Jumpstarter 2025: innovating for a brighter future
A new role for artificial intelligence (AI) will be unveiled this month at one of Asia's leading tech and start-up events. The aim is to make AI a powerful catalyst for sustainable development, and more than just a revolutionary technology that changes the way we work.
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Jumpstarter, a start-up initiative by Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund (AEF), focuses on providing a platform for entrepreneurs and young people to kick-start their business ambitions in Hong Kong. This year's event, on March 26 and 27 at AsiaWorld Expo, will bring together entrepreneurs, corporations and investors to explore the future of innovation. Amid growing concerns about the environment across the world, the theme of this year's edition – the seventh Jumpstarter – is AI and sustainability, highlighting companies that are committed to blending innovation with responsibility.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and sustainability from thought leaders, including a diverse line-up of more than 100 speakers from around the world. Keynote speeches and panel discussions will focus on the most pressing aspects of AI, such as its ethical implications and its role in sustainability, entrepreneurship and investment.
'This year we will delve into a 360-degree overview of AI,' says Cindy Chow, executive director and CEO of AEF. 'The discussions are expected to inspire innovative thinking and encourage participants to explore collaborative solutions to the challenges they face, fostering a deeper understanding of AI's impact on society and the economy.'
Over the past 10 years AEF has invested US$93 million to help fund 76 companies.
Speakers will include Joe Tsai, co-founder and chairman of Alibaba Group, which owns the South China Morning Post; Ben Barone-Nugent, generative AI supergroup lead at Canva; and Erika Cheung, executive director of Ethics in Entrepreneurship. Cheung was one of the whistle-blowers in the controversy surrounding the now-defunct healthcare tech start-up Theranos. Hong Kong's Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po will welcome attendees during his opening speech, highlighting the city's strategic role in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
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Since its launch in 2015, AEF has reviewed more than 13,000 business plans and created over 2,200 jobs in Hong Kong. A core part of its mission is to connect promising start-ups with investment capital and offer strategic guidance to help them grow their business through high-impact networking opportunities. A one-on-one business matchmaking session during the event will give tech entrepreneurs, businesses and investors – including venture capitalists and angel investors – a platform to exchange ideas and discuss potential partnership opportunities.
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