Gen.T+
The final segment of the Tatler Gen.T Summit investor meet-up concluded with executive members of MTR Lab and its portfolio companies sharing their insights
On November 10, speakers were invited to a fireside chat at The Upper House’s Sky Lounge hosted by affable emcee and founder of Tatler Gen.T, Tamara Lamunière, focusing on MTR Lab’s development. In the audience were entrepreneurs, investors and Gen.T VIP guests.
First up, Michael Chan, MTR Lab managing director, described what the investment arm of the transport operator is all about: “MTR Lab’s mission is to create strategic value through investing in technologies and formulating innovative solutions that support the long-term growth of our communities,” he said. “We look to draw like-minded partners and co-create solutions in areas including mobility, retail, property, financial and data services, smart city technology and sustainability. Through these collaborations, we hope to make a positive impact and help build a carbon-neutral smart community.”
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MTR Lab, a wholly owned subsidiary of MTR Corporation, draws on solid resources and deep experience within the public transit and property sectors. “We look to find solutions and partners not only in Hong Kong but also overseas and in the Greater Bay Area,” Chan added.
The next speaker, the company’s general manager Kiki Wang, noted that it differs from traditional venture capital firms and incubators. “MTR Lab is an innovation investor, as well as a solution matcher, launched to identify solutions for the MTR’s core businesses.
“I used to work at the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, where it was typical for us to accept over a thousand start-ups and watch how they all grew. Now, at MTR Lab, although I work with a smaller number of start-ups, we can work together much more closely, understand them better and grow with them together.”
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Her advice for start-ups, she added, is to “clearly communicate your value, strategically and financially, for an investor. Know your market well, and how you fit in.”
Jing Shi, head of investment for MTR Lab, who has two decades of venture capital and private equity buyout experience, said, “We know where the investor markets are. The most important thing is capital for operations, not just profitability projections.”
