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Citi Hosts Flagship AI Forum to Drive Hong Kong’s Financial Future In Partnership with Mastercard & FinTech Association of Hong Kong
Leading Financial Institutions, Regulators, and Tech Innovators Converge to Accelerate Hong Kong’s AI Readiness and Global Leadership
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 24 September 2025 – Citi Hong Kong, in collaboration with Mastercard and the FinTech Association of Hong Kong (FTAHK), successfully co-hosted the “Creating an AI Ready Economy” forum yesterday. Riding on the success of last year, this flagship event, now in its second edition, brought together over 100 participants. This exclusive event brought regulators, finance industry experts, and FinTech innovators together to delve into the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in propelling Hong Kong’s economic future, firmly cementing Hong Kong’s unparalleled position as a global AI-enabled financial hub. This forum reaffirmed Citi’s unwavering commitment to fostering innovation and preparing the financial ecosystem for an era of unprecedented growth and technological leadership.
The event featured a distinguished lineup of speakers from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and leading organizations including Accenture, Fano, Google Hong Kong and Mastercard. This diverse representation underscored the broad industry commitment to advancing AI capabilities responsibly and collaboratively. During the forum, discussions spanned critical areas such as the future impact of AI on Hong Kong’s economy and banking industry, the value of AI for wealth management, and the potential of Agentic AI in transforming the banking, investments and financial services.
The forum also emphasized responsible AI adoption, balancing innovation with strong regulatory oversight and consumer protection, and fostering international collaboration to ensure a secure, transparent, and well-regulated environment, drawing insights from initiatives like the GenAI Sandbox and evolving regulatory policies.
Vicky Kong, Head of Wealth, Asia North & Australia at Citi, said, “At Citi Wealth, AI presents an unprecedented opportunity to not only personalize client experiences but also to deliver enhanced value. Citi is at the forefront of leveraging AI to optimize our operations, empowering our teams to focus on providing our clients with timely, sophisticated and hyper-personalized wealth management solutions that anticipate and meet their evolving needs. This is how we are actively building the future of wealth.”
Delving into advanced AI applications, Joe Bonanno, Head of Data Analytics & Innovation at Citi Wealth, commented, “We are relentlessly modernizing our technology platforms to deliver state-of-the-art capabilities – bringing advanced functionality, innovation, and personalization to both clients and colleagues. This commitment also optimizes our operations and provides truly tailored client experiences. At Citi Wealth, we have already seen the significant impact of AI with the launch of AskWealth and Advisor Insights for the Wealth business in North America, enhancing operational efficiency and tailoring client experiences. We are incredibly excited to scale these proven AI innovations globally, bringing significant added value to our clients across the Hong Kong market and beyond.”
Dipendra Malhotra, Head of Wealth Technology at Citi, added, “The rapid evolution of our industry demands a bold vision for technological transformation. At Citi Wealth, we are architecting an industry-leading technological backbone, powered by strategic partnerships with innovators. This empowers our colleagues to deliver deeply personalized client experiences, establishing Citi as a pioneer in human-AI collaboration that fundamentally enhances value for both our colleagues and clients.”
Matthew Driver, Executive Vice President, Services, Asia Pacific at Mastercard, said, “AI is transforming wealth management – from streamlining operations and risk management to delivering deep personalization and actionable insights. Market leaders like Citi are leading this shift by not just upgrading technology, but driving a full-scale transformation across culture, processes, systems and capabilities. Responsible data use, executive commitment, and retraining are all critical to unlocking AI’s full potential, but perhaps the most important is keeping the human in the loop from governance all the way through to relationship management, because trust is the currency of the digital economy.”
Lareina Wang, Chair, FinTech Association of Hong Kong, said “This forum was a powerful demonstration of the collaborative spirit driving Hong Kong’s fintech ecosystem. Bringing together regulators, financial institutions, and technology innovators is essential to responsibly harness the transformative power of AI. The FTAHK is proud to partner with industry leaders like Citi Hong Kong and Mastercard to foster these critical dialogs, especially by the participation of members from our AI Strategic Advisory Council. By uniting diverse perspectives, we can accelerate Hong Kong’s journey to becoming a leading AI-ready economy, ensuring the city remains at the forefront of financial innovation.”
