Hong Kong Investment Corporation, Gobi Partners, and University of Hong Kong Launch Fund for University Spin-offs

On Tuesday, the Hong Kong Investment Corporation (HKIC), the government's investment arm, announced a collaboration with venture capital firm Gobi Partners and the University of Hong Kong (HKU) to establish a new investment fund. This initiative, named Gobi-HKU Fund I, aims to support technology start-ups that emerge from research innovations at HKU. At its inception, the fund has already committed to two investments: Manifold Tech, a company specializing in spatial intelligence for robotics, and AilsynBio, which leverages artificial intelligence for drug discovery. The fund's launch underscores efforts to commercialize academic research and foster technological entrepreneurship in Hong Kong, aligning with broader economic strategies to boost innovation-driven growth. The partnership highlights the role of public-private-academic cooperation in advancing the region's tech ecosystem, with HKIC providing strategic backing to enhance the commercialization pipeline from university labs to market-ready ventures.