HONG KONG - A total of 223 firms have invested over HK$20 billion (about $2.58 billion) in Hong Kong in the first four months of this year, nearly doubling the amount of investments attracted in the same period in 2024, data from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government showed Tuesday.

The investments created more than 4,900 jobs, said Alpha Lau Hai-suen, Invest Hong Kong's director-general of investment promotion. She forecast a significant year-on-year investment increase in the first half of this year, and hoped the trend would last throughout the year.

Invest Hong Kong had helped establish about 170 family offices in the city while rolling out the carpet for around 150 others, well-poised to fulfill the goal of setting up 200 by year-end, according to Lau.

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An ideal platform for mainland firms to enter overseas markets, Hong Kong can provide resources to aid application of research and development, and intellectual property rights protection as well as commercialization, said Lau, adding that Invest Hong Kong will help these firms find funding and tech support.