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.

2.     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.

3.     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.

4.     This year, SFF x SWITCH will feature many new initiatives, experiential 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”The “Care Package” includes free consultation packages on pitching, discounts on digital capital raising tools, free business guides and special packages for cloud and enterprise solutions., 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 artistes will perform unique musical arrangements powered by their imagination and enabled by technology.

5.     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 Zhang, 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

6.     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 (See Annex A). 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.

7.     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.”

8.     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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About the Singapore FinTech Festival
Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) is the world’s largest FinTech event and a global platform for the FinTech community comprising FinTech players, technopreneurs, policy makers, financial industry leaders, investors including private equity players and venture capitalists, and academics. In 2019, SFF and the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) saw more than 60,000 participants from almost 140 countries and featured highlights such as the FinTech Conference, the FinTech Awards, Global FinTech Hackcelerator, Innovation Lab Crawl and Industry Networking and Workshops. The SFF is organised by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in partnership with The Association of Banks in Singapore and in collaboration with SingEx. Find out more at www.fintechfestival.sg .
 
About SWITCH
The Singapore Week of Innovation & TeCHnology (SWITCH) is the leading tech festival for the Global-Asia innovation ecosystem. It is a one-stop platform where innovation meets enterprise, with access to global startups, investors, corporates, innovation community and ecosystem players. It focuses on these key industries – Health & Biomedical Sciences, Smart Cities & Urban Solutions, and Trade & Connectivity.

SWITCH is a week-long event featuring Exhibitions, Conferences, Workshops, Lab Crawls, and partner activities such as startups pitching competition, SLINGSHOT 2020, and open innovation platform, TechInnovation. Together with the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF), SFF x SWITCH convened over 60,000 participants from 140 countries, hosted 569 speakers and 1,000 exhibitors in 2019.

SWITCH is supported by the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF).

Find out more at http://www.switchsg.org/ .

About the Monetary Authority of Singapore
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is Singapore’s central bank and integrated financial regulator. As a central bank, MAS promotes sustained, non-inflationary economic growth through the conduct of monetary policy and close macroeconomic surveillance and analysis. It manages Singapore’s exchange rate, official foreign reserves, and liquidity in the banking sector. As an integrated financial supervisor, MAS fosters a sound financial services sector through its prudential oversight of all financial institutions in Singapore – banks, insurers, capital market intermediaries, financial advisors, and stock exchanges. It is also responsible for well-functioning financial markets, sound conduct, and investor education. MAS also works with the financial industry to promote Singapore as a dynamic international financial centre. It facilitates the development of infrastructure, adoption of technology, and upgrading of skills in the financial industry.

About Enterprise Singapore
Enterprise Singapore is the government agency championing enterprise development. We work with committed companies to build capabilities, innovate and internationalise.

We also support the growth of Singapore as a hub for global trading and startups, and build trust in Singapore’s products and services through quality and standards.

Visit www.enterprisesg.gov.sg for more information.

About SingEx
SingEx provides a comprehensive range of customer insights-driven audience engagement solutions, each uniquely designed for industries and communities to achieve their business goals. With a 40-year track record in curating innovative experiences, expanding global business networks and enabling cross-industry collaboration, and with offices in China, India and Indonesia, our solutions drive high-touch engagement to connect and empower the communities of tomorrow. 
 
Enriching this engagement is SingEx’s ownership and management of a series of trade exhibitions and conferences in Singapore across global themes such as Industrial Transformation; Innovation and Technology; and Sustainability. Headliners include Singapore FinTech Festival x Singapore Week of Innovation and TeCHnology (SFF x SWITCH) and Industrial Transformation ASIA-PACIFIC. 
 
An expert in the venue management and consultancy of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) facilities, SingEx has also been managing Singapore’s largest purpose-built MICE venue Singapore EXPO and MAX Atria since 1999 and 2012, respectively. 
 
For more information, visit www.singex.com .