Speakers
Programme
See how our panelists are defining innovation
Panelists feature scientists who turned patents into industry-defining platforms, investors backing the frontier tech of tomorrow, and founders transforming R&D into global ventures.
From the co-founder of Cadence and Synopsys; two companies worth over $160B, to the VC behind 20+ unicorns including Alibaba and Grab, and the Stanford professor redefining human-robot interaction, our panelists shape the course of our modern world.
Keynote & Opening
AI + Capital
AI + Talent
AI + Innovation
AI + Space
Reverse Pitching
Dr Uri Ilan is a paediatric haemato-oncologist and health innovation leader who bridges clinical oncology, startups, and AI. He serves as AI Lead at the Princess Máxima Center Innovation Hub and Medical Lead at Capricorn, and co-chairs the SIOP AI Working Group to advance AI in childhood cancer care globally.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Co-Chair of the SIOP Artificial Intelligence in Paediatric Oncology Working Group, a global hub for AI in childhood cancer.
- Leads development of Capricorn, an AI-driven decision-support tool for complex paediatric leukaemia cases, built with Google Cloud/Google Health.
- Visiting Faculty at Google Research, contributing to translating AI research into clinical impact.
- Recognised for work on AI-tumour boards, precision medicine tools, and global AI collaborations in paediatric oncology
Dr Ilan offers a rare, practical perspective on how AI moves from research to real clinical use in a high-stakes domain. He can speak to building trustworthy AI tools, working with startups and big tech, and creating frameworks for responsible, scalable health innovation.
Ms Sheridan Broadbent is an experienced and successful Australasian business leader and Non-executive director with a sweet spot in mission-critical infrastructure, sales and BD, and infratech. Deep experience in mature sectors with organisations that must transform during significant market and technological disruption.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Independent Non-executive Director at ASX 100 Downer Group (ASX:DOW) and a trusted governance leader across Australia and New Zealand.
- Advisor investment and governance as Principal of Pacific Imagineering Ltd to government agencies, mature organisations and early stage ventures in NZ, acting as an orchestrator of governance, strategy and funding, with a focus on the space sector and sovereign-significant mission critical infrastructure.
- Former Chief Executive, Exec and Sales Director with a track record of steering major infrastructure and engineering operations in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Chair of the Business Leaders’ Health & Safety Forum, championing workplace safety and strategic risk management at a national level.
- Highly accomplished board leader, having served on the boards of major listed, state owned enterprise and private organizations including Spark New Zealand, Kordia Group, Transpower, Manawa Energy, Pipeline Group.
Sheridan can offer a unique, dual perspective on leading high-risk, tech-driven sectors from both the executive seat and the boardroom. Drawing from her extensive trans-Tasman governance and executive career, she can speak to how organizations can successfully balance rapid digital transformation and cybersecurity demands with robust safety, risk management, and operational excellence frameworks, with a focus on the mission-critical infrastructure that enables sovereign resilience, situational awareness and international competitiveness.
Sam Tsui works in Venture Creation & Investor Engagement at NUS Enterprise, where he helps bring deep technologies — such as AI, robotics and clean energy — to life by connecting startup with institutional capital partners. He brings over two decades of experience spanning private equity investment, corporate strategy, and regional business development across Asia-Pacific and North America.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Drives Venture Creation at NUS Enterprise, leading National GRIP and connecting teams with institutional capital, industry partners and gov't agencies.
- Former Partner at Novo Tellus Capital Partners, sourcing, executing and growing middle-market industrial and tech private equity investments across Southeast Asia.
- 10-year leadership tenure at Microsoft, serving as Regional Senior Director/GM in BD and Senior Director of Online Business across Greater China, managing P&Ls and strategic regional partnerships with major tech giants.
- Product Development at Amazon, launching Amazon's first digital service offering, achieving a run-rate of $20M within the first year.
Sam can offer a practical view on driving deep-tech commercialization and building investor readiness across growth stages. Drawing from his background across private equity, corporate M&A, and university venture creation, he can speak to how founders and ecosystem builders can bridge the gap between early-stage innovation and institutional capital deployment.
Johann Wah is the Co-Founder and President of Nika, an AI and climate-tech company focused on geospatial modeling and carbon-related solutions. He brings experience in startup building, product development, and cloud/data work, with a clear interest in using technology to tackle climate challenges.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Co-Founder and President of Nika, building AI-powered climate and geospatial solutions.
