The AEF Student Start-up Grants allow full time students with innovative ideas to kick-start their own businesses. 

Why do we think this is important?

We know starting a business is never easy. The AEF Student Start-up Grants allow students to take their first step towards fulfilling their dreams and aspirations while providing guidance and encouragement.

Why pledge?

Alumnus Alvin Lam, Managing Partner of T12M Ventures—an angel investor in small startups and an accelerator fund that buys small companies to grow them—established the AEF Student Start-up Grants in 2016. He is keen to support students on their startup journey, help them with the ideation process and market analysis, and provide commercial advice on accounting and legal matters, investor relationships, and much more. With your pledge, we will be able to provide more students with the resources to develop their business ideas.

The AEF Student Start-up Grants were initially introduced as a modest cash assistance to individual students with entrepreneurial ambitions, providing them with the support to kick-start their ventures. 

As the program evolved, the focus shifted towards a broader initiative. The grants began to directly support the Entrepreneurship Training Program offered by the Entrepreneurship Center. This specialized program is tailored exclusively for students, equipping them with the essential skills, knowledge, and resources to navigate the challenging realm of entrepreneurship. 

By channeling the funds into this training program, the grants ensures that a wider pool of aspiring student entrepreneurs can benefit from comprehensive guidance, mentorship, and practical learning experiences, fostering a thriving culture of innovation and enterprise within the university community. 

For inquiries, please contact the HKUST Entrepreneurship Center at ecfund@ust.hk, or 2358 6021.

How will your money be used?

The cumulative donations received from alumni form the principal balance of the Alumni Endowment Fund (AEF). This principal is maintained in perpetuity and is the basis of sustained annual income from investments, forming a reliable and viable source of support for many projects for the benefit of students. Awarded Student Start-up Grants will typically be in the range of HK$3,000 to HK$10,000, with exceptions for outstanding applications.

Click here to learn more about Alumni Endowment Fund (AEF)

For direct donation, please use the online form. Your generous support will be eligible for tax deductions. For donors who would like to support HKUST with their United States-based assets, they can enjoy tax-deductions by contributing to our non-profit partner Give2Asia. Please visit https://give2asia.org/hkust.