The forum marked a significant step in Hong Kong’s journey towards an AI-enabled financial hub. By facilitating the responsible adoption of AI, Hong Kong is ready to become a future-ready leader in the rapidly evolving global landscape, with Citi actively contributing to this transformative vision.
Click HERE to download the photos
Photo 1: Leading industry experts, regulators, and innovators gather at the “Creating AI Ready Economy” forum in Hong Kong, fostering dialogs to shaping the future of AI-driven financial innovation (From left to right):
- Dr. Miles Wen, Co-founder & CEO of Fano
- Sarah O, Head of Digital Growth & Cards and Unsecured Lending Sales, Citibank Hong Kong
- Tancho Fingarov, SVP, Head of Business & Market Insights for Asia Pacific, Mastercard
- Aveline San, Chief Executive Officer and Banking Head of Citi Hong Kong
- Carmen Chu, Executive Director, Banking Supervision of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority
- Howard Lee, Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority
- Joe Bonanno, Head of Data Analytics & Innovation at Citi Wealth
- Dipendra Malhotra, Head of Wealth Technology at Citi
- Vicky Kong, Head of Wealth, Asia North & Australia at Citi
- Nailesh Shah, Head of Digital Platform & Content Commercialization, Citibank Hong Kong
- Nicole Bodack, Managing Director, Banking & Capital Markets, APAC at Accenture
Photo 2: Marc Luet, Head of Japan, Asia North & Australia, and Banking at Citi delivers opening remarks at the “Creating AI Ready Economy” forum.
Photo 3: Howard Lee, Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (left), discusses the regulatory vision for AI, underscoring Hong Kong’s commitment to fostering a secure and well-regulated environment for AI-driven advancements during a Fireside Chat moderated by Vicky Kong, Head of Wealth, Asia North & Australia at Citi (right).
Photo 4: (2nd from the left to right) Joe Bonanno, Head of Data Analytics & Innovation at Citi Wealth, Carmen Chu, Executive Director (Banking Supervision) of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Michael Yue, Managing Director and General Manager at Google Hong Kong, discuss how AI is revolutionizing the banking and wealth management landscape during the panel discussion moderated by Aveline San, Chief Executive Officer and Banking Head of Citi Hong Kong (first from the left).
Photo 5: (2nd from the left to right) Dipendra Malhotra, Head of Wealth Technology at Citi, Tancho Fingarov, SVP, Head of Business & Market Insights for Asia Pacific at Mastercard, and Nicole Bodack, Managing Director, Banking & Capital Markets APAC at Accenture discuss how Agentic AI is transforming financial services, during the panel discussion moderated by Dr. Miles Wen, Co-founder & CEO of Fano (first from the left).
Hashtag: #Citi
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
SCOPE’s Ultra-Luxury Residential Performance Underscores Strong Investor Confidence in Thailand’s Prime Market
Despite global headwinds including escalating trade disputes, rising commodity prices, and shifting monetary policies, Thailand’s prime residential market remains structurally strong. Bangkok, in particular, continues to attract foreign buyers seeking long-term residential assets that combine lifestyle quality with capital stability. Demand in this segment has been driven less by short-term speculation, and more by purchasers prioritizing quality, identity, and long-term livability.
Commenting on the market outlook, Mr. Yongyutt Chaipromprasith, Chief Executive Officer of SCOPE Company Limited, said: “Thailand offers exceptional value when compared with global cities, not only in pricing but also in quality of life, project standards, and long-term livability. Many international investors view Thai ultra-luxury residences as a safe haven asset, supported by competitive rental yields, lower holding costs, and a lifestyle proposition that few markets can replicate.”
Among its flagship developments, SCOPE Langsuan recorded over 90% sales completion within 2025, reflecting strong demand from discerning buyers. The project’s success highlights a clear shift in buyer behavior: ultra-luxury purchasers are increasingly focused on authenticity, design integrity, and long-term residential value rather than speculative gains.