- Helped develop tools that make climate and geospatial modeling more accessible and practical for users.
- Previously worked at Amazon Web Services in program management and data analysis roles.
- Built startup experience across sustainability, product, and go-to-market work in Singapore.
Johann will share practical lessons from building a climate-tech startup, from identifying a real-world problem to turning geospatial and AI capabilities into usable products. He will also offer a founder’s perspective on startup execution, sustainability innovation, and the opportunities in applying technology to climate challenges.
Ajey Gore is former Group CTO at Gojek and Operating Partner at Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India & SEA), where he helped engineering leaders and founders scale high-growth platforms. He brings over three decades of experience in software engineering, organization design, and scaling tech teams.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Former Group CTO at Gojek, where he scaled the engineering team from 20 to over 3,000 across 16 products, transforming Gojek into a regional multi-service super-app.
- Former Operating Partner at Peak XV Partners, advising portfolio founders and CTOs across India and Southeast Asia on technology architecture, scaling, and engineering strategy.
- Serial technology entrepreneur, having co-founded CodeIgnition (acquired by Gojek) and Hoppr (acquired by Hike).
- Pioneered tech community building in the region, founding major industry events including RubyConf India and DevOpsDays India, and serving as former Head of Technology for ThoughtWorks India.
Ajey can offer practical insights on scaling high-performance engineering organizations and tech platforms through rapid growth. Drawing from decades as a founder, CTO, and VC operating partner, he can speak to building resilient systems, fostering agile team cultures, and making strategic technology architecture decisions that balance rapid execution with long-term reliability.
Dr. Zhen Gu is Qiushi Distinguished Chair Professor and Associate Vice President at Zhejiang University. He also serves as the Director of the National Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery Systems. He is the recipient of the National Innovation Competition Award (2026), National Natural Science Award (second place) in China (2024), Sloan Research Fellowship (2016), and was selected as one of TR35 Top Innovators by the MIT Technology Reviews (2015). As a lead author, he has published over 200 research papers, including Cell and Nature.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Dr. Zhen Gu has made foundational contributions to the development of intelligent bioresponsive drug delivery platforms capable of autonomously adjusting therapeutic release in response to physiological signals. His work established glucose-responsive insulin delivery technologies—including microneedle patches and injectable devices—that mimic aspects of pancreatic function by releasing insulin only when blood glucose rises. These innovations have helped define the field of intelligent drug delivery, advancing precision medicine while reducing the risks associated with conventional therapies.
- Gu has also introduced innovative approaches that harness living cells and engineered cellular components as therapeutic carriers. His research has demonstrated how platelets, mast cells, and other biological systems can be engineered to achieve targeted drug delivery, improve tissue specificity, and amplify therapeutic efficacy in cancer, inflammation, and other diseases.
- Gu has played a leading role in translating advanced biomaterials and drug delivery concepts toward clinical applications. His laboratory has licensed over 100 patents to companies and launched 5 startup companies translating innovations, including smart insulin/GLP-1 patch, anti-acne patch, weekly/monthly long-acting safe insulin and platelet-drug conjugates.
Dr. Zhen Gu brings deep expertise in translating scientific discovery and innovation into real-world healthcare solutions. His perspective is especially relevant for founders and researchers building at the intersection of life sciences, advanced materials, and commercialisation.
Yinghui Kuang is a Partner at Granite Asia, where he focuses on investing in and supporting technology-driven companies. He brings strong venture capital experience and a deep understanding of how innovative businesses are built and scaled.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Partner at Granite Asia.
- Experienced in venture investing across technology and innovation sectors.
- Works closely with founders on growth, strategy, and scale.
- Contributes to the development of Asia’s startup and investment ecosystem.
Yinghui offers practical insight into venture investing, founder support, and the mechanics of scaling a company across markets. His perspective will be valuable for entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem builders looking to understand how great companies are backed and grown.
Willis Lim is Executive Director at TIG Centre, where he helps drive innovation, partnerships, and capability development. He brings experience in ecosystem coordination and strategic growth.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Executive Director at TIG Centre.
- Supports innovation-focused programmes and partnerships.
- Brings leadership experience in ecosystem and capability building.
- Contributes to the growth of technology and industry collaboration.
Willis can offer a practical view on how to build collaborative platforms that connect talent, technology, and industry. His experience will resonate with audiences focused on ecosystem design and venture support.
