BEYOND Expo 2026 officially opened on May 27 at The Parisian Macao, bringing together innovators, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, researchers, and technology leaders from around the world for four days of collaboration, dialogue, and innovation.
With nearly 800 exhibitors, more than 300 speakers, and a comprehensive program spanning exhibitions, industry summits, startup competitions, business matchmaking, and networking events, BEYOND Expo once again served as a global platform connecting Asia’s innovation ecosystem with international markets and opportunities.
Centered around the theme of AI’s transition from the digital world into the physical world, this year’s Expo explored the technologies shaping the future—from embodied intelligence and robotics to AI infrastructure, healthcare, smart devices, mobility, sustainability, and cross-border entrepreneurship.
Opening Ceremony: Setting the Stage for Global Collaboration
The Opening Ceremony welcomed more than 1,000 guests from China, South Korea, Southeast Asia, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Brazil, and Europe, reflecting BEYOND Expo’s growing international presence.
Distinguished guests included Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference He Houhua, Chief Executive of the Macao SAR Ho Iat Seng, together with leaders from government, industry, investment, and academia.
Opening the event, BEYOND Expo Co-founder Jason Ho (He Jiandong) emphasized the Expo’s mission of connecting Asian innovation with global opportunities by bringing together technology, investment, sports, and entertainment on a single international platform
He also highlighted the diversity of this year’s exhibitors, ranging from globally recognized technology companies to startups, independent innovators, and One-Person Companies (OPCs), demonstrating that breakthrough innovation can emerge from organizations of every size.
The ceremony featured keynote presentations and discussions from industry leaders including Deepu Talla, Vice President of Robotics and Edge AI at NVIDIA; Felix Zhang, Founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics; Mark Nicholas Cutis, Senior Advisor for Strategic Projects at Abu Dhabi Investment Council (ADIC); Xu Chi, Founder and CEO of XREAL; and Matt White, Global Chief Technology Officer for AI at the Linux Foundation.
Speakers explored how advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, spatial computing, and manufacturing are accelerating AI’s transition from digital intelligence into real-world applications, highlighting Asia’s growing role in shaping the next generation of intelligent technologies.
Media Day: Asia’s Largest Technology Media Convergence
The opening day also featured BEYOND Expo 2026 Media Day, bringing together more than 200 international and Chinese media outlets, KOLs, YouTubers, and content creators to discover the latest innovations showcased at the Expo.
Representing a combined social reach of more than 26 million followers, with nearly half of participating media coming from overseas, Media Day created a valuable platform for innovators to share their stories with audiences across global markets.
Participants included leading international media such as Bloomberg, Associated Press, Trusted Reviews, Tech in Asia, e27, Innovation & Tech Today, CDO Trends, DeepTech Times, and TNGlobal, alongside prominent Chinese media including CCTV, People’s Daily, China Daily, First Financial, Caixin Global, FT Chinese, Shenzhen TV, Beijing Daily, and Southern Daily.
The event also welcomed major digital media platforms including TechNode, Tencent News, NetEase, and Sohu, together with more than 20 internationally recognized technology creators, including Dr. Faustino Júnior, Flow Podcast, Max Tech, Andru Edwards, The Gadgetflow, and Patrick Rambles.
More than 70 companies participated in Media Day, including 42 innovative enterprises from Shenzhen’s Nanshan District. Companies introduced products spanning artificial intelligence, robotics, smart hardware, wearable technology, spatial computing, life sciences, consumer technology, and cross-border innovation services through live demonstrations, presentations, and interactive experiences.
Beyond showcasing new technologies, Media Day created opportunities for founders, executives, journalists, and creators to engage in meaningful conversations about product development, commercialization, and international expansion. The stories and insights shared on opening day continued to generate coverage throughout the four-day Expo, amplifying the visibility of participating companies across global media platforms.
