2026 agenda

Join the conversations shaping the future of technology – from new opportunities for growth to the partnerships and innovations driving what’s next.

EXPLORE TICKETS

Day 1 - 8th July

10:00

Welcome Remarks

Ecosystem Xchange - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:00 to 10:20

Melody Kwan

Presenter | Content Creator

MC Melody

Opening Ceremony

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:00 to 10:10

Opening Remarks

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:00 to 10:10

Elliott Gotkine

Emmy Award-winning

TV news correspondent

MC Welcome

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:00 to 10:05

Yamilette Cano

Founder, Speaker & Author

Louder Global

10:05

How AI Is Reshaping the Real Economy

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:05 to 10:20

As AI becomes a foundational layer of the digital economy, its impact is extending far beyond technology companies into sectors that underpin economic growth and societal development. From transforming financial services and enabling smarter healthcare delivery to accelerating innovation in new energy systems, this keynote explores how AI is being applied across industries to improve efficiency, unlock new business models, and create real-world value at scale.

Leo Li

President of International Business

Ant Digital Technologies

10:10

Opening Keynote

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:10 to 10:20

Setting the vision for technology's next frontier- where innovation, capital and national ambition converge.

H.E. Abdullah Alswaha

Minister of Communication & Information Technology

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Building a Financial Hub for the Next Era of Global Finance

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:10 to 10:30

As global finance undergoes structural change driven by technology, geopolitics, and shifting capital flows, financial centres must evolve beyond traditional strengths to remain competitive. In this fireside conversation, Joseph H. L. Chan, Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the Government of Hong Kong SAR, explores how leading jurisdictions are redefining what it means to be a global financial hub in a digital and multipolar world.The discussion examines how policy, infrastructure, and regulatory innovation work together to attract capital, support emerging financial technologies, and enable cross-border connectivity. From digital assets and real-time payments to market infrastructure and talent development, this session provides a strategic perspective on how governments can position their economies at the centre of the next era of global finance.

Elliott Gotkine

Emmy Award-winning

TV news correspondent

Joseph HL Chan

Undersecretary for Financial Services and Treasury

The Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

10:20

Welcome Remarks

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:20 to 10:30

Welcome Remarks by Hon. Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the HKSAR Government

Paul Chan

Financial Secretary

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Where Startups and Corporates Actually Get Stuff Done

Ecosystem Xchange - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:20 to 11:00

Most corporate-startup collaborations die in the pilot. The press release gets written, the innovation theatre plays out, and eighteen months later nothing has shipped. This session is for the ones that didn't.Three practitioners: a corporate that committed, a startup that survived the procurement process, and the ecosystem builder who's watched hundreds of both, unpack what real collaboration actually requires: honest problem statements, decision-makers in the room, and the willingness to move past proof-of-concept into something that changes how a business operates.No case studies dressed up as strategy. No innovation for the annual report. Just the unfiltered playbook for making corporate-startup partnerships work across the APAC-Middle East corridor and the hard lessons from the ones that didn’t.

Ted Howland

Senior Director, Group Sustainability

CapitaLand Investment

Johannes Jaeger

Vice President of Enterprise

Agorize

Ashish Jerry Justin

Co-Founder and CEO

Carnot Innovations

Dr. Ali AlHasan

Founder & CEO

NanoPalm

What Does It Take to Move AI from the Lab to the Real World?

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:20 to 10:40

What does it take to move AI from the lab into the real world? In this visually driven keynote, explore how Sony AI is transforming breakthrough research into real-world systems across gaming, robotics, and consumer products. From the Gran Turismo Sophy racing agent to advances in sensory and motor intelligence, discover how AI is being trained, tested, and deployed in dynamic environments. This session reveals what it truly takes to bridge research, performance, and productization at scale.

Michael Spranger

President

Sony AI

10:30

The Fintech Gateway to Global: From Local Excellence to Overseas Success

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:30 to 10:50

This session will explore how fintech companies can leverage their local strengths and proven business models to overcome market entry challenges and achieve global expansion.

Syed Musheer Ahmed

Founder & Managing Director

FinStep Asia

Dr. Miles Wen

CEO & Co-founder

Fano Labs Limited

JiaoJiao Zhang

Head of Portfolio Coverage

HSBC Innovation Banking Hong Kong

Exporting Innovation: Inside the World's Next Tech Hub

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:30 to 10:40

Hong Kong's blueprint for becoming the launchpad of choice for the global new economy.

Prof. Sun Dong

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

10:40

Tahaluf’s Welcome Remarks

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:40 to 10:45

The AI Inference is coming ... Are you ready?