Wen Hsieh is a pioneering HardTech investor and Founding Managing Partner at Matter Venture Partners, and was formerly with Kleiner Perkins. A Caltech-trained engineer and biologist, he’s driven breakthroughs in AI, robotics, semiconductors, spacetech and energy tech, with a background in founding start-ups and McKinsey.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Led the growth of breakthrough start-ups in semiconductors, AI hardware, energy, space, and robotics at Kleiner Perkins and Matter Venture Partners
- Helped scale innovators like DJI, Amprius Technologies, Ambiq Micro and Bloom Energy
- Co-founded Matter Venture Partners to back technical founders solving real-world industrial problems, and with support from LPs who are the who's who of the global semiconductor and electronics industries.
Wen Hsieh will delve into how HardTech and AI are converging to transform industries like semiconductors, robotics, and manufacturing tech. Sharing lessons from partnering with bold founders and building lasting companies at the intersection of atoms and AI.
Wang Mingyu is the founder and CEO of Zuvi, the company behind innovative beauty-tech products built on new principles of design and performance. A former R&D leader at DJI, he brings deep hardware expertise and a strong track record of product invention.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Founded Zuvi in 2019 after leading R&D work at DJI.
- Holds a portfolio of more than 500 global patents.
- Led the development of Zuvi Halo and AirLight Pro, both recognised for breakthrough hair-drying innovation.
- Helped position Zuvi as a category-defining beauty-tech company with global reach.
Wang Mingyu can speak to what it takes to turn advanced engineering into consumer products that stand out in crowded markets. He offers valuable lessons on invention-led entrepreneurship, product differentiation, and building hardware businesses at scale.
Tiana Desker is Chief Strategy and Policy Officer at Singapore’s National Space Agency, where she helps shape national direction in the space sector. She brings policy, strategy, and ecosystem-building experience to a rapidly expanding domain.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Chief Strategy and Policy Officer at the National Space Agency of Singapore.
- Supports strategy development for Singapore’s space ambitions.
- Brings policy expertise to an emerging technology sector.
- Helps align public-sector priorities with industry growth.
Tiana provides perspective on how government strategy can enable innovation ecosystems. Her insights are relevant for understanding policy, regulation, and national capability-building in space and other frontier sectors.
Dr Thomas Cooley is Chief Scientist at Turion Space, where he contributes to next-generation space systems and mission development. His work reflects the growing convergence of science, engineering, and commercial space innovation.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Chief Scientist at Turion Space.
- Contributes to advanced space technology and mission innovation.
- Brings scientific depth to the development of emerging space capabilities.
- Plays a role in building the technical foundations of a modern space company.
Dr Cooley can offer perspective on the scientific and technical challenges behind commercial space ventures. He is well placed to discuss how rigorous science supports faster, more scalable space innovation.
Ms Stella Xu is Managing Director at Quan Capital, a life sciences venture firm where she leads global cross-border investments and value creation. She brings over two decades of experience spanning pharmaceutical R&D leadership, management consulting, and deep-tech venture investing.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Managing Director at Quan Capital.
- Experienced in venture investing and growth-stage capital deployment.
- Supports founders building technology-led and innovation-driven companies.
- Brings market insight across startup financing and portfolio development.
Stella can share how investors assess opportunity, conviction, and scale in emerging sectors. Her experience will resonate with founders and ecosystem partners looking to understand what capital providers value in the next wave of innovation.
Sidu Ponnappa is CEO and co-founder of realfast, an AI-native software factory where small teams of senior people run fleets of agents to ship production software that moves a business metric. The customer keeps the systems, not the hours. Based in Singapore with deep roots across Southeast Asia, Sidu brings years of experience building engineering teams and scaling products at startups and tech unicorns.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Co-founded C42 Engineering, acquired by Gojek in 2015 - one of the earliest engineering-led acquisitions in the Indian startup ecosystem, where it became the foundation of Gojek's product division
- Spent seven years at Gojek as board director, MD of Gojek India, and SVP of Internal Products, seeing the company's growth from the inside from seed stage all the way to IPO - scaling from 500 orders a day to $10 billion in GMV
- Co-founded realfast, building an AI-native software factory where senior teams with agent leverage out-ship groups several times their size and tie every engagement to a business number
- Angel investor in early-stage startups, and a frequent writer and speaker on agentic AI
Sidu will share lessons from scaling engineering teams and building AI-agent platforms, showing how to treat recruitment, product, and data as one system and how reusable AI-native architectures can drive faster innovation across ecosystems like NUS Enterprise.
