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Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong Set to Propel AI Innovation Across Key Industries

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Founding Members from Pillar Industries and the Leaders in the AI Community
Come Together to Celebrate the Launch of the Association

HONG KONG, Nov. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ –The Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong (AIHK) is excited to announce its official launch and its plans to propel Hong Kong’s AI innovation. AIHK is an independent, industry-agnostic platform dedicated to promoting and advancing the development, adoption, commercialization, and use of AI across businesses, corporates, enterprises, institutions and organizations that operate in Hong Kong and beyond.

AIHK is founded and chaired by Neil Tan, who has over 20 years of experience in corporate strategy, mergers & acquisitions, business and partnership development across the banking, management consulting and tech industries. Neil is currently the Managing Partner at Tsunami Advisors, an advisory and consulting firm dedicated to helping FinTech, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Asset, and Web3 firms expand, grow and scale in the Asia Pacific Region. He is also one of the committee members of Task Force on Promoting Web3 Development established by the Hong Kong SAR Government under Financial Secretary Paul Chan.

“Our mission is clear: to position Hong Kong as a global AI innovation hub. By bringing together leaders from various sectors, we will create a collaborative environment that fosters AI innovation and accelerates the adoption of the technology to drive growth for key industries that make up Hong Kong’s economy. The association will provide the perfect platform for business leaders, technology innovators and the public sector to come together to advance the understanding, application and use of AI for the betterment of business, industry and society,” said Neil Tan, Founder & Chairman of AIHK at the launch ceremony. 

AIHK’s Founding Members include C-Suites and senior executives from prominent organizations including AXA Hong Kong and Macau, Cathay Pacific, Clifford Chance, Chow Sang Sang, DBS Bank, HKT, Li & Fung, Prudential Hong Kong, PwC HK, Standard Chartered, Tessellation and Towngas to name a few. Founding Members represent key sectors in Hong Kong including the consumer, energy, finance, insurance, legal, logistics, manufacturing, retail, telecom, and transport sectors, and all of them have roles and responsibilities for driving the AI strategy and execution within their respective organizations.

AIHK’s Mission and Vision

AIHK was set up with the goal to foster a vibrant AI ecosystem and better position Hong Kong as a leading AI innovation hub. AIHK’s mission is to help businesses and organizations harness the potential and power of AI, align with international standards and introduce new AI-related use cases and applications to boost productivity, efficiency and competitiveness across the key industries in Hong Kong.

The four pillars of AIHK’s strategy includes:

Policy & Governance
AIHK will actively engage with policymakers to influence and shape AI regulations that impact businesses in Hong Kong, ensuring that the interests of its members are represented. The association will advocate for robust corporate governance frameworks that promote ethical and responsible AI use across all sectors.

Ecosystem & Community
AIHK aims to foster a vibrant ecosystem that supports collaboration among businesses, researchers, and government entities, enhancing the overall AI landscape in Hong Kong. By building a strong community, AIHK will facilitate networking opportunities that encourage the sharing of best practices, use cases and innovative applications.

Collaboration & Partnership
AIHK will serve as a catalyst for collaboration among industry professionals, leading researchers, and global experts to drive joint initiatives that address common challenges in AI implementation. Through strategic partnerships, the association will enhance knowledge exchange and promote the development of AI technologies that benefit the broader community.

Knowledge & Education
AIHK will work closely with its members and external partners to provide educational resources that keep stakeholders and the broader ecosystem informed about industry trends and advancements in AI. By offering workshops, seminars, and knowledge-sharing sessions, AIHK will empower its members to enhance their skills and understanding of responsible AI practices.

By embracing a cross-sector, cross-function, and cross-industry approach, AIHK believes that diverse perspectives will drive innovation and growth in the AI industry.  

Calling on Industry Leaders and Members of the AI Community

Whether it’s an individual who wants to contribute to Hong Kong‘ AI development, corporations that are looking towards digital transformation, or Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and startup ventures looking to AI to scale their business and operations, AIHK welcomes industry leaders and corporate members of the AI community to participate. AIHK will focus on growing its network, members’ expertise and technical know-how to help shape different industries and together, advance the development, adoption, commercialization, and use of AI across Hong Kong and beyond.