Central to this appeal is SCOPE’s collaboration with internationally acclaimed designer Thomas Juul-Hansen, whose portfolio includes prominent residential development in New York, notably along the iconic “Millionaire’s Row.” By engaging designers of this caliber, SCOPE reinforces its role as a developer of globally competitive, non-replicable residential projects, rather than locally derivative offerings.
This approach further emphasizes the “value for money” proposition of Thailand’s luxury market. Achieving equivalent design pedigree and spatial quality in global financial capitals would require significantly higher development and acquisition costs.
This philosophy guides every stage of development — from spatial planning and material selection to service design and community environments — ensuring that residences are built to support genuine, long-term living.
From curated common spaces designed as well-being hubs, to personalized residential services and collaborations with world-class architects and designers, SCOPE aims to establish new benchmarks for service-driven, timeless luxury in Thailand’s residential market. This evolution reflects a broader industry shift from competing on physical specifications alone to competing on holistic living experiences.
Looking ahead, Thailand’s ultra-luxury real estate market is transitioning from price-based competition toward differentiation driven by design excellence, development standards, service quality, and long-term livability. This shift strengthens the country’s positioning on the global stage and reinforces ultra-luxury residential assets as stable, long-term investments amid ongoing global uncertainty.
Hashtag: #Scope #Scopecollection
https://scopecollection.com/
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The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 January 2026 – In an era where investors are more selective than ever, SMEs can no longer rely on vision, passion, or static pitch decks alone. The new rule of fundraising is clear: No Data, No Talk.
This message took centre stage at the Data Fundraising Masterclass (12–14 December 2025) organised by BizPal by Simplyfi™, where close to 80 SME owners, founders, and senior leaders gathered to learn how technology, branding, and corporate finance must be integrated into a single, data-driven narrative to unlock capital and sustainable growth.
The three-day masterclass was designed to help SMEs move beyond siloed decision-making. Participants were guided through structuring their business models, identifying value drivers, and translating strategy into investor-ready financial narratives using CapitalOS — BizPal’s data-driven corporate finance platform that consolidates operational, strategic, and financial data into a coherent dashboard designed to speak the language of investors.
“I thank the team for their tireless preparation for the masterclass. Our mission is simple — SMEs should never walk into a funding conversation unsure of their numbers,” said Ms. Anya Tan, CEO of BizPal by Simplyfi™.
Rather than treating technology, brand, and finance as separate initiatives, CapitalOS demonstrated how these elements work together to form one credible, measurable story of enterprise value.
Technology as a Measurable Growth Strategy
As part of the programme, guest speaker Mr. Chris Teng, Sales Director of FSBM Holdings Berhad, shared insights on the role of technology in enterprise scalability.
“Every business today needs a clear technology blueprint — not just to operate efficiently, but to attract investors. Technology is the foundation of scalability. When you can demonstrate how your tech investments drive data, efficiency, and market access, your enterprise value naturally grows.”
This session reinforced a core principle of data fundraising: technology only creates value when it produces measurable outcomes. Within CapitalOS, participants learned how technology investments can be translated into operational metrics and long-term financial impact — moving technology from a backend function to a valuation driver.
Turning Brand and IP into Recognised Assets
In another session, Mr. Tee Lin Yik, CEO and Co-founder of Tee IP Sdn Bhd, addressed the growing importance of brand and intellectual property (IP) valuation in fundraising.
“Your marketing, design, and digital assets are not just expenses — they represent intangible value. When structured properly, these can be recognised as brand assets, contributing directly to enterprise valuation.”
Participants explored how branding and IP, when properly documented and governed, can be captured within CapitalOS as value-creating assets, strengthening credibility during fundraising discussions and due diligence.
Finance, Governance, and the Investor Lens
Concluding Day 2, Mr. Dylan Woon, Director of Sparta Haus, highlighted the importance of live data, governance, and transparency from an investor’s perspective.