Prof Wei Wensheng is the founder and scientific advisor of Therorna, bringing deep scientific leadership to next-generation biotechnology innovation. His background bridges research excellence and translational biotech development.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Founder and scientific advisor at Therorna.
- Recognised for scientific leadership in advanced biotech innovation.
- Contributed to the translation of research into commercially relevant health solutions.
- Brings experience in building science-driven ventures around deep technology.
Prof Wei offers an important perspective on how scientific credibility, research depth, and venture discipline come together in biotech entrepreneurship. His insights are especially relevant for researchers and investors seeking to bridge lab innovation and market adoption.
Oussama, Professor and Director of the Stanford Robotics Lab, is a pioneering roboticist known for advancing human-friendly robots, real-time control, and haptics.
Remarkable Achievements:
- PhD in Electrical Engineering from Supélec; early work on real-time control and robot dynamics
- Introduced key robotics concepts like artificial potential fields and operational space control
- Created Stanford’s “Romeo” and “Juliet” platforms, advancing mobile and interactive robotics
- Co-editor of the Springer Handbook and Tracts in Advanced Robotics
- Honored with top awards including IEEE Technical Field, Engelberger, JRA, and France’s National Order of Merit
Oussama will discuss advancing human-centered robotics through university, industry, and venture collaboration. Drawing on his experience turning lab innovations into real-world platforms, he’ll highlight models for consortia, partnerships, and commercialisation aligned with NUS Enterprise’s mission.
Prof Helmut Schönenberger is one of Europe’s leading university entrepreneurship builders and the co-founder and CEO of UnternehmerTUM. At TUM, he has helped shape a powerful ecosystem for turning research into scalable ventures.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Co-founded and leads UnternehmerTUM, one of Europe’s most influential innovation and startup centres.
- Serves as Vice President for Entrepreneurship at the Technical University of Munich.
- Has spent decades building pathways from university research to startup success.
- Recognised for advancing entrepreneurship practice in academia and industry.
Prof Schönenberger can speak to what it takes to build a thriving university entrepreneurship ecosystem at scale. His experience is highly relevant to institutions seeking to connect talent, research, funding, and venture creation in a coordinated way.
Prof Erick Lansard is Professor of Practice at Nanyang Technological University and a distinguished aerospace engineer with more than three decades of leadership in the global space industry. Having held senior research, innovation, and technology roles at Alcatel Space and Thales Alenia Space, he has helped shape advances in satellite systems, Earth observation, and space technologies.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Led international research and development programmes spanning Earth observation, telecommunications, navigation, satellite constellations, and formation flying, while overseeing multidisciplinary teams across Europe and Asia.
- Recognised as an AIAA Fellow, Nokia Bell Labs Fellow, and distinguished member of leading international aerospace academies, including the International Academy of Astronautics and the Air & Space Academy.
- Published more than 70 scientific papers, holds multiple patents in space systems engineering, and has served in key leadership roles within global organisations including COSPAR and the International Astronautical Federation.
Prof Erick Lansard brings decades of experience spanning industry, research, and academia. He can share perspectives on how innovation, international collaboration, and technological leadership have accelerated advances in space systems and continue to shape the future of the global space industry.
Prof Benjamin is a Stanford trained materials scientist, Y Combinator alum, and inventor of electronic skin technologies. He’s co-founded three deep tech start-ups and now leads ecosystem building at NUS Enterprise.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Named a MIT TR35 Global Innovator (2015) and the Singapore Young Scientist of the Year (2016)
- Recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Scientist (2019) and top Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (2021)
- Co‑founded Privi Medical, Hannah Life Technologies (YC 20), and Tacniq.AI
Prof Benjamin blends deep scientific insight with ecosystem leadership. He has a track record of scaling ventures and turning research into real-world impact.
