2018年4月13日 香港：中國日報今天在香港會議展覽中心舉辦題為「投資者對談：引領初創成就非凡」的研討會，逾300名參會嘉賓分享見解並互動交流參加討論，共同探索互聯網經濟下的初創企業發展機遇。 此次論壇由中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇與「2018互聯網經濟峰會」 合辦。數碼港主席林家禮博士、國際科技公司主席尤西•瓦爾迪先生、Illumio行政總裁及共同創辦人安德魯•魯賓先生，以及英菲尼迪資本管理有限公司副主席許東威先生四位主講嘉賓分享了他們的見解。 當前，隨著互聯網經濟蓬勃飛速發展，網絡經濟正帶動線下傳統經濟，兩種經濟模式的逐步融合正為各行各業帶來新的發展機遇。在「大眾創業、萬眾創新」的背景下，中國內地互聯網領域掀起一股創業潮，誕生了一批為大眾所熟知的互聯網產品和估值不菲的優秀企業，為年輕創業者及初創企業打開了新的大門。 本次論壇匯聚的知名初創項目投資者，深入剖析了初創投資的最新趨勢，以及未來數年最具投資潛力和投資回報率的熱門科技項目，還向在場嘉賓分享初創企業如何吸引海外投資，共謀紅利的成功之道。 林家禮博士認為，助力初創企業發展，最重要的不僅是培養創業精神，更需要以指引和資金來給創業者提供幫助。這就要求我們眾志成城，政府部門、商界及社會各方都應參與進來。 尤西•瓦爾迪先生表示，當今社會僅僅處在一場技術大變革的開端，大數據讓我們擁有參與技術變革、改變世界潮流的潛力。 安德魯•魯賓先生在論壇上強調了“講故事”的重要性。他說，對於一家企業而言，在籌集資金時，敘事能力顯得格外重要。企業需要通過事實和例證讓投資者相信，他們所投入的這家企業有能力在未來創造更大的價值和經濟效益。 許東威先生表示，如今資本市場正在發生巨大的變化，除了經濟金融科技外，市場亦非常看重生物科技，這兩個領域對香港相關領域都非常關鍵。香港社會應創造良好的環境以培育這兩個領域，這也正是英菲尼迪在過去一段時間以來所投入的重點。 中國日報社擁有報紙、網站、移動用戶端、臉譜、推特、微博、微信、電子報等十餘種媒介平臺，全媒體用戶總數累計約7200萬；期均發行量超過90萬份，其中海外60萬份；網站日均訪問量（PV）超過5200萬，全球移動用戶端用戶達700萬；在海外，通過每月發行500餘萬份海外供版的《中國觀察報》（China Watch），直達美國《華爾街日報》和《華盛頓郵報》、英國《每日電訊報》、法國《費加羅報》、泰國《民族報》、俄羅斯《俄羅斯報》、日本《每日新聞》等美、歐、亞主流讀者群。 「中國日報亞洲領袖圓桌論壇」旨在搭建一個由亞洲國家和地區的政、商、學界領袖和社會精英參與的高端對話和交流平臺，圍繞亞洲地區經濟、商業、產業和社會發展等具有戰略影響的重要議題展開討論和分享見解，以增進中國與亞洲和西方國家的交流和理解。 媒體垂詢： 洪夢求 小姐 電話：（852） 3465 5427 電郵：melody@chinadailyhk.com

In a digital era, with entrepreneurship the engine of technological innovation and global markets more connected than ever, successful entrepreneurs are often found to be adaptable while staying true to their roots. Panelists shared their opinions on how startups can achieve success in today's innovation-driven and fast-changing market at the Investor Dialogue: Powering Tomorrow's Entrepreneurial Success panel during the Internet Economy Summit held in Hong Kong on Friday. "(The concept of) 'local' doesn't exist anymore, the world today is one marketplace," said Yossi Vardi, chairman of Israeli investment firm International Technologies. Innovation and technology sectors such as fintech, artificial intelligence, smart city and medtech are gaining momentum among entrepreneurs. And institutions such as Hong Kong's Cyberport are coming up with new ways to support these startups. "We are going to make it a new industry in the digital economy that can help young people upgrade their digital technology skills, but our biggest problem is how to actually make sure we have enough smart money in order to attract the best entrepreneurs," said Lee George Lam, chairman of Cyberport. Operated by professional management teams, Cyberport aims to help startups focus on building their companies rather than on the time-consuming fundraising process, and to scale up faster. "We're evolving now into an investor," said Lam. "We have set up funds and investment networks." Lam also believes the Hong Kong stock exchange should set up a "green channel" for pre-revenue digital tech companies so they can have access to one of the biggest capital markets in the world. Sticking to company DNA Kersten Hui, vice-chairman of Infinity Equity Management, said: "Entrepreneurs go through various stages of psychological development. And that is something for both entrepreneurs and investors to take into consideration." "Some of the early-stage mistakes entrepreneurs tend to make are often driven by very dynamic situations, especially fist-time startups," he said. "If we can reduce some of these mistakes and offer some input during their psychological development, this will bring both investors and startup companies higher successful rates." Startups may have very different expertise but they're all intended to offer solutions to their customers from the get-go. "The size of the market or the opportunity to solve the problems of the customers was the No 1 thing on our list when we started Illumio," said Andrew Rubin, chief executive officer and co-founder of cybersecurity specialist Illumio. "You can collect a group of great people but you don't have control over the market." "In the cybersecurity space, we focus on segmentation, which quickly became a multi-billion-dollar business just a couple years ago," said Rubin. "If you have great people and great technologies, it would be a huge opportunity to build a sustainable, durable and valuable company because the market needed