The 18th Asian Financial Forum (AFF), co-organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), successfully wrapped up today under the theme “Powering the Next Growth Engine”. This year’s forum attracted over 3,600 global financial and business elites from more than 50 countries and regions. The event leveraged Hong Kong’s role as an international financial centre to strengthen the international communication platform, foster multilateral cooperation and promote mutually beneficial outcomes. Three high-level Mainland China officials attended the Opening Session of the AFF yesterday, including Zhou Ji, Executive Vice Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council; Dr Pan Gongsheng, Governor of the People’s Bank of China; and Liu Zhenmin, Special Envoy for Climate Change of China.

As the year’s first large-scale international financial and business event in the region, the atmosphere at the AFF was vibrant and charged with a positive energy. The forum showcased emerging perspectives across the diverse sessions, all of which were well-attended and well-received by speakers and audiences alike. Leaders from around the world actively engaged in discussion throughout the two-day event, with more than 130 policymakers, international financial and multilateral organisation representatives, financial institutions, and global corporate leaders joining as speakers.

The speaker at the Keynote Luncheon on the first day of this year’s AFF was Prof Justin Lin Yifu, Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank (2008-2012), who delivered an in-depth analysis of the shifting global economic landscape. Prof Lin pointed out: “In terms of purchasing power, China has the largest domestic market in the world. I think China can reach a 4.5 % growth rate on the average annually between 2019 and 2049. Thus China will continue to contribute around 30% of growth to the world every year. It’s good not only for China, but also will be the most important asset of Hong Kong in the coming years.”

Keynote Luncheon today focused on AI: Future Industries and Implications, with Prof Stuart Russell, Co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Council on AI, sharing his insights into the development, application and governance of generative AI. Prof Russell said: “We could build AI systems that are guaranteed to further human interests but we aren’t. Some may worry that the machines that we are building will become conscious and lose control, but competence should actually be the topic that we worry about.  As history shows, we cause species to become extinct due to our competence, not our consciousness. We are training them to have human-like objectives, and that is a fundamental mistake. I am hoping that if we design the AI system well enough, they themselves will refuse to contribute to the enfeeblement of the human race.” Another AI expert, Dr Kai-Fu Lee, Chairman of Sinovation Ventures, also addressed the transformative power of AI and its impact on technological advancements in the global business ecosystem during a dialogue session.

In alignment with the HKSAR Government’s initiatives to promote sustainable development in Hong Kong, sustainability emerged as a key focus at the forum. A session yesterday featured experts including Sue Lloyd, Vice Chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), who delved into the adoption of financial disclosure standards to enhance confidence in Hong Kong’s capital markets. Today saw more discussions related to sustainable development, including a Breakfast Panel dedicating to transition finance and two more sessions – on sustainable investment and Post-COP29 Implementation: Enhance Climate Ambition and Enable Financing Action – at which Liu Zhenmin, Special Envoy for Climate Change of China, gave remarks.

This afternoon saw the debut of the Gulf Cooperation Council Chapter, jointly organised by the AFF and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of the HKSAR Government, and HE Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, delivered keynote remarks. Financial officials and representatives from Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates joined industry leaders from Hong Kong to share updates on economic developments in the Gulf region, highlight future investment opportunities, and examine ways to strengthen financial cooperation and investment between the member states of the GCC and Hong Kong.

In addition, pioneers from a range of industries actively participated in sessions such as CIO Insights, Dialogues for Tomorrow and Global Spectrum, focusing on hot topics ranging from fintech and capital markets to female entrepreneurship and philanthropy. One of the heavyweight speakers at this year’s AFF was Joe Tsai, Chairman of the Alibaba Group, who shared his views at a fireside chat moderated by Ronnie Chan, Honorary Chair, Hang Lung Properties Limited on how large companies spur economic development in a session titled Global Spectrum – The Role of Large Companies in Supporting Start-ups and Social Enterprises.

Views on mainland and overseas industries and environmental economies tracked on-site

Real-time polling was conducted during the forum to gauge participants’ views on various topics, such as the global economic outlook and China opportunities. It indicated that generative AI-led innovation (41.6%) and non-AI innovation, including digital infrastructure & healthcare (23%), were seen by participants as the most critical growth engines in the Asia Pacific region. Meanwhile, generative AI (31.4%) and advanced manufacturing (20%) were seen as the most promising growth sectors  in Mainland China.

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More than 700 one-on-one matching meetings facilitated on-site over two days

This year’s AFF Deal-making, co-organised by the HKTDC and the Hong Kong Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (HKVCA), brought together more than 270 investors and over 560 investment projects with more than 700 one-on-one meetings held, covering a wide spectrum of sectors such as fintech, healthtech, deep tech, consumer goods, infrastructure and real estate, environment, energy and environmental technology. The meetings helped to connect funds and investment projects from across the globe.

As always, the AFF featured several exhibition zones, set up with the aim of creating business connections and promoting networking, including the Fintech Showcase, Fintech HK Startup Salon, the InnoVenture Salon, and the Global Investment Zone. These zones featured more than 140 exhibitors including international financial institutions, technology companies, start-ups, investment promotion agencies and sponsors such as AFF Knowledge Partner EY, along with HSBC, Bank of China (Hong Kong), Standard Chartered Bank, UBS, Prudential, China International Capital Corporation (CICC) and Huatai International and more.

