Meet Dr. Gang Lu: The Co-Founder Behind BEYOND Expo’s Rise As Asia’s Tech Hub, Fostering Global Partnerships

The fifth edition of the BEYOND Expo, held at The Venetian Macao's Cotai Expo from 21-24 May 2025, solidified its position as Asia's premier technology ecosystem event, uniting over 800 pioneering enterprises and innovators from across the continent and beyond.

Under the theme "Empowering Asia, Connecting the World," this year's expo showcased transformative advancements in robotics, human-centric artificial intelligence (AI), mixed reality, and climate-focused solutions. Distinguished leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries converged to explore the vital role of international collaboration, cross-cultural idea exchange, and globalized efforts in driving economic growth and investment opportunities.

More than a technology showcase, BEYOND Expo serves as a dynamic platform for fostering meaningful partnerships, amplifying innovation, and addressing global challenges through human-centric solutions. With a commitment to bridging Asia's tech ecosystem with the world, the event continues to shape the future of innovation.

In an exclusive conversation with OneArabia.me, Dr. Gang Lu, Co-founder of BEYOND Expo, shares insights into the event's rapid rise, its role in forging transformative partnerships, and its vision for connecting Asia with emerging tech hubs like the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

What key factors have driven BEYOND Expo's rapid rise to becoming Asia's largest technology ecosystem event since its launch in 2021, and how do you sustain this momentum?

Being committed to delivering on our vision of bridging Asia's innovation with the world has been key to BEYOND Expo becoming the largest regional tech platform since we launched in 2021. To get here today, we've had to overcome many challenges, including external factors such as the pandemic and the overall external economic environment.

Over these five years, we have brought together over 100,000 participants and 3,000 exhibitors. We have done so by offering a curated ecosystem of innovation, driving investment, accelerating cross-border collaboration, and building the global profiles of Asian startups and innovation leaders.

We sustain momentum by constantly evolving our content, ensuring the inclusion of transformative tech like AI, sustainability, and deep tech in our agenda. This allows us to stay relevant while nurturing an inclusive environment where all stakeholders—from small startups to more mature global enterprises — can thrive together.

And of course, the unstoppable rise of Asian tech and innovative companies has helped sustain our momentum — we wouldn't be able to build such an attractive platform without their continually evolving innovation and achievements.

How has BEYOND Expo acted as a catalyst for transformative partnerships and industry advancements, particularly in connecting startups with global enterprises and Fortune 500 companies?

At BEYOND Expo, our focus is on creating meaningful, long-term partnerships that foster innovation. We've facilitated numerous cross-border collaborations where startups meet Fortune 500 companies and work on initiatives together.

By curating specialized tracks such as investment summits, tech ecosystem forums, and corporate-partner matchmaking, we ensure that startups have opportunities to engage with large, global enterprises. Helping established players find fresh, disruptive solutions from the next generation of innovators supports their ongoing evolution.

We also provide platforms for investors to explore opportunities in Asia's rapidly growing tech space. BEYOND Expo hosts a dedicated Global Investment Summit, which draws in hundreds of venture firms, family offices, and institutional capital providers. This year, we had over 800 investors sign up to attend our events.

With the vision of "Empowering Asia, Bridging the World," how does BEYOND Expo facilitate meaningful connections between Asian innovators and international tech ecosystems, including emerging hubs like the UAE and Saudi Arabia?

BEYOND Expo's mission of "Empowering Asia, Bridging the World" is realised by creating bridges between regions. We facilitate direct engagement between Asian innovators and international ecosystems through our BGlobal Network—a platform that connects entrepreneurs with investors, industry experts, and decision-makers.

As our international appeal has grown, we've been able to invite officials, investors, and companies from around the world to exhibit and speak. This year, we arranged several region-focused summits to enhance cross-border cooperation, including Japan, Europe, Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Given the growing Asia-Middle East economic cooperation, we're placing more emphasis on emerging tech hubs in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which are playing a greater role in shaping global innovation. By bringing together Middle Eastern players and Asian innovators, we create synergies that encourage cross-border collaboration, unlocking new opportunities for growth, tech adoption, and market expansion.

As the UAE and Saudi Arabia emerge as leading tech and startup hubs in the Middle East, how is BEYOND Expo positioning itself to include and amplify these regions' contributions to the global tech landscape?

We recognise the growing influence of the UAE and Saudi Arabia in the global tech landscape. BEYOND Expo has been actively engaging with government agencies, tech giants, and startups from the Middle East, particularly in sectors like FinTech, AI, and smart cities. We've created dedicated forums and workshops for these markets to showcase their cutting-edge innovations.

By integrating Middle Eastern companies and their contributions into the global dialogue, we aim to elevate the region's position and further connect it with Asia's flourishing tech ecosystem, creating opportunities for investment, growth, and collaboration.

Our cooperation with Middle Eastern institutions goes beyond tech. This year, we also hosted the Zayed Sustainability Prize Forum alongside the UAE's flagship sustainability award, the Zayed Sustainability Prize.

What specific initiatives or programs at BEYOND Expo have been most effective in fostering a thriving ecosystem for startups, unicorns, and tech leaders to collaborate and innovate?

Our Global Investment Summit has been one of the most effective programs, connecting startups with global investors, including family offices and venture capitalists. We've also launched exclusive innovation summits where unicorns and tech leaders share insights and forge partnerships.

Our BEYOND Founders Club is another key initiative, creating a peer-driven network for high-growth startups, offering them curated introductions, strategic support, and infrastructure to scale internationally. These programs are tailored to foster collaboration and idea-sharing, driving growth for the next generation of industry leaders.

How do you envision BEYOND Expo evolving over the next decade to maintain its role as a global leader in technology innovation, particularly with the growing influence of Middle Eastern tech hubs?

In the next decade, BEYOND Expo will continue to evolve as Asia's platform for global tech innovation. We see Middle Eastern tech hubs as crucial partners in this journey. We hope to continue our engagement with the MENA region, particularly by deepening our collaboration with partners in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

As the world becomes more interconnected, BEYOND Expo will continue to act as a global nexus, empowering tech ecosystems from both the East and West to create solutions that shape the future and solve global challenges.

What sets BEYOND Expo apart from other global tech expos, and how do its summits and exclusive engagements uniquely empower participants to shape the future of technology?

What sets the expo apart is our focus on cross-border collaborations. We offer exclusive access to key decision-makers, investors, and corporate leaders through our summits and founders' programs.

Unlike traditional expos, BEYOND Expo provides in-depth, strategic engagement, where ideas and innovations are actively nurtured, not just displayed. Our BGlobal Network and investment opportunities give participants real pathways for growth, and we support their global expansion by arranging dedicated media tours and communications workshops so they can tell their story to global audiences.

Our exclusive events allow for direct interactions between startups, tech leaders, and investors. This holistic approach to nurturing companies empowers our participants to not only shape the present, but also define the future of technology.