battery Materials clinched the top prize at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation’s (HKSTP) EPIC 2025 Presented by Cathay and HSBC last Friday as the flagship start-up pitching competition drew a record 1,200 local and overseas start-ups to the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.
Presented by Cathay and HSBC, the competition’s ninth edition, brought together founders from more than 70 economies, with 87 per cent of participants from outside Hong Kong.
Over US$105 million in targeted investment funding and US$240,000 in cash prizes were on offer across three tracks – Green Tech, Digital Health Tech and FinTech, making it the most globally diverse and competitive EPIC to date.
NEU Battery Materials, which also won the Green Tech category, impressed judges with the world’s first patented electrochemical recycling method for lithium batteries.
The Singapore-based climate tech start-up has developed a sustainable process that recovers lithium and graphite from used batteries without the need for high heat or harsh chemicals, helping to close the loop in the electric vehicle supply chain and reduce environmental waste.
Besides overall champion NEU Battery Materials, Canada’s KA Imaging Inc won the Digital Health Tech track with a spectral X-ray system that can separate soft tissue and bone, enabling faster and more accurate medical imaging. The technology has potential to transform medical imaging by enabling faster, more accurate diagnoses.
In the FinTech category, Singapore’s Belli was recognised for its aviation software designed to help airlines optimise cargo space, tackling a long-standing inefficiency where up to 85 per cent of flights operate below capacity.
Each track winner received US$20,000 and took part in over 200 business matching sessions during EPIC Week, which also featured tech showcases and Greater Bay Area visits.
“It’s really 60 seconds that change my life,” said Bryan Oh, founder and chief executive of NEU Battery Materials, speaking to The Standard right after his win.
“The network that EPIC has brought us is immense; the investors, the ecosystem and the people we’ve met here have been fantastic.”Oh said the experience had shown how Hong Kong could help a start-up scale internationally.
“It gave us a real sense of how Hong Kong can take a start-up from 1 to 100. Apart from the competition itself, there’s the access to capital markets, regional networks and incentives for innovation.”
He added that the prize money would go into research, development and expansion across Asia, Europe and North America. “It’s not just a win for us – it’s a sign that Hong Kong is where ideas really take off.”
At the Grand Finale, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po called EPIC “an iconic global innovation event” that showcased Hong Kong’s strength as a launchpad for technology ventures.
“The beauty of EPIC isn’t just about crowning winners,” he said. “It’s about giving founders and dreamers a stage to share their ideas, ambitions and vision for the future.”
“And here in Hong Kong, we have a full spectrum of financing options – from angel investors and venture capital to public markets – ready to support high-potential ventures.”
Chan noted that Hong Kong now hosts more than 4,700 start-ups, up 500 on last year, and pointed to the Northern Metropolis as the city’s “future innovation engine”.
The district, he said, would connect closely with Shenzhen and Guangzhou, forming the world’s number one innovation cluster, according to the World Intellectual Property Organisation.
Sunny Chai, chairman of HKSTP, said EPIC 2025 was a vivid example of how Hong Kong’s connectivity was being turned into momentum for innovation.
“Hong Kong’s strength lies in being a gateway that attracts overseas founders, linking them with mainland partners and scaling their ideas across Asia,” he said. “EPIC 2025 shows how we are helping ideas move and grow across borders.”
He added that the city’s innovation ecosystem now offered the infrastructure, expertise and networks that international entrepreneurs needed to thrive.
Terry Wong, chief executive officer of HKSTP, described EPIC as “Asia’s flagship event for innovation and technology” and said Hong Kong’s ecosystem was earning worldwide confidence.
“This year’s record participation is a powerful testament to Hong Kong’s magnetic pull as a global tech hub. Our soft-landing programme has already helped overseas start-ups register their businesses here and begin operations,” he said.
Wong also cited plans for INNOPOLE, the 20 hectares of new innovation land in the Northern Metropolis’s San Tin Technopole to drive deep tech such as AI and cross-border collaboration.
“EPIC is a catalyst for industry transformation and a platform for the world’s brightest minds.”
Hilda Chan, chief marketing officer at HKSTP, described the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, once the city’s international airport, as the perfect setting.
“Only the boldest pilots once landed here, and that same spirit of daring defines our entrepreneurs today. EPIC is their runway for take-off.”
Asked about his journey from the elevator pitch to the winner’s podium, NEU Battery Materials founder Bryan Oh said the experience showed how powerful belief and opportunity can be when they come together in the right place at the right time.
“For us, Hong Kong is that place,” he said.