Three other events ran concurrently with the AFF across the two days. The Hong Kong International Fundraising Roundtable 2025 yesterday convened C-suite leaders from overseas and mainland enterprises with Hong Kong’s financial and professional service providers to address pressing financing and fundraising needs. The Malaysia–Hong Kong Islamic Finance Roundtable, co-organised with Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre (MIFC) Leadership Council, facilitated the development of cross-border financial activities between Hong Kong and Islamic economies represented by Malaysia. Additionally, the Family Office Symposium, co-organised with the Private Wealth Management Association (PWMA), spotlighted Hong Kong’s advantages as a premier family office destination and explored current investment trends.

The Asian Financial Forum was a signature event of 2025 International Financial Week (IFW), which runs from 13 to 17 January and brings together more than 20 partner events to create synergies in the industry. These events cover many topics of global interest to the financial and business community, including private equity, family offices, net zero investing and generative AI, among others. This week of events helps underscore the importance of Hong Kong as an international financial hub.

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Equiti enhances its offerings with Equiti Wealth, a global multi-asset platform designed to provide diverse wealth management solutions tailored to long-term investment needs.

DUBAI, UAE, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Equiti, a leading global fintech, announced that it has received in-principle approval from the Securities and Commodities Authority to launch the Equiti Global Balanced Fund as part of its new product line—Equiti Wealth.

This initiative gives investors unparalleled access to a broad spectrum of professionally managed investment funds, starting with a minimum investment of just $1,000.

In its commitment to democratising access to wealth management products, Equiti Wealth consolidates an extensive range of investment solutions in a single platform, making wealth management a straightforward, inclusive, and accessible process for all.

“Today signifies a pivotal moment for Equiti as we reaffirm our dedication to enhancing financial opportunities for everyone,” stated Mohammed AlAhmed Ketmawi, Co-founder of Equiti Group.

“Our Equiti Wealth portfolio is designed with the investor in mind, simplifying the path for anyone to embark on their investment journey and reap the benefits of expertly managed funds.” 

“By removing barriers to wealth creation, we strive to empower our clients with the tools necessary to achieve their financial aspirations,” added Gaurang Desai, Managing Director of Equiti Wealth.

“Our commitment is to deliver reliable, transparent, and user-friendly investment solutions suitable for all investors, from beginners to seasoned professionals.”

With the approval from federal regulatory authorities, Equiti Wealth is set to significantly influence the investment landscape, promoting accessibility and financial literacy. Through its innovative offerings, Equiti aims to guide individuals from all backgrounds towards a secure financial future.

About Equiti Wealth

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Equiti Wealth is a pioneering asset management platform, dedicated to democratising access to professionally managed funds. By offering a range of cutting-edge investment solutions and making wealth creation inclusive, Equiti Wealth is refining how people invest. Equiti Wealth is part of the globally recognised Equiti Group.

About Equiti Group

Equiti Group is a multi-regulated global fintech provider of advanced trading technology, payment software, virtual assets, asset management and physical commodity solutions with a presence in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The Group holds licenses from highly regulated jurisdictions across the world, including the UK’s FCA, the UAE’s SCA, Cyprus’ CySec and more.

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LONDON, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Kinomica Ltd., a developer of diagnostics for precision oncology, today announced the appointment of Roche Diagnostics’ former Global Head of Strategy and Business Development, Dr Michele Pedrocchi as its new Chair of the Board of Directors.

With his more than 30 years of successful track record in Life Science and in-vitro Diagnostics and as a former member of the Executive Committee at Roche Diagnostics, Michele has extensive experience and understanding of the growth drivers of a business, including commercial execution and innovation of business models and products. His industry impacting achievements include an instrumental role in establishing polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a routine diagnostics methodology in Europe and his pioneering role in introducing patient selection for targeted oncology treatments through Companion Diagnostics (CDx), as well as venturing into digital health solutions.

Tim Fell, Chief Executive Officer of Kinomica, said: “As an international executive who has brought ground-breaking diagnostic solutions into routine clinical practice, Michele’s experience and guidance will be invaluable as Kinomica seeks to do the same with phosphoproteomic diagnostics for therapy selection.”

Michele Pedrocchi, new Chair of the Board of Directors of Kinomica, commented: “I am thrilled to be taking on this role as Kinomica has great potential for contributing in a fundamental way to truly precision medicine. This world-class team of scientists has made impressive inroads on the promise of phosphoproteomics to guide cancer treatment. Making this proprietary approach and insights widely available is our declared goal.”

The new Chair appointment follows a financing round led by Mercia Ventures with additional participation from BGF, Longwall Ventures and other existing investors, that sees the company’s Board of Directors further strengthen with the appointments of Dr Robert Hornby and Joanna Smart as investor directors for Mercia Ventures and BGF respectively.

About Kinomica

Kinomica is a developer of precision oncology diagnostics. The company has developed KScan®, a phosphoproteomic diagnostic platform to help clinicians better realize the full potential of precision medicine by predicting which of the drugs currently approved to treat a disease a particular patient will respond best to, thereby aiding clinical decision making. Learn more at www.kinomica.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/michele-pedrocchi-appointed-chair-of-kinomica-302350351.html

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