PH Fintech Leaders Invited by UK PM at London Tech Week | BitPinas
- The UK Prime Minister welcomed the all-women Philippine delegation of local firms and organizations during the London Tech Week 2023.
- The delegation included representatives