CISL X HKSTP Innovation Booster Programme
About
The Europe Booster is a 6-month programme delivered in partnership between the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).
The programme supports five scaleups from Hong Kong working across sustainability themes including circular materials, energy, health technology, built environment innovation, AI and more.
CISL helps ventures accelerate product-market fit validation, access mentoring and investor networks, and establish beachhead market in Europe and the UK – with a focus on positive impact for people, nature and climate.
Meet the current cohort
TGO
TG0 is an award-winning HK & UK deep-tech company pioneering AI-powered sensing technologies that enable everyday materials and products to sense touch, pressure, force and human behaviour.
Founded by graduates from Imperial College London, TG0 develops ultra-low-power embedded AI and smart sensing solutions for robotics, automotive, healthcare, XR and consumer electronics. Its technology has been deployed by global brands, research institutions, and industrial partners worldwide. TG0’s mission is to bridge the physical and digital worlds through scalable, sustainable, and intelligent sensing systems that enhance how humans interact with machines and environments.
LeafIoT
LeafIoT is a deep-tech pioneer born out of PolyU, establishing a sustainable new paradigm for smart city architecture.
Moving beyond traditional risk management, we optimize natural assets across four progressive tiers—from individual trees to a thriving Urban Eco-Matrix—to maximize urban biodiversity and advance climate mitigation.
Our Socio-Ecological Neural Network integrates advanced IoT sensors and 3D LiDAR into a holistic diagnostic framework inspired by Eastern Medicine, systematically looking, listening, questioning, and touching to assess environmental health. By streamlining complex data into actionable insights, we calculate the Eco-Resilience & Intervention Index (ERII) to quantify true carbon capture and ecosystem restoration. Secured by blockchain validation, our climate-resilient infrastructure is trusted across Europe, North America, and the Middle East, seamlessly balancing urban advancement with planetary sustainability.
JANAENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD.
JANAENERGY TECHNOLOGY is a high-tech company dedicated to the R&D, manufacturing, and sales of low-cost, high-performance sodium-ion battery anode and cathode materials, as well as the development of battery system products.
The company holds over 300 intellectual property patents, including 240 invention patents, and is a leading player in the polyanion-based sodium-ion cathode materials field and remains the only enterprise with mass production and kiloton-scale shipments.
OKOsix
OKOsix is a deeptech biomaterials platform developing scalable replacements for fossil plastics, starting with healthcare.
Its proprietary OKOmer platform matches industrial performance while reducing carbon impact by up to 90%, fully biodegrading within six months after disposal, and eliminating persistent microplastics. The technology has enabled fully biodegradable medical-grade PPE and is expanding into hygiene, packaging, and durable applications in other industries like engineered plastics and consumer goods. OKOsix is also advancing biomaterials designed not to bioaccumulate in the human body through collaborations with leading European research institutions. The company is advised by globally recognized experts in bioplastics, polymer processing, and advanced chemistry.
HK LEADUS Innovation Co.
Founded by PolyU scholars, HK LEADUS Innovation Co., Ltd. is a global pioneer in Vacuum Insulation Glass (VIG). Its proprietary "One-Step" process delivers holeless, fully tempered VIG, boosting production efficiency by 6-8 times.
As the only manufacturer globally to deliver complete VIG production lines both domestically and overseas, LEADUS has formed strategic partnerships with industry giants in the US, Europe, and Japan, with annual revenue exceeding $13 million.
What participants receive
- Tailored masterclasses designed by CISL subject experts
- 1-2-1 mentorship with sector specialists and investor advisors
- Opportunities to test pilot partnerships with corporate partners and research bodies
- Networking and investor introductions through CISL’s global community
- Group coaching, peer learning and founder support groups
- Opportunities to present at international events and partner side-events
Format
The Global Booster Programme commences with an in-person launch in Hong Kong, followed by a structured 6-month hybrid accelerator, including two residential phases in London / Cambridge and virtual phases. The Programme is adaptive and designed around scaleups priorities identified during pre-programme engagement.
