Testimonial
Alumni
Overall a comprehensive and useful programme which I would strongly recommend to other HKU startups. The workshops are indeed very practical and helpful. I’m particularly impressed by the dynamic vibe created by the Incubation team. In addition to mentor-mentee relationships, I saw good interactions among mentors as well.
– Edmond Yip, Co-founder of CeleBright (cohort #3), HKU BBA(Law)&LLB 2005
We are grateful to be able to join Cohort 3. As a startup, we have been benefited greatly from the programme. Among all activities, the mentorship and workshops are particularly helpful for us. It has truly been an enriching experience to have had the opportunity to speak with many entrepreneurs and industry experts. From finding product-market fit to fundraising, we have gained invaluable insights and advice from our incredible mentors. The workshops such as the usability testing sessions and UX/UI workshop were again marvellous, as they were highly practical.
– Kevin Li, Co-founder of OhMyCourse (cohort #3), HKU BSocSc 2018
Soonlution improved a lot because of the Incubation Programme. We understand better what our customers need and modified our product base on the feedback we received from our mentors. We also improved our pitching skills, such as the way we express our ideas and communicate with customers. Most importantly, we learnt what a successful start-up needs, and we are pushing ourselves to that. All of the things that we learnt from the programme have helped Soonlution and ourselves become better.
– Meko Law, Co-founder of Soonlution (cohort #3), HKU BSc 2021
All the support, resources and connections we received are critcal for our development and company growth. The Founders Meetup sessions allowed us to build strong and close peer relationships. Besides, our mentor taught us how to build proper business partnerships and deal with potential investors. He also shared plenty of tips and stories about how to grow a company from zero employee to a successful SME.
We are especially impressed by the dedication of the Incubation team. After they understand our product’s target audience, they specifically connected us with insurance advisers who offered us valuable insights.
– Phoenix Ko, Co-founder of Portfoplus (cohort #3), HKU BA(AS) 2005
iDendron always creates the best vibes (together with good foods) for us to chit chat and gather – really appreciate the preparation and willingness to assist our early-stage journey. The workshops organized by the Incubation team are very practical, we have learnt lots of insider tips. Through their connections, we were successfully connected to a few potential VCs and clients.
– Vriko Yu, Co-founder of archiREEF (cohort #3), HKU PhD in Biological Science 2021
For HKU early-stage startups, this is a must-join programme for you to build your professional network, boost company’s publicity and gain access to a wide variety of useful resources. As an incubatee, we have been receiving lots of support from the programme. For example, we had the opportunity to be interviewed by multiple media companies. This helps strengthen our brand presence in Hong Kong. Besides building a better social media presence, the programme has connected us with investors and like-minded entrepreneurs. We are grateful for iDendron’s support.
– Brian Chui, Co-founder of ReUbird (cohort #2), HKU BBA(Law)&LLB 2019
The iDendron Incubation Programme has been very meaningful for Hollo. With the trust and confidence of the iDendron team, it has allowed us to make many significant connections. We’ve gained a lifelong friend and mentor through the programme, we were very fortunate with our mentor, Christian. He’s amazing and has been so critical in our growth. Many times during an entrepreneurial journey we’ve come across failures, speed bumps, difficult parties, he’s been a guiding light and been able to rekindle the flames when it gets very dark. Not only does his experience shine through when he gives us advice, his ability to empathize with our struggles as founders was critical in many dire moments.
– Cameron van Breda, Co-founder of Hollo (cohort #2), HKU BSc
Although the alumni network is not yet that large, the programme has created a strong bonding within the community through in-depth sharing sessions and networking events between current incubatees and its alumni. These are what other incubators cannot offer. Being able to witness the tremendous growth of other incubatees also motivates and encourages us to keep up the pace. As a graduate from HKU, as well as a startup founder, I would say the iDendron Incubation Programme is a programme that all HKU startup founders shouldn’t miss.
– Kevin Ng, Co-founder of Fundergo (cohort #2), HKU BEng 2004
The programme has connected us to experienced mentors who have given us lots of good advice and provided resources to help us accelerate our business growth. iDendron has organized lots of workshops and pitching events which helped us sharpen our professional skills and prepared us for future opportunities. The pitching events were able to connect us with potential investors and increase our chances of getting media exposure. Besides, we had a chance to join the trip to Bangkok and it helped us understand Thailand’s startup ecosystem and corporate culture. We have gained a new perspective on how to expand our business beyond Hong Kong. Those are all valuable experiences we cannot gain without joining this programme.