Exhibition: Exploring the Future Across the Expo Floor
The BEYOND Expo 2026 exhibition brought together nearly 800 exhibitors from around the world, with international participants representing approximately 30% of all exhibiting companies. Across four days, the exhibition showcased technologies shaping the future of AI, robotics, mobility, healthcare, consumer technology, and sustainable innovation.
Exhibition zones featured a diverse range of industries, including AI foundation models and digital infrastructure, embodied intelligence and robotics, intelligent transportation and the low-altitude economy, smart consumer devices, cultural technology, healthcare innovation, and regional innovation pavilions.
Leading technology companies exhibited alongside startups, research organizations, and innovation ecosystems from across Asia and beyond. Regional pavilions from Shenzhen Nanshan, Shenzhen Longgang, Zhuhai High-Tech Zone, and Hengqin joined international delegations, including the Korea Pavilion, highlighting regional collaboration and cross-border innovation.
Visitors experienced a wide variety of interactive demonstrations throughout the exhibition, from humanoid robots and AI-powered smart glasses to intelligent mobility solutions, health and beauty technologies, immersive digital experiences, and sports technology applications. Live product demonstrations and hands-on experiences transformed the exhibition into an interactive platform where emerging technologies could be experienced firsthand.
Throughout the Expo, exhibitors engaged directly with customers, investors, media, and industry partners, creating opportunities for product demonstrations, commercial discussions, and international collaboration beyond the exhibition floor.
Business Matchmaking: Turning Conversations into Partnerships
Business matchmaking remained one of BEYOND Expo’s core initiatives, providing structured opportunities for companies to connect with investors, corporate buyers, strategic partners, distributors, and technology collaborators throughout the four-day event.
Dedicated networking sessions and one-on-one meetings enabled participating companies to explore partnerships across investment, supply chain development, technology integration, international expansion, and market entry.
For many exhibitors, these conversations extended beyond immediate business opportunities, creating valuable connections with enterprise customers, channel partners, regional governments, and innovation organizations seeking long-term collaboration.
Regional pavilions also played an important role in facilitating cross-border engagement, introducing local innovation ecosystems to international partners and supporting discussions around distribution, localization, and overseas market development.
By bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, corporations, and policymakers in one place, BEYOND Expo continued to strengthen its role as a platform where meaningful business relationships begin.
Summits: Exploring the Technologies Shaping Tomorrow
Beyond the exhibition, BEYOND Expo 2026 presented an extensive conference program featuring industry leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors across multiple stages. Through keynote speeches, fireside chats, panel discussions, and technical sessions, speakers explored the opportunities and challenges shaping the next generation of technological innovation.
BGlobal Summit: The BGlobal Summit focused on connecting Asian innovation with global markets through discussions on entrepreneurship, international expansion, investment, and cross-border collaboration. Industry leaders shared insights into building globally competitive companies while exploring new opportunities emerging across Asia’s innovation ecosystem.
Physical AI Summit: As one of the Expo’s flagship programs, the Physical AI Summit explored the evolution of AI from digital intelligence to real-world applications. Discussions covered embodied intelligence, humanoid robotics, AI hardware, spatial perception, cognitive AI, foundation models, and Vision-Language-Action (VLA) technologies, highlighting how AI is transforming physical industries and everyday life.
Digital AI Summit: The Digital AI Summit examined the rapidly evolving AI software ecosystem, covering enterprise AI infrastructure, intelligent agents, AI-native products, investment trends, AI-generated content, foundation models, and emerging applications driving digital transformation across industries.
Intelligent Agent Summit: Dedicated to the next generation of autonomous AI systems, the Intelligent Agent Summit explored open-source agent frameworks, AI-native applications, hardware integration, and practical demonstrations showcasing how intelligent agents are moving from experimentation toward real-world deployment.
Web2+3 AI Forum: The Web2+3 AI Forum examined the convergence of artificial intelligence and decentralized technologies, exploring autonomous agents, blockchain infrastructure, digital economies, cryptocurrency ecosystems, and the future of AI-powered decentralized applications.