Alberto, the Edgar L. and Harold H. Buttner Chair at UC Berkeley, is a legendary innovator and co-founder of Cadence and Synopsys, global leaders in Electronic Design Automation. With over 1,000 publications, 17 books, and 3 patents, he is an IEEE and ACM Fellow, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Co-founder of Cadence and Synopsys, global EDA leaders that revolutionised the semiconductor industry
- President of Chips.it, a $289M USD Italian foundation advancing innovation in chip design
- Chair of Berkeley SkyDeck’s Academic Advisors, guiding one of Silicon Valley’s top accelerators
- Special advisor for entrepreneurship to UC Berkeley’s Engineering Dean, building a strong startup ecosystem
- Winner of the IEEE Maxwell Medal and 2023 BBVA Award for breakthroughs in electronics and chip automation
- Chair of the board of directors of 6 high tech companies ranging from edge AI to quantum computing and cybersecurity
Alberto helped turn academic research into $200B USD companies. He’ll share how world-class universities, strong investor networks, and visionary founders, advisors, and board members drive breakthrough innovation and lasting impact.
Prof Aaron Thean is the Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost of NUS and a distinguished academic leader with deep experience in research, innovation, and university transformation. He plays a central role in advancing NUS’s academic mission, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration, and shaping the university’s long-term strategic direction.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Serves as Provost of NUS, helping guide the university’s academic and research priorities.
- Has held senior leadership roles in higher education and research.
- Recognised for contributions to innovation, engineering, and institutional development.
- Supports the growth of talent, research excellence, and cross-disciplinary impact at NUS.
Prof Aaron Thean brings a university leader’s perspective on how research institutions can foster innovation, talent, and long-term societal impact. His insights are especially relevant to audiences interested in the role of universities in venture creation, deep-tech translation, and global ecosystem building.
Patrick is a physicist turned venture capitalist with a global track record of turning breakthrough science into real-world ventures. With experience across Bell Labs, ARCH Venture Partners, and Intellectual Ventures, he’s helped launch start-ups, scale innovation platforms, and shape R&D ecosystems from the U.S. to Asia.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Built early core optical and network systems at Bell Labs, Lucent, and AT&T
- Helped launch Impinj (IPO) and Innovalight (acquired by DuPont) as Managing Director at ARCH Venture Partners
- Led start-up incubation at Intellectual Ventures, bridging research + venture creation across Asia
- Co-founded Xinova, a global innovation network commercialising IP from universities and labs
- A Yale Physics PhD and Wharton MBA
Patrick has built companies from deep science and brought lab innovations to market across three continents. He knows how to turn research into reality.
Dr Orna Berry is a renowned technology leader, scientist, and former chief scientist in Israel’s Ministry of Economy. At Google Cloud, she helps shape technology strategy and partnerships that support digital modernisation across sectors.
Remarkable Achievements:
- First woman to serve as Chief Scientist and Director of Industrial Research and Development in Israel’s Ministry of Economy/Industry.
- Co-founded ORNET Data Communication Technologies, later acquired by Siemens.
- Led major innovation and R&D initiatives across government, academia, and industry, including national committees on quantum science, AI, and data science.
- Held senior executive roles in high-tech, including leadership at EMC’s innovation and growth efforts.
Dr Berry brings rare perspective across public policy, innovation strategy, and enterprise technology. She offers practical insight into how governments, research institutions, and global tech companies can work together to scale innovation and strengthen national ecosystems.
Neil Buchanan is a co-founder of Lodestar, an orbital defense company building autonomous fighter satellites to protect critical national security infrastructure on orbit.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Co-founded Lodestar
- Raised millions from leading US investors
- Technology currently on orbit
- Previous 2x finalist at SpaceX’s Hyperloop competition
Neil offers a founder’s perspective on launching and growing space ventures in a rapidly evolving market. His insights will be relevant to audiences interested in startup execution, technical ambition, and industry formation.
Dr Markus Moeller is a senior executive at OHB SE, one of Europe’s major space and aerospace groups. He plays a key role in corporate and business development, supporting strategic growth across the company’s space activities.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Senior business development leader at OHB SE.
- Helps steer corporate strategy in a major aerospace and space company.
- Brings experience in industrial innovation, partnerships, and growth planning.
- Supports the commercial advancement of space-related technologies and missions.
Dr Moeller offers a business and industry perspective on the rapidly evolving space sector. His insights will be valuable to audiences interested in commercial space, strategic partnerships, and the ecosystem needed to scale frontier industries.
Mark Lim is the CEO of Aliena Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based space technology company pioneering electric propulsion systems for small satellites. He leads the commercialization of advanced Hall thruster technologies, helping satellite operators achieve efficient mobility in orbit. With expertise spanning engineering, strategy, and deep-tech commercialization, he actively contributes to the growth of Singapore’s emerging space economy.