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:40 to 11:00

The advancement of foundation models and LLMs is rapid, and their lifecycle is short. Therefore, it is natural for enterprises to focus on leveraging model availability to build AI inference and reasoning capabilities. This session examines whether you are ready for the next generation of inference driven AI applications.

Dr. Charleston Sin

Head of AI and Data

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP)

10:45

Photo Moment

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:45 to 10:50

10:50

Strategic Bridges: How Cross-Border Growth Happens

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:50 to 11:00

The most significant economic transformations of our time are no longer happening within borders, but across them. As capital, technology and business networks move more actively between the Middle East and Asia, new growth corridors are taking shape. Through the lens of ewpartners’ experience connecting Asian companies with Middle Eastern opportunities, this session explores how strategic bridges are built in practice, and how trusted partners turn market interest into real commercial outcomes.

Jerry Li

Founder & Managing Partner

ewpartners

Re-engineering Global Money Rails: APAC, Interoperability & Scale

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
10:50 to 11:30

As global finance fragments and real-time money movement becomes a strategic imperative, the future of financial infrastructure is being redesigned, rail by rail. Nowhere is this transformation more visible, or more complex, than in Asia-Pacific, where scale, regulation, and innovation intersect at speed.This panel brings together leaders shaping money movement from every layer of the stack: global banks, payments platforms, ecosystem architects, digital-asset infrastructure providers, and next-generation tokenised networks. We will move beyond vision to execution, examining what scales, where interoperability breaks down, and how APAC is shaping the architecture of global money in an era of real-time finance, regional divergence, and platform-driven growth.

Elliott Gotkine

Emmy Award-winning

TV news correspondent

Nicole Sandler

Chief Ecosystem Officer

Ubyx

Dr. Yanan Wu

Chairman and CEO

Surfin

Nenter Chow

CEO

Bitmart

Colin Payne

Head of Innovation

Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

11:00

Expanding Boundaries: The Multimodal Future of Inclusive AI

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
11:00 to 11:10

In his talk on "Expanding Boundaries: The Multimodal Future of Inclusive AI," SenseTime Chairman and CEO Dr. Xu Li will give a talk on the evolution of artificial intelligence from text-based models to fully multimodal and agentic systems. He envisions a world where AI transcends simple assistance, enabling ordinary individuals to execute complex, professional-level creations. By combining LLM, multimodality, agent and physical AI, this shift will fundamentally redefine how we work and build. Ultimately, this session highlights how we can foster inclusive growth and empower communities across both Asia and the Middle East.

Dr. Li Xu

Chairman of the Board and CEO

SenseTime

Agentic Commerce and the New Consumer Economy

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
11:00 to 11:30

As AI systems evolve from recommendation engines into autonomous agents capable of discovery, decision-making, and transaction execution, a new era of commerce is emerging. From intelligent shopping assistants and AI-driven retail operations to transaction-grade explainability and consumer trust, this session explores how agentic AI is reshaping customer journeys, merchant ecosystems, and the future of digital commerce. How should retailers, platforms, and consumers prepare for a world where AI agents increasingly act, decide, and transact on our behalf?

Oliver Tan

Managing Director

Rezolve AI

Mei Chen

Global Retail Executive

Kai Cheng

Founder

Creao.ai

Wolf Ruzicka

Chief Commercial Officer

Unlimit

First Money In: What VCs Actually Look for Before the Traction Is There

Ecosystem Xchange - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
11:00 to 11:40

The pitch deck is the easy part. This conversation goes inside the head of an early-stage investor: what signals matter before revenue, why most APAC and MENA founders misread what "conviction" actually means, and what separates a fundable company from a fundable founder. One serial entrepreneur who's been on both sides of the table and one seed-stage VC manager get brutally honest. No fundraising folklore - just the real framework.

Guillermo Ginesta

Managing Director

brinc

Cristina Ventura

General Partner & Chief Catalyst Officer

White Star Capital

Ryan Manuel

Founder

Bilby

Qusai AlSaif

Chief Executive Officer

Sadu Capital

11:10

Shaping Strategic Industries: How Hong Kong Lands the Next Generation of Global Tech Leaders

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
11:10 to 11:20

Hong Kong is making a clear move for the next generation of global tech champions. In this keynote, Peter Yan will share how the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) is bringing strategic enterprises into the city and helping them scale across AI, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and fintech. The session will spotlight how Hong Kong is turning its connectivity, capital and innovation ecosystem into a launchpad for companies building the future.

Peter Yan

Director-General

Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

11:20

Capital, Capability and Market Access: Scaling Through Hong Kong and Saudi

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
11:20 to 11:45

For tech companies looking to scale globally, Hong Kong and Saudi offer more than market access. This fireside chat explores how both ecosystems can connect companies with capital, partners and practical pathways for growth between Asia and the Middle East.

