Largest-ever Hong Kong FinTech Week x StartmeupHK Festival 2025 to celebrate decade of innovation with world-class line-up (with photos)
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As Hong Kong's premier innovation-focused event, HKFW x SMUF is organised by the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau (FSTB), the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) and InvestHK, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), and the Insurance Authority, and the appointed event organiser, Finoverse. The event is expected to attract over 37 000 attendees, more than 800 leading speakers and over 700 exhibitors from more than 100 economies. The main conference taking place on November 3 to 4 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will enable the event to reach its largest scale ever.
This year's theme: Curating the New Fintech Era
Consistently ranked among the world's top three international financial centres and as a leader in Asia, Hong Kong has taken bold strides to solidify its position as a leader in fintech as well. Hong Kong has recently been recognised by the Global Financial Centres Index as the world's No. 1 fintech hub, a testament to its pivotal role in advancing financial technology around the globe. With over 1 100 fintech firms operating in the city at present, and the sector projected to reach US$606 billion in total revenue by 2032, driven by an impressive annual growth rate of 28.5 per cent, HKFW will continue to expand its global influence, further cementing its position as Asia's leading fintech event.
The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, said, "This year's theme of FinTech Week is 'Curating the New Fintech Era'. It is indeed our promise which is Hong Kong not only adapts to the future of fintech but will also shape the next chapter of global finance, where capital flows more intelligently and technology addresses real-world economic challenges. The Government will continue to work closely with the financial regulators and the fintech industry to build Hong Kong as an ideal destination for embracing and leading fintech, with a view to establishing scalable and sustainable fintech solutions that drive the global economy forward."
A start-up superhighway
Start-ups attending HKFW x SMUF will gain access to unparalleled resources on a unified platform. The event will foster a thriving community of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders, with thought-provoking content on innovation, emerging technologies, and scaling strategies.
Participants will include start-up founders, investors, and pioneers from sectors such as AI, fintech, green tech, health tech, proptech, and more. HKFW x SMUF will offer opportunities for ventures to secure funding, form partnerships, and break into Asia and global markets.
The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, said, "Start-ups are an important part of any economy. Behind every start-up, there must be an innovative business idea. These new ideas call for changes, and refresh our economy. And Hong Kong is just the right place not only for startups to be created, but also for them to grow to scale. Apart from the favourable business environment in Hong Kong, the start-ups here are supported by a strong network of incubators and accelerators, a pool of experienced angels and venture capitalists, a host of government-backed programmes and a welcoming business community." He added that the number of start-ups in Hong Kong has increased from about 1 600 10 years ago to around 4 700 last year. The impressive expansion is a result of the pro-start-up measures taken by the Government over the years.
A new chapter of creating more together
The main conference will feature 11 targeted forums with thoughtfully curated programmes. These include the Policy Forum, Visionary Forum, InsurTech Forum, HealthTech Forum, Wealth & Investment Management Forum, Digital Finance Forum, Digital Assets Forum, Blockchain & Web3 Forum, AI & Advanced Tech Forum, China-Global Innovation Forum, and TechX Forum.
The Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau, said, "HKFW x SMUF are much more than conferences. They are strategic platforms driving tangible two-way investment flows and fostering meaningful collaborations. This year, we will welcome over 30 delegations from the Chinese Mainland and overseas, including leading Chinese Mainland tech hubs such as Beijing and Shenzhen, seeking 'go global' opportunities through Hong Kong; traditional markets in Western Europe and the United States, seeking to tap into Asia's growth; and emerging markets from the Gulf Cooperation Council region, ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and Central Europe. Their participation underscores the world's confidence in Hong Kong as the ideal place for innovative ideas to flourish and scale."
Ms Lau further emphasised that the 10th anniversary is not only a moment to reflect on past achievements, but also an opportunity to chart the future and invite the world to share ideas in Hong Kong's remarkable journey.
This year, shortlisted Global Fast Track programme semi-finalist companies from seven verticals will be invited to the semi-finals and grand finale to pitch in person onstage during HKFW x SMUF. This provides an unparalleled opportunity for innovators to showcase their solutions in front of thousands of attendees, including key corporates, investors, service providers and communities seeking innovative fintech and other tech solutions and investment opportunities. The programme has already received overwhelming interest, with over 700 applications from 70 economies worldwide.
