Earlier this week, during the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH), Venturebeam hosted an exclusive invitation-only roundtable dinner focused on the transformative potential of AI technology and its implications for the world, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. The event brought together thought leaders, founders, and leading investors in AI, allowing us to delve into the near-term prospects, challenges, and notable trends within this rapidly evolving field.
Moderated by our CEO for Singapore Markets and the APAC region, Diana Kam, we explored what is genuinely innovative and exciting, distinguishing between authentic advancements, exaggerated claims, and misleading narratives in the AI landscape. Additionally, we analyzed how the Asia Pacific region can shape the future of AI, identifying opportunities for these nations to leverage AI amid the dominance of the US and China as superpowers and discussing the implications for the global marketplace.
Key sectors and opportunities were identified where AI can drive sustainable and impactful change, addressing real-world challenges for both society and the environment while ensuring profitability. We also highlighted exciting AI companies that have captured our interest, facilitating exploration and assessment of their potential for growth and impact.
We were truly honoured to have distinguished guests with us, whose participation greatly enriched our discussions and ensured meaningful dialogue. Among our esteemed attendees were Jen Zhu Scott, Founding Partner of IN. Capital; Dr Dean Ho, Director of The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), Provost’s Chair Professor at NUS, and Co-Founder of KYAN Therapeutics; Raffaele Huang, Technology Reporter for The Wall Street Journal; Hero Choudhary, Managing Partner of BEENEXT; Jeffrey Paine, Founding Managing Partner of Golden Gate Ventures; Dr Joel Li, Co-founder & CTO of Cosmos Innovation and Adjunct Assistant Professor at NUS; Sharan Makhija, Senior Director of Investments (Venture Capital, Lead – Southeast Asia) at Singtel Innov8; Lidong Bing, Head of the Language Technology Lab at DAMO Academy, Alibaba Group; Hiroshi Ishikawa, Special Advisor to the Minister and Regional Head for Asia-Pacific at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan; Natasha Teja, Asia Pacific Correspondent for Bloomberg Industry Group; and Fatima Almubbad, Director – Southeast Asia, APAC and Taiwan at the Bahrain Economic Development Board.
At Venturebeam, we are committed to forging high-quality connections within our ecosystem of institutional investors, fostering strategic collaboration that can lead to optimal returns and successful outcomes in impact investments that help achieve our goals in purpose, profit, people and Planet. With a rapidly growing private global network of over 200 institutional investors, we are steadily advancing our mission to support high-impact entrepreneurs and their innovative companies.
