Rosewood Foundation Entrepreneurship Award Ceremony honours five startup teams with HK$100,000 each in scale-up funding

Rosewood Foundation Entrepreneurship Award Ceremony

honours five startup teams with HK$100,000 each in scale-up funding

As sustainability takes centre stage, local startups are leading the way with innovative products and services. The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (HKFYG) and Rosewood Foundation have partnered for the second year to launch the “Rosewood Foundation Entrepreneurship Award 2025”, with the Award Ceremony held today (9 June). Five winning startups were recognised for their innovative business solutions – a biodegradable silica cleaning capsule, a vision-based AI-powered analytics platform, an innovative upcycled beverage company, a 3D food printing system and an automated cocktail mixing machine.

The Award provides young people aged 18 to 35 with various forms of entrepreneurial support, including business matching, industry networking and presentation coaching. The winning startups also receive HK$100,000 scale-up funding each to expand their operations, along with the opportunity to collaborate commercially with the Rosewood Hotel Group.

At the Ceremony, Guest of Honour the Hon. Kenneth Leung Yuk-wai, Vice-Chairman of the Youth Development Commission and Member of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, joined Mehvesh Mumtaz Ahmed, Rosewood Foundation Board of Director and Rosewood Hotel Group Global Vice President of Impact and Sustainability, and Hsu Siu-man, HKFYG Executive Director, in engaging with young entrepreneurs and learning about their innovative business solutions. Members of the winning teams also shared their journeys, hoping to inspire more young peers to pursue their dreams with the same passion for developing innovative solutions in driving sustainability.

Sharing his personal experience, Kenneth Leung Yuk Wai, Vice-Chairman of the Youth Development Commission and Member of the Legislative Council reflects that the entrepreneurial journey is not always smooth sailing. He encourages young entrepreneurs to persevere in their beliefs and work through challenges and setbacks for the greater good of society. He congratulates the winning startups and believes that with the support of the Award, they can turn their innovative ideas into successful, marketable solutions.

Hsu Siu-man, HKFYG Executive Director, said, “The HKFYG Social Innovation and Youth Business Unit has been supporting young people in discovering new business opportunities and developing entrepreneurial mindsets. As creative and innovative minds, young entrepreneurs are driving forces of social change, bringing and finding new solutions for sustainable development.” She extended her gratitude to Rosewood Foundation for its generous support, as well as the panel of judges, professional mentors, 35 supporting organisations and tertiary institutions for their valuable contributions.

“In a world where sustainability is more important than ever, innovation serves as the catalyst for transformative change”, said Mehvesh Mumtaz Ahmed, Rosewood Foundation Board of Director and Rosewood Hotel Group Global Vice President of Impact and Sustainability. “Rosewood Foundation is committed to inspiring, empowering and celebrating entrepreneurs who are dedicated to making a positive impact. By connecting them with essential funding and mentorship, we help enable them to grow and thrive. We’re proud to contribute to this ecosystem, fostering a culture of responsibility and creativity that paves the way for a brighter, more sustainable future.”

For details, please visit the HKFYG Social Innovation and Youth Business Unit’s website: sic.hkfyg.org.hk.

The five winning teams of the “Rosewood Foundation Entrepreneurship Award 2025”

• Environmental Sustainability Guardian Limited

Co-founders: Steven Cheng, Derek Cheng, Malvin Lo

ESGuardian stands at the forefront of sustainable innovation, pioneering silica capsule technology to transform everyday hygiene products. Its breakthrough approach uses a porous silica matrix to encapsulate active ingredients, enabling precise, water-activated release that enhances performance while reducing excess fillers, packaging, and preservatives, therefore lowering the carbon footprint of personal care products.

Originating from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, this technology reduces product volume by 90% throughout the product lifecycle, from production to disposal. Each 15-gram capsule replaces a 500ml plastic bottle of hand soap, while simultaneously maintaining a 99% pathogen reduction rate and safely degrading into natural sand particles after use.

• MotoNerv Limited

Co-founders: Forte Fung, Pluto Mok

Unlock the power of video with MotoNerv’s Video-Understanding AI technology, which meticulously analyses video content frame by frame, delivering transformative solutions for enterprises, institutions and even urban environments. Its platform automates labour-intensive tasks, uncovers hidden patterns, and provides critical insights previously out of reach, significantly reducing time and costs. Beyond efficiency, MotoNerv drives the evolution of smart cities by optimising daily operations, sharpening decision-making, and enhancing experiences in industries like hospitality.

• Sodaz Limited

Co-founders: Aaron Pang, Alex Pang

Sodaz is a next-generation beverage company redefining sustainability and wellness through innovation. It upcycles imperfect and surplus fruits—often discarded due to appearance—into healthy, functional beverages through its proprietary extraction technology. Its mission is to eliminate waste, elevate taste, and enhance wellbeing. By transforming fruit pulps, peel, and even seeds into delicious teas, sparkling drinks, and cocktail infusions, it gives every part of the fruit a second life—while retaining its nutritional value.

Recently, Sodaz has collaborated with local farmers to revolutionise beverage manufacturing by upcycling surplus fruits into new drinks. Using “chicken heart” wampee, it transforms the natural sour taste into a thick, sweet blend, bringing a rare flavour to the market while helping to reduce food waste.

• Elevatefoods Technology Limited

Co-founders: Lee Kong Wai Connie, Chan Yee Him Timothy, Xu Yang

Elevatefoods transforms personalised nutrition and digitally optimises food through its patented smart 3D food printing and nano-cooking technology. It created a commercially feasible integrated smart 3D food fabrication solution that revolutionises the preparation, cooking, and consumption of personalised foods, offering ready-to-eat edible products with distinctive design, texture, sensory, and nutritional profiles. The solutions are targeted at the F&B and clinical nutrition industries, including individuals with specific dietary requirements such as seniors with swallowing disorders, patients with diabetes, children and athletes. Its cutting-edge ecosystem facilitates rapid and precise food and nutrition fabrication. Key technologies involve a real-time print and cook system alongside an AI-powered digital food design platform providing customised recipe recommendations.

Committed to minimising food waste through on-demand fabrication and repurposing food by-products, Elevatefoods champions sustainability by conducting educational STEM workshops and training programmes in collaboration with schools and businesses.

• XOXO Beverages Limited

Co-founders: Ricky Chan Ka Lok, Peter Yau Sin Tak

XOXO Beverages was founded in Hong Kong in 2021, bringing together teams from multiple universities. Through smart technology, it offers efficient beverage preparation solutions, delivering a novel cocktail experience for guests. Its system, equipped with high-precision control devices, reduces raw material waste by 30% and integrates AI inventory prediction to significantly cut excess stock. Its proprietary “Flavour Analysis Dashboard” instantly analyses customer preferences, automatically adjusting drink proportions and providing inventory replenishment suggestions, while saving operational costs and supporting sustainable environmental goals.