Citi Presents IdeaPOP! 2026 concludes, 90pc teams integrate AI

"Citi Presents IdeaPOP! 2026", a startup pitch competition for secondary school students in Hong Kong organized by SEED Foundation and sponsored by Citi, concluded on May 16, with KTMC bye bye from Kwun Tong Maryknoll College becoming the winner.

As artificial intelligence adoption accelerates, 90 percent of the teams incorporated AI into their solutions, and 20 percent integrated robotics.

KTMC bye bye drew inspiration from the "sound memory method" to develop an AI-driven solution that automatically converts learning content into melodies, which enables students to internalize knowledge through music while enhancing their motivation. 

Meanwhile, the Audience Vote Award went to Pop-UP! the School from St. Paul's Secondary School for its solution addressing students' health.

This year, teams developed technology-driven solutions and business plans addressing one of four social challenges: Disability Inclusion, Elderly Care, Education, and Mental Wellness and Resilience. 

The judging panel includes representatives from Citi, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Lee Hysan Foundation, VCA Capital, University of Hong Kong, PARKnSHOP (HK), and WeLab. 

" As AI transforms our world, we are proud to empower the student teams, fueling their passion and innovative spirit in responsibly using the technology to create meaningful social solutions," said Aveline San, chief executive and banking head for Citi Hong Kong.

Vicky Kong, Citi's head of Wealth for Asia North and Australia and a first-time judge for the competition, commented, "It is encouraging to see the majority of the student teams integrating AI into their proposals, as the technology continues to reshape how we live, work and innovate."

Most importantly, the students demonstrated courage, empathy, resilience, and critical thinking, which are all irreplaceable human skills in the AI era, Kong added.

Clifford Chow, vice president of Lee Hysan Foundation, noted that the solutions presented were not only technically impressive but grounded in a genuine understanding of real social needs, adding that the combination of innovation and empathy is precisely what will enable this generation to drive lasting change.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