Adam Shaw

Multi Award Winning Journalist & Presenter

Alpha Lau

Director-General of Investment Promotion

InvestHK

Mohammed Alariefy

Assistant Deputy Minister for Digital Entrepreneurship

Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Saudi Arabia

11:30

AI as the Operating System of Finance

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
11:30 to 12:10

Banking, data, and fintech leaders explore how AI is becoming the decision layer of financial systems. From risk and fraud to operations and compliance, this session focuses on what scales inside regulated institutions, and how governance, data, and architecture determine success.

Nicole Sandler

Chief Ecosystem Officer

Ubyx

Jessica Liu

CEO

Planto

Alina Timofeeva

Managing Partner

Tamayouz Business Solutions

David Walker

Chief Technology and Operations Officer

Mox Bank

Where are Asia's Next AI Unicorns Hiding?

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
11:30 to 12:00

Where are Asia’s next AI unicorns emerging? Investors and founders discuss the sectors attracting capital and the unique innovation models shaping the region.

Harry Man

Founding Partner

MPC

Alex Zhavoronkov

Founder & CEO

Insilico Medicine

Somsubhra GanChoudhuri

Co-founder & CEO

AI Palette

Dr. Christina Yan Zhang

CEO

The Metaverse Institute

11:40

Is Venture Exit Window Finally Back?

Ecosystem Xchange - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
11:40 to 12:00

For three years, venture capital endured its longest liquidity drought in a decade, leaving LPs staring down nearly $200 billion in negative cash flow and 59,400 VC SG Analytics-backed private companies competing against just 4,386 public US companies for a way out. Now 2026 is being billed as the year the door swings open: SpaceX has filed for a June Nasdaq listing at a $1.75 trillion valuation TECHi®, OpenAI is preparing a Q4 2026 IPO targeting $1 trillion IndexBox, and M&A deal value has surged past pre-pandemic peaks.But is the window really open or just cracked open for a privileged few?

Jed Ng

Founder

Angel School VC

11:45

Unlocking Asia & Global Growth – HKSTP As the Launchpad for Global Tech

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
11:45 to 12:00

As LEAP East’s exclusive Tech Ecosystem Partner, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) connects innovators to the Chinese Mainland, Asia, and global markets – accelerating ideas from R&D to commercial success. In this keynote, discover how HKSTP opens doors to world-class infrastructure, talent, and policy support, turning breakthroughs into worldwide impact.

Terry Wong

CEO

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP)

12:00

Scaling Enterprise AI Across Asia

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
12:00 to 12:20

A strategic conversation exploring how enterprises across Asia are moving from AI experimentation to real-world deployment, balancing innovation, operational scale, governance, and measurable business impact.

Madhav Timalsina

Vice President & Group Director - Head of Greater China Markets

Infosys

Julia Clyne

Founder

The Co-Intelligence Advisory

Capital Without the Dilution Tax: Venture Debt, Emerging Market Financing, and the Tools Founders Don't Know They Have.

Ecosystem Xchange - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
12:00 to 12:40

Most APAC and MENA founders treat equity as the only option. It isn't. Venture debt, revenue-based financing, Shariah-compliant structures, and blended instruments are reshaping how the most capital-efficient founders in emerging markets grow, without giving away the company to do it. Two investors who deploy across the corridors that matter most share when debt beats equity, how to structure a round that doesn't haunt you at Series B, and why the founders who understand their full capital toolkit consistently outperform those who don't.

Kyane Kassiri

Solo GP

Delusional Capital

Vishal Harishchandra

Chairman and CEO

Ocean AI. The Valkin Group

Alan Kuan Hsu

Synergy Creator

Synexia Ventures

Varun Agarwal

Partner

Stride Ventures

Ambition at Infrastructure Scale: How Saudi Turns Digital Vision into Operational Reality

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
12:00 to 12:20

Saudi’s digital transformation is being built at infrastructure scale, combining national ambition, public-sector platforms, global enterprise technology and on-the-ground execution. This fireside chat explores how Saudi is turning digital vision into real operational systems, and how cross-sector partnerships are helping build the infrastructure and capabilities behind long-term transformation.

Juliet Mann

Anchor, CGTN Europe

Majed Al Otaibi

Chief Government Product Officer

Elm

Lawrence Yu

Chief Strategy and Businesses Development Officer

Lenovo Group Middle East, Türkiye and Africa Region

12:10

Inside the AI-Native Bank: Culture, Infrastructure and Intelligent Finance

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
12:10 to 12:30

Explore how AI is reshaping digital banking from the inside out. From credit and fraud prevention to culture, governance, and next-generation payment infrastructure, this session examines what it takes to build and scale truly AI-native financial institutions.