AIHK membership will provide members with exclusive networking opportunities, access to AIHK-organized events, on-demand webinars, contribution to industry whitepapers, discounts to workshops and seminars, as well as co-marketing and thought leadership opportunities.

A word from AIHK’s Corporate Founding Members

Dominic Maffei, Head of Digital Assets & Fintech, Hong Kong, at Standard Chartered, remarked, “AI-driven innovations are not just trends; they’re essential for staying competitive in the evolving financial landscape. Incorporating AI into operations allows businesses to predict market trends and enhance efficiency.”

Natasha Cheng, Director of Tessellation Group, said, “AI accelerates design and prototyping process, optimizes supply chains with accurate demand forecasting, automates production for efficiency, enhances quality control through image recognition, enables mass customization, and offers insights into consumer behavior – ultimately saving costs and time for a more agile future.”

Queenie Chan, General Manager of Business Analytics & e-Development at Towngas, said, “Artificial intelligence is set to revolutionize the energy sector by enhancing operational efficiency and optimizing customer engagement strategies. The establishment of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong is a crucial initiative that will drive innovation and collaboration across industries, positioning Hong Kong as a global leader in AI advancements.”

Rocky Mui, Partner at Clifford Chance, highlighted the importance of regulation and said, “The decisions made by regulators in the coming months and years about how to regulate AI will be critical to the AI innovation landscape in Hong Kong and beyond. AI regulation should promote agility, innovation and clarity for businesses, but also transparency, accountability, and fairness, ensuring that AI systems are designed and deployed in a manner that aligns with ethical standards and societal values. Collaboration between regulators and industry will be key to ensuring that we have a responsible AI policy that strikes the right balance between fostering innovation and safeguarding stakeholders.”

Sam Lim, Chief Information Technology Officer of Prudential Hong Kong, stated, “Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing the insurance industry. Our unwavering commitment to Al applications ensures that we consistently deliver value and security to our customers.”

About AIHK
The Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong (AIHK) is a non-profit association dedicated to promoting and advancing the development, adoption, commercialization, and use of AI across businesses, corporates, enterprises, institutions and organizations. The mission of AIHK is to propel and position Hong Kong as a global AI innovation hub by bringing together leaders from various sectors, creating a collaborative environment that fosters AI innovation and accelerating the adoption of the technology to drive growth for key industries that make up Hong Kong’s economy.

For more information, please visit LinkedIn page or email contact@aihongkong.org. 

Appendix

List of Founding Members by alphabetical order:
 (Corporate Founding Members are designated with *)

Founding Members

Title

Company

Alan Lau

Chief Business Officer

Animoca Brands *

Andrew Eldon

General Manager, Digital Experiences 

Cathay Pacific

Ankit Suri

CEO & Founder

Planto

Benson Wong

Managing Director, Head of Digital Products and Channels, International Private Bank

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Caroline York          

Director of Marketing

Serotonin

Dominic Maffei

Head of Digital Assets & Fintech HK

Standard Chartered *

Gary Ho

Chief Information Officer

AXA Hong Kong and Macau *

Jeanne Lim

CEO & Founder

BeingAI

Keith Ip

Chief Technology Officer

Li & Fung

Kok Tin Gan

Founder of PwC’s Darklab

PwC HK

Marcos Chow

Group Chief Information Officer

HKT

Medhy Souidi

Head of Innovation & Experiences

DBS Bank

Natasha Cheng

Director

Tessellation

Neil Tan

Founder & Managing Partner

Tsunami Advisors

Peggy Lau

Director Artificial Intelligence

Chow Sang Sang

Queenie Chan

General Manager, Business Analytics & e-Development

Towngas *

Rocky Mui

Partner

Clifford Chance *

Sam Lim

Chief Technology & Digital Officer

Prudential Hong Kong *

Yannick Mahé

Head of Business Engineering & Growth Engineering, Greater China Region

Meta

 

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SOURCE The Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong

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De¹ Introduces Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, Developing Financial Intelligence Across the Full RWA Financial Landscape

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October 19, 2026

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NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — De¹ is launching Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, the first domain-specific world under its Financial World Model (FWM). It introduces specialized financial intelligence designed to understand the full onchain RWA landscape, from trading and collateral to borrowing, credit, liquidation and agent activity, and apply that knowledge to real financial decisions.

