Boson Ventures is an official referring partner for the 2026 Guangzhou Sci-Tech Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition — Global Division, run alongside the HKUST One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition, Guangzhou Region. It's a direct, curated pathway for Australian deep tech founders into the Greater Bay Area.
Overseas Track
Australian-founded teams register under the Overseas Track of the 2026 competition, which runs through to a single Startup@GZ Final. You qualify if you meet any one of the following.
— At least one member holds Australian (or other non-Chinese) citizenship
— At least one member graduated from, or studied for a year or more at, an Australian or other overseas university
— At least one member has worked outside mainland China for over one year
— Company registered outside mainland China (e.g. in Australia)
These criteria are defined relative to mainland China, so Australian-founded teams typically satisfy them without any extra steps. Meeting any one condition above qualifies you for the Overseas Track; registration is final once submitted.
Timeline
Prizes
Winning teams also gain a fast-track to the HKUST One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition Grand Finals, competing for an additional RMB 1 million (approx. AUD 213,000).
RMB 600,000
approx. AUD 128,000
1 winner · incl. RMB 300,000 (approx. AUD 64,000) cash
RMB 300,000
approx. AUD 64,000
2 winners · incl. RMB 150,000 (approx. AUD 32,000) cash
RMB 200,000
approx. AUD 43,000
6 winners · incl. RMB 100,000 (approx. AUD 21,000) cash
RMB 100,000
approx. AUD 21,000
16 winners · incl. RMB 50,000 (approx. AUD 11,000) cash
Cash prizes are paid only once the winning team completes company registration in Guangzhou, within 6 months of the award announcement.
Beyond cash, winners can access over RMB 4 million (approx. AUD 850,000) in non-cash support — cloud computing credits, up to two years’ rent subsidy, IP and grant application support, legal services, and business/finance services — from partners including AWS, Guangdong Keyue, Guangdong Hongmian Law Firm, Guangzhou Zhuocai, Aspire and MiraclePlus.
Judging
An expert panel drawn from academia, industry, startup incubators and investment assesses every project against five weighted criteria.
Register directly at 1m.hkust.edu.hk — create an account, select Guangzhou Region, then select the Overseas Track. This is final once submitted, and applications cannot be edited after submission. Registration closes 14 August 2026, 5:00pm Beijing Time.
When registering, list “Boson Ventures” under Referring Organization on the official form — this lets the organisers track the referral and lets us follow up with support.
Read the official announcement →Register your interest below and our team will help guide you through the application.