Invest Hong Kong said it has assisted 413 overseas and Mainland enterprises in setting up or expanding their business in Hong Kong in the first half of 2026, and expects these to bring in over $53 billion in foreign direct investment.

InvestHK today hosted its annual welcome reception for international and Mainland businesses, thanking them for their trust and confidence in Hong Kong’s business environment. It announced its investment promotion results for the first half of this year at the event.

Officiating at the reception, Chief Executive John Lee said Hong Kong’s rising international rankings, together with its strong performance in attracting investment and enterprises, reflect the city’s robust advantages and immense opportunities.

“In the first half of this year, we welcomed 413 companies establishing or expanding their operations in Hong Kong – a year on year increase of some 10%.

“Together, they are expected to bring in over $53 billion in foreign direct investment and also create more than 8,600 new jobs.”

The Chief Executive added that Hong Kong is expediting development of the Northern Metropolis, which will unlock abundant opportunities and shape a prosperous future for the city.

InvestHK revealed that among the 413 overseas and Mainland enterprises it assisted in setting up or expanding in Hong Kong, about 60% came from the Chinese Mainland, while the rest spanned various markets across Europe and Asia.

The top five sectors included innovation and technology, financial services, and transport and logistics.

The reception drew more than 380 guests from global enterprises. Representatives from global logistics and financial technology firms expressed enthusiasm about what Hong Kong continues to offer.

"We do intend to expand and that may well be in the Northern Metropolis as well," said Nina Barton, Director of Sustainability for Asia Pacific at a logistics company. "We are looking at the first Hong Kong five-year plan, which is obviously going through at the moment, how much of a pivotal role logistics takes in that.

“We want to continue to focus on Hong Kong as an aviation club, and the development within the GBA (Greater Bay Area), which will help from a customer’s perspective as well, help trade to be much smoother between Hong Kong and the GBA region.” 

Sean Abbott, Director of APAC Banking & Infrastructure at a financial technology company, said: “We are very much keen to continue to see initiatives that encourage Chinese businesses, or anywhere in the world really, to come to Hong Kong, set up shop, and use it as a base to do business internationally.

“We will be here to help them get paid basically without having to go to every country and every place in the world and open up a bank account and figure out how to do that or use the traditional rails where it is expensive and slow.

“And then things like the Stable Coin Initiative, ideas like that that are kind of pushing the envelope a bit and really encouraging innovation in the economy.”