LEAP East locks in Hong Kong for three more years after 25,000-attendee debut

LEAP East wrapped its inaugural three-day edition in Hong Kong with more than 25,000 attendees and a new three-year commitment that keeps the event in the city through 2027. The gathering connected Gulf and Asian capital, tech and policy leaders, and produced startup funding wins and high-level government meetings.

Why it matters: - LEAP East is positioning Hong Kong as a lasting hub for technology investment and cross-regional dealmaking between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Asia. - The three-year hosting commitment gives the event a stable Asian base and extends Hong Kong’s role as a gateway for capital, startups and commercial partnerships. - The inaugural edition signaled strong demand, with participation far above the scale typical for a new Hong Kong event.

What happened: - LEAP East ended its first three-day edition in Hong Kong last week with more than 25,000 attendees. - The event drew 340 speakers, 450 exhibitors, 300 startups and 600 investors representing more than US$6.5 trillion in assets under management. - The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau, the Hong Kong Tourism Board and organiser Tahaluf announced a three-year strategic partnership. - Hong Kong will remain LEAP East’s exclusive Asian host city for the next three years, and the event is set to return in December 2027. - The event was designed to connect the Middle East’s largest economy with one of Asia’s leading international financial centres. - LEAP East brought together capital, technology companies, founders and policymakers to accelerate investment, commercial partnerships and innovation between the GCC and Asia. - The event had 55% international participation and 45% local participation.

The details: - The programme covered artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, smart cities, fintech and emerging technologies. - LEAP East also included high-level government meetings, investment discussions, business matchmaking and startup competitions. - Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, H.E. Abdullah Alswaha, met with Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, Financial Secretary Paul Chan, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong, and senior representatives from Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation. - The minister also met technology companies including SenseTime, Tencent, Tencent Cloud and Sony AI. - Those discussions advanced engagement between Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong on technology investment, innovation and commercial collaboration. - Three startups won US$100,000 in equity-free funding through Rocket Fuel, LEAP’s startup competition. - The winners were Finland’s ROTOBOOST, Saudi Arabia’s Uvera Inc and Hong Kong’s Meinong Robot. - The combined prize is intended to support growth and international expansion. - ewpartners served as the exclusive strategy partner. - LEAP East is building a platform that combines GCC technology ambitions and investment capacity with Hong Kong’s financial markets, international connectivity and access to Asian innovation ecosystems.

Between the lines: - The scale of the debut and the new multi-year commitment suggest organisers see Hong Kong as more than a one-off venue. - The event’s mix of government, investor and startup participation points to a broader push to turn technology dialogue into actual capital flows and partnerships. - The Hong Kong partnership also reinforces the city’s pitch as a “super-connector” between mainland China, the Middle East and the wider region.

What's next: - LEAP East will return to Hong Kong in December 2027. - Organisers are aiming for a bigger platform for innovation, investment and growth in future editions. - The three-year partnership is expected to keep building cross-regional ties between companies, investors, founders and policymakers.

The bottom line: - LEAP East turned a strong first edition into a longer-term Hong Kong footprint, betting that sustained access to Gulf and Asian capital will deepen the event’s relevance for the tech sector.