Eligibility

Early-growth stage:

  • Less than 5 years of operation with existing prototype / product or service
  • Startup has raised less than USD$1m
  • Tackling urban social / environmental challenges in Asia
  • Envision regional collaborations and development
  • All submissions and presentations for the Grand Final must be in English or Chinese
  • Able to attend ASIA Impact Week and Grand Finals in Hong Kong

Idea stage:

  • An original and well thought-out idea that aims to tackle urban social and environmental challenges in Asia
  • Submitting individual or teams must be from Hong Kong
  • Show related experience or knowledge on targeted social issue. Startups with pilot experiences must be less than 2 years old
  • All submissions and presentations for the Grand Final must be in English or Chinese
  • Able to attend ASIA Impact Week and Grand Finals in Hong Kong

Judging Process


Regional Judging
Mid – Late Nov, 2019
Top 22 (Early-growth stage) & top 10 (Idea stage) finalists are selected by ASIA regional partners


Second Round Judging
Late Dec, 2019
Top 11 (Early-growth stage) & top 6 (Idea stage) finalists are selected by ASIA judging panel consisting of industry experts across Asia


Grand Finals Judging
21 Feb – 6 Mar, 2020
Winners of the Grand Prize, Health Impact Award and Grand Idea Award are selected by the ASIA Grand Finals judging panel via an Online Pitch Competition.


Judging Criteria

Early-growth stage:

  1. Innovation (25%)
    – Creativity and innovation in utilizing human and capital resources to address a social need
    – Clear market differentiation from competitors and unique market position
  2. Social Impact (25%)
    – Clear definition, understanding and solution for social challenge
    – Full integration of social impact into business model – impact scales as business scales
    – Long term vision for social change – does not simply satisfy an immediate social need
  3. Commercial Potential (20%)
    – Realistically defined business model and funding strategy
    – Demonstrates potential for financial sustainability and profitability
  4. Feasibility and Scalability (20%)
    – Feasibility in executing the product / service and getting it out to the market
    – Scalability across different demographic, geographic and market settings
    – Potential for cross-sector partnerships
    – Proprietary position that offers high potential for substantial growth and impact
  5. Team strength (10%)
    – Team demonstrates knowledge and understanding of the target community
    – Team has the capabilities, expertise to execute the business plan
    – Team’s ambition, drive, passion, vision and culture

Idea stage:

  1. Innovation (40%)
    – Creativity and innovation in utilizing human and capital resources to address a social need
    – Clear and unique market position
  2. Social Impact (35%)
    – Clear definition, understanding and solution for social challenge
    – Full integration of social impact into business model – impact scales as business scales
    – Long term vision for social change – does not simply satisfy an immediate social need
  3. Market potential & business model (25%)
    – Clear outline of business model demonstrating potential of sustainability and profitability
    – Defines the market size and potential; assess competitive landscape and regulatory framework
    – Demonstrates potential for cross-sector partnerships

Judges

Early – growth stage judges:
– Patricia Lau, Managing Director, Credit Suisse
– Andrey Gromak, Director, CVC Capital Partners
– Fred Ngan, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Bowtie
– Lynda Chen, Program Director, Economics of Mutuality (Mars)
– Steven Tsoi, Chief Impact Director, SVhk
– Representative of Johnson & Johnson Hong Kong (TBC)
– Representative of Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (TBC)

Idea-stage judges:
– Lisa Loo, Chief Innovation & Incubation Officer, SVhk
– Andrew Young, Associate Director (Innovation), Sino Group
– Jerry Lam, Senior Vice President, Peterson Group
– Dorothy Lam, CEO & Co-founder, Dream Impact
– Warren Luk, CEO, Good Lab

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