AI Salon Singapore (21 October 2026)
AI Salon is a global community bringing together AI founders and builders, investors, operators and ecosystem partners to connect, learn and collaborate.
AI Salon Singapore returns on 21 October for another evening of fresh perspectives, candid conversations and meaningful connections.
This edition brings together Vinod Mahbobani from KFC / Yum! Brands and Yum Asia, Yongcheng Ong from Insignia Ventures Partners, and Denise Ang from HTX, with Durwin Ho moderating. Together, they bring distinct perspectives from global business, venture capital and public-sector technology.
What makes this mix valuable is the opportunity to hear how people with different responsibilities approach the same questions. What catches an investor’s attention? What matters to a global organisation? How does a public-sector technology leader think about opportunities, implementation and trust?
We’ll draw on our speakers’ journeys, lessons and experiences, while leaving room to explore the developments in AI that matter most when we meet. Expect thoughtful questions, lively exchanges and opportunities to bring your own perspective into the conversation.
At its heart, AI Salon is about the people.
Building a company or navigating new technology is easier when you can learn from those who have been there, exchange ideas with peers and meet people who challenge your thinking. Our aim is to create a welcoming space for those connections, helping Singapore’s AI community learn, grow and support one another.
Come with questions, share what you’re working on and leave with new ideas and people to follow up with.
More details on the speakers and programme will be announced soon.
What We Will Explore
How AI founders can find genuine commercial traction amid the hype
What investors look for when evaluating AI startups
How companies are moving from AI experimentation to deployment
The evolving opportunities around AI agents and automation
What differentiates defensible AI companies from thin product wrappers
Tactical lessons for founders building the next generation of AI startups
Singapore’s role as a hub for AI talent, capital and company building
Who Should Attend
AI founders and startup teams
Engineers, researchers and product builders
Venture capital investors and angel investors
Corporate innovation and technology leaders
Operators exploring practical AI adoption
Ecosystem partners supporting AI companies
Anyone actively building, investing in or working with AI
Agenda
6:00 pm – Doors Open
Registration, food and drinks
6:30 pm – Welcome Address
AI Salon Singapore community update
6:40 pm – Opening Keynote / Founder Sharing
To be announced
7:00 pm – AI Builder Spotlights
Short presentations from founders building and deploying AI products
7:20 pm – Panel Discussion
Founders, investors and technology leaders unpacking what is happening in AI today and where the market is heading next
8:00 pm – Audience Q&A
8:15 pm – Networking
9:00 pm – End
Programme and timings are subject to change.
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Meet the Speakers
Vinod Mahbobani
Global Chief Legal Officer, KFC at Yum! Brands; Executive Director, Yum Asia
Vinod brings a global business and legal leadership perspective, adding to the conversation on how large organisations navigate change, weigh opportunities and make decisions.
Yongcheng Ong
Principal, Insignia Ventures Partners
Yongcheng brings the venture capital perspective, offering a lens on founders, emerging businesses and the opportunities attracting investor attention.
Denise Ang
Chief Strategy Officer & Director, AI Central, HTX
Denise Ang is the Chief Strategy Officer and Director of AI Central at the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), where she leads AI strategy, solutions, governance, training and partnerships across Singapore’s public safety agencies. She brings 25 years of experience across AI, public policy, technology partnerships and strategy, including 15 years in Silicon Valley scaling AI and deep tech from research to real-world impact. Previously, she led strategic partnerships for the Android Ecosystem at Google and held roles at Qualcomm and the Singapore Administrative Service. Denise holds an MBA from MIT Sloan, an MS in EE from Stanford, a BEng from Imperial College, and is trained in negotiation at Harvard Law School.
Durwin Ho [Moderator]
Managing Partner, StartupX
Durwin brings together founders, investors and industry leaders through StartupX’s innovation programmes and AI Salon Singapore, creating space for candid conversations and shared learning.
Stay tuned for further speaker and programme updates.
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Reach out to us and connect:
Durwin Durwin Ho | LinkedIn
Raymond Raymond Doraisamy | LinkedIn
Joyce Joyce Tay | LinkedIn
Meet the Partners
AI Salon is the global community bringing together AI founders and builders, investors, and partners to connect and collaborate. We are starting new chapters in every city so join us to build the largest Global AI community.
StartupX is a global innovation partner for those building what’s next. We collaborate with corporates, governments, and startups to launch ventures, scale businesses, and drive bold transformation. Since 2018, we’ve supported startups from 110+ countries and partnered with some of the world’s most forward-thinking companies. Founded by entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders, we built StartupX to challenge the status quo of how innovation gets done in Asia.
The AIMX Network is a global community of users, AI leaders, practitioners and innovators seeking to answer the biggest question around AI today and the future: HOW.
The Network activates regional AI communities through curated events and activities around the world, to address real-world issues with emerging AI innovation while keeping the pulse on issues that impact AI for Industry.
The Singapore Global Network (SGN) is an initiative by the Economic Development Board (EDB) to create a community of overseas Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans interested in Singapore. Founded in June 2019, its goal is to leverage its community to create opportunities for its members and Singapore more broadly.
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This community event is proudly brought to you by StartupX.