Media OutReach
Top 100 Semi-Finalists Set Sail for EPIC 2025 Grand Finale in Hong Kong
Reaches Record Global Participation with 85% Non-Local Startups
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 August 2025 – EPIC 2025 Presented by Cathay and HSBC has successfully concluded its transcontinental pitching sessions, narrowing down 1,200 applications to the top 100 startups. These finalists, rigorously evaluated by a panel of industry-savvy judges with deep market expertise, will advance to the grand finals this November. The semi-finalists will be heading to Hong Kong for a chance to grasp the unprecedented USD 105M of targeted investment funding and USD 240,000 cash prizes.
Organised by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), EPIC 2025 is HKSTP’s annual flagship startup event and an upscaled iteration of the I&T mega event in Asia. In July, four regional pitching sessions were held in both on- and offline arenas across July, for startups from around the world, to present the latest solutions in Digital Health Tech, FinTech, and GreenTech tracks with entrepreneurism on display. The top 100 semi-finalists have been selected — 85% of which are non-local startups, making this the most globally diverse edition of EPIC yet.
The 9th edition has not only drawn participation from startups but also garnered strong support from heavyweight corporate partners, including: Co-Title Sponsors Cathay – Hong Kong’s world-leading airline and premium lifestyle brand, and HSBC – the global bank for innovators, and Digital Health Tech Sponsor Takeda – the multinational pharmaceutical company. Together with other strategic partners, they will further illustrate an extensive reach of opportunities in terms of business investment, industry collaboration, and market exposure that sees no limits.
Spanning over days in early November, semi-finalists will be sponsored (*T&C applies for complimentary flight and accommodation) and welcomed into Hong Kong for an EPIC Week that consists of a Tech Spotlight showcase, a Greater Bay Area Exploration tour, and ends with the Grand Finale taking place at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on 7 November, the iconic symbol of Hong Kong’s economy glorious past, will soon be making new history.
Please visit here for the full list of Top 100 semi-finalists entering the Grand Finale of EPIC 2025.
Hashtag: #HKSTP
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation
Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) was established in 2001 to create a thriving I&T ecosystem grooming 13 unicorns, more than 15,000 research professionals and over 2,300 technology companies from 26 countries and regions focused on developing healthtech, AI and robotics, fintech and smart city technologies, etc.
Our growing innovation ecosystem offers comprehensive support to attract and nurture talent, accelerate and commercialise innovation for technology ventures, with the I&T journey built around our key locations of Hong Kong Science Park in Pak Shek Kok, InnoCentre in Kowloon Tong and three modern InnoParks in Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long realising a vision of new industrialisation for Hong Kong, where sectors including advanced manufacturing, micro-electronics and biotechnology are being reimagined.
Hong Kong Science Park Shenzhen Branch in Futian, Shenzhen plays positive roles in connecting the world and the mainland with our proximity, strengthening cross-border exchange to bring advantages in attracting global talent and allowing possibilities for the development of technology companies in seven key areas: Medtech, big data and AI, robotics, new materials, microelectronics, fintech and sustainability, with both dry and wet laboratories, co-working space, conference and exhibition facilities, and more.
Through our R&D infrastructure, startup support and enterprise services, commercialisation and investment expertise, partnership networks and talent traction, HKSTP continues to contribute in establishing I&T as a pillar of growth for Hong Kong.
More information about HKSTP is available at
www.hkstp.org.
Media OutReach
XTransfer Joins Forum Ekonomi Malaysia 2026
Signals Plan to Make Malaysia Regional Compliance Hub
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 February 2026 – XTransfer, the world’s leading B2B cross-border financial platform, was honoured to be invited to join the Malaysia Economic Forum (Forum Ekonomi Malaysia 2026). Bill Deng, Founder and CEO of XTransfer, shared insights on how Malaysia can accelerate technology application and innovation to help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) scale exports under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP), during FEM 2026’s panel discussion, “Made by Malaysia: Accelerating Technology Applications & Innovation”.
Bill was honoured to join YB Tuan Liew Chin Tong, Deputy Minister of Finance of Malaysia, and Mr Ooi Ching Liang, Senior Director of Engineering at SkyeChip, for a discussion focused on strengthening high-growth, high-value industries, advancing R&D commercialisation, increasing productivity and competitiveness, and supporting MSMEs in global value chains.
Drawing on XTransfer’s work with MSMEs across markets, Bill noted that many Malaysian businesses are “able to export,” but face persistent barriers to scaling exports. The most common issues are trust, compliance, and scale, which often surface as payment delays, repeated documentation requests, FX uncertainty, and working capital pressure as orders grow.
“For B2B SMEs in foreign trade, the biggest constraint isn’t demand. It’s the operational complexity behind cross-border payments, foreign exchange, and compliance,” Bill said. “In particular, AML requirements can be difficult for both traditional banks and SMEs to manage efficiently, creating friction that slows down legitimate trade.”
Bill highlighted a structural shift in global trade flows from a single dominant corridor to non-U.S., intra-Asia, and broader South–South routes. This trend is increasingly clear in real SME transaction patterns. Bill shared, “In 2025, XTransfer’s average collection amount from Asia, Africa, and Latin America grew by 106% year-on-year, with Africa exceeding 270%, Latin America reaching 94%, and ASEAN reaching 82%.” YB Liew noted the trend and thinks it is a direction Malaysia should pursue.
