Hong Kong’s entrepreneurial landscape has always been defined by ambition. As a strategic gateway to China and a vibrant financial hub, it has long attracted founders eager to expand regionally. But the conversations happening today signal something different. There is a shift from rapid, aggressive growth to thoughtful, sustainable scaling.

This evolution was at the heart of Start Smart, Scale Smarter: A Masterclass for Hong Kong Entrepreneurs & Innovators, a recent event co-hosted by Osome and Aspire in Hong Kong. The masterclass brought together a diverse mix of founders, innovators, and business leaders to unpack one of the most pressing challenges in today’s business environment: how to scale smarter in an increasingly complex landscape.

Also read: Automate early, grow faster: Lessons from 1,800 founders

From growth at all costs to disciplined resilience

The sentiment among many founders was clear: the old playbook of “grow fast and figure things out later” no longer holds. Whether due to tighter funding conditions, evolving compliance frameworks, or the demands of operating across multiple markets, Hong Kong’s entrepreneurs are taking a more structured approach to building their companies.

Three ways Hong Kong founders are scaling smarter

Three themes emerged strongly from the discussions:  

1. Operational foundations are non-negotiable. Founders are prioritizing strong financial infrastructure and efficient back-office systems earlier than ever. Rather than treating accounting, payroll, and compliance as afterthoughts, these functions are being set up as strategic enablers of scale. Tools like Osome’s automated compliance and Aspire’s finance solutions are enabling lean teams to maintain rigor without heavy administrative overhead.
2. Regional expansion is becoming part of the early strategy. More startups are planning cross-border growth earlier in their lifecycle. Markets like Singapore, Vietnam, and China are seen as key expansion targets, and founders are thinking critically about how to structure their operations to support this growth. This reflects a more mature understanding of market dynamics and regulatory requirements across jurisdictions.
3. Digital and automation platforms are no longer optional. In a competitive environment, leveraging technology to streamline workflows is becoming essential. Founders are actively adopting automation platforms to drive efficiency and maintain agility as they grow.

Also read: Osome and Aspire partner to automate finance for entrepreneurs in Singapore, Hong Kong

A maturing ecosystem

These trends point to a broader maturity in Hong Kong’s startup ecosystem. Entrepreneurs are not abandoning ambition—they’re refining it. By combining agility with operational discipline, they are positioning themselves to compete not just locally, but across Asia’s fast-moving markets.

This shift also reflects the evolving investor landscape. Venture capitalists and strategic investors are placing greater emphasis on sustainable growth models, operational readiness, and regulatory compliance. Startups that demonstrate these qualities are more likely to attract quality capital and long-term partners.

Lessons for founders across the region

For founders outside Hong Kong, these insights offer valuable takeaways. As the region becomes increasingly interconnected, operational excellence can become a competitive differentiator. Those who invest early in structure and discipline will be better equipped to navigate expansion and weather economic cycles.

Moreover, the conversations highlighted that smart scaling is not just about efficiency—it’s about unlocking new growth opportunities. By building strong operational foundations, startups can redirect energy toward product innovation, market development, and customer engagement.

Also read: Osome bolsters leadership with new COO and VP of Marketing

Looking ahead

As we move into the next phase of Asia’s innovation story, Hong Kong’s evolution offers a glimpse of what’s ahead for other markets. Startups will continue to push boundaries, but the way they do so is changing. Growth will be anchored on solid fundamentals, regional connectivity, and strategic use of technology.

This is not just a tactical shift—it’s a mindset change. Founders are no longer asking, “How fast can we grow?” They’re asking, “How can we grow smarter?”

For ecosystem builders, this represents a critical moment to support founders with the right resources, networks, and tools to help them scale responsibly. Events like the Osome x Aspire Masterclass play an important role in catalyzing these conversations and equipping entrepreneurs with practical frameworks to succeed.

Interested in creating impact with us? Contact Innovate here.