Alina Timofeeva

Managing Partner

Tamayouz Business Solutions

Tat Lee

Chief Executive and Board Member

WeLab Bank

Nicole Sandler

Chief Ecosystem Officer

Ubyx

12:20

When AI Touches the Physical World

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
12:20 to 12:40

As AI moves from digital to physical environments, a new paradigm is emerging called Physical AI. Drawing on large scale deployments across industries, this session explores how real-world intelligence is transforming manufacturing, logistics, retail and healthcare. From operational data to AI alignment and human in the loop systems, discover what it takes to scale AI in mission critical environments and how this shift will redefine industries and economies.

Yousuke Okada

Founder & CEO

ABEJA

The New Tech Diplomacy: From Tech Exchange to Strategic Advantage

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
12:20 to 12:55

As technology becomes central to national competitiveness, countries are taking a more active role in shaping how innovation moves across borders and translating tech exchange into strategic advantage

Adam Shaw

Multi Award Winning Journalist & Presenter

Hon Sunny Tan, BBS

Chairman

Hong Kong Productivity Council

Bing Liu

Deputy Consul-General (Commercial) & Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Hong Kong and Macau

Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade)

Chris Woodward

Director General

British Consulate-General Hong Kong

Saud Hamad Algublan

Vice President of Services Exports

Saudi Exports Development Authority

12:30

The Death of Checkout: Embedded Finance & Invisible Payments

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
12:30 to 13:10

Finance is disappearing into platforms. This session examines how embedded finance, real-time payments, and platform-native models are reshaping commerce, banking, and inclusion, revealing where value is captured as payments become invisible and financial services integrate directly into digital experiences.

Elliott Gotkine

Emmy Award-winning

TV news correspondent

Jayant Kulkarni

Global Product Head Merchant Services

HSBC

Lito Villanueva

Executive Vice President / Chief Innovation & Inclusion officer

Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC)

Sean Fu

Senior Vice President Greater China

Global Payments

Michele Fung

Head of APAC

Unlimit

12:40

From Foundation Models to Enterprise AI

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
12:40 to 13:00

Foundation models are rapidly becoming the intelligence layer powering enterprise transformation. As organizations move beyond experimentation, success depends on integrating AI into business operations, products, and decision-making at scale. This keynote explores how foundation models, AI platforms, and industry-specific applications are enabling the next generation of enterprise AI across sectors including finance, manufacturing, mobility, healthcare, and public services.

Tanya Xiang

Director of Overseas Tech Solutions

Baidu AI Cloud

Why Hong Kong: Best Practices & Trends for Founders Ready to Scale

Ecosystem Xchange - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
12:40 to 13:00

Hong Kong is accelerating as Asia’s hub for innovation. In this fireside chat, Jayne Chan from InvestHK and Benjamin Quinlan from Quinlan & Associates will share perspectives on how global lessons, future trends, and practical strategies translate into opportunities for scaleups in Hong Kong. Expect a lively two‐way conversation blending government, corporate, and founder viewpoints with actionable insights on scaling, fundraising, and leveraging Hong Kong’s unique advantages as a launchpad into Asia and beyond.

Jayne Chan

Head of Startups

Invest Hong Kong

Benjamin Quinlan

CEO & Managing Partner

Quinlan & Associates

Belinda Esterhammer

CEO

The DO Asia

12:55

The Industrial AI Imperative

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
12:55 to 13:10

Juliet Mann

Anchor, CGTN Europe

Dr. Ashraf AlTahini

CEO

Aramco Digital

13:00

VS Partners' Session: The Institutional Allocation to RWA: Tokenized Gold, Digital Assets and Investment Strategies

Ecosystem Xchange - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
13:00 to 13:30

Join Alpha Ladder, MetaComp and Gulf Connect for a focused discussion on where RWAs and digital assets are heading, the frameworks allocators are using, and the practical realities of settlement, custody and regulation. The panel brings together perspectives across capital markets, payments and digital assets, with broad discussion of market trends across asset classes, including XAUT as a capital market token.

Vanessa Xu

Executive Chairman and Chief Investment Officer

VS Partners

Eva Sun

Vice President

MetaComp

Bo Bai

CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder

MetaComp

Quynh Le

Regional Expansion Lead - APAC

Tehter.io

What Happens When AI Systems Operate Where Humans Cannot?

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
13:00 to 13:20

AI is becoming critical infrastructure for the space economy, enabling autonomous satellites, real-time orbital decision-making, and large-scale data analysis. As commercial activity in space accelerates, AI is unlocking new opportunities across telecom, climate intelligence, and defense, transforming space into a scalable, data-driven industry.