XTransfer also said it plans to establish Malaysia as its regional compliance centre, citing Malaysia’s strong geographic and time-zone advantages, a mature regulatory environment, availability of talent in compliance and risk operations, and cost efficiency. “Malaysia gives us the talent, governance environment, and regional proximity to scale compliance as intra-Asia and emerging-market trade accelerates,” Bill added.
Hashtag: #XTransfer #Malaysia #SMEs #13MP #FEM2026
https://www.xtransfer.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtransfer.cn
https://x.com/xtransferglobal
https://www.facebook.com/XTransferGlobal/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
CGTN: Little Chinese New Year opens big window to China’s soul
As the lunar calendar turns its final pages, China enters a period of joyful anticipation known as Xiaonian, or Little Chinese New Year. Often celebrated as the Festival of the Kitchen God, it marks the official start of the “busy year” – a traditional term for the intense, joyful period of preparing food, cleaning homes, and shopping for the upcoming Spring Festival.
The Spring Festival is a deeply significant time for family reunion. In 2024, UNESCO inscribed the “Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional Chinese New Year” onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
While daily routines continue to evolve, they remain anchored in rituals that provide a sense of normalcy and meaning. It is perhaps no wonder that in a climate of uncertainty, traditional Chinese lifestyles are finding a new audience beyond the country’s borders, with the Spring Festival chief among those unique traditions that are fast becoming a shared human experience.
Diverse traditions, shared aspirations
In a prelude to the broader celebrations, Xiaonian, observed on February 10 and 11 this year, kickstarts a focused period of preparation. According to ancient lore, families offer Zaotang, or sticky “Kitchen Candy,” to the Kitchen God to ensure he delivers a favorable report on the household’s conduct before he ascends to the heavens. This lighthearted tradition marks the beginning of several symbolic rituals aimed at welcoming a fresh start.
A key element of this transition is donning new clothes. In Chinese culture, the New Year represents a moment when “all things are renewed,” and wearing new garments symbolizes shedding the “dust” or misfortunes of the past to embrace auspicious energy for the year ahead. Alongside this personal renewal, families nationwide engage in “sweeping the dust,” a deep-cleaning ritual to purify the home and prepare it for new blessings.
Whereas these practices are universal, celebratory flavors vary by geography. In the north, families traditionally gather over steaming plates of dumplings, whereas in the south, the menu often features sweet rice cakes (Niangao) and glutinous rice balls (Tangyuan).
As Mao Qiaohui, a researcher at the Institute of Ethnic Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, explains, these variations highlight the inclusive nature of Chinese civilization.
“Although folk customs differ between different regions across China, this diversity reflects the cultural pluralism within the Spring Festival tradition,” she notes. “Different regional identities contribute to a shared pursuit of harmony and reunion.”
The vitality of these traditions is also evident in local craftsmanship. In northern regions like Shandong and Henan, artisans are currently making Huamo, decorated steamed buns, featuring horse designs for the upcoming zodiac year. Meanwhile, in Shuozhou, Shanxi Province, intangible heritage inheritors are carving spirited stallions onto traditional gourds. These creations reflect the regional diversity of the festival and a collective desire for progress in the year ahead.
Cultural dialogue: From global stage to daily life
The festive atmosphere is reflected further in preparations for the Spring Festival Gala (Chunwan), produced by China Media Group.
Recent rehearsals show performances meshing traditional Chinese culture with international artistry. One performance piece combines the wooden clog dance of the Hani and Lisu ethnic groups with the rhythmic tap of Spanish Flamenco and Hungarian folk dance. And with global stars like Jackie Chan and Lionel Richie on the bill, the Gala’s stage is set to become a stage for the world to come together.
The reach of the gala has expanded far beyond a domestic audience. Through the “Spring Festival Gala Prelude” events held in the United States, Russia, France, Italy, and several African nations, the program has become a gateway to Chinese New Year customs and cultural exchange.
This interest extends beyond art and into the lives of people worldwide, as seen in the #BecomingChinese trend. This phenomenon features international social media users adopting elements of Chinese daily life – such as keeping a thermos of hot water handy, wearing quilted indoor slippers or practicing mindful movement with Baduanjin exercises.
The festival is no longer a distant event but a gateway to Chinese lifestyle, rooted in ancient wellness wisdom and constantly updated by modern convenience, and the first step to a journey of exploration into a culture that values ritual, safety and hospitality.
Whether through global broadcasts or shared daily habits, the Spring Festival increasingly strengthens a sense of cultural empathy between China and the rest of the world.
For more information, please click here:
Hashtag: #CGTN
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
De Beers Group and Assouline Celebrate the Launch of “A Diamond Is Forever: The Making of A Cultural Icon 1926-2026”
Hashtag: #DeBeersGroup #NaturalDiamonds #diamonds #ADiamondIsForever #Assouline
https://www.debeersgroup.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/debeersgroup/posts/?feedView=all
https://www.facebook.com/DeBeersGroupOfCompanies
https://www.instagram.com/debeersgroup/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About De Beers Group
Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining, marketing and retailing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with diamond mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of De Beers Group’s strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers that span the diamond value chain, including its jewellery houses, De Beers Jewellers and Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives Tracr and GemFair. De Beers Group also provides leading services and technology to the diamond industry in the form of education and laboratory services via De Beers Institute of Diamonds and a wide range of diamond sorting, detection and classification technology systems via De Beers Group Ignite. De Beers Group is committed to ‘
Building Forever,’ a holistic and integrated approach for creating a better future – where safety, human rights and ethical integrity continue to be paramount; where communities thrive and the environment is protected; and where there are equal opportunities for all. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. For further information, visit
www.debeersgroup.com.
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