Animoca Brands Corporation Ltd (Unlisted (AU):AB1) and Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) have launched Build East, a new demo day initiative designed to showcase Hong Kong-based developers building in the emerging field of agentic artificial intelligence.
Scheduled for July 7, 2026 at Hong Kong Science Park, the event will see eight local teams pitch their projects to investors, ecosystem leaders and international delegates for potential entry into the Minds Investment Programme, which offers access to a support package and an aggregate investment pool of up to US$10 million.
Investment program targets early-stage AI builders
Build East is centred around Minds by Animoca Brands, a persistent AI agent platform designed to enable users to deploy and manage autonomous AI agents without the need to maintain their own infrastructure.
The event aims to identify promising Hong Kong-based projects using Minds as a core product layer and assess their eligibility for the Minds Investment Programme.
Accepted teams may receive a tailored combination of support, including Cognition Credits, developer relations assistance, introductions across Animoca Brands’ portfolio of more than 600 companies and, where appropriate and subject to due diligence, capital investment from the programme’s funding pool.
Eight teams to pitch before global audience
The Build East cohort will comprise eight teams, with four places reserved for HKSTP Park companies and four available to the broader Hong Kong startup community.
Participating teams will present their projects during the afternoon event, with attendees expected to include investors, ecosystem stakeholders and a delegation from Saudi Arabia.
Selected projects may be invited to join the Minds Investment Programme following further evaluation.
Build East will run from 1pm to 6pm on 7 July, one day before the start of LEAP East 2026, for which HKSTP serves as the exclusive Tech Ecosystem Partner.
Hong Kong positioned as agentic AI hub
Animoca Brands co-founder and executive chairman Yat Siu said the partnership with HKSTP reflects the city's growing role in AI innovation.
"As a global company headquartered in Hong Kong, we are absolutely thrilled to work with HKSTP to help accelerate the development of agentic AI in this vibrant and forward-looking city," he said.
"Hong Kong’s combination of builder density, capital depth and global connectivity render it uniquely well-suited to establish itself as a leading economic and development hub for the agentic era."
HKSTP chief ecosystem development officer Eric Or said the initiative aligns with the organisation’s broader AI ambitions.
"HKSTP is proud to co-host Build East alongside Animoca Brands and Minds," he said.
"This event reflects our REIMAGINE AI+ commitment and our role as Hong Kong's home for the founders building the next generation of intelligent agents."
Applications open until June 22
Applications are now open for Hong Kong-based developers, founders and early-stage teams building with Minds by Animoca Brands.
Interested applicants can submit their projects through the Minds Builder Hub, https://build.hellominds.ai/program/build-east with applications closing on June 22, 2026.
HKSTP currently supports an innovation ecosystem that includes 13 unicorn companies, around 2,500 technology firms from 26 countries and regions, and more than 17,000 research professionals.