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When people talk about AI, they talk in billion-dollar terms. Massive infrastructure shifts, hyper-personalised marketing engines, predictive analytics at scale. And while that is impressive, it doesn’t reflect what most small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are experiencing. They do not have deep pockets or teams of data scientists. We have WhatsApp groups, freelance spreadsheets, and maybe if lucky, someone who knows how to use ChatGPT properly.

I run a few SMEs myself, and I understand that SMEs are constantly balancing ambition with cash flow, and every new tool we test comes with the same question: will it actually save us time, money, or stress?

That’s exactly how our AI experiment began. Not with a grand vision, but with a very real challenge: we needed to do more with less. We were scaling and trying to onboard new clients, maintain consistency, and run lean. I did not need AI to replace people. I needed it to support an already overstretched team. We started small and piloted a process. It wasn’t perfect, but it gave us a 50 per cent head start.

The biggest shift wasn’t just the tool. It was trusting the process. Initially hesitated and worrying, we reframed it as “a smart intern that never sleeps,” the team began to see it differently. The drafts weren’t the final product. They were just starting points. Something to critique, reshape, and improve.

Also Read: AI for SMEs in Southeast Asia: From everyday experiments to emerging frontiers

We also used AI to refine internal SOPs. One of the things I did was feed ChatGPT our rough internal workflows and ask it to spot inefficiencies, suggest better phrasing, or reorganise them for easier onboarding. The result? Cleaner, clearer SOPs that helped us reduce inefficiencies and increase output. Again, it didn’t replace human effort. It augmented it.

But adoption wasn’t linear. Some team members jumped in eagerly. Others were slower, needing more handholding or simply unsure where AI would fit into their day-to-day tasks. By walking through small real use cases, we were able to show AI in action in ways that were relevant, not theoretical.

The biggest barrier? Fear of getting it wrong. I realised that adopting AI isn’t just about tools but about culture. We had to create a space where experimenting was encouraged and where even failed prompts were learning opportunities.

The lesson I would share with any SME trying to get started with AI is this. Do not aim for perfection, aim for progress. You don’t need to automate everything overnight. Start with a clear problem you want to solve; a time drain, a bottleneck, a repetitive task, and see if AI can offer a better baseline.

Also Read: The real story behind AI project implementation: Why it’s not (just) about technology

And most importantly, let your team adapt at their own pace. Give them examples. Let them play. Make space for feedback. Because the truth is, AI won’t transform your business just by showing up. It’ll transform it when your people know how to use it with intent.

In our case, the result wasn’t just saved hours, though that mattered. It was the mental load that lifted. The creative breathing room. The sense that we weren’t constantly chasing the clock. That, to me, is what AI for SMEs should be about: practical, useful, and deeply human at its core.

So here’s my one tip if you’re exploring AI as an SME founder or team leader. Treat AI like a teammate, not a threat. One that can help carry the load, spark new ideas, and free you up to focus on what actually moves the needle. Because in the real world, where budgets are tight and people wear five hats, that’s the kind of transformation that matters most.

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AI is reshaping industries, redefining roles, and transforming how businesses operate. But adopting AI isn’t just about implementing new tools — it’s about integrating it in a way that drives growth while supporting employees through the transition. This shift demands a transformation in leadership approach, workplace culture, and workforce readiness.

Leadership’s role in AI adoption

As AI continues to revolutionise business practices, leadership within organisations must ride the wave of transformation, evolving their strategies to ensure successful AI integration into existing work processes as well as workplace culture.

Traditionally, leaders shaped culture and guided teams through transformation. However, with the advent of AI, the role of leadership has expanded to include navigating the complexities of integrating AI into existing structures. This shift requires leaders to not only manage day-to-day operations but also foster a culture of innovation, adaptability, and ethical responsibility, ensuring that AI is leveraged in ways that benefit both the organisation and its workforce.