Phase zero: Programme Orientation (May 2026)
Phase one: 1-month startup residency in London, Cambridge (June/July 2026)
Phase two: 4-month virtual phases (July to October 2026)
Phase three: 1-month startup residency in Cambridge, Brussels, Helsinki (November 2026)
Delivery Team
Jie Zhou, Director of International Innovation, CISL
Jie is a sustainability and circular economy expert with over 15 years of experience scaling innovation at the intersection of academia, investment, and the public sector.
As a founding member of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) Accelerator & Innovation Hub (Canopy), she has played a pivotal role in supporting over 500 impact-driven startups, helping the hub earn its reputation as a leading European startup incubator for three consecutive years.
A bridge-builder by nature, Jie has built and expanded institutional partnerships with global organizations like UNICEF, the British Standards Institute, Full Vision Capital, and partners across Europe, Asia and Africa. Through partnership she identifies emerging market gaps and co-creates initiatives that enable sustainable startups to scale internationally. She also heads the Sino-UK Centre for Sustainability Innovation founded by CISL, acts as a bridge connecting the UK and China's innovation ecosystems.
A frequent speaker at COP and the World Economic Forum, Jie translates her field insights into tangible resources, including the Climate Fit toolkit and the Sustainability Innovation Strategy course, which have benefited thousands of SMEs worldwide.
Beyond her role at CISL, Jie serves as a research advisor at Newham College (Cambridge), Trustee at Dialogue Earth (London), and Advisor at Undivided VC (Hong Kong). Driven by her cross-cultural experiences as an ethnic minority, Jie is a passionate DE&I advocate, and part of CISL's Equality Action committee. Her leadership was recognized with the University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor’s Social Impact Award (2022), and Chinese Woman of the Year - Sustainability (2025).
Jie holds three Master's degrees from University of Cambridge (Sustainability Leadership) and UCL (Economics and Politics of Energy and Environment), and ECNU (Environmental Science).
Dr Tom Norton, Programme Manager, CISL
Tom is responsible for working with clients to identify learning requirements and designing custom programmes that build leadership capability to drive strategic sustainability priorities.
He previously worked at Arup, working primarily in infrastructure mega projects and the built environment. In this role he designed and delivered sustainability leadership training and was responsible for the usability of a novel handwashing unit for use in disaster relief scenarios.
Tom completed his master’s and PhD in Psychology at The University of Queensland. Recognising a need for companies to change how they operate, he investigated the influence of organisational culture on employees’ willingness to engage in corporate sustainability initiatives and perform related behaviours. Tom is recognised as an international expert in the field of workplace culture and climate for sustainable development, with over ten publications.
Zoë Loughlin, Head of Canopy Community, CISL
Zoë oversees the Canopy innovation Community, CISL’s Cambridge workspace and global network for impact-driven startups and entrepreneurs.
Zoë has over 10 years’ experience working in sustainability across the public and third sector and in the innovation ecosystem. She has specialised knowledge on waste reduction, recycling and sustainable food systems, previously working at Sustain (the Alliance for Better Food and Farming), the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Waste Partnership, WasteWatch, Glopolis, and Green Alliance. Zoë also cofounded a social enterprise focused on food waste reduction and held voluntary positions as Hub leader at Cambridge FoodCycle and on the Board for Cambridge Sustainable Food.
Zoë joined CISL in 2016 as part of the Marketing, Communications and Corporate Relations team, working across programme marketing, external communications, publications, Network development, and the Unilever Young Entrepreneur Awards, before moving to her current position in 2022. Zoë has a BA in Geography from the University of Leeds, and a certificate in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
Jia Wang, Senior Project Manager, CISL
Jia Wang is a Senior Project Manager at CISL, where she delivers high-impact projects and accelerators that bring together business, government and academia to drive sustainability innovation.
She has experience delivering CISL’s EU-funded initiatives, working closely with government stakeholders, industry leaders and innovators to build collaborative solutions and deliver measurable impact. Earlier in her career, Claire worked in media content localisation, licensing, and VFX production, collaborating with global film studios.
Jia holds a firm belief in the power of collaboration, creativity, and innovation, underpinned by resilient leadership and systems thinking, to drive positive change in sustainability practices. She is dedicated to delivering impactful projects that help pave the way towards a more sustainable future.