Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) said it will expand its overseas network in search for more investment opportunities.

Startups in Hong Kong employed about 18-thousand people this year, according to the agency, which was a seven percent growth year-on-year, making a substantial contribution to the labour market.

InvestHK's director-general, Alpha Lau, said on Saturday that the government spent a lot of effort in promoting emerging sectors and companies.

"The 2024 startup survey shows that we have got a remarkable growth in the total number of startups. Now we have 4,700, up 10 percent from last year," she said in an interview with the Information Services Department.

"This year we have seen some new sectors emerging, indicating that the Hong Kong government’s effort to promote industries in this area has now seen a very good result."

CEO of a local fintech startup, Ben Wong, said Hong Kong's well-established financial structure was vital for his company's development.

"We want to be an international company and Hong Kong provides us with that base on the strategic location. In just a four-hour ride we are able to go into Southeast Asia," he said.

"The talent in Hong Kong to me, when it comes to being able to support a financial business, is one of the best in the world. They are highly skilled, and also highly knowledgeable, in helping us grow our business. At the same time, we have been able to also attract international talent."

InvestHK said it will particularly focus on countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, and that a new office will be established in Turkey in the first quarter of next year.