Hong Kong’s Global Fast Track has opened its 2026 programme to technology startups and scaleups planning to expand into Asia.

Organised by Invest Hong Kong, the year-long hybrid programme connects participating companies with more than 120 investors, corporations and service providers. Applications are open internationally and close on September 25, 2026.

Global Fast Track does not provide every participant with capital. Instead, it offers something that can be equally difficult for an overseas startup to obtain: direct access to potential customers, investors and commercial partners in Hong Kong and the wider Asian market.

The programme is intended for startups and scaleups that already have an operational product or solution.

Applicants should be able to demonstrate some initial traction, such as customers, revenue or previous investment. They should also be considering expansion into Asia within the next 24 months.

This means Global Fast Track is not primarily designed for founders who only have an idea or an early research project. The programme is looking for companies with something that potential customers and investors can already examine.

Applications are free, and companies do not need to be based in Hong Kong.

The 2026 programme covers eight broad areas:

The categories include fields such as payments, cybersecurity, manufacturing, autonomous vehicles, robotics, digital health, climate technology and customer loyalty. Companies outside the examples may still apply if their technology fits the programme’s wider objectives.

Applicants gain access to the Global Fast Track platform and its network of corporate and investor “Champions.”

The programme uses matchmaking to connect startups with organisations looking for particular technologies. A corporation might be searching for a new fraud-detection system, for example, while an investor may be interested in Asian HealthTech or industrial AI.

These connections are selected according to the interests of both sides. Participating companies can express interest in particular organisations, but meetings are not automatic and there is no guaranteed minimum.

Shortlisted applicants receive additional opportunities, including virtual pitching rounds, market-readiness sessions, targeted networking and the possibility of demonstrating their products during Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK 2026.

Semi-finalists can receive a complimentary exhibition booth and reimbursement of eligible travel costs to Hong Kong, up to US$1,000 per participating company. The competition’s final stages are scheduled for November 2–3.

Companies may pitch in English or Putonghua.

A new Online Market Readiness Programme will prepare selected companies for operating through Hong Kong.

Sessions cover investor engagement, corporate collaboration, regulation, licensing, market entry and pitch development. Participating partners include Accenture FinTech Innovation Lab Asia-Pacific, investment firms and technology organisations.

This part of the programme may be particularly useful for companies that have already found product-market fit domestically but do not yet understand how to sell, operate or raise capital in Asia.

Hong Kong is positioning Global Fast Track as a two-way platform: overseas companies can use the city to approach Asian markets, while Hong Kong and mainland Chinese companies can use its international network for overseas expansion.

Since the initiative began, it has worked with more than 1,000 companies from over 70 economies.

Despite its name and investor network, Global Fast Track is not a funding round.

Participation does not guarantee investment, customers or entry into the pitching competition. Investor meetings depend on whether a company matches the interests of participating funds, family offices and corporate partners.

Founders should therefore treat the programme as a structured business-development opportunity rather than a promise of capital.

A strong application should explain the company’s existing traction, why its product is relevant to Asian customers and what it expects to achieve through Hong Kong. Generic claims about wanting to “enter Asia” are unlikely to be enough.

For companies with a working product and a credible regional expansion plan, Global Fast Track offers a relatively low-risk way to test that plan: the application is free, early participation can be remote and the programme provides access to organisations that may otherwise be difficult to approach.

Application deadline: September 25, 2026
Application fee: Free
Eligible companies: International startups and scaleups with an operational product and demonstrated traction
Opportunity: Investor and corporate matchmaking, market-entry support and pitching
Investment guaranteed: No

Apply through the official Global Fast Track website

SAKIME
East Asian startups, technology and international investment opportunities.

Web: sakime.jp
Author — Adrià Mas Rodríguez

This article is provided for informational purposes and does not constitute an investment recommendation or solicitation.