E‑Challenge is built on one simple E: "Each step forward counts".
CIE's HSUHK Entrepreneurship Challenge (E‑Challenge) 2026 brought together a community of student founders ready to be heard, tested, and supported at its Grand Finale. Every pitch on stage carried the unseen work behind it—late nights, rewrites, mentor check-ins, and the courage to try again.
As CIE marks its 9th year of nurturing entrepreneurial education and moves toward its 10th, we are grateful to everyone who helped make this journey possible.
Record‑breaking first‑round response: Thank you for raising the bar
This year saw a record number of first‑round submissions, raising the bar for the entire cohort. Our sincere thanks to CIE's Executive Committee members for the careful screening and selection of the final eight shortlisted teams: rigorous work that shapes everything that follows.
CIE Executive Committee Members (in alphabetical order):
- Dr Chan Chi-kit, Associate Professor of School of Communication
- Dr Eden Chow, Senior Lecturer of Department of Accountancy
- Dr Kelvin Ho, Senior Lecturer of Department of Marketing
- Dr Kenneth Kwong, Associate Director of Institute of Knowledge Exchange
- Prof Daniel Mo, Associate Dean (Engagement and Undergraduate Studies) of School of Decision Sciences; Programme Director of MSc-DITM Programme
- Dr Patrick Mok, Assistant Professor of Department of Art and Design
- Dr Siu Sai-cheong, Associate Professor of School of Translation and Foreign Languages
Thank you to the mentors behind the eight shortlisted teams
Great ideas are built, not found. To the mentors of our shortlisted teams, namely Dr Chan Chi-kit, Mr Eddy Chan, Dr Kelvin Ho and Dr Siu Sai-cheong, thank you for the practical advice, candid questions, and steady encouragement that helped teams sharpen their thinking and speak with clarity.
With gratitude to our Grand Finale judges
The Grand Finale featured a two‑round format: 3‑minute pitch + 2‑minute Q&A for all teams, followed by a 5‑minute deep‑dive Q&A for the top teams. Our judges challenged teams with insight and care:
- Mr Ian Huang, Head Judge, Serial Entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, Hong Kong and Singapore, and CEO of InnoTech Venture
- Mr Raymond Chu, Associate Director, University Collaborations & Entrepreneurship, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
- Mr Henry Li, Head of Industry Partnership, Cyberport
- Mr Teddy Lui, CEO, HKAI Lab; CCO of Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund
- Mr Alan To, CEO, Climate Finance Asia; Co-founder, Yum Cha Together (得閒去飲茶); Co-founder, Aromafunapy; and Part-time Lecturer (Part-time) Department of Social Science, HSUHK
Winners of E‑Challenge 2026
A huge congratulations to all eight shortlisted teams, stepping onto a stage, owning your idea, and responding live to questions is no small feat.
Champion — AdVision
AdVision is an AI-driven cross-border advertising translation, creative adaptation, and media-buying workflow platform. Built for brands expanding into culturally complex markets, it uses multimodal understanding and a "taboo rules" intelligence engine to reduce cultural missteps, lower ad rejections, and improve campaign performance—helping teams move from localisation to measurable ROI growth.
First Runner‑Up — SpeakAble HK
SpeakAble HK is an assistive EdTech SaaS solution supporting Cantonese-speaking children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) to practice pronunciation confidently and independently at home. Through Cantonese-specific speech AI, real-time micro‑error detection, and optional voice-cloned guidance, it makes quality practice more accessible—reducing caregiver friction while building a foundation for inclusive education at scale.
Second Runner‑Up — PAWSE
PAWSE is a smart dog-leash system that turns daily walks into measurable health data. Using sensors and on-device intelligence, it tracks gait and motion patterns to detect early signs of mobility issues before they become obvious, generating objective logs that owners can share with veterinarians to support diagnosis and recovery tracking—delivered through a hardware + subscription model.
Outstanding Presenter Awards
To recognise individuals who delivered exceptional on-stage pitching, clarity, and presence, we presented two Outstanding Presenter Awards:
- Miss Chan Kaki (AdVision)
- Miss Chow Muk Yan (SpeakAble HK)
Nine years in—heading into a brighter 10th
CIE is proud to be entering its ninth year of nurturing entrepreneurial education, approaching an even brighter tenth.
And the most moving moment of the day came at the very end: when the lights were dimming and the schedule was "finished", teams, whether they won or not, lingered at the front, seeking one last piece of advice from judges and audience members. That quiet circle of questions, notes, and honest conversations is the heart of E‑Challenge: not just pitching ideas but becoming founders.