Here are some ways leaders can do so:

• Communicate and set the tone

The success of AI adoption hinges on the tone set by leadership. Leaders must position AI as a core strategic priority, not just another business requirement or fleeting buzzword. It’s crucial that the “why” behind AI adoption is clearly articulated — employees need to understand how AI aligns with the organisation’s broader goals and how it will impact their work for the better.

Leadership plays a pivotal role in creating a sense of direction and purpose around AI. When AI is framed as a tool for empowerment and progress, rather than disruption or replacement, employees are more likely to engage with it positively.

Beyond vision-setting, leaders should actively promote the use of AI in day-to-day tasks and encourage collaboration among employees, to accelerate AI adoption. When teams share insights, best practices, and use cases of AI tools, it drives innovation, boosts productivity, and fosters a sense of community. This ongoing exchange of knowledge helps create a culture where AI is embraced as a growth strategy for both the individual and the organisation.

Additionally, AI adoption should be viewed as a long-term, iterative process rather than a one-off implementation. As the organisation evolves, so too should its use of AI — continuously adapting, refining, and learning from real-world experiences. By embedding this mindset, companies ensure that AI becomes a natural and sustainable part of both their operations and culture.

Also Read: Balancing growth and security: How AI is transforming business and cyber threats

• Manager’s role in supporting AI integration

At the managerial level, managers can engage directly with their teams, regularly checking in and facilitating open discussions on how AI can be effectively integrated into workflows. They can also take the lead in supporting and evaluating experimentation efforts, while playing a pivotal role in identifying when additional training and support are needed.

By recognising skill gaps and ensuring employees are fully equipped with the necessary knowledge to work with new AI systems, managers can offer proactive guidance to help employees feel secure and confident in adapting to the changes AI brings.

Benefits of cultivating a pro-AI environment  

Creating an environment that actively encourages the freedom to experiment with AI is equally important. A fail-safe culture within the company – where employees feel comfortable experimenting with AI without fear of failure or backlash – can significantly promote innovation. A culture that fosters and supports this mindset helps teams learn faster, improve continuously, and drive long-term growth.

A common fear is that AI will make roles redundant, leading to job loss. This fear is often accompanied by uncertainty about how the organisation will integrate AI into existing workflows, along with concerns about the need to acquire new skills to work with emerging systems, and whether the learning curve will be too steep for them to keep up, potentially leaving them struggling to adapt and falling behind their peers.

To reduce resistance, companies must position AI as a growth opportunity, not a threat. When employees see how AI can help them do higher-value work and advance their careers, they’re far more likely to embrace it.

Also Read: Debunking the myth of Robophobia: Why intelligent automation improves employee satisfaction

Empower employees and build an AI-ready workforce 

AI-driven layoffs, like DBS’s decision to cut 4,000 contract staff over the next 3 years due to AI, have amplified fears of job displacement. Companies must proactively shape how employees perceive AI’s role in the workplace.

Companies could start the AI conversation by framing AI as a tool for empowerment, focusing on how it augments employees’ abilities and helps them to perform better in their tasks. This involves outlining process changes that boost productivity such as eliminating redundant tasks and replacing them with higher-value work, thereby creating growth opportunities for employees.

To fully benefit from AI’s potential, companies could proactively consider job redesign as part of the process and engage employees early on such changes. This could involve modifying existing roles to incorporate new responsibilities that align with AI tools and workflows.

In some cases, new roles may need to be created if emerging job functions cannot be effectively managed within the scope of existing roles. Ultimately, the aim of job redesign is to keep employees engaged, satisfied, and aligned with business objectives, while ensuring they remain both relevant and valued.

Navigating the AI shift 

Successfully integrating AI into a company requires strong leadership, a culture that embraces AI, and a workforce prepared for adoption.

Leaders must first set the tone by aligning AI adoption with business goals, promoting its active use, and integrating it into daily workflows. Next, fostering a pro-AI environment encourages innovation and helps employees view AI as an opportunity for growth. Lastly, AI should be positioned as a tool for empowerment, ensuring employees stay engaged and relevant in an ever-evolving landscape.