“In the modern business environment, static reports are no longer enough. Investors expect live dashboards and clear governance trails. Platforms like CapitalOS help SMEs manage and present their data dynamically — aligning business strategy with financial credibility.”
Through guided exercises, participants learned to view their businesses from an investor’s lens — understanding how data consistency, governance discipline, and financial clarity directly influence valuation and funding decisions.
From Learning to Real Conversations
Beyond theory, the programme delivered tangible outcomes. Participants were guided to develop investor-ready pitch decks using AI-assisted tools, with many completing their decks during the three-day programme.
Several selected participants presented their pitch decks to investors and judging panelists on Day 3, leading to follow-up discussions and early expressions of interest.
Soft Launch of Global Mentorship Exchange (GMx)
Wrapping up Day 3 of the Data Fundraising Masterclass, BizPal also announced the soft launch of the Global Mentorship Exchange (GMx), a strategic ecosystem initiative designed to complement CapitalOS by connecting experienced business leaders with high-potential entrepreneurs.
The initiative is built on a central premise: the greatest untapped resource in business is experience. GMx aims to make this experience more accessible by providing a structured platform where mentors, entrepreneurs, and investors can engage through data-backed evaluation, technology-enabled assessment, and transparent benchmarking.
GMx is positioned as a global exchange where experienced founders and industry leaders support emerging businesses not only through guidance, but through measurable insights aligned with investor expectations. By integrating mentorship with structured evaluation frameworks, GMx seeks to help high-potential SMEs gain visibility, credibility, and readiness for the global stage.
According to the organisers, the soft launch marks the first phase of a broader effort to formalise mentorship, recognition, and capital access into a single ecosystem — enabling experience, data, and technology to work together in supporting sustainable enterprise growth.
Validated by Participants
The impact of the masterclass was reflected in post-programme feedback:
- Over 80% of respondents rated their likelihood to recommend the programme 8–10 on the Net Promoter Score (NPS) scale
- Participants rated the programme an average of 4.52 out of 5 stars for value received relative to investment
- The results highlight strong validation from SME owners on the programme’s relevance, practicality, and return on learning
Beyond the Masterclass
To ensure continuity and execution beyond the workshop, all participants have been invited to an upcoming online coaching session, where they will further strengthen their teams’ hands-on capability in using CapitalOS.
For SMEs interested in joining future cohorts, BizPal by Simplyfi™ is accepting early expressions of interest for upcoming Data Fundraising programmes in 2026.
Interested businesses can:
– Register interest for 2026 programmes: [email protected]
– Schedule a complimentary CapitalOS consultation: [email protected]
One System, One Story
The masterclass demonstrated a clear framework:
- Technology generates data
- Brand amplifies enterprise value
- Corporate finance translates strategy into investor language
CapitalOS ties these elements together, enabling SMEs to move from intuition-led decision-making to data-backed, investor-ready positioning.
Through its CapitalOS methodology, BizPal by Simplyfi™ is helping canvASEAN SMEs transition from intuition-led decision-making to data-backed, investor-ready businesses — proving that in today’s capital market, the conversation begins with data, or it doesn’t begin at all.
Hashtag: #NoDataNoTalk #DataFundraising #InvestorReady #CapitalReadiness #FinTech #BusinessValuation #ASEANSMEs
https://simplyfi.co/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/simplyfi-co/
https://www.facebook.com/simplyfi.sg
https://www.instagram.com/simplyfi.co
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About BizPal by Simplyfi™
BizPal by Simplyfi™ empowers ASEAN SMEs to become investor-ready through data-driven corporate finance solutions. Its flagship platform, CapitalOS, consolidates operational, strategic, and financial data into a unified system that speaks the language of investors. By integrating technology, brand, and finance into one measurable narrative, BizPal helps SMEs transition from intuition-led decision-making to data-backed growth strategies.
