Incubator Selection for Climate Tech, Biotech and Robotics

Sector-specific incubator selection criteria. Climate Tech: prioritise incubators with dedicated climate tracks (Brinc Climate Tech, HKSTP’s Green Tech programme), access to carbon credit market expertise, and connections to corporate partners with decarbonisation commitments. Biotech: prioritise incubators with wet-lab facilities (HKSTP Incu-Bio, HKU’s biomedical incubator), access to clinical trial networks, and mentors with pharmaceutical industry experience (not just academic researchers). Robotics: prioritise incubators with hardware prototyping facilities (HKSTP’s robotics lab, HAX in Shenzhen), manufacturing supply chain connections, and mentors with experience in hardware product-market fit (which differs fundamentally from software). The common mistake: a robotics founder joining a software-focused accelerator that cannot provide the physical infrastructure and hardware-specific mentorship the company needs.