HKMA, CEDB and IPD launch IP Financing Sandbox

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), in collaboration with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) and the Intellectual Property Department (IPD), launched the Intellectual Property (IP) Financing Sandbox today (22 December). 

As set out in “The Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address”, the IP Financing Sandbox aims to assist pilot sectors in leveraging IP assets for financing. 

The Sandbox serves to provide a collaborative and risk-controlled environment for banks, IP valuation firms, legal practitioners and other relevant professions to test the full lifecycle of IP financing arrangements that are based on IP assets such as patents, trademarks and copyrights. 

Through the Sandbox, banks can develop and refine their IP financing arrangements with the support from multidisciplinary professionals as well as guidance by the HKMA, CEDB and IPD.  This initiative can also enable banks to accumulate practical experience in providing IP financing to better serve the needs of innovative enterprises, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises which are rich in IP assets but may lack tangible assets that can be pledged as collateral for bank financing.

Three major banks in Hong Kong have joined the Sandbox as inaugural participants, and have solicited interests from clients from the biotechnology, electronics and technology sectors to conduct pilot trials of IP financing through the Sandbox (see Annex). 

Hong Kong Monetary Authority
22 December 2025