Dr. Bidushi Bhattacharya

former NASA scientist-turned-astropreneur. CEO

AstroHub

VS Partners: The Institutional Allocation to RWA: Tokenized Gold, Digital Assets and Investment Strategies

July 8, 2026
13:00 to 13:45

Gold has anchored reserves for centuries. Tokenisation is now moving it on-chain, alongside a widening set of real-world and digital assets. For institutional allocators, the question is no longer whether these assets belong in a portfolio, but how to size, settle and hold them.

This session is a side event at LEAP East, the first Asian edition of LEAP, the global tech event out of Saudi Arabia, held 8 to 10 July at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre with 300-plus speakers across AI, fintech and Web3.

Gulf Connect X LEAP East

July 8, 2026
13:00 to 18:00

Gulf Connect, initiated by Sina Finance and SuperBridge Council in association with LEAP East, is a strategic platform that strengthens collaboration between Asia and the GCC across investment, technology, industry, and policy. During LEAP East Hong Kong 2026, the invitation-only Gulf Connect Executive Exchange will bring together sovereign wealth funds, investors, policymakers, technology leaders, and industry executives to explore frontier technologies, industrial transformation, investment opportunities, and future regional growth.

13:10

MUFG’s Open Innovation Strategy

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
13:10 to 13:25

In this session we will talk about CVC and open innovation strategies of MUFG, the largest banking group in Japan. MUIP has invested in more than 60 global fintech and AI startups and arranged more than 50 collaborations with the bank.

Nobutake Suzuki

President & CEO

MUFG, Innovation partners Co, MUFG Group

From Testbed to Scale-Up: How Innovation Ecosystems Build Global Growth

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
13:10 to 13:45

Pilots prove ideas. Ecosystems build scale. This session explores how Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and Saudi Arabia are helping startups and technology companies turn testbeds into market-ready growth, powered by capital, infrastructure and cross-border partnerships.

Ahmed Al-Darwish

Managing Partner

Noa Capital Partners

Chibo Tang

Managing Partner

Gobi Partners

Mohammed Almeshekah

Founder & General Partner

Outliers Venture Capital

Afnan A. Ababtain

Human Resources & Entrepreneurship General Manager, Entrepreneurship and Startup Department

Ministry of Investment, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

13:20

Powering the Next Frontier of Sustainability Intelligence

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
13:20 to 13:40

The future of sustainability is intelligent, predictive, and embedded at the heart of business strategy. This session examines how AI is redefining sustainability - shifting from static reporting to dynamic, data-driven action. By embedding intelligence across operations, enterprises can transform sustainability from a compliance exercise into a strategic lever for resilience and long-term growth.

Farrukh Shad

Head of Sustainability Business for the Asia Pacific, India, Middle East and Africa (APMEA) region

Schneider Electric

13:40

How AI Is Transforming Software Engineering

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
13:40 to 14:00

AI is reshaping the software development lifecycle, from coding assistance and intelligent testing to automated quality assurance and deployment workflows. This session explores how enterprises are integrating AI into engineering operations to improve speed, reliability, scalability, and product delivery.

Ahmad M. Dulli

General Manager of Technology Excellence

Elm

Julia Clyne

Founder

The Co-Intelligence Advisory

Trust Is the New Infrastructure: Security, Identity, Fraud & Regulation at Scale

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
13:40 to 14:20

How financial systems embed trust across technology, policy, and real-world use cases.As financial systems become real-time, cross-border, and increasingly embedded, trust is no longer a layer, it is the infrastructure itself. Security, identity, fraud prevention, and regulation now shape how financial products are designed, scaled, and adopted.This session examines how banks, fintechs, infrastructure providers, and regulators are building trust into financial systems by design, rather than treating security and compliance as afterthoughts. It explores how regulatory frameworks, identity models, and fraud controls are converging with technology to enable scale, without sacrificing resilience or user experience.Rather than focusing on threats alone, the discussion centres on practical use cases where trust infrastructure enables growth, interoperability, and inclusion across Asia and global markets

Alina Timofeeva

Managing Partner

Tamayouz Business Solutions

Tianwei Liu

CEO and Co-Founder

StraitsX

Petra Janez

Financial Counsellor

Ministry of Finance Slovenia

Takatoshi Shibayama

Head of APAC

Ledger

Yoyee Wang

Head of Business-to-Business

Bybit

13:45

Forging New Frontiers: Expanding from Hong Kong to the Middle East and Beyond

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
13:45 to 14:20

This panel session will bring together senior executives from strategic technology enterprises from the Chinese Mainland and the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises (OASES) of the HKSAR Government. The discussion will centre on sharing first-hand success stories and valuable operational insights from their ventures in the Middle East, other Belt-Road countries and beyond. The session would highlight the opportunities present in these regions. It will also demonstrate how tech enterprises can leverage Hong Kong's unique advantages to effectively expand their global presence and establish sustainable, mutually beneficial international partnerships.