By implementing these strategies, businesses can unlock AI’s full potential while empowering their workforce to succeed at both professional and personal levels.

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Live streaming giant 17LIVE Group has announced that Karen Chen Xiuling, one of three Singaporeans newly placed on the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list, has resigned as an independent director.

This development comes as the Singaporean firm is navigating a deepening financial downturn in 2025.

Also Read: The future is virtual: Inside 17LIVE’s plans for avatars and immersive experiences

Chen’s inclusion on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List effectively prohibits US entities and individuals from conducting business with her. The live-streaming major said Chen voluntarily stepped down on October 15, clarifying that her role was limited to oversight duties as a board and subcommittee member and was not involved in the firm’s daily operations.

The company further emphasised that it has no business relationships with Chen, her employer, DW Capital, or its founder Chen Zhi. The latter, described by US authorities as having built Prince Holding Group into “one of Asia’s largest transnational criminal organisations,” has drawn heightened scrutiny from regulators.

17LIVE noted that it would move swiftly to appoint a new independent director following Chen’s resignation. Shares of the company closed 1.08 per cent higher at 94 cents on the day of the announcement.

While governance challenges have placed 17LIVE in the spotlight, its financial performance in the first half of 2025 (H1 2025) underscores deeper structural issues. Despite a series of cost-cutting measures, the group posted a net loss as revenue slumped nearly 20 per cent year-on-year.

Also Read: Streaming the dream: How live streaming technology can increase access to brands

Operating revenue fell to US$81.15 million, down from US$101.16 million a year earlier. The primary culprit was a steep decline in its core “Liver live streaming” business, while modest gains in “V-Liver” could not compensate for the overall downturn. The slump was broad-based across markets, with Japan — its largest segment — seeing revenues fall from US$71.2 million to US$56.5 million, and Taiwan declining from US$25.5 million to US$21.4 million.

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Southeast Asia’s fintech scene is no longer the free-flowing capital magnet it once was. The US$839M raised in the first nine months of 2025, down nearly 40 per cent from last year, underscores a market recalibrating after years of exuberant funding.

The slowdown–particularly in seed and early-stage deals–signals that investors are tightening filters, seeking traction over hype and profitability over promise.

Singapore’s dominance, capturing 84 per cent of all fintech funding, reflects both its maturity and its concentration of institutional investors. But it also exposes the growing gap between the region’s ecosystems, where hubs like Jakarta and Ho Chi Minh City still struggle to attract comparable late-stage backing.

Interestingly, the stability at the late stage, buoyed by mega rounds for Thunes, Airwallex, and bolttech, shows that conviction hasn’t vanished; it’s simply consolidated. Capital now flows to proven business models with regional scale and regulatory resilience.

This funding winter, then, isn’t the end of fintech’s growth story; it’s a reset. As cheap money fades, Southeast Asia’s next fintech wave will depend on discipline: building sustainable revenue, leveraging cross-border synergies, and proving that innovation can outlast the cycle.

REGIONAL

Fintech funding in SEA falls 39% as early-stage capital dries up: The total capital inflow marks a 39% decline compared to the US$1.4B raised in 9M 2024. Seed-stage funding stood at US$62.3M in 9M 2025, a reduction of 63% from 9M 2024.

Police seize US$34M from NextTech founder in crypto fraud case: Nguyen Hoa Binh and nine others face charges of fraudulent appropriation of assets and accounting violations related to the AntEx cryptocurrency project. The seized items from him include 597 gold bars, title deeds to 18 properties, and two vehicles.

17LIVE’s director Karen Chen Xiuling steps down amid US sanctions: Chen’s inclusion on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List effectively prohibits US entities and individuals from conducting business with her. The firm has clarified that she was not involved in its daily operations.

Vietnam tops SEA in e-commerce optimism despite hurdles: report
According to a new Blackbox Research report, 85% remain confident in the country’s long-term growth, citing strong logistics, digital infrastructure, and entrepreneurial dynamism.