Media OutReach
IIMAKER Speaks at 2026 Chongli Forum: Defining the “Soul” and “Threshold” of Game Content Creation in the AI-Native Era
With the rapid development of Generative AI (AIGC) technology, the global gaming and interactive content industry is undergoing an unprecedented productivity revolution. From the automatic generation of characters and scenes to the batch production and precise delivery of marketing materials, AI is drastically reducing the marginal cost of content creation and distribution. Simultaneously, a core question is becoming increasingly prominent: As tools become ubiquitous, how can products avoid homogenization? How can enterprises build unique brand value and competitive barriers that transcend the technology itself? This is not only an issue for the gaming industry but also a “soul-searching” question that all AI-native application fields must confront.
Regarding the rise of “one-person companies,” Wei Tianrun pointed out that AI indeed significantly lowers the threshold from idea to execution, smoothing over the resource-intensive and highly specialized barriers inherent in traditional creation. For example, leveraging its AI toolchain, IIMAKER can compress the production cycle for marketing materials – which originally took weeks and required cross-team collaboration – down to just a few hours, while also enabling rapid localization of content for multiple global markets. However, he simultaneously emphasized that AI also raises new thresholds: Firstly, the threshold for deep insight and top-level design. AI can optimize click-through rates but cannot replace humans in understanding the subcultural emotions and unspoken needs of player communities. This demands stronger cultural sensitivity and sociological thinking from teams. Secondly, the new threshold of compliance and ethics. Issues like copyright and data security associated with AIGC require entrepreneurs to master an entirely new system of norms and regulations.
When discussing how to inject “soul” into AI-native products, Wei Tianrun elaborated on IIMAKER’s core philosophy – “Empowerment, Not Replacement.” He stated that all the company’s technological development serves one goal: to reduce technical friction and unleash creator potential, not to let AI dominate the creative process. “AI is the most powerful ‘brush’ in the creator’s hand, but the one holding the brush will always be the creator themselves.” IIMAKER strives to be the most trusted “first stop” and “spiritual home” for creators entering the AI-native creative era. Its brand distinction lies not in possessing any single, top-tier, isolated AI technology, but in its profound understanding and systematic empowerment of the entire “interactive content creation” process.
Addressing industry concerns that AIGC might lead to homogenization of community content, Wei Tianrun introduced IIMAKER’s “proactive shaping” strategy. The company encourages and protects truly original content imbued with a human soul through a multi-pronged approach: building an AI tool library containing diverse stylistic models, deliberately promoting innovative content within its algorithmic recommendations, establishing an anti-plagiarism content fingerprinting system, and setting up honor and economic incentive systems centered around “creative originality” and “emotional impact.” He emphasized that IIMAKER’s ultimate goal is to catalyze the “from 0 to 0.1” spark of original ideas, while using AI to efficiently solve the “from 1 to 100” problem of scaling.
Finally, Wei Tianrun offered a sincere reminder to young entrepreneurs in the AI field: the most easily underestimated cost is the “Alignment Cost” – namely, the cost of aligning with AI tool intent, the cost of connecting with real market value, and the management cost of internal team cognitive transformation. These are often (implicit) and substantial. Conversely, the part most irreplaceable by AI is precisely the ability to “Ask the Right Questions” – discovering and defining those unmet, profound human needs and pain points will always be the most fundamental starting point for innovation.
Hashtag: #IIMAKER
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About the Chongli Forum
The China Chongli Forum is a technology and industrial innovation dialogue platform grounded in real industry scenarios. Leveraging Chongli’s unique ice-snow ecology and open spaces, it gathers young entrepreneurs, technology enterprises, investment institutions, and cultural talents, aiming to promote cross-border collaboration and long-term value creation. This year’s agenda focused on cutting-edge areas such as the digital economy, artificial intelligence, and the green economy.
About IIMAKER
IIMAKER is an AI-powered game and interactive content company built on the core concept of “Maker.” With game publishing as its current business cornerstone, the company is dedicated to empowering UGC (User-Generated Content) communities through its self-developed AI toolchain, significantly enhancing the efficiency of content generation, asset production, and optimization. Its long-term vision is to build an AI-native interactive content platform that reduces the overall friction of turning imagination into reality, ultimately working towards a future where “everyone can make a world.”
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