Juliet Mann

Anchor, CGTN Europe

Tony Qiu

VP of Meituan & CEO

Keeta

Kay Yang

CEO

Westwell Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited

Stephan Wang

Head of ASEAN Markets

WeBank Technology

Bryan Peng

Executive Director

Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, the Government of the HKSAR

CODE Partner Session: The Future of Life Sciences: AI, Biotechnology & Next-Generation Innovation

Ecosystem Xchange - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
13:45 to 14:15

Artificial intelligence and biotechnology are transforming how the world approaches healthcare, agriculture, food security, and drug discovery. Saudi startups are driving this transformation by developing breakthrough technologies that accelerate research, improve diagnostics, optimize food systems, and enable the next generation of life science innovation.This panel brings together founders building cutting-edge solutions across AI, biotechnology, pharma, and food technology to explore how cross-border collaboration with China can accelerate commercialization, manufacturing, research, and global market expansion

Asrar Damdam

Founder & CEO

Uvera

Sultan Alhayyani

Founder and CEO

Pure Advance

Dr. Ali AlHasan

Founder & CEO

NanoPalm

14:00

Sovereign AI Is an Infrastructure Problem, Not a Model Problem

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
14:00 to 14:20

Nations across Asia and the Middle East are racing to deploy AI at scale — but model access is no longer the binding constraint. The real competition is over compute sovereignty: who controls the infrastructure, where data lives, and which economies can run inference within their own borders. Drawing on national AI strategies across the US, Europe, Japan, and Korea, this session examines why sovereign AI is ultimately a data center decision, and what it means for the Asia-Middle East innovation corridor taking shape today.

Wei Sheong Toh

VP and General Manager, Worldwide Channels and ASEAN Sales

Rebellions Inc.

14:15

CODE Partner Session: The Future Factory: Saudi AI, Advanced Manufacturing & Deep Tech

Ecosystem Xchange - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
14:15 to 14:45

Saudi Arabia is rapidly transforming its industrial landscape through AI, advanced manufacturing, and deep-tech innovation. This panel brings together founders building technologies that are redefining how factories, infrastructure, and industrial operations are designed, managed, and optimized.The discussion will explore how Saudi startups are developing next-generation industrial solutions; from AI agents and industrial automation to semiconductors, additive manufacturing, and intelligent infrastructure and why collaboration with Chinese manufacturers, technology providers, and investors is essential to accelerating global growth.

Abdulaziz Alsebaie

Founder & CEO

Nommas.ai

Majed Almeania

Co-Founder and CFO

DEMA Energy

Ammar Alali

CEO

Strataphy

Mohammed Alghaith

CEO

Electronic Photonics

14:20

From Capital to Co-Creation: How Institutions Back & Scale Financial Innovation

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
14:20 to 14:40

As fintech matures, capital alone is no longer enough. The next generation of financial innovation is being shaped by co-creation, deep, long-term partnerships between banks, investors, and institutions that can take technology from pilot to global scale.In this fireside chat, we will unpack how institutions are redefining their role in fintech growth.The conversation explores how banks and long-duration capital providers evaluate innovation beyond valuation and hype, focusing instead on strategic fit, governance, regulatory readiness, and real commercial pathways. From venture to private equity to bank-led co-creation, the speakers share what it takes for startups to move from experimentation to integration inside complex financial systems.This session offers founders, investors, and operators a rare look at how institutional capital actually works, what separates investable fintech from scalable fintech, and why collaboration, not disruption alone, will define the next phase of financial innovation.

Ali Alsaileek

Co-Founder & CEO

Intersect

Shane Shin

Founding Partner

Shorooq Partners

Nobutake Suzuki

President & CEO

MUFG, Innovation partners Co, MUFG Group

How AI Could Save Your Life...Even 100 Million Miles Away

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
14:20 to 14:40

In a world where AI is advancing at unprecedented speed, healthcare faces a critical challenge: how to harness its power responsibly to save lives rather than put them at risk. In this keynote, Dr. Atul Gupta, Philips’ global Chief Medical Officer of Diagnosis & Treatment, explores how clinically grounded AI is transforming care – from empowering frontline clinicians in remote settings with AI-enabled imaging and connecting them to global expertise, to guiding complex procedures through augmented reality and robotics, and predicting life-threatening conditions before they occur through wearable technologies. He pushes this vision to the most extreme frontiers – including space – sharing his views on how breakthroughs designed to care for patients millions of miles away can unlock a new era of safe, high-quality healthcare for billions on Earth, redefining innovation not by how fast we move, but by how right we get it.

