Get Started HK Report Finds Rising Overseas Founder Demand for Hong Kong, Led by E-Commerce and Digital Businesses
Nov 14, 2026
An analysis of about 5,400 companies incorporated between June 2024 and May 2026 finds that banking and payment access is a key need after incorporation. Get Started HK supports this through a partner network that includes Airwallex, PayPal, Payoneer and PingPong.
Hong Kong, November 14, 2026 -- Get Started HK, a corporate services firm that helps international founders build businesses in Hong Kong, today released findings from its Foreign-Owned SME Report. The report analysed about 5,400 Hong Kong companies incorporated through the firm between June 2024 and May 2026. The data shows steady demand from overseas founders using Hong Kong as a base for cross-border trade. E-commerce and digital-product businesses grew the fastest, and founders from Europe formed the largest owner group.
Key findings
- Western Europe founders lead the way: Netherlands nationals made up 8.36% of companies analysed, the largest single group, followed by Thailand (7.75%) and Italy (5.41%).
- E-commerce is the largest sector: Incorporations of e-commerce and digital-product businesses rose 13% between H2 2024 and H1 2026, against 36.67% across the whole portfolio.
- Business account comes next: 88.63% of companies opened at least one Hong Kong business account, and the average was 1.39 accounts per company.
- Fast access to payments: 67% of e-commerce companies opened an Airwallex account through Get Started HK's referral, a median of 2.3 days after incorporation.
Projected Business Growth Accelerates: Among companies with complete data, median of the expected annual turnover rose 9.64% between June-November 2024 and December 2025-May 2026. Most companies are growing: 68% of companies with at least 6 months of data recorded positive sales growth.
Banking and payments: the infrastructure behind cross-border growth
The findings suggest that incorporation is only the start. For e-commerce and digital businesses, success soon depends on reliable access to multi-currency accounts, online payment collection, marketplace payouts and cross-border settlement.
Get Started HK supports this through its partner network, which includes Airwallex, PayPal, Payoneer and PingPong, as well as traditional banking like HSBC & DBS. Newly incorporated companies can be introduced to account and payment solutions suited to their business model, markets and customers. Speed matters here: 67% of e-commerce companies in the Report set up an Airwallex account within 2.3 days of incorporation through Get Started HK's referral. This shortens the gap between forming a company and accepting the first payment.
“ Our data shows that founders around the world, from the Gulf to Southeast Asia and beyond, still see Hong Kong as a practical base for building cross-border businesses, especially in e-commerce,” said Harry Lo, Managing Director of Get Started HK.
“ That is why we hold ourselves to a service standard we will never lower. Behind every application is a founder who has trusted us with their business, so every member of our team is trained to treat it that way. More than 1,200 five-star reviews tell us we are on the right path. We see that as a responsibility, not an achievement, as Hong Kong shows the world the strength of its entrepreneurial spirit once again.”
Get Started HK's payment and fintech partners say the link between company formation and financial access has become central to how founders scale.
“ Get Started HK has been our Channel Partner of the Year in Hong Kong for three consecutive years, reflecting the strength of our collaboration,” said Nick Chiu, Head of SME & Growth, Hong Kong at Airwallex. “ Together, we’ve built a seamless pathway that bridges company formation and financial infrastructure, enabling global entrepreneurs to launch, collect, and scale multi-currency operations from day one. ” That same focus on connecting formation with real operational capability is shared by PingPong Payments, another key partner in the network, where GSHK-referred clients are able to complete their account opening quickly.
“ PingPong was founded to help global enterprises thrive in new markets. We started by building a payment infrastructure to connect local payment methods across borders, and today, we support founders from China, Europe, the Americas, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and beyond who are building businesses propelled by those cross-border connections” said Sky Chen, Vice President, Key Accounts & Partnerships, at PingPong Payments. “ Together with Get Started HK, we’re helping global companies put down roots in Hong Kong as their base to source, sell, and settle across markets with confidence.”
G-flowdesk: AI-native support for the founder journey
Get Started HK is building on its service data and partner network with G-flowdesk, an AI-native platform now in invitation-only beta, with full commercial rollout planned for January 2027. The platform draws on the firm's experience serving more than 46,000 founders and covers the founder journey through four modules: - Match: recommends the banks and payment providers best suited to a business, including options across Get Started HK's partner network. Recommendations draw on the firm's record of past outcomes. - Verify: AI-assisted e-KYC (electronic identity checks) and document verification for faster incorporation. - Portal: one client workspace for entities, documents, deadlines and filings. - Insights: AI accounting agents that explain the books in plain language and flag possible tax relief opportunities.
Qualified professionals review the platform's output and stay accountable for the final results.
Methodology
The report analysed aggregated, anonymised data for about 5,400 Hong Kong companies incorporated through Get Started HK between 1 June 2024 and 31 May 2026. The sample covers direct clients only, meaning founders who approached Get Started HK themselves through walk-in consultations, the firm's website, online enquiries or word of mouth. Companies referred through the firm's partner network are excluded. A company is included if at least one shareholder holding 75% or more is a non-Hong Kong national.
Data fields include incorporation date, owner nationality and residence, sector, entity type, sales turnover, number of Hong Kong business accounts and payment accounts opened through Get Started HK's referral. Account-opening figures refer to accounts Get Started HK introduced to partners after incorporation. Turnover figures are medians, so a few unusually large companies cannot skew them. Period comparisons use the first and last six months of the study period. Percentages are rounded. The findings describe Get Started HK's client portfolio, not every foreign-owned business in Hong Kong, and no individual client can be identified.
About Get Started HK
Get Started HK aims to spark, empower and unite Hong Kong's entrepreneurial community through practical solutions, while restoring local pride. Having served more than 46,000 founders worldwide, the firm works with a partner network that includes Airwallex, PayPal, Payoneer and PingPong to help founders incorporate, open accounts, get paid and grow. Get Started HK believes every lasting success begins with client satisfaction, a standard reflected in more than 1,200 five-star Google reviews.
Contact Info:
Name: Getstarted.hk
Email: Send Email
Organization: Get Started HK
Address: Suite C, Level 7, World Trust Tower, 50 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong
Phone: +852 2813 7600
Website: https://getstarted.hk
Release ID: 89209640
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