SFF x SWITCH 2020 Kicks Off with a Live Global Audience

[Singapore, 6 December 2020]
The second edition of the Singapore FinTech Festival x Singapore Week of Innovation and TeCHnology (SFF x SWITCH) kicks off tomorrow, providing an avenue for the global FinTech, innovation and business communities around the world to connect, collaborate and network.

Running from 7 to 11 December 2020, SFF x SWITCH 2020 will feature more than 600 sessions over five days, 1,400 speakers, more than 1,000 exhibitors, 27 international pavilions, and more than 60,000 participants representing over 7,000 global companies from more than 130 countries.

SFF x SWITCH 2020 will feature a unique hybrid format that combines a 24-hour online platform with satellite events around the world. This new hybrid model will provide participants with greater access to the global FinTech and Deep Tech communities looking to discover partnerships, attract investments, and boost sales.

This year, SFF x SWITCH will feature many new initiatives, experimental sessions and activities.

• Live sessions with climate scientists from research locations in the polar regions, the Amazon forest and the Himalayas, as well as solar energy farms.
• Knowledge and tips through masterclasses by industry experts on raising funds, expanding into Asia, and using digital tools and technologies like APIs, Platforms, Cloud, and AI.
• Networking opportunities with private equity and investment firms around the world.
• An immersive online city experience to interact with more than 1,000 exhibitors and sponsors showcasing their innovations digitally.
• AI-enabled matching of talent with leading tech employers at the Startup & Innovation segment of the SFF x SWITCH Talent Pavilion.
• A “Care Package”, put together by SWITCH industry partners, comprising special grants and benefits for startups, SMEs and tech companies.
• A musical performance at Music x Tech @ SWITCH, where three artists will perform unique musical arrangements powered by their imagination and enabled by technology.

Key speakers who will deliver speeches, lead discussions and provide mentorship include:

SFF

• Bill Gates, Co-Chair and Trustee, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Dan Schulman, President and Chief Executive Officer, PayPal
• Dr Abhijit Banerjee, 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics, Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
• Hong Feng, Co-Founder and Senior Vice President, Xiaomi
• Jane Fraser, Incoming Chief Executive Officer, Citigroup
• Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
• Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand
• Satya Nadella, Chief Executive Officer, Microsoft
• Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer, Google and Alphabet

SWITCH

• Albert, Co-Founder, Traveloka
• Dr Chi Youngcho, President and CIO, Hyundai Motor Group
• Eduardo Saverin, Co-Founder & Partner, B Capital Group and Co-Founder, Facebook
• Forrest Li, Founder & Group CEO, Sea Ltd
• Henry Ma, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, WeBank
• Lei Ming, Co-Founder, Baidu
• Mark Evans, Global Director of Partnerships and Ecosystems, Rolls Royce
• Stephen Welby, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, IEEE
• Timothy Draper, Founder, Draper Associates

Alongside the content channels in the 24-hour online city, there will be showcase zones and villages highlighting innovative FinTech and Deep Tech solutions from all around the world.

• The ‘Changi’ International Zone will host over 40 global satellite events which will bring together content from innovation hubs and tech showcases around the world. There will be a mix of physical events in selected cities and digital events. Twenty-seven international pavilions will also champion their country or region’s innovations via digital showcases.
• The ‘Boat Quay’ Networking Zone will host curated meet-ups and 1-to-1 networking sessions and digital lab crawls by Innovation Labs.
• The SWITCH Global Channel will allow participants access to market knowledge, opportunities, insights and tips on business culture from over 42 cities in 31 countries.
• The SLINGSHOT Village, which will house Asia’s most exciting Deep Tech startup competition, will see the top 100 global startups battle it out for more than S$900,000 in cash and grants, co-innovation opportunities and corporate sponsorships.
• The SFF x SWITCH Talent Pavilion will be a one-stop platform with an array of events, job opportunities, and skills training sessions.
• More than 1,000 exhibitors will display their solutions in curated zones and villages, including the ‘Pulau Ubin Blockchain Zone’, ‘Paya Lebar Airbase SME Zone’, ‘Sentosa Growth Stage FinTech Zone’, ‘Lazarus Island Early Stage FinTech Zone’, ‘Sponsors Village’, ‘A*STAR Village’, ‘IMDA Village’, ‘NUS Village’, ’SG Blockchain Village’, and more.

Mr Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief FinTech Officer of MAS, said, “We are proud to have built an online event platform that continues to serve as a meeting point for the global FinTech community and a hive for business activity when the industry needs it the most. In addition to the online city experience, we have worked with select global satellite event partners to host physical events. By leveraging on the concerted efforts of the teams within MAS, Enterprise Singapore and SingEx, and partners including Accenture, Microsoft and Pico Art International, SFF x SWITCH is now another step closer to realising our vision of a global platform for knowledge sharing, where meaningful connections are made and better ideas are built for the financial services and technology community.”

Mr Edwin Chow, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Innovation & Enterprise), Enterprise Singapore, said, “We look forward to participants experiencing the diverse and multifaceted programme at SFF x SWITCH this year, one put together with more than 160 partners from all around the world. While this is primarily a virtual event, we are heartened by the support that we have received from the innovation and tech community. The ‘Care Package’ our industry partners have put together will help provide a good runway for startups and tech SMEs. Despite the pandemic, we are confident this event will connect and catalyse new partnerships between innovation enablers, enterprises and startups from Singapore and the rest of the world.”

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