The Cyberport Incubation Programme is built for digital technology companies that are close enough to market to show commercial direction, but still early enough to benefit from structured incubation, funding support, business guidance, and access to Cyberport’s wider network. The programme runs for 24 months, and selected incubatees can receive up to HK$500,000 in financial assistance, along with support and access to Cyberport’s resources.
Cyberport is looking for interesting product ideas that can be market-ready within 2 years of incubation. To succeed, your application needs to show commercial readiness by a capable team with a clear execution path, presented in a way that is easy for their reviewers to grasp quickly.
Unique Projects are Highly Encouraged
Your project should be clearly distinguishable from other projects that have already been admitted into the incubation programme, especially if there are overlapping founders, team members, shareholders, technologies, or markets. Reviewers need to understand what is distinct about your application, and if your team has worked on related projects before, you should be able to explain the difference from those projects.
Be aware that if your project is already receiving similar stage support from the Hong Kong Design Centre or Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, unless you can clearly explain why you need support specific to Cyberport.
Basic Eligibility Rules
Cyberport’s eligibility rules are the first filter, to be seen as a practical checklist to complete even before considering your pitch. Applicants should be a Hong Kong incorporated digital technology company of less than seven years from the application deadline. If your company is still being formed, the incorporation process must be completed within 30 days after the application deadline.
If your company is already incorporated, a current director or shareholder should be the one filling in the application. Otherwise, a future director or shareholder should be responsible for completing the application.
Check that names, dates, roles, ownership percentages, funding details, and company information are consistent across the form and supporting documents, because these small inconsistencies can raise flags for reviewers when it comes time to present.
Once you have submitted your application through Cyberport’s Entrepreneurship Management System (EMS), it will be moved to initial screening. If your application passes screening, you will be shortlisted for presentation. Failing the screening is not uncommon, and you will be allowed to resubmit, while given advice or shown areas where your application can be improved. If you are resubmitting, heed the comments given and make the necessary changes, which could range from providing stronger market proof, a sharper product direction, a revised revenue model, or a cleaner ownership structure.
What Your Application Should Contain
Your business plan is the most critical component of your application, and is where you will be spending the most effort on preparing. Broken down, your business plan should include the background of your company and the project, the technologies involved, a sales and marketing strategy used to reach your customers, milestones you plan to meet along the way, a financial plan to fund the venture at each stage, and an introduction to your team and their credentials.
The strongest applications have milestones that are measurable and realistic. For instance, instead of saying you will “expand marketing,” present a pilot scheme or channel partner you’ll use to get your first paid customers, and how you will proceed once you have met that milestone.
| Eligibility Item | Criteria |
| Company type | A Hong Kong digital technology company limited by shares, or one in progress of incorporation |
| Company age | Less than seven years old from incorporation |
| Incorporation status | Incorporated, or completing incorporation within 30 calendar days after the application deadline if still pending |
| Market timing | Product or solution ready for market in 12 to 18 months |
| Ownership | Founders collectively hold at least 51% of shares, or have absolute control |
Notes About Company Ownership
Cyberport expects founders to collectively hold at least 51% of the company shares. This point cannot be understated, since a messy cap table, unclear nominee arrangement, or layered group structure can make an otherwise promising application harder to assess.
Maintain a clear record of your company structure, including any holding companies, investor rights, nominee arrangements, overseas shareholders, or related entities. If your company has overseas ties, the Hong Kong company should still support real operations or product development with a physically present staff member, as Cyberport expects incubatees to maintain a local presence throughout the incubation period.
How Cyberport Vets Your Application
Cyberport’s vetting process is structured and categorised to assess five aspects of your project, with varying levels of attention in the form of weighting. The weighting can help guide the attention spent on each part of your pitch.
| Vetting Criterion | Weighting | What Cyberport wants to see |
| Market viability, milestones, and marketing strategy | 30% | A clearly defined target market with real demand for your solution, a go-to-market strategy, and measurable milestones to execute the strategy |
| Team quality and competence | 20% | Your team’s credentials and how it applies to their roles |
| Business scalability | 20% | How you plan to grow while adapting to increasing production |
| Functional prototype or product designed to solve a real problem | 20% | Physical or visual evidence that your product meets demand of your customer |
| Innovativeness and social impact | 10% | Unique or outside-the-box thinking, and how you can bring positive social change with your solution |
Getting Accepted
If accepted, your company becomes an incubatee after signing an agreement with Cyberport. Applicants have to sign and return the agreement within 30 days, or Cyberport may treat the application as withdrawn.
Final Thoughts
A strong Cyberport application is not built by attaching every document you have, it is built by making your company easy to understand, easy to assess, and credible to support. Your best materials should connect eligibility, ownership, market need, product readiness, milestones, team capability, scalability, and impact into one coherent story.
Ultimately, your application to Cyberport’s Incubation Program tells more than the story of what problem you are trying to solve, but is a showcase of your leadership, foresight, and patient determination. If you can help the reviewers visualise your road to success and convince them of the benefits of your project, becoming an incubatee should be a very achievable goal.