Remarkable Achievements:
- As CEO of Aliena, Mark has led the company’s growth from an early-stage startup into one of Southeast Asia’s most recognized space deep-tech ventures, advancing sovereign capabilities in satellite propulsion
- Aliena is a spin-off company from NTU, where Mark was involved as part of the pioneering team in the commissioning and inauguration of Singapore’s space propulsion centre
- Under his leadership, Aliena has secured strategic partnerships with satellite manufacturers, government agencies, and international stakeholders, while successfully attracting institutional investment to scale manufacturing and global market access
- Mark is a strong advocate for translating frontier research into commercially viable technologies, and actively contributes to Singapore’s innovation ecosystem through mentorship, industry engagement, and thought leadership in space entrepreneurship and security
Mark can speak to the realities of building a deep-tech startup in a highly specialised sector. His insights will be valuable for founders and stakeholders interested in engineering-led commercialisation and international scaling. His exposure to the space sector across the entire value chain including end-users who dictate mission profiles, to satellite manufacturers that integrate his systems places him in a good position to catalyze discourse from the panelists and delegates.
Jixun Foo is a senior managing partner at Granite Asia with deep experience in venture capital and technology investing across Asia. He is widely recognised for backing high-growth companies and supporting entrepreneurs building across dynamic, innovation-driven markets.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Senior leadership role at Granite Asia.
- Longstanding experience in venture capital and growth investing.
- Backed and supported technology companies across Asia.
- Known for helping founders scale businesses across regional and global markets.
Jixun brings a sharp investor’s lens on innovation, scale, and regional expansion. He can share how capital, market timing, and founder quality come together to create enduring venture success in Asia’s fast-moving startup landscape.
Jeanue Chung is the Founder of LUNR Aerospace Corporation, a Canadian rocket company building sovereign launch capability to strengthen Canada's role in the global space economy. His background spans astrophysics, public policy, and finance, giving him a practical, founder-led approach to building nationally significant infrastructure. He studied Astrophysics at the University of Toronto.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Founded and lead LUNR Aerospace Corporation, a Canadian rocket company developing sovereign launch capability
- Recognized as one of Canada's most promising entrepreneurial leaders (NEXT36).
- Graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Astrophysics.
Jeanue will share what it takes to build nationally significant infrastructure in Canada — from navigating regulation and capital markets to forging international partnerships — drawn from his experience founding and leading a rocket company. His perspective speaks to founders and policymakers alike: how Canada can compete globally in capital-intensive, technically demanding industries, from space to energy to defence.
James Tang brings very rare experience to find and support companies from 0-to-multi-billion-$ revenue in hardtech (Hardware and deeptech) sector. He is the founding managing partner of Kreo Ventures. Prior to that, he was with Kleiner Perkins focus on Physical AI, AI-redefined hardware, semiconductors and energy tech sectors.
Remarkable Achievements:
- As the first or second check investor to support the pioneers in Physical AI/Robotics, AI redefined hardware and energy tech in Kleiner Perkins and Kreo Ventures.
- Help to support the portfolio growing from niche segment to bigger win, e.g. DJI, Bloom Energy and Muxin
- Founding partner of Kreo Ventures to continue support early stage start-ups or venture builder for next global leaders in hardtech sector
James offers practical insights from both an early investor and co-founder views. As the usually first or second check investor, he would share his experience incubating technology, idea to a scalable business, especially how AI is redefining hardware in many ways.
Ms Gil Baram is a senior lecturer at Bar-Ilan University with expertise in strategy, geopolitics, and emerging technology policy. Her work adds an important analytical lens to innovation, security, and global change.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Senior lecturer at Bar-Ilan University.
- Contributes expertise in strategy, security, and technology-related policy issues.
- Brings an academic perspective on geopolitical and innovation trends.
- Engages in research and teaching with relevance to public and private sector audiences.
Ms Baram can help audiences understand the broader policy and geopolitical forces shaping innovation ecosystems. Her perspective is valuable for leaders navigating technology, regulation, and strategic uncertainty.
Gary Ang is Professor of Practice for Defence Innovation and Applications at NUS Enterprise, where he supports the translation of innovation into real operational value. He brings deep practical experience in defence-related innovation and application.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Professor of Practice for Defence Innovation and Applications at NUS Enterprise.
- Supports innovation translation across defence and related sectors.
- Brings industry and application-focused perspective to university innovation.
- Helps connect technology development with mission-driven outcomes.