a solution." Attracting investors would be the next step. "People often forget the No 1 thing on the list for whatever company, especially when it comes to fundraising, is the ability to tell a story," said Rubin. However, Lam believes this process is usually harder than it seems behind the scenes. "As a smart investor, we also need to help our startups understand their shortcomings, particularly their business plan, team and approach," said Lam. "There is a learning process as well." Vardi said: "I don't think the rules of attracting investment can be generalized - it has to do with the market size, the opportunity. "But it mainly has to do with the decision of the people behind the project." Vardi raised the question of whether the amount of money startups raise at the beginning stage would have a significant effect on their decision-making process later. "Because companies tend to spend a lot at the beginning, if you raised too much and you'll be at the mercy of the funders," said Vardi. Rubin from Illumio disagreed. "Companies are very much like people and they have DNA. DNA is part of the make-up of who we are. Companies are the same," said Rubin. "Having raised $267.5 million in less than five years doesn't determine how we make decisions on what to spend or what to invest in." Rubin believes the decision a startup company makes on accelerating growth or investing more heavily doesn't start with how much money is in its account. Rather, it begins with its business plan and whether the company is succeeding or failing against it. "Much like we all have DNA, if the DNA of the company is built around that premise then it doesn't matter how much money it has." Rubin added. Hui backed up Rubin's comment by a study his firm did on the psychological development of entrepreneurs pre- and post-funding. "People's DNA doesn't change because of money," said Hui. "Entrepreneurs that didn't grow up in an environment of rich capital would use money in a proper manner. Most entrepreneurs don't use capital to solve their problem, they always go back to what they grew up with." Crucial success factors Lam also said startup companies now need technology directors and mentors. "Tech companies need good directors, even the best team with the best DNA still needs guidance and oversight," said Lam. "Mentors will tell startups the dos and don'ts, even the best teams need to be brought up." Vardi echoed that sentiment: "Good mentors are more important than investors." As the market evolves, it's no longer enough for entrepreneurs to focus only on one particular field and lack knowledge in other areas. "Cross-disciplinary is one of the key success factors for entrepreneurs, those who can adapt to new technologies are the winners," said Hui. "It's definitely a differentiating factor between winning and losing companies." Entering the new era Combinations of solutions experimented with in the past are coming together and creating new sets of solutions. There are more and more ways to tackle the problems we only had a single solution for previously. Rubin said: "Healthcare, for example, we've had singular path for so many years but now technology is fundamentally changing that." "Cyberport may have to refocus on digital technology - even half of the biotech industry now is computing, digital is the new English and AI is the new software," said Lam, recognizing the increasing weight of innovative technologies in the world's future development. "We have to fully adopt the regional tech potential, but domain knowledge is also important." "The opportunities are many and it's up to our imagination. The most important thing is to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit with the help of smart money and all the mentors we can bring," said Lam. "It's a collective effort - not just government but society at large and the business sector." Rubin said: "We are living in a global economy, there's no more 'US, Europe, Asia' and as entrepreneurs we have the responsibility to remember those things and that we're all connected. The opportunities should be looked at from that lens." "Your mindset is your biggest weapon," Hui suggested to entrepreneurs. "So, open your mind and don't stop learning."

