Many wealthy families in Asia, the Middle East and Europe are exploring Hong Kong as a platform to tap growing investment opportunities in electric vehicles (EVs), artificial intelligence, biotech and even property in mainland China, according to a Swiss family office investment firm.
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“Hong Kong is the gateway to China, which makes it very efficient doing business here,” said Marcus Sasse, co-founder and managing partner of Club Estate, in an exclusive interview.
He added that the firm had started to look at opportunities in the Chinese real estate market. “After they went through a rough patch, things are moving up,” he said.
Besides real estate, many overseas family offices wanted Club Estate to help identify investment opportunities in EVs, AI and biotech in mainland China, Sasse said.
Club Estate, launched in 2018 in Zurich, has offices in Luxembourg, Singapore and Hong Kong. It focuses on identifying private investment projects for family offices – entities created by affluent individuals or families to manage their investments, succession planning and philanthropic activities.
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The company has 700 million Swiss francs (US$884 million) under management.
In his policy address in September, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu set a new target of attracting an additional 220 family offices to the city by 2028, after achieving the previous goal of bringing in 200 such firms between 2023 and 2025. This followed tax incentives introduced in 2023 and the launch of an investment-migration scheme last year.