Gary offers a useful perspective on how innovation moves from concept to deployment in complex, high-stakes environments. His experience is relevant to audiences interested in dual-use technologies, mission-driven innovation, and practical commercialisation.
Edward is the Co-Founder and CTO of Intellectual Ventures (IV), where he leads one of the world’s largest invention investment firms. With a background as Chief Architect at Microsoft, he holds more than 1,200 patents and co-founded IV to pioneer new models for global invention, technology transfer, and advanced R&D. His influential work spans AI, life sciences, energy, and pandemic preparedness, cementing his role as a transformative force in both academia and industry.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Ranked among the world’s top inventors, with 1,200+ patents licensed globally across fields like social media, energy, materials, and healthcare
- Former Chief Architect at Microsoft, shaping the company’s long-term technological vision
- Helped launch transformational projects in global health, clean energy, and artificial intelligence
- Member of the National Academy of Engineering and recipient of multiple innovation awards
- Advisor to governments and Fortune 500 companies on future technologies, IP, and strategic R&D
Edward bridges visionary invention with practical global impact, showing how deep tech, intellectual property strategy, and cross-disciplinary teams spark breakthrough innovation. He’ll share actionable insights on turning big ideas into world-changing outcomes—across sectors and continents.
Donna’s role at NUS is ensuring the university is globally competitive at commercialising deep tech innovations. She has co-founded, operated, and invested in university spin-offs and held senior leadership roles at the nexus of science, business, and intellectual property, including as Director at Columbia Technology Ventures and founding CEO of Xora Innovation.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Former CEO of Xora Innovation, leading investments in emerging scientific breakthroughs
- Former Chief Business Officer at TARA Biosystems, advancing human tissue models for drug discovery
- Led tech transfer and spinouts at Columbia University, managing over 400 innovation projects
- Co-founded Vixen Pharmaceuticals, whose work on autoimmune dermatologic therapies led to acquisition by Aclaris Therapeutics (trading as Olumiant®, Eli Lilly)
Donna brings deep experience bridging science, business, and capital. She has spent decades turning breakthrough technologies into real-world scientific and commercial impact.
Dima co-founded 4BIO Capital, a London‑based VC firm exclusively focused on advanced and emerging therapies. A neuroscientist and technologist by training, he leads the firm’s technical strategy and in‑house research, bridging science and investment to cure chronic diseases.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Holds dual MScs (Oxford, Moscow State) and a summa cum laude PhD in Neurochemistry
- Pioneered chemogenetics research at Max Planck Institute and UCL
- Adjunct Assistant Professor at Yale, Kauffman Fellow, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology
- Led investments in 70+ advanced therapy companies, including IPOs (Orchard, ADC) and exits (RetroSense, RedPin)
- Serves on boards of Araris, Trogenix, Hornet, Ray Therapeutics, and Code Bio
Dima will share how academia-industry partnerships and early investment can accelerate tech transfer in advanced therapies, offering insights from translational science to global venture building and clinical impact.
Dave Rosenberg is a senior marketing executive at Oracle responsible for corporate marketing, brand, messaging, events, and go-to-market execution. He brings extensive experience in shaping enterprise narratives for global technology audiences.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Senior Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Oracle.
- Managing Director, Intellectual Ventures
- CEO and Co-Founder, MuleSoft (NASDAQ: MULE) acquired by Salesforce.com
Dave offers insight into how major technology companies build trust, relevance, and market momentum through strategic marketing. His perspective is useful for leaders thinking about brand positioning, event strategy, and enterprise storytelling at global scale.
Yuk Chi Chan is the Founder and CEO of Charter Space, the first Space FinTech company. Charter Space insures space missions that are too novel or complex for anyone else to touch, and works with major insurance companies, government labs, and the most ambitious private companies on Earth. By building the foundation for new capital and risk transfer solutions in the space industry, Charter Space is powering the future of space finance.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Led Charter Space to win contracts with major space companies and pilot projects with government labs including NASA JPL, raised millions from top fintech and space investors, and built a team of operators from Credit Suisse, NASA, Tesla, Maxar, Rocket Lab, the U.S. Space Force, and the White House.
- Youngest lawyer ever to testify before the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space addressing space sustainability law and policy, and previously advised the governments of developing nations on their national space policy and legislation.
- Featured national TV commentator on the space economy, and previously managed VLEO satellite missions, launched the first dedicated space law practice in SEA, and published space law research with Springer Nature and the European Space Agency.