Traditional finance moves assets through separate networks of brokers, custodians, clearing systems and lenders. Each institution sees a different part of the lifecycle, while transfers, reconciliation and collateral requirements add friction to capital deployment. Bringing assets onchain makes financial activity more programmable, but it does not automatically connect the knowledge held across trading, financing and risk systems.

De¹ is establishing Tokenized Asset World on BNB Chain, where that real-assets financial ecosystem already unfolds in live markets. PancakeSwap, ListaDAO, Venus, Binance Agent OS and BNB Agent SDK span public trading, collateralized lending, structured credit and authorized agent activity. These activities produce distinct signals: executed prices, liabilities, vault constraints, liquidations and the outcomes of agent actions.

Tokenized Asset World brings fragmented financial knowledge into a coherent, learnable model of the full RWA landscape. The domain model is designed to understand the relationships and consequences across financial operations, with verified execution outcomes continuously refining De¹’s understanding of onchain financial physics. This introduces a new layer of intelligence to BNB Chain, enabling a more complete understanding of the tokenized-asset stack across trading, collateral, credit, vaults and agent activity.

AI agents can tap into this intelligence to operate across tokenized-asset markets with a more comprehensive view of liquidity, borrowing conditions, collateral exposure and liquidation risk as a whole. This deeper market understanding could raise more sophisticated strategies, execution and risk decisions. Each agent interaction, in turn, generates new evidence for the model, creating a continuous feedback loop between financial intelligence and live market execution while strengthening De¹’s broader Financial World Model.

About De¹

De¹ is the intelligent infrastructure platform at the intersection of DeFi and AI, building the Financial World Model grounded in live execution and real market feedback. It serves developers, traders, institutions, and AI agents through intelligent execution, unified liquidity, reinforcement learning optimization, and a continuously evolving data flywheel.

Contact: Marketing, pr@de1.ai

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Plata reaches $1 Billion ARR Milestone, becoming the fastest digital bank ever

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October 19, 2026

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The Mexico based digital bank shatters traditional digital banking scaling timelines, reaching a $1 Billion Annual Recurring Revenue  in less than 3.5 years from launch

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Plata, the world’s fastest growing digital financial institution, today announced that in September 2026 it has crossed $1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), reaching the milestone in less than 3.5 years from launch in April 2023 and less than a year after receiving its full banking license. Plata´s growth makes it the fastest digital bank in history to reach this benchmark, and puts it on par with some of the world’s fastest growing leading AI companies, underlining Plata’s own AI and tech capabilities.

Plata reaches this goal after having reached more than 4 million customers in Mexico and having launched operations in Colombia at the beginning of September. In Mexico, Plata is now the fourth credit card issuer in the country by number of customers, and the only digital bank with a full product suite including credit, debit, investments, and small business banking. Plata’s growth is also nearing profitability, which is expected to be reached for its Mexico business within the next 6 months.

Plata changed the rules by building a universal financial platform powered by its own technology from day one. By setting up its core banking system, the company proved that regulated financial institutions can scale at AI-like speed without undermining operating performance.

“By building our own technology from scratch, we proved that a bank can move at AI company speed without compromising anything. Now we are ready to accelerate our innovation, make finance effortless and accessible for everyone.” Neri Tollardo, CEO of Plata.

As digital adoption accelerates across Latin America, Plata´s performance sets a new benchmark for financial infrastructure scaling, financial adoption, and operational efficiency in emerging markets.

About Plata

Plata is the fastest-growing financial institution in Latin America and the largest private digital bank by customer volume. In less than three years, we reached a valuation of $3.1 billion with 4 million active credit card customers and crossed $1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Backed by $1.5 billion in equity investment, 1.5 in financing, and a workforce that includes 800 in-house developers, in Banco Plata we have built our own technological ecosystem, which includes a core banking system, CRM, and an app focused on simplifying the financial experience.

