RIYADH / HONG KONG: With five weeks until its inaugural edition opens in Hong Kong, LEAP East has confirmed participation from more than 200 investors representing nearly US$2 trillion in assets under management, reinforcing growing momentum behind AI, emerging technologies, and cross-border innovation partnerships between Asia and the Middle East.

Following the launch in 2022, LEAP is expected to reach a cumulative US$20 billion in economic impact for Saudi Arabia by 2027.

Taking place from 8-10 July 2026 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), LEAP East is the Asia expansion of LEAP – the world’s most-attended technology event, launched in Riyadh in 2022. 

The event is expected to bring together more than 200 investors spanning venture capital, private equity, private banking and institutional investment, alongside over 150 startups and scaleups from Asia, Middle East and global markets. To date, more than 200 investors have already confirmed participation, with particularly strong representation from Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Singapore. They collectively represent nearly US$2 trillion in assets under management, alongside close to US$1 trillion in capital available for deployment into emerging growth sectors.

Confirmed participants across the investment ecosystem include PIF, Macquarie Capital, Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund, Sinovation Ventures, Gobi Partners and White Star Capital, alongside high-growth startups and scaleups such as Bering Lab, NanoPalm, DevWing.ai and DRESIO.

Investor interest is being driven by sectors seeing rising strategic and commercial alignment between Asia and the Middle East, including artificial intelligence and deep technology, health and biotechnology, energy and sustainability, financial services and fintech, as well as food and agriculture technology.

The event builds on the success of LEAP in Riyadh, which has facilitated billions of dollars in technology announcements, partnerships and investment activity since 2022, LEAP East is designed as a platform for cross-border collaboration between Asia and the Middle East, bringing together investors, enterprises, startups and government stakeholders to drive business opportunities, partnerships and long-term growth across both regions.

The event’s investment ecosystem will feature curated investor programmes, startup showcases, matchmaking opportunities and strategic discussions designed to support market entry, capital deployment and long-term partnerships across regions.

Annabelle Mander, Executive Vice President and co-creator of LEAP at Tahaluf, said: “LEAP East reflects the increasing alignment between Asia and the Middle East as two of the world’s fastest-evolving technology and investment markets. We are seeing significant interest from investors, founders and technology companies looking to accelerate cross-border partnerships, particularly across AI, fintech and emerging technologies shaping the future economy. Hong Kong provides a powerful gateway for these conversations, connecting capital, innovation and global market opportunities on an international platform." 

The event is also seeing strong engagement from Hong Kong’s innovation and technology ecosystem, with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) – Hong Kong’s largest innovation and technology ecosystem – supporting LEAP East as the exclusive Tech Ecosystem Partner, as part of broader efforts to strengthen cross-border innovation and investment collaboration.

Terry Wong, Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), said: “The increasing flow of innovation and investment between Asia and the Middle East is creating strong momentum for technology companies looking to scale internationally. As the ecosystem orchestrator, HKSTP connects innovators with market opportunities across the Chinese Mainland, Asia and global markets – driving high impact creation.  LEAP East creates a valuable platform for companies and innovators to gain access to investors and enterprise partners from the Middle East, strengthening cross-regional collaboration and accelerate international growth.”

HKSTP CEO Terry Wong highlights HKSTP’s role in connecting innovators with markets across the Chinese Mainland and the Middle East, and accelerating international growth for tech companies through joining platform like LEAP East.

About Tahaluf

Headquartered in Riyadh, Tahaluf brings together strategically important commercial communities from Saudi Arabia, the wider Gulf and the global stage through a portfolio of world class exhibitions and digital platforms.

Tahaluf is a joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity Programming and Drones and the Events Investment Fund. Sela, the Saudi owned event production company known for creating world class experiences, is also set to join the venture.

Tahaluf is behind leading events including LEAP, DeepFest, LEAP East, Money20 20 Middle East, Black Hat MEA, Cityscape Global, Global Health Exhibition and CPHI Middle East.

For more information, visit www.tahaluf.com  and www.leapeast.com.

For media enquiries, please contact leapeast2026@sandpipercomms.com