Two overseas firms that have already established their presence in Hong Kong said they see the SAR as a gateway for the mainland and Asia-Pacific markets.

French fintech start-up Libertify, a company utilising artificial intelligence to generate videos for creative storytelling, opened an office here after winning the InvestHK's Global FastTrack Award in 2023.

Founder CEO APAC of Libertify, Florian Lang, said it is a “milestone” for the company to set up its Asia hub in Hong Kong as it tries to penetrate the China and other Asia-Pacific markets.

"Hong Kong is the financial hub that has no equivalent in the region, even in the world," he said, adding that the company is well-connected in the city.

"Market is also integrating latest policies, latest trends... much faster than the other ones. We are targeting to expand all across APAC, also in mainland China, and we think that Hong Kong is the true first step to go on both of those markets."

Libertify has about 10 clients in Hong Kong at the moment and Lang sees strong potential growth moving forward.

"In 2024, AI was quite new. So most of our clients were looking at it but they didn't know where to fit it, to integrate it in their system," he said.

"Now, we see a massive change because everybody needs it. They know where it can fit, so there is a huge acceleration and we are very optimistic for 2025 as the traction and the trends are going strongly in our direction."

Meanwhile, Italian food importer and distributor Bright View Trading said operating in Hong Kong is crucial for the company’s development, as the SAR is an important hub for the catering market.

"It's important to be here because it's representative of all the best cuisine and restaurants in the world. For us, it's a gateway also to China and the Asian market," said general manager Michele Bernacchia.

Bright View already has a presence on the mainland and is looking to expand in the Greater Bay Area.

Bernacchia added that the firm is adapting to the changing market by adjusting its costs and enhancing its competitiveness.

InvestHK's senior vice president of fintech digital market, Brian Cook, said the investment body will continue to host promotions and global competitions to attract enterprises with potential.

He said InvestHK will also offer support for these companies after they set up shop in the SAR.