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We kicked into high gear this summer experimenting with new programs at the Node, applying entrepreneurship education across different domains and age groups. We also co-hosted a pitch event with MIT-CHIEF for US startups looking for early stage investments. Behind the scenes, we're gearing up on new initiatives and welcoming our new Executive Director, Charleston Sin on board!
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MIT Entrepreneurship & FinTech Integrator (MEFTI)
08.26.2018 - 09.1.2018
Spinning out of our flagship IoT entrepreneurship bootcamp comes a new FinTech version where we brought together 26 students from MIT and Hong Kong. They spent one week learning about emerging technologies shaping the financial services industry, including a digital experience in Shenzhen, and proposed solutions at a showcase attended by 100 supporters, including HKMA (strategic partner) and Convoy Financial Group (sponsor).
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MIT Innovation Academy
07.30.2018 - 08.11.2018
Bringing market-relevant ideas from concept to prototype is no easy feat, but our young innovators prove it can be done! 23 students from six high schools across Hong Kong and the US embarked on an intensive 13-day residency bootcamp at the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node to learn what it takes to build a startup from the ground up. A highlight was the China trip, where we gained insight into Shenzhen's ecosystem for hardware startups and witnessed how large-scale manufacturing is done. The program was supported by Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, industry mentors and speakers, and friends from the MIT alumni community.
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MIT Entrepreneurship & Maker Skills Integrator (MEMSI)
05.29.2018 - 06.10.2018
Using minimum resources and maximum brain power, students from diverse disciplines across MIT and universities in Hong Kong undertook an accelerated journey through two weeks of entrepreneurship and making, including a first-hand look into China's manufacturing ecosystem. We're recruiting for our January 2019 cohort! Check out memsi.mit.edu for more info and a video recap of highlights here.
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MIT-CHIEF Cofounders' Journey
07.05.2018
Co-hosted with MIT-CHIEF and sponsored by HKSTP, we brought eight US startup teams to pitch their business ideas and technologies to the investment community in Hong Kong. The ventures included representation by MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the Sloan School of Management.
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Meet our new Executive Director!
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Charleston Sin joins us as Executive Director of the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node. He worked in Canada, Silicon Valley, and Greater China for 25 years, holding executive positions in Systems Engineering, Product Management, and Sales & Marketing at VMware, Cisco Systems and Nortel Networks.
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Charleston commented, "After 25 years in the commercial sector, I found my next mission in life. I am back to my first love of Innovation and Technology and aligned my second act in Education. The role as Executive Director opens up my mind to expose the latest technology and to find use cases. We have many young minds waiting for us to change with Innovation and Technology."
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Meet our Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs), a collective of amazing trailblazers located at the MIT Hong Kong Innovation Node who have chosen to take the off-beaten path of entrepreneurship in pursuit of their passion for impact. We often call on them to support our community of learners. A big shout-out for their enthusiasm!
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aavia.io
Hailing from our MEMSI program and our first company incubated out of the Node, aavia.io co-founders Aagya Mathur (MIT), Aya Suzuki (MIT) and Alexis Wong (HKU) are on a mission to improve female health and wellness with their smart pill solution. They've sold beta prototypes and have earned accolades at the Boston HUBweek Demo Day, MIT $100K Pitch Competition, PULSE@MassChallenge, and recently pitched at the MIT delta v Demo Day. See them on stage here!
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SightEcho
Another reason to celebrate this summer is watching homegrown talent thrive from our inaugural cohort back in 2016. A year ago, HK PolyU graduates Davon Hui and Sauce Wan joined forces to launch SightEcho, a smart heads-up display providing scuba divers critical information in their line of sight using augmented reality. Based at the Node, they've quickly gained traction in startup communities across Hong Kong and China, snagging awards in competitions and being featured on local media (check out metro radio and RTHK Money Talk). They were recently interviewed at TechCrunch Disrupt in SFO!
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Origami Labs
As part of building up the innovation ecosystem, we've been fortunate to have the team at Origami Labs lend startup insights as mentors and speakers in our student programs. They have also offered internships to some of our Node alumni! Located at the Node this past year, ORII is the company's first bone conduction smart ring that turns your finger into a smartphone. It works with an app on your phone, allowing you to physically touch your finger to your ear to either speak to or listen to your voice assistant. Check out a recent article covered by TechCrunch!
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MEMSI Hong Kong Infosessions
09.26.2018 - 10.03.2018
We'll be blazing through campuses across Hong Kong towards the end of this month to recruit student innovators for MEMSI, an IoT entrepreneurship bootcamp unlike any other! If you're a university student, don't miss our infosession at a campus near you!
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Food's Future Summit 2018
09.21.2018 - 09.22.2018
Food's Future Summit 2018 is back with an exciting two-day program to recognise future-forward businesses; champion individuals behind critical causes; and empower consumers to make better-informed decisions about what they eat. Get your 10% discount code through the Node: MITFOODIE21
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