Atul Gupta

Chief Medical Officer

Philips

Seamless Scale: Building the Trusted Rails for Global Expansion

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
14:20 to 14:40

Behind every smooth cross-border experience is a complex layer of trust: payments, compliance, identity, risk and local market execution. In this fireside, leaders from fintech and payments discuss how companies can build the infrastructure and partnerships needed to expand globally with speed, security and confidence.

Adam Shaw

Multi Award Winning Journalist & Presenter

Kai Wu

Chief Revenue Officer

Airwallex

14:40

When AI Leaves the Screen

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
14:40 to 15:00

AI is moving beyond software interfaces and into the physical world. From autonomous delivery and intelligent mobility to robotic services operating in public spaces, a new generation of AI systems is beginning to sense, navigate, and act independently in real-world environments. This keynote explores what happens when AI leaves the screen and becomes part of the infrastructure of everyday life.

Judah Longgrear

Co-Founder and President of Media

Robot.com

AI in Financial Services – From Application to Governance

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
14:40 to 14:55

AI is transforming the financial services industry at remarkable speed – from customer experience to the operating model. Yet adoption is outpacing governance, creating a widening trust gap that demands attention.In this keynote, Jack Chan, EY China Chairman and Greater China Regional Managing Partner, presents a clear-eyed view of where financial services stand today: at the intersection of unprecedented opportunity and urgent governance challenges. Drawing on the latest global insights, the session explores how AI is transforming customer behavior and unlocking new sources of value, while outlining a practical framework to help institutions scale AI responsibly and turn investment into measurable business outcomes. Participants will gain a strategic perspective on Hong Kong's unique ecosystem and how CEOs can translate its competitive edges into trusted AI leadership – and leave with a clear point of view on what it takes to win with AI responsibly.

Jack Chan, JP

Chairman, China, Regional Managing Partner, Greater China

Bridging Capital Corridors: How the GCC and Greater China Are Shaping the Next Wave of Financial Innovation

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
14:40 to 15:20

As capital and innovation become increasingly cross-border, new financial corridors are emerging between the GCC and Greater China. This panel will explore how investors, financial institutions, policymakers, and founders are building partnerships that unlock access to new markets, capital pools, and innovation ecosystems across both regions. From venture investment and fintech expansion to regulatory alignment and digital infrastructure, the discussion will examine how two of the world’s fastest-growing markets are shaping the next wave of global financial innovation.

Johnny Chan

Chief Investment Officer

Cyberport

Simon Sharp

Partner

Global Ventures

Khaled Lababidi

Partner

Arbor Ventures

Soumaya Ben Beya Dridje

Partner

Rasmal Ventures

Levi Lewandowski

Head of UAE

Brinc

14:55

The Ecosystem Multiplier: From Models To Markets - What Makes AI Deployable at Scale

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
14:55 to 15:30

This session brings both lens to the table: investors who are actively shaping where conviction turns into capital across the AI stack, and a founder & operator who has built AI into the core of a regulated, multi-market digital bank from day one, proving that scalable, profitable AI deployment is not a future state, but an operating reality. This will be a conversation grounded equally in where the money is going, and in what it actually takes to get there.

Alexandra Vidyuk

CEO & Founding Partner

Beyond Earth Ventures

Cindy Chow

Executive Director & CEO

Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund

Amal Dokhan

Managing Partner MENA

500 Global

Simon Loong

Founder and Group CEO

WeLab

15:00

Cyberport: Founder Project Demonstration

July 8, 2026
15:00 to 16:00

Join Cyberport for a focused program and startup showcase highlighting high-potential ventures, ecosystem initiatives, and opportunities for cross-border collaboration.

This session will offer attendees a closer look at Cyberport’s role in supporting innovation, while connecting founders, investors, and ecosystem players through curated presentations and networking.

10 showcasing projects in alphabetical order

Beosin (Web3 blockchain cybersecurity)
Covergo (Insurtech platform)
EventXtra Limited (AI event platform)
Farmio (Supply chain management)
Set Sail AI (Agentic AI agent)
Partyday (Tech-driven sports and entertainment venues)
Sourcy (Cross-border product sourcing and supply chain platform)
Super Panther (Electric trucks and clean‑energy solutions)
PCG (Merchant payment gateway solutions)
Tsing Standard (Smart electric vehicle lifespan testing)

Beyond Fabric: How Bio Innovation and AI Are Rebuilding the Future of Fashion

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
15:00 to 15:15

The future of fashion will be defined not only by what we create, but by how we create it. As sustainability, material innovation, and digital technologies reshape the industry, Saudi Arabia is building the ecosystem required to accelerate responsible growth through research, partnerships, and industry collaboration.

