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HKBU BBA Graduate and Team Win HK$100,000 Cyberport Seed Fund for AI Innovation

16 Sep, 2025

Mr. Kartikay DHAR (3rd from the right) and his team receive a HK$100,000 seed fund for their AI-driven smart glasses project in promoting inclusion for the deaf community. Mr. Kartikay DHAR (3rd from the right) and his team receive a HK$100,000 seed fund for their AI-driven smart glasses project in promoting inclusion for the deaf community.

A team co-founded by a recent HKBU graduate in (BBA) Economics and Data Analytics, Mr. Kartikay DHAR, won a HK$100,000 Cyberport University Partnership Programme (CUPP) 2025 seed fund and was officially presented with the award at the graduation ceremony on 30 August 2025. The winning project is an AI-powered smart glasses system titled “Sign Language Make Easy (SLME)”, aiming to redefine the experience of daily interactions for the deaf community by highlighting accessibility and inclusivity.  

The winning team earned a top 10 spot for their project and was recognised for its strong social mission and technical excellence. Mr. DHAR contributed significantly to the project’s success alongside the co-founders, Ms. Ismatbanu Junedbhai DALAL, a Year-3 student in (BSc) Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence), and Ms. Mohammad ASMA, a Year-4 student in (BSc) Business Computing and Data Analytics.

Thanks to the programme, participating teams received intensive local training and an international bootcamp at the Draper University in Silicon Valley, before a final pitch on the Demo Day on 29 August 2025. With the funding now secured, SLME will focus on developing their prototype for a more inclusive world.

In collaboration with 12 local university partners, CUPP is a flagship event to nurture Hong Kong's next generation of talent in fintech and entrepreneurship. This year’s programme focused on strategic technological themes — artificial intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity, and data science. It attracted 500 student teams to submit their start-up ideas, highlighting its role in fostering innovation in the city.

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