meed Selected for Accelerating Asia Cohort 13 – The Only Hong Kong Startup Standing After 724 Applied
When 724 startups from 20 countries applied for five spots in Accelerating Asia Cohort 13, one of Asia’s most selective VC-backed accelerator programmes, only one finalist came from Hong Kong. That company is meed, a wallet-native loyalty platform that lets shoppers collect stamps and rewards from any merchant with a single QR scan, no app required.
meed is not only the sole Hong Kong representative in Cohort 13. It is the only company from Greater China. The acceptance rate: under one per cent. The process: five evaluation rounds. The result: a signal that Hong Kong’s startup ecosystem still produces companies worth backing at the highest level.
Why It Matters for Hong Kong
Hong Kong has a startup problem it doesn’t talk about enough. The infrastructure exists. The talent is here. But the track record of local companies breaking into Asia’s elite funding and accelerator circuit is thin. Most founders who want serious acceleration have to look elsewhere.
meed looked here first and got in.
For Phil Ingram, Founder of meed, the selection is personal:
“Hong Kong’s startup scene is full of smart people quietly building things the world doesn’t know about yet. That invisibility isn’t a talent problem; it’s a storytelling problem and a confidence problem. meed getting into Accelerating Asia, as the only HK company from 724 applicants, matters beyond us. Every founder in this city should know it’s possible. We just proved it.”
The Problem meed Solves
Retail loyalty is broken, and the industry knows it. More than half of all digital loyalty memberships sit dormant. Not because consumers aren’t loyal. Because every brand demands its own app, its own login, its own place on a phone screen that is already full. Consumers quit after one use. Merchants spend money on retention tools that don’t retain anyone.
meed takes the opposite approach: one QR scan at a merchant’s counter and a digital loyalty card drops into Apple Wallet or Google Wallet in seconds. No download. No account. No password. The card lives where consumers already look, alongside their boarding passes and bank cards, which is why they actually use it. For merchants who prefer a tap over a scan, meed also supports NFC enrolment. An AI-powered receipt-scanning feature allows merchants to verify purchases without requiring point-of-sale integration, and Apple Wallet and Google Wallet deliver proximity notifications to customers when they are physically close to a participating merchant.
For merchants, setup takes minutes and requires no hardware. One dashboard, a custom programme, and a live QR code from the moment they sign up.
Traction Built Without Paying for a Single Click
meed’s growth has been entirely organic. Hundreds of merchants across 86 countries found the platform without a single dollar spent on outbound acquisition. Among merchants who have moved to a paid plan, churn to date is zero.
From coffee shops in Peru and the Philippines to tanning salons in the UK and restaurants in Barbados, the product has found product-market fit across cultures and verticals because it solves a universal frustration.
Phil Ingram, Founder of meed, on the traction:
“The loyalty industry has spent a decade making things more complicated for the people it is supposed to serve, and calling that progress. We went the other way. One tap. Already on your phone. Nothing to download. Merchants in over 80 countries found us on their own, through search and social. That doesn’t happen unless the problem is real and the solution actually works. Accelerating Asia’s selection tells us the opportunity ahead is worth moving faster on.”
About Accelerating Asia
Accelerating Asia Ventures is an independent accelerator and venture capital fund investing in early-stage startups across Southeast and South Asia. Founded by operators, the organisation is committed to supporting founders with capital, credibility, and a long-term community.
For interviews, data requests, or portfolio introductions, contact: [email protected]
The full cohort announcement is available here.
About meed
meed is a Hong Kong-founded consumer loyalty platform, established in 2022, that removes friction from retail rewards. One QR scan – or NFC tap – from a merchant creates a digital loyalty card that lives natively in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, with no app, no login, and no data entry required. Merchants can set up a fully customised loyalty program in under five minutes, with no POS integration required. A free plan supports up to 50 members; the Pro plan is priced at US$59 per month with unlimited members, advanced analytics, and custom push notifications.
meed serves businesses across 86 countries. Partners include Google, AWS, the Nvidia Inception Programme, and Hong Kong Science and Technology Park. The platform was featured at DigiTech ASEAN 2025 in Bangkok.
meed was founded by Phil Ingram, a 28-year product veteran with experience across Web2 and Web3.
Note to editors: High-resolution brand assets are available on request. Phil Ingram is available for interview.
meed is one of five startups selected for Accelerating Asia Cohort 13. The acceptance rate for Cohort 13 was under one per cent from a record 724 applications across 20 countries.
Media Contact
Company Name: Meed Limited
Contact Person: Phil Ingram
Email: Send Email
Country: HongKong
Website: https://www.meedloyalty.com/