Additionally, appointed event organiser Finoverse will introduce its first AI community host "Samantha" at HKFW x SMUF. Through conducting a five-minute live call, Samantha can connect users to targeted meetings and craft personalised forum itineraries according to users' interests and objectives, leveraging a database of 11 forums by a proprietary AI algorithm for precise matches. Accessible on mobile devices via mainstream messaging apps, Samantha supports English and Putonghua, enabling seamless interactions with participants from around the world. This AI assistant is user-friendly and helps enhance participants' business outcomes, delivering a more rewarding event experience.
List of esteemed speakers at the main conference
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and regulators:
- The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee;
- The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan;
- The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui;
- The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau;
- The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue;
- The Chief Executive Officer of the SFC, Ms Julia Leung;
- The Chief Executive Officer of the Insurance Authority, Mr Clement Cheung;
- The Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan;
- The Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Ms Lillian Cheong;
- The Under Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Miss Diane Wong; and
- The Director-General of Investment Promotion of InvestHK, Ms Alpha Lau.
Global policy leaders:
- The Executive Secretary of the Wolfsberg Group, Mr J Edward Conway;
- The Secretary General of the Financial Stability Board, Mr John Schindler; and
- The President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Mr Jin Liqun.
Industry leaders:
Highlighted speakers in the AI and advanced technologies space:
- Co-founder and Managing Partner of Alpha Intelligence Capital, Mr Antoine Blondeau;
- The Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Z.AI, Ms Carol Lin;
- The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 3C AGI Partners, Ms Esther Wong;
- Nobel Laureate in Physics, Professor Emeritus of the University of Toronto, Mr Geoffrey Hinton; and
- Vice President of MiniMax, Mr Xue Zizhao.
Highlighted speakers in the financial services sector:
- The Chief Executive Officer and Banking Head, Citi Hong Kong; Chairman of Citibank (China), Ms Aveline San;
- The Group Chief Executive of Standard Chartered, Mr Bill Winters;
- The Group Chief Executive of HSBC, Mr Georges Elhedery;
- The President and Chief Executive Officer of Franklin Templeton, Ms Jenny Johnson; and
- The Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of Bank of China (Hong Kong), Mr Sun Yu.
Highlighted speakers in the tech sector:
- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Xiaomi, Mr Alain Lam;
- The Chairman of Ant Group, Mr Eric Jing;
- The Corporate Vice President, Head of Tencent Financial Technology, Tencent, Mr Forest Lin; and
- Ex-Chairman of Meitu and Angel Investor Mr Cai Wensheng.
Highlighted speakers in the digital asset and blockchain sector:
- The Partner, Head of Digital Assets, Data, and AI of Apollo, Ms Christine Moy;
- The Chief Commercial Officer of OKX, Mr Lennix Lai;
- The President of Solana Foundation, Ms Lily Liu;
- The Chief Executive Officer of Binance, Mr Richard Teng; and
- Co-Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation and Founder of Nethermind, Mr Tomasz Stańczak.
Highlighted speakers in the insurtech sector:
- The Group Chief Technology and Operations Officer of Prudential plc, Ms Anette Bronder;
- The Group Chief Technology and Life Operations Officer of AIA Group, Mr Biswa Misra;
- Co-Founder of Bowtie Life Insurance Company, Mr Fred Ngan;
- The Group Chief Executive Officer of Singlife, Ms Pearlyn Phau; and
- The Chief Executive Officer of AXA Greater China, Ms Sally Wan.
Highlighted speakers in the payment sector:
- Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of EBANX, Mr João Del Valle;
- Co-President of Ascend Money, Ms Monsinee Nakapanant; and
- The Chief Executive Officer of LianLian Global, Mr Tim Shen.
Highlighted speakers in the Venture Capital and Investing space:
- The Founding Managing Partner of Qiming Venture Partners, Mr Duane Kuang;
- The Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Primavera Capital Group, Mr Fred Hu;
- Partner of MPCi Mr Harry Man;
- The Chief Executive Officer of Ofi Invest, Mr Jean-Pierre Grimaud;
- Co-founder and Managing Partner of DST Global, Mr John Lindfors; and
- Fosun Global Partner, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fosun Capital, Mr Mike Xu.
Get ready for a transformative experience that will shape the future of technology and finance. For more event details, please visit www.fintechweek.hk and follow via official social media accounts:
LinkedIn: Hong Kong FinTech Week; StartmeupHK;
YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/HongKongFinTechWeek; and
Facebook: Startmeup.HK
Ends/Friday, October 17, 2025
Issued at HKT 19:10
Issued at HKT 19:10
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