The Portuguese startup Complear won first prize in the 5th edition of the 929 Challenge in Macau, outperforming 15 other teams in a competition designed to showcase innovation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. The event, held at the China–Portuguese-speaking Countries Trade and Cooperation Platform Complex, awarded a total of MOP 300,000 in prizes and gave finalists the chance to attract investment from Chinese and Lusophone sponsors.
Complear — which develops compliance and regulatory solutions for digital health companies — also received the “Unique Contribution to Macau” award. Second place went to Brazil’s Phycolabs, creator of seaweed-derived textile materials, while Portugal’s Azores Life Science, focused on cosmetics made from natural ingredients from the Azores, secured third place.
In the university category, the University of Hong Kong came first, followed by the University of Macau and the University of Porto. Other distinctions included “Best Sustainable Business Model,” awarded to Mozambique’s Xa Nene for converting organic waste into animal feed, and “Most Promising Startup,” granted to Dermamatica, a 3D AI-powered skin cancer screening project.
This year’s edition attracted more than 400 applications since registrations opened in June, with Portuguese-speaking countries accounting for 65% — a record. Lusophone African countries and Timor-Leste submitted 170 applications, a 73% increase compared to last year. All eight startup finalists were from Portuguese-speaking nations: five from Portugal, two from Brazil, and one from Mozambique.
Co-founders Marco Duarte Rizzolio and José Alves praised the “extraordinary quality” of the projects, highlighting the strong presence of biotechnology initiatives aligned with China’s strategic priorities.
The program also included a two-week training camp for finalists and the inaugural 929 Summit, which brought together experts from Portugal, Macau, Hong Kong, and France for workshops and roundtables on innovation, entrepreneurship, and financing.
Organized by the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macau) and local entrepreneurship organizations, the 929 Challenge aims to strengthen innovation and collaboration between China and the Lusophone world. Key sponsors included Sands China, Galaxy Entertainment Group, MGM China, Banco Nacional Ultramarino, and Alibaba Cloud Macau.
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