Press Release

Background:
The Venture Capital on Campus (VCOC) Investment Challenge 2023 is a case competition organized by HKSTP (Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation) Capital and Hong Kong Federation of Business Students (HKFBS). The competition aimed to provide university students with an opportunity to explore the world of venture capital by evaluating and analyzing tech startups. The competition comprised of three rounds. The first round required participants to analyze and conduct due diligence on a tech startup. 20 teams were shortlisted for the semi-finals, where they pitched their analysis to a panel of venture capitalists. In the final round, 8 finalist teams pitched to a panel of industry experts who declared the winner of the competition.

Website / Image URL:
https://retailbank.hsbc.com.hk/ins/en/innovation-competition/home/

Award(s):
Winner Team

Awards and awardees:
Mr. Gandhi Devansh, BBA, Year 2
Ms. Dong Fangyu Janet, BBA(IS), Year 2
Ms. So Ki Suki, BFin(AMPB), Year 3
Mr. Taparia Anant, BEcon&Fin, Year 2

From left to right: Mr. Taparia Anant, Mr. Gandhi Devansh, Mr. Sammi Wong (Founding Leader, HKSTP Capital), Ms. Dong Fangyu Janet, Dr. Yana Tong (Executive Director, CMB International)

Students Sharing:

“Participating in the VCOC Investment Challenge 2023 has been an enriching and rewarding experience. Throughout the competition, I had the chance to work closely with my talented teammates, Anant Taparia, Janet Dong, and Suki So, who contributed significantly to our success.  

Throughout the Challenge, I gained valuable insights into the process of evaluating and analyzing tech startups, which deepened my understanding of the venture capital industry. I was able to leverage the skills I learned from pitching my startup to investors in the past to use in the context of an investment proposal. The competition also honed my skills in due diligence, valuation, and pitching, which are essential in the world of venture capital.”

(By GANDHI Devansh)

“This competition allowed me to put my knowledge into practice and enabled me to dive deeper into fundamental analysis and valuation to assess the company. My past work experience in a VC firm helped me in conducting due diligence and analyzing the metrics while coming up with a sophisticated valuation model. This Challenge gave me the opportunity to interact and network with like-minded students, venture capitalists and industry professionals. It was an enriching experience which helped me to further my interests in the venture capital space. It was a pleasure to lead a great team with team members Devansh, Janet and Suki who came with different sets of skills and knowledge!”

(By TAPARIA Anant)

“Participating in the VCOC Challenge enriched me with hands-on experience in evaluating investment opportunities as well as developing communication and presentation skills. During the process, I gained a lot of insight into cutting-edge technology while being really fascinated by the future of lifestyle changes and how the interaction between business and technology has helped the industry flourish. By getting exposed to the venture capital industry and the broader startup ecosystem, I was able to apply theoretical concepts to real-world situations and gain insights into current market trends and industry best practices. Additionally, the pitch challenge also provided us with networking opportunities and promoted smoother teamwork in the future.”

(By DONG Fangyu Janet)

“Participating in this venture capital pitch competition has been an incredible learning opportunity, allowing me to gain invaluable insights into the venture capital industry in Hong Kong. Through the competition, I was able to deepen my understanding of how to evaluate startups from various perspectives and sharpen my investment analysis skills. Moreover, it provided a platform to network with experienced VC practitioners. I was able to leverage this opportunity to learn from their experiences and build new connections in the industry.

Success cannot be achieved without my teammates, who brought unique perspectives and skill sets to the final pitch. Working collaboratively with them was a remarkable experience!”

(By SO Ki Suki)