– Warren Lee, Co-founder of eCup (cohort #2), HKU MSc
The iDendron Incubation Programme has a strong mentor network. We have met with mentors who are from diverse backgrounds, such as finance, venture capital, tech, e-commerce and media industry. It was such a good opportunity for my team to gain feedback and new insights from these experienced mentors. They are so patient and willing to share, and their passion has encouraged us to step outside our comfort zone and take risks to achieve our goals.
– Yolanda Wan, Co-founder of SuitUp! (cohort #2), HKU BEcon&Fin 2020
The iDendron Incubation Programme (iIP) is one of the most highly underrated startup incubation programmes in Hong Kong. I’ve met some of the best local startup founders who have been exceptionally helpful as my mentor. I would personally recommend iIP to any early-stage startup founder who is determined to pursue rapid business growth but lacks resources and connections.
– Harris Cheng, Co-founder & CEO of Freehunter (cohort #1), HKU BEcon&Fin 2017
The iDendron Incubation Programme offers comprehensive support to early-stage startups with the unique mix of young entrepreneur community, mentorship network and media exposure. Thanks to iDendron, we have a key collaboration with another incubatee Datax early this year to jointly offer an online platform that helps hundreds of SMEs to apply government-backed loan powered by the combination of Datax’s Artificial Intelligence and FinMonster banking experience. We sincerely appreciate all the opportunities that the programme provided over the past year.
– Ming Chan, Co-founder of FinMonster (cohort #1), HKU BEcon&Fin 2007
iDendron is a growing and diversified startup community with passionate programme manager and mentors who are active in bringing in resources and helping you to succeed. My early-stage startup has received a significant jump in publicity thanks to the iDendron Incubation Programme. I also enjoyed the small group dinners, since great and personal insights can be learned over the dinner with famed investors and business specialists. The relationships with other startup founders also opened more doors of opportunities for my startup.
– Sebastian Loke, Co-founder of Chartipedia (cohort #1), HKU BBA(Acc&Fin) 2016
Mentors
I had the opportunity to be a mentor in the iDendron Incubation Programme. I always had hesitation on the effectiveness of a startup incubation programme until I had my first-hand experience with iDendron. Being an entrepreneur myself, I understand the hardship and hurdles startups face day in and day out. Besides providing tremendous resources for startups, the iDendron team walks hand in hand with founders along their rocky journey. It is delightful to see the incubation programme is like a big family and participants can support each other from both a business and emotional perspective. I am particularly impressed by the quality of the events hosted by the iDendron team – even as a mentor myself I had learnt a lot. I will recommend any HKU startups to apply for the iDendron program and be part of the family!
– Adrian Lai, CEO of Liquefy, HKU LLM (T&IPL)
I think that the programme is a great opportunity for young entrepreneurs to get some real and testing business exposure in a demanding environment. Founders get to benefit from the support of a network of professionals who can share their experience and give pragmatic advice, ultimately boosting the startups’ learning curve. As a mentor, I found the startups to be highly engaged and open-minded, and I felt as though I was able to share valuable insights. The programme is run in such a way, that mentors and startups are empowered to build real relationships, and it is obvious that everyone involved is aiming for collective success.
For any startups looking to participate in the programme, my advice would be to stay humble and take in the support and resources that are available, so the learning curve can benefit from experience and become steeper than ever before.
– Deniz Tekerek, Co-founder & CEO of Portier Technologies
HKU iDendron programme nurtures the next-generation startup founders from the HKU student community. It enables students to try out their big entrepreneurial ideas by giving them guidance and support. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with many young entrepreneurs with great ideas and great potentials and shared my own startup’s experiences with them.
– Miles Wen, CEO of Fano Labs, HKU BEng 2011; PhD 2015
iDendron Incubation Programme is a very good platform for us to give back to the startup community. As a mentor, we are so glad to have the opportunity to show supports to the talented and hard-working entrepreneurs because we know how hard it is during the startup journey. 1-on-1 mentoring enabled us to talk in-depth and develop a friendship with our mentee. For any new HKU startups, it is highly recommended to seize the chance to participate in the programme, expand your network and get all the valuable resources and advice available.
– Ryan Cheung, CEO & Co-founder of PressLogic, HKU BBA(Acc&Fin) 2011