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SOURCE Plata

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Trends International Announces Kenneth Smith as President and Chief Executive Officer

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October 19, 2026

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Experienced executive to lead company’s next phase of retail, digital commerce and strategic growth

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trends International, LLC, a leading publisher and manufacturer of licensed posters, calendars, stickers, wall art and social stationery products, today announced that Kenneth Smith has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effective May 2026.

Smith will spearhead the company’s overall strategic direction and growth initiatives across its retail, wholesale, e-commerce, licensing and direct-to-consumer businesses. In his role, Smith will oversee Trends International and its portfolio of digital businesses, including Art.com and AllPosters.com.

Smith’s appointment comes as Trends International enters a new phase of expansion focused on broadening its retail presence, accelerating e-commerce, strengthening strategic customer relationships, developing new products and licenses, and pursuing partnerships and business opportunities.

“I am honored to lead Trends International and build on the strong foundation established by the company, its founders and its talented employees,” said Kenneth Smith, “We have an exceptional portfolio of brands, licenses, products and customer relationships, and we see significant opportunities to grow the business. Our focus will be on strengthening our retail partnerships, accelerating our digital businesses, developing innovative products and creating new strategic opportunities that deliver value for our customers, consumers, licensors and partners.”

Expanding Retail and Digital Footprint
Under Smith’s leadership, Trends International will continue to invest in its core retail business while broadening its digital commerce capabilities.

The company is focused on deepening relationships with major retailers, expanding distribution, improving merchandising, and developing new product platforms designed to create incremental sales opportunities.

Trends will also continue to build Trends Digital, bringing together the company’s e-commerce capabilities and creating a platform for future digital growth and potential e-commerce acquisitions.

The company’s digital portfolio includes Art.com and AllPosters.com, providing consumers with access to millions of images, posters, prints, wall art, and complementary décor.

“Trends has a tremendous opportunity to build upon its heritage while positioning the company for the future,” Smith said. “We are focused on growth, but equally important is how we achieve that growth — through strong customer partnerships, disciplined execution, innovation and a culture that empowers our people to succeed.”

Strategic Priorities
Smith’s leadership agenda includes several key areas of focus:

Retail growth — Expand relationships and sales with major national retailers and specialty channels.Product innovation — Develop new product formats, displays and seasonal programs that create incremental retail opportunities.Digital commerce — Accelerate the growth of Trends Digital, Art.com and AllPosters.com.Strategic partnerships — Forge new licensing, brand and business partnerships that expand the company’s market opportunity.Operational excellence — Improve organizational alignment, processes, technology, and execution across the company’s businesses.Talent and culture — Build a high-performing organization focused on accountability, innovation, customer service and sustainable growth.

“Kenneth brings a strong combination of leadership, customer focus and business development experience to Trends International,” said Phil St. Jean, Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of Trends International. “His vision for the company and his commitment to our customers, employees and partners make him the right leader for this next chapter. We are excited about what the future holds for Trends International and its businesses.”

About Kenneth Smith
Kenneth Smith is an experienced business executive with a background in sales leadership, strategic account development, business development, customer relationships, and organizational transformation. Throughout his career, Smith has focused on developing strategic growth initiatives, building high-performing teams, and creating long-term partnerships with major customers and business partners.

As president and chief executive officer of Trends International, Smith is responsible for the company’s overall strategy, growth, organizational leadership and business performance.

About Trends International
Trends International, LLC is a leading publisher and manufacturer of licensed posters, calendars, stickers, wall art and social stationery products. Established in 1987, Trends built its business around strong partnerships between licensors, retailers and licensees. Today, the company delivers a broad portfolio of licensed and proprietary products distributed through major retail, specialty, and digital channels.

Art.com, acquired by Trends International in 2023, is a leading online specialty retailer of high-quality wall art and complementary décor. The business offers millions of images and products through its digital commerce platform and interactive visualization tools.

AllPosters.com, part of the Trends International family of businesses, offers consumers a broad selection of posters, prints and wall décor.

For more information about Trends International, Art.com, AllPosters.com or Kenneth Smith, contact:

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