Regional Technology Forums: BEYOND Expo also hosted dedicated forums highlighting international collaboration, including the Japan Technology Forum, Korea Technology Forum, Asia-Europe Technology Forum, and Asia-Latin America Technology Forum. These sessions encouraged dialogue among entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and technology leaders while fostering new opportunities for regional cooperation.
Specialized Industry Forums: Additional programs, including the SheTech Summit, AI Beauty & Health Summit, and other industry-focused sessions, explored innovation across diverse sectors while creating dedicated communities for professionals, founders, researchers, and investors with shared interests.
Across every stage, the summit program reflected BEYOND Expo’s commitment to bringing together diverse perspectives, encouraging cross-disciplinary dialogue, and exploring how emerging technologies can create meaningful impact across industries and societies.
FUND AT FIRST PITCH: Where Startups Meet Global Capital
The FUND AT FIRST PITCH (FAFP) Ultimate Speed Pitch Competition returned to BEYOND Expo 2026 as one of the most anticipated startup highlights, bringing early-stage innovators face-to-face with leading investors from around the world.
Held on the final day of the Expo, the competition showcased six finalist teams presenting breakthrough technologies across healthcare, robotics, materials science, AI applications, and intelligent systems.
Finalists included:
- Easenory Technology / Yi Gan Technology – Next-generation electronic skin technology
- Atomy YuanLi ePaddle – Aquatic sports data intelligence solutions
- SuperYouAi Group / NorthStar – AI-powered intelligent guardian jewelry
- CYAN QingXinYi Innovation – Home embodied companion intelligence systems
- Shenzhen HongHuo SoulX – Flexible consumer robotics
- FlameBio – AI-powered molecular screening technologies
Each team delivered rapid-fire pitches followed by real-time feedback from an investor panel composed of global venture capital leaders and industry experts, including Morgan Samet (Lingotto Innovation Strategy), Kun Gao (Co-founder of Crunchyroll), Zhu Xueqiao (Artest Management Group), and Zhang Qian (Sky Capital).
The session created a dynamic exchange between founders and investors, highlighting not only technological innovation but also commercial potential, scalability, and global market readiness.
The competition concluded with a fireside chat featuring Kun Gao, who shared insights on global fandom ecosystems, digital content platforms, community building, and the evolving intersection between entertainment, technology, and AI.
Beyond the Expo: Building Community Through Connection
Across four days, BEYOND Expo 2026 extended beyond exhibitions and conference sessions to create a vibrant ecosystem of networking, collaboration, and cultural exchange.
A series of curated social events brought together founders, investors, media representatives, and technology leaders in more informal settings designed to foster deeper conversations and long-term relationships.
Signature events included the Environment Night Launch Party, BGlobal Poolside Networking Session, Beyond Capital Reception, Beyond Official Party, UFC Watch Party, AI Clash Networking Night, and the International Innovation Exchange Night.
Each event offered a different context for interaction—from investment-focused discussions and cross-border collaboration to cultural exchange and community building—reinforcing BEYOND Expo’s role as a platform that connects innovation with people.
In addition, the BEYOND Awards recognized outstanding innovators, companies, and individuals across multiple categories, celebrating contributions that are shaping the future of technology and entrepreneurship.
Closing: A Global Platform for Innovation and Opportunity
BEYOND Expo 2026 concluded after four days of exhibitions, summits, startup competitions, business matchmaking, and global networking activities that brought together thousands of participants from across the world.
From breakthrough technologies and investor conversations to media storytelling and cross-border partnerships, the Expo served as a platform where ideas were shared, connections were formed, and collaboration was accelerated.
As Asia continues to play an increasingly important role in global innovation, BEYOND Expo reaffirmed its mission to bridge Asia with the world—connecting innovators, investors, creators, and industry leaders to shape the next wave of technological transformation.