Tim Draper leads US$3.2M bet on Filipino-built crypto wallet Ryder: Louise Ivan Valencia Payawal’s Ryder offers Ryder One, a consumer crypto hardware wallet designed to prioritise ease of use and security that promises users crypto security in 60 seconds.

Verta Bioenergy nets funding to turn farm waste into coal-ready fuel: Investors include NGIE Factory, Wright Partners, AlphaGen VC, and Auravia Capital. The startup focuses on transforming agricultural waste into high-quality biomass pellets that are positioned as a cost-competitive, drop-in replacement for industrial coal usage.

Shopline unit secures MAS in-principle approval for payment license: The approval will allow Shopline, a Singapore-headquartered commerce software provider with operations across Asia-Pacific, to directly process payments for merchants on its platform, pending final approval from MAS.

Global EV sales reach record 2.1M in September: research: China led the market with about 1.3M vehicles sold, making up around two-thirds of global sales. North American sales also reached a record, with US buyers accelerating purchases to secure expiring tax incentives.

REPORTS, FEATURES & INTERVIEWS

Investors bet on algorithms and insurance to tame Asia’s climate-health crisis: As climate shocks escalate, investors are funding AI-driven early warnings and parametric insurance to build scalable, data-led climate-health resilience.

Unlocking climate x health capital: A data-driven blueprint for smarter impact investing: A new five-step climate x health investment toolkit helps investors quantify risk, align capital with policy readiness, and finance scalable resilience solutions.

Senior leaders in Singapore tech industry reflect on how AI is reshaping the workplace: The NodeFlair Salary Report 2025 does not draw correlations between AI use and pay, but the discourse indicates that the trends may evolve.

INTERNATIONAL

GIC sues Chinese EV maker Nio over securities fraud: The Singapore sovereign wealth fund claims Nio and Weineng, a battery asset company established with partners, inflated revenue and profits by prematurely recognising battery sales and concealing Nio’s control over Weineng, a battery asset company established with partners.

Apple CEO promises to boost investment in China during his visit: Cook met with Li Lecheng, head of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, after spending two days in Shanghai. The two discussed Apple’s business in China and explored cooperation in electronics, according to an MIIT statement.

US lawmaker warns TikTok algorithm licensing deal raises concerns: US Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the House Select Committee on China, is awaiting a briefing for more details and questioned whether China would retain influence over the technology, citing uncertainty about the algorithm’s contents.

Tencent’s training-free AI method sparks debate on learning: The new method lets AI models improve using accumulated “experience” instead of retraining, according to a recent paper on arXiv. The technique suggests LLMs can store rules and heuristics from past tasks in an “experience library,” and use them when facing new challenges.

HR unicorn Deel nets US$300M, valued at US$17.3B: Investors are Ribbit Capital, a16z, Coatue Management, General Catalyst, and Green Bay Ventures. The company claims to serve more than 37K businesses and 1.5M workers across over 150 countries, handling US$22B in payroll annually.

UK moves to seize US$6.8B bitcoin in China fraud scheme: Authorities uncovered 61K bitcoin in 2018 during a money laundering probe involving two Chinese women, including Yadi Zhang, who pleaded guilty to related charges last month. The fraud, tied to Tianjin Lantian, targeted about 128K investors in China.

Sam Altman says OpenAI shouldn’t act as global moral authority: His statement comes after he said the company is “not the elected moral police of the world” after criticism over its decision to allow content such as erotica on ChatGPT. OpenAI has faced increased scrutiny about user safety, especially for minors.

SEMICONDUCTOR

TSMC profit rises 39.1% to US$14.8B in Q3 2025: The Taiwan-based chipmaker reported Q3 2025 revenue of US$33.1B, with net income at US$14.76B; Revenue rose 30.3% y-o-y and 6% from Q2, while net income increased 39.1% y-o-y and 13.6% q-o-q.

