Macau Business | June 2022 | Special Report | Start-ups in Macau
Much done, lots to do
You get the feeling that, around here, people only started talking about start-ups during Chui Sai On’s second term.
And while it’s true that the notion of backing entrepreneurship as an alternative to the diversification of Macau’s economy has gained new prominence – especially through Economy and Finance Secretary Lionel Leong – many will be surprised to learn that Macau’s first incubator launched more than 20 years ago!
The pioneering endeavour may have been too far ahead of its time: it was only in 2015 that a real strategy came together around the decision to create the Macao Young Entrepreneur Incubation Center (MYEIC), which opened five years ago.
This more recent push serves as the starting point for our special report, a portrait of the local start-up ecosystem with special emphasis on the roles of the Government in funding and of the universities in incubation, along with some of the more “boring” legal issues (given that now more than ever we’re talking about crossing the border).
N.B.: The following pages present a selection of local start-ups chosen by us because they are representative of the local ecosystem’s diversity. We could have used other criteria, but no method employed would have been entirely objective – there simply isn’t one.
Co-ordinated by:
João Paulo Meneses [email protected]
Small is beautiful
Waiting for government-managed investment funds
The story began in 2001
Peaks and (inno)valleys
GBA: “More choice, more room”
The platform
Some of Macau’s stand-out start-ups
Legal assistance: prevention or remedy?
Universities lead the way
Almost all universities in Macau have an incubator – or are planning to have one soon.