- LL.B. from Durham University and a LL.M. in International Law from University College London
Yuk Chi grew up in Singapore and has made America his home, building his life and career at the center of the U.S. space and defense ecosystem. He'll share a founder's view from inside the world's preeminent aerospace superpower on how Singapore can punch above its weight by leveraging its existing strengths across the financial, insurance, and legal services sectors, and the smart policy choices that could get it there.
Bruce Leak is a venture investor and technology veteran at Playground, focused on backing ambitious deep-tech founders. He has spent his career at the intersection of engineering, startups, and frontier innovation.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Founding partner/general partner at Playground Global.
- Early engineer on the original Apple Macintosh team.
- Built and backed startups across mobile, automotive, and deep tech sectors.
- Helped shape Playground as an early-stage firm for science- and hardware-driven ventures.
Bruce brings deep insight into how frontier technologies become investable companies. He is well placed to discuss founder-market fit, hardware venture creation, and the discipline needed to turn technical breakthroughs into enduring businesses.
Dr Babak Parviz is the founder and CEO of NewDays.ai and a well-known innovator in advanced technology and product development. He is widely recognised for bridging research, invention, and entrepreneurial execution.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Founder and CEO of NewDays.ai.
- Known for leadership in advanced technology innovation and product creation.
- Has experience across research, engineering, and venture-driven innovation.
- Recognised as a builder of breakthrough technologies with consumer and commercial potential.
Dr Parviz can speak to how emerging technologies move from research ambition to practical products people actually use. His background makes him especially relevant for conversations on deep tech, venture building, and the future of human-centred innovation.
Dr. Alexander Zoellner operates at the frontier of breakthrough innovation. As Head of Rapid Evaluation at X, The Moonshot Factory (Google X), he and his team architect and test world-changing ventures designed to solve global problems. Drawing from his expertise in engineering, entrepreneurship, and work in a hyperscaler lab, Alex brings the necessary speed and multidisciplinary background to build high-risk, high-reward moonshots.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Left academia to co-found two venture-backed startups and advise multiple early-stage technology companies
- Led cross-functional engineering teams within Apple's Special Projects Group, shipping major consumer products now used by over 100 million people worldwide
- Founded a winery as a side project and won an award for his debut vintage of Pinot Noir
- Building, evolving, and leading the core innovation team (Rapid Evaluation) within the radical innovation arm (Google X) of one of the world’s most innovative corporates (Alphabet)
Alex will provide a behind-the-scenes look at how X, the Moonshot Factory, evaluates, tests, and advances radical ideas. He will share frameworks for rapid prototyping, managing risk, and cultivating a fast-failure culture to find true breakthroughs. Additionally, he will discuss how X offers a unique route to venture creation, bridging deep tech with market needs to build world-changing, commercially viable moonshots.
Alessio LoRusso is the Founder and CEO of Roboze, a company building the Physical AI backbone for autonomous manufacturing in strategic industries. He has been a strong advocate for next-generation production technologies, Physical AI, and software-defined manufacturing, enabling resilient, distributed, and autonomous production for sectors such as aerospace, defense, energy, and transportation.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Founded and leads Roboze.
- Built a global brand in industrial additive manufacturing.
- Advanced the use of high-performance materials in 3D printing.
- Helped position digital manufacturing as a strategic industrial capability.
Alessio can speak to how manufacturing innovation becomes a competitive advantage. His perspective is especially useful for those interested in industrial transformation, hardware scaling, and the role of advanced fabrication in future supply chains.
Sian joined NUS in January 2025 to lead NUS Enterprise, driving the university’s mission to bridge research, education, and commercialisation. With deep roots in Silicon Valley and a track record that spans multiple continents, he brings exceptional global insight into tech-driven entrepreneurship.
Remarkable Achievements:
- Pioneered modern haptics at Immersion (NASDAQ: IMMR), credited with 10 patents now used in billions of devices worldwide
- Built Fraunhofer’s spin-out engine and advised Primesense– acquired by Apple and embedded in Face ID
- Scaled Finaxar as CEO
- Helped launch Monk’s Hill Ventures by advising their first fund and guided Elev8.vc as a strategic advisor
- Stanford-trained engineer with a Ph.D. in agent-based distributed manufacturing systems
Sian brings a rare combination of academic depth and commercial execution. With a global track record in venture creation, technology transfer, and institutional innovation, he offers clear insight into how universities can translate research into scalable impact.