Nvidia, Australia’s Firmus Technologies partner on AI data centre: Construction has started on two sites in Melbourne and Tasmania as part of Project Southgate, with a planned investment of US$2.9B and a power capacity of 150MW. Firmus said the data centres will use Nvidia’s GB300 chips and are expected to begin operations by April.

Ant Group unveils AI framework that is 10x faster than Nvidia’s: The company said the inference framework called dInfer targets models that differ from widely used autoregressive systems like ChatGPT, which generate text one word at a time.

MIT spinout Vertical Semiconductor secures US$11M for AI power chips: Vertical says its technology aims to improve energy efficiency and reduce heat compared to conventional approaches, using a novel vertical GaN architecture. The company has demonstrated its technology on 8-inch wafers with standard semiconductor manufacturing methods.

AI

A brief history of AI: Is winter coming?: For many of us today, when we hear AI, we infer it to be ChatGPT or other generative tools. But each generation before us experimented with AI long before it became mainstream and has played a role in both fiction and reality, offering us glimpses into what the future could hold.

AI and the human touch: How leadership paves the way: As AI continues to revolutionise business practices, leadership within organisations must ride the wave of transformation, evolving their strategies to ensure successful AI integration into existing work processes as well as workplace culture.

AI for the rest of us: What it really looks like in a scrappy SME: The lesson for SMEs trying to get started with AI is this: ‘do not aim for perfection, aim for progress. You don’t need to automate everything overnight. Start with a clear problem you want to solve’.

From human to AI: Embracing change and thriving in the new world of work: From manufacturing to customer service, AI is making tasks faster, easier, and more efficient. It’s not just blue-collar jobs that are at risk; white-collar jobs are also feeling the heat as AI technology continues to advance and disrupt the job market.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Why Dubai’s AI and smart city strategy is attracting SEA startups: Its pragmatic approach to business has attracted interest from Singapore for years, with Singapore ranking among the top 10 sources of FDI into the city. 22 per cent of all project announcements from Singapore fall in the software and IT services segment.

Breaking free: How co-working spaces can shift Malaysia away from overwork: By promoting work-life balance, encouraging breaks, and prioritising productivity over hours, co-working spaces can help reduce the culture of overwork.

Is hybrid work arrangement the future of work?: Three out of four employees felt that flexible working arrangements should be the new norm in Singapore. One in two even expressed that if they were to look for a new job, they would only be open to an organisation that offers flexible working arrangements.

Embracing AI’s promise: Navigating the future of marketing: It’s crucial to remember that the marketing industry is not monolithic; it’s a rich tapestry of brand communicators, growth strategists, and product marketing professionals. Some have embraced the AI frontier more readily, revealing the landscape’s promises and pitfalls.

Can co-working spaces change Malaysia’s work habits?: Despite the increase in demand for co-working spaces, Malaysia is still not in a position to fully utilise them due to its working culture. This article delves into reasons why local firms still fail to understand the impact of co-working spaces.

Exploring Sri Lanka’s potential as a premier global IT hub: In many ways, Sri Lanka has cultural traits and practices similar to South India’s. Many South Indians, and in general, Indians have a strong inclination towards the STEM fields. India boasts the 2nd highest number of total graduates from STEM per year.

The power of financial models for startups: A guide for founders and VCs: A well-constructed financial model provides VCs with insights into whether a startup’s plan leads to a substantial opportunity. It serves as a compass, guiding both founders and investors through the intricacies of the market.

Why the next decade of influence belongs to those who build trust: The future of influence in Asia isn’t about bigger numbers; it’s about better alignment. Founders, speakers, and creators alike are learning that credibility, consistency, and care compound faster than any viral spike.

The future of AI for SMEs in South Asia: Many SMEs, particularly those in informal sectors, lack long credit histories. AI can help financial institutions evaluate them more accurately, enabling faster and fairer access to loans. In the future, SME owners will rely on real-time dashboards that replace guesswork with data-driven insights.

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