StartupsHK

What StartupsHK does

StartupsHK, operating as "What You Building?" (WYB), is a Hong Kong-based founder community organization that runs events, mixers, and workshops to connect entrepreneurs, investors, and startup resources. Founded in 2009 (with the first Startup Saturday held in 2010), the company has built a 500+ member community of founders, builders, and creators through recurring programming including Monthly Sharing Sessions (co-hosted with KPMG and HKSTP), the Web3 Pitch Club, the Annual Startup Get-Together, Fireside Chats, and Vibe Coding Workshops. The platform leverages Luma for event registration, WhatsApp for community engagement, and Notion for membership onboarding, with no proprietary technology layer of its own.

The business operates on two revenue streams: paid membership fees (subscription/recurring) granting access to members-only events, mentorship, and the tight-knit founder network, and end-to-end corporate event organization services (professional services) where WYB curates themes, manages guest lists, promotes events through its WhatsApp community and partner network, and delivers post-event analytics for corporate clients seeking access to Hong Kong's active founders. Pricing is not publicly disclosed on either side. The go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, with a marketing mix spanning owned events, a Substack newsletter, and a partner network of 11+ community organizations including HKSTP, KPMG, The Hive, and Davies Collison Cave. The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and operates with 1-10 employees from Hong Kong, with reach extending into the broader East Asia startup ecosystem.

Name

StartupsHK

Legal name

What You Building

Website

https://startupshk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

StartupsHK (What You Building?) is a Hong Kong-based founder community running events, mixers, and workshops for 500+ entrepreneurs across Asia, monetizing via paid membership and end-to-end corporate event services for brands seeking founder access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Founder Community and Startup Events

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD), B2B Demand Generation & Lead Nurture Agencies (BPAFAKAA)

Keywords

• Founder community
• Startup networking
• Entrepreneur membership
• Community events
• Corporate event services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hong Kong

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Paid community membership that unlocks members-only events, sessions, and access to the tight-knit WYB founder network.
2. Corporate event organization: WYB organizes end-to-end branded events for corporate partners — theme curation, Luma page creation, WhatsApp promotion, cross-community promotion, guest list vetting, venue management, and post-event reporting — serving as a pipeline and funnel tool for corporations targeting founders.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

StartupsHK (operating as What You Building, or WYB) runs Hong Kong's largest founder community of 500+ members, providing paid membership that unlocks networking events, mentorship, and warm introductions. It also sells end-to-end corporate event organization services — including theme curation, Luma page creation, WhatsApp promotion, guest vetting, venue management, and post-event analytics — to corporate clients seeking pipeline access to active founders.

Product overview

What You Building? (WYB) is a unified community platform serving as Hong Kong's largest founder community with 500+ members. The platform operates through a core membership model that provides access to networking events, mentorship, and resource sharing. Key product components include: the WYB Community Platform (core), WYB Membership (paid tier access), and Corporate Event Partnership Services (B2B offering). Event programming spans multiple formats including Startup Saturday (legacy series since 2010), Web3 Pitch Club, Annual Startup Get-Together, Monthly Sharing Sessions, Fireside Chats, and Vibe Coding Workshops. The platform also maintains partnerships with 11+ community organizations and offers corporate clients end-to-end event organization with Luma integration and WhatsApp community promotion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ founder members and 500+ attendees at the Annual Startup Get-Together
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HKSTP (Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerHKSTP is a community partner supporting the WYB mission. HKSTP promotes WYB events and provides access to its broader tech ecosystem of startups and innovators in Hong Kong.
• KPMGcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerKPMG co-hosts monthly WYB Sharing Sessions with WYB, contributing industry expertise and speakers while gaining visibility among Hong Kong's founder community.
• Davies Collison CaveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDavies Collison Cave is a community partner backing the WYB mission, providing IP/legal expertise connections to the founder network.
• d0minorGTM or Marketing Partnerd0 is listed as a community partner supporting the WYB mission and founder ecosystem.
• The Women Entrepreneurs Network (WEN)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Women Entrepreneurs Network is a community partner backing the WYB mission, promoting diversity and inclusion in the founder community.
• SinclairminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSinclair is a community partner supporting the WYB mission and providing resources or connections to the founder ecosystem.
• Net.WorkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNet.Work is a community partner supporting the WYB mission, likely providing networking resources or co-working connections.
• The HiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Hive is a community partner and co-working space operator in Hong Kong, supporting the WYB founder ecosystem.
• BreerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBreer is a community partner backing the WYB mission, likely contributing to the startup ecosystem in Hong Kong.
• MeedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMeed is a community partner supporting the WYB mission and founder community.
• OJ VenturesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOJ Ventures is a community partner backing the WYB mission, likely providing venture/investment connections to the founder ecosystem.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Founders Forum: Invitation-only global founder and investor community that runs curated summits, dinners, and year-round programming. Comparable to StartupsHK in the paid-curated-community model and event-driven engagement, though skewed toward later-stage founders.
• The Family: European membership-based founder community offering education, networking, and services to early-stage entrepreneurs. Closely comparable business model to StartupsHK's paid membership + programming + community format, though focused on Europe rather than Asia.
• Tech in Asia: Singapore-headquartered media and events company that runs a large founder/startup community, conferences, and editorial coverage across Southeast Asia. Directly comparable to StartupsHK in its blend of community-building, content, paid memberships, and B2B event sponsorships, though at significantly greater scale and geography.
• Antler: Global early-stage VC and founder community that runs cohort-based programs, founder residencies, and networking events in multiple cities including across Asia. Comparable to StartupsHK in operating a tight-knit founder community with corporate partner support and event-driven programming.

Regional players

• e27: Singapore-based media and platform company serving the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem with content, community, and events. Comparable to StartupsHK in combining founder community management with B2B event sponsorships, though focused on SEA rather than HK.

Broad incumbents

• Y Combinator: The world's most prominent startup accelerator, running batch programs, Startup School, and large community events. Operates an analogous model of recruiting founders, running structured programs, and producing flagship community events, though at vastly greater scale.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Global startup accelerator and corporate innovation platform with multiple verticals and corporate partner programs. Comparable to StartupsHK in its corporate-sponsored startup programming and event-driven community, but at much larger scale and with proprietary accelerator structure.
• TechCrunch (Events): Major tech media property that runs flagship founder/startup events (Disrupt, etc.) with large sponsorships. Comparable in event-driven B2B demand generation for tech corporates, though it is a media company first and a community second.

Emerging players

• DayOne (Hong Kong): Hong Kong-based startup hub and community organizer focused on early-stage founders. Most direct geographic peer to StartupsHK, with overlapping event programming and a similar target audience, though newer and smaller in community scale.

Others

• HKSTP (Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation): Hong Kong government-linked innovation and technology infrastructure operator. While not a direct competitor, HKSTP is already a core partner of StartupsHK and provides overlapping founder programs, making it both a partner and a structural adjacent player in the same ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeluma.com/whatyoubuildingevents

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about StartupsHK