Hong Kong 30 Under 30 2016

Co-founder and VP, Partnerships, Happy Owl

Finding solutions to problems is Daniel Cheng’s jam. He’s worked extensively in the tech arena, and it was while he was at a venture builder helping to launch tech startups that he met his now-business partner, Cassie Mak. “Many of her friends owned bars, but were struggling with marketing. They can do all kinds of promotions, but the problem was in getting the word out and letting people know about them.”

Recognizing the opportunity to combine technology and content for a platform that works simultaneously as a guide for foodies to discover the best bars in Hong Kong as well as a cost-effective marketing tool for the bar industry, Cheng, Mak and fellow co-founder Gabriel Fong established Happy Owl in mid-2016.

The app offers a subscription that allows members to redeem a drink every day at Happy Owl’s 50-plus partner outlets across Hong Kong — everywhere from crowd favorites in LKF and SoHo to neighborhood joints in Kennedy Town.

In the short time since the launch, feedback has been positive. “Our product is loved by young professionals, for whom catching up for a drink after work and during weekends is an essential part of their social lives.”

His first ever job? Cheng worked as a summer intern at an engineering company building a transportation information system.