Burak Çakmak

CEO, Fashion Commission

Ministry of Culture

Juliet Mann

Anchor, CGTN Europe

Rocket Fuel East Round 1

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
15:00 to 17:00

Fred Li

Managing Director & Head of University Ventures

Gobi Partners

Teddy Lui

CEO

HKAI Lab / AEF

Cyberport: Founder Project Demonstration

Ecosystem Xchange - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
15:00 to 16:00

Join Cyberport for a focused program and startup showcase highlighting high-potential ventures, ecosystem initiatives, and opportunities for cross-border collaboration. This session will offer attendees a closer look at Cyberport’s role in supporting innovation, while connecting founders, investors, and ecosystem players through curated presentations and networking.

Harry Man

Founding Partner

MPC

15:15

Day 1 Closing Reflections

DeepFest - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
15:15 to 15:20

Yamilette Cano

Founder, Speaker & Author

Louder Global

Mornine .

AiMOGA Robotics

15:20

From Innovation to Scale: Building AI-enabled Fintech Ecosystems that Actually Work

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
15:20 to 15:40

Fintech ecosystems do not succeed on innovation alone. This session explores how AI, cloud infrastructure, trusted data, and industry collaboration must come together to turn promising ideas into scalable financial services. Drawing on real-world experience across payments, digital banking, risk management, customer engagement, and financial infrastructure, the discussion will examine what it takes to move from pilots to production. It will also address the foundations required for long-term growth: security, resilience, compliance, interoperability, and access to talent all essential to building globally competitive fintech companies and stronger financial systems.

Robert Lui

Partner

Deloitte

Rachel Xie

General Manager, Tencent Cloud Middle East & General Manager of Operations, Channel Development & Marketing

Tencent Cloud International, Tencent

15:30

The Agentic Enterprise: Going Global with Digital Sovereignty

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
15:30 to 15:45

Hans A.T. Dekkers talks about IBM’s approach to digital sovereignty and how it makes the agentic enterprise viable. He shares a framework for enterprises in Asia to scale towards the agentic future while maintaining governance, security, and control.

Hans Dekkers

General Manager, Asia Pacific & China

IBM

15:40

Where Capital Is Flowing in Fintech (2026–2030)

Orbital Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
15:40 to 16:20

As fintech enters its next cycle, capital is becoming more selective, more geopolitical, and more infrastructure driven. This panel brings together global bank capital, venture leadership, institutional investors, macroeconomic insight, and operators at scale to unpack where money is really flowing, and why.We will examine how banks, venture capital, and sovereign-aligned capital are reassessing fintech bets across payments, infrastructure, AI, and platforms.We will also consider the perspective from building and scaling financial systems across Asia, where inclusion, interoperability, and resilience are not abstract goals but commercial imperatives.This panel moves beyond trendspotting to reveal what qualifies as bankable fintech in the next decade, which models will struggle to attract capital, and why Asia is increasingly shaping the future of global financial investment.

Elliott Gotkine

Emmy Award-winning

TV news correspondent

Nobutake Suzuki

President & CEO

MUFG, Innovation partners Co, MUFG Group

Pratyush Prasanna

Group CEO

Flip

Cindy Xu

Managing Director, Head of Asia Fintech and China Financial Institutions

JPMorgan

15:45

Beyond the Hype: Turning AI into Business Impact

Main Stage - LEAP East
July 8, 2026
15:45 to 16:00

As generative AI reshapes the creative and customer experience landscape, organisations are moving beyond experimentation to focus on real, measurable business impact. In this session, Ben Goodman explores the shifting dynamics of creativity, the expectations of a new generation of consumers, and what it takes for brands to scale visibility and relevance in a global, always-on world. Drawing on insights from across the region, he will outline how leading organisations are turning AI from a set of tools into a connected, enterprise-wide capability that drives growth, competitiveness, long-term value and customer trust.

Ben Goodman

President JAPAC

Adobe

16:00

Ecosystem Xchange Mixer Day 1

July 8, 2026
16:00 to 17:00

Join us at the Ecosystem Mixer to wrap up the day with founders, investors, community partners, and ecosystem leaders in a more informal setting. Designed for connection and conversation, the mixer offers a space to meet, exchange ideas, and build relationships across the community.

Remarks: Digital and Innovative Silk Road - the New Asia-MENA Economic Corridor