Growth Company opens Hong Kong route for Manchester startups

The Growth Company has become a global partner of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Start-up Express International 2026 programme, giving Greater Manchester startups a nomination route into an overseas business development initiative.

Local learning platform Little Lions Rising Ltd has already reached the first-round top 30, as reported by BusinessCloud. The company is competing for one of 10 international places offering access to business contacts and support in Hong Kong.

What happened

The partnership allows the Growth Company to put forward startups for consideration by the programme’s judges. Nomination does not guarantee a place: the panel will select the final group of international winners.

For Little Lions Rising, the next stage could bring an invitation to exhibit at HKTDC Entrepreneur Day in Hong Kong on 19–20 November. The event provides a setting for the selected businesses to present their work and meet prospective commercial partners.

The overseas route adds to the support available to founders in Greater Manchester, where ASCEND has opened 25 funded places for local founders. The HKTDC partnership has a specific international focus, using nominations to connect businesses with opportunities in Hong Kong.

The background

HKTDC is a statutory body established in 1966 to develop and promote Hong Kong’s trade. It operates through 51 offices worldwide, including 13 in mainland China, and promotes Hong Kong as a hub for investment and business in both directions.

The international version of Start-up Express began in 2022. Its purpose is to help startups build relationships with potential partners in Hong Kong, rather than simply provide an overseas exhibition slot.

HKTDC’s wider work includes international exhibitions, conferences and business missions, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses seeking opportunities in mainland China and other markets. It also publishes market research and product information through reports and digital news channels.

The partnership is a separate addition to cross-border support for UK businesses, alongside developments such as the UK–Germany technology corridor and its £17m quantum fund.

What people are saying

Jenny Lam, founder of Little Lions Rising, said the platform helps children learn Cantonese and Traditional Chinese while maintaining a connection with Hong Kong culture, wherever they live.

Lam described building the business in Greater Manchester as a way of connecting the two places that shaped her. She credited GM Business Growth Hub with providing mentoring, coaching and introductions, as well as recognising the potential of the business at an early stage.

Susana Cordoba, head of international at GM Business Growth Hub, said the partnership was intended to create overseas opportunities for Greater Manchester companies. She identified Hong Kong as a particular area of interest and welcomed Little Lions Rising’s progress during the partnership’s first year.

What happens next

The judging panel will decide which businesses advance from the first-round selection to the final 10. Little Lions Rising’s participation in the November event remains conditional on that decision.

Winners receive support through the Start-in-Hong Kong Programme, including a complimentary exhibition booth and travel sponsorship for Entrepreneur Day. The package also includes HKStartupSociety membership, business matching, networking opportunities and introductions to potential investors.

Those benefits concern market access and relationship-building; investor introductions are not a commitment to invest. For founders considering their wider financing options, the programme sits separately from domestic lending routes such as Start Up Loans, which reported more than £40m of lending in a record summer.