13 April 2018, Hong Kong: China Daily teamed up with the Internet Economy Summit for the first time in co-organizing a session themed “Investor Dialogue: Powering Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurial Success” to be held from 10:10 AM to 10:40 AM at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai, on April 13, 2018. Industry pundits shared their insights on the topic and interacted with more than 300 delegates at the panel discussion. The distinguished panelists include Dr. Lee George Lam, Chairman of Cyberport; Mr. Yossi Vardi, Chairman of International Technologies; Mr. Andrew Rubin, CEO & Co-Founder of IIIumio; and Mr. Kersten Hui, Vice-Chairman of Infinity Equity Management Co Ltd. Dr. Lee George Lam said that the most important thing is that we need to nurture the entrepreneurial spirit, and we need to help them with smart money and also all the mentoring that we bring. It is a collective effort, not just the government, but also the society at large, and the business sector. Mr. Yossi Vardi said that we are just at the beginning. Today, with big data, you can approach the whole issue that is going to change the world. And it is just a small fraction of the very many opportunities you may take. Mr. Andrew Rubin think very often people forget number one on the list for every company, especially when it comes to fund raising, is the ability to tell a story that if you execute well, there is a really big opportunity outside to create something in the process. Mr. Kersten Hui said that many things are fundamentally shifted, like the new rules of listing, and in our eyes, other than fintech, there is a lot of emphasis on biotech, and these are the two areas that are really important to Hong Kong and Hong Kong has the ecosystem to nurture these areas. And we have been focusing our investment in these areas during the past year or so. The development of the booming internet economy is driving the offline traditional economy as well. Integration of the internet economy and the traditional economy has fueled new opportunities for all sectors of the community. In recent years, through “mass entrepreneurship and innovation”, the Chinese mainland’s rapid internet development has led to the creation of a number of well-known internet products and innovative internet companies, opening the door for budding entrepreneurs and startups. This special panel session gave early investors an insight into the latest trends in early-stage investment, the hottest technologies with the most investment potential and return on investment over the next five years, and what startups can do to attract overseas investment and to get the winning formula for fund-raising. About China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable The China Daily Asia Leadership Roundtable is a by-invitation network of movers and shakers in Asia providing platforms for focused dialogue, issue investigation, and possible collective action on strategic issues relating to economic, business and social development in Asia. Our aim is to enhance communication and increase mutual understanding between China, Asian and Western countries. Roundtable events are held in major cities across Asia. Media Contact: Ms. Melody Hong Tel: (852) 3465 5427 Email: melody@chinadailyhk.com

Hong Kong is set to transform itself from an economy based on traditional financial services into a hub for innovative, new-economy companies, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor told a high-powered forum on the internet economy on Thursday. The third Internet Economy Summit, themed “New Impetus for the New Economy”, discussed multi-pronged strategies to harness innovation and technology. Leading internet companies and “unicorns” have become heavyweight driving forces in many economies, shaking up the business landscape worldwide with their disruptive technologies. Authorities in Hong Kong are set to revamp the city, which has flourished on traditional financial services for decades, into a magnet for new, high-growth industries that are at the cutting edge of technology. “Internet has led the world into the digital era and created a whole new economy as well as countless business opportunities,” Lam told the government-initiated forum. “We must keep reinforcing and upgrading our capability, as well as providing a conducive ecosystem for innovation and technology development in Hong Kong.” Hong Kong policymakers have introduced a flurry of initiatives to meet the needs of the new economy. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange is set to overhaul its listing rules, opening the doors to new-economy firms that have yet to turn a profit. This sends a clear signal that authorities are ramping up reform efforts; for the first time Hong Kong provides generous tax deductions of as much as 300 percent for research and development expenditure enterprises incur. The new economy was a key part of Lam’s maiden policy address delivered last year. Since taking office on July 1 last year, Lam and the new administration have come up with a holistic approach – ranging from more resources for R&D and nurturing a talent pool to venture capital and popular-science education – to shore up Hong Kong’s competiveness in innovation and technology. “I have set a goal to double Hong Kong's R&D expenditure as a ratio to gross domestic product to 1.5 per cent by 2022 – or about HK$45 billion a year,” the chief executive pledged at the summit. Lam told the forum that she believed the four key technology areas highlighted in the policy address – healthcare technologies, artificial intelligence and robotics, smart city and Fintech – can become new economic drivers for Hong Kong's future development,” Boosting the new economy has taken on new meaning in the context of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, as Lam noted Hong Kong has a vital role to play in the promulgating China’s version of Silicon Valley. The Internet Economy Summit is an annual flagship summit co-organized by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer and the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company. This year the forum brought together experts from renowned tech firms – such as Google, IBM, JD.com, Amazon, Ping An Technology, Facebook, Microsoft, Alibaba Cloud and Huawei Technologies – to present their thoughts on how AI, big data, cloud technology and e-commerce have improved industry and fueled their growth. Source: https://www.chinadailyhk.com/articles/72/246/249/1523584882643.html

China has been a growth story for 40 years and the economic powerhouse's rise in the global startup scene has made it a magnet for startup founders - or founder-wannabes - the world over. Behind the glory of "making it" is a turf war between the Chinese mainland's cash-rich conglomerates, which use their deep pockets to snap up promising startups and guard against potential disrupters. In the latest corporate battle, one of the nation's fast-emerging bike-sharing firms Mobike was bought by Meituan Dianping, the mainland's largest provider of on-demand online services, in a deal worth US$2.7 billion - excluding debt. "Just like in China, there is a lot of talk in Israel about abandoning the dream that an up-and-coming startup can topple a gargantuan company," says Yossi Vardi, chairman of Israeli hi-tech investor International Technologies. "But I think conglomerates toting their big checkbooks everywhere just offer startup founders an option to make an exit," he told China Daily. The veteran Israeli entrepreneur and investor believes startups and big businesses should find their own places properly and differently in a vibrant startup ecosystem. "Not all young entrepreneurs start an undertaking as a lifelong endeavor. Not all startups aim to grow high into skyscrapers someday," explained Vardi. "They should be allowed to take investments from behemoths like Tencent and Alibaba, and even become part of their all-encompassing investment empires." He said it might remain a matter of debate whether buying sprees by bigger companies could help big players and their investment targets become better businesses, or it would essentially make most startups become short-sighted, so much so squash competition and stifle innovation. As tech giants in the world's second-largest economy take the investment splurge to a higher level, their forays virtually turn technology investing into a numbers game. A company founded just less than two years ago, Mobike, was given an enterprise value of US$3.7 billion through the deal with Meituan Dianping. Its major rival Ofo is said to have a valuation of far more than US$3 billion. This makes it the world's most valuable unicorn - a term for a startup valued at US$1 billion or more. Vardi said the logic, if any, behind the record-high valuations of the tech companies might lie with the compelling stories their founders tell investors. "Investors lose no time to plow money into the most-promising companies, usually in a fear that if they do not follow suit, they may miss the boat," he said. "Driven by the belief that their investments will pay off, they cannot afford to miss out on the potentially huge opportunities ahead. Such a mentality may explain the money-burning stories in the startup scene." Vardi said he values the people behind the startup more than the compelling idea it tries to deliver. "What matters are the people who will execute the idea. They are the most valuable asset to the startup," he said. "Moreover, since the team is poised to work with investors like me for years, good character is also a major consideration."

Market opportunities, talents and products are the three most important items on a startup company's initial list of attributes, a cybersecurity entrepreneur told the 2018 Internet Economy Summit on Friday. "When you marry these three things up and get the mix right, it will become a very strong foundation to potentially build a company on," said Andrew Rubin, chief executive officer of Illumio - a network security firm based in Silicon Valley, California. Rubin and his co-founder set up Illumio in 2013, helping companies to upgrade securely and keep their customers' data and information safe. The company built a software platform which deploys segment computers to prevent hackers gaining access to large networks by compromising a single machine. "Cybersecurity has always been a problem and something that companies and the governments care deeply about," noted Rubin. When he tried to interest investors, Rubin stressed that their industry offered many opportunities, and that he and his colleagues had good ideas about how to start and develop a company. Rubin believes that when people start a company, they should concentrate on the idea or "story" they are going to tell investors. They need to explain why their company deserves funding - as initially they have no products, customers, revenue or financial statements. "When the company matures and begins to sell the products to customers, the story then starts to transition into performance. In other words, once you generate your first dollar of revenue, the conversation after that is how much more you are going to generate in future," added Rubin. "With a big market of opportunities, if you execute well, you should be building a company that is sustainable and valuable over time." He reckoned cybersecurity is an industry which will always be important and relevant. In the last few years, it has become more and more prominent. "The industry attracts more attention and awareness, which is obviously an opportunity for us to interact with customers and organizations - to even potential team members," he said. Illumio has experienced four rounds of financing in the past five years. It raised $125 million during the recent round led by JP Morgan Asset Management last year, for expanding into new markets. Rubin admitted the Series D funding is important, as network security problems are widespread across industries. He said his company has also set up an office in Sydney, Australia which leads expansion in the Asia-Pacific region. They have also put a team in Singapore and spend a lot of time in Hong Kong - as they expect to need more staff here. "We spend quite a bit of time here meeting potential customers. We are receiving the type of positive reactions we would hope for. "All of these lead us to believe that we will have a presence in Hong Kong on the ground sooner rather than later." The startup now has about 100 customers including Morgan Stanley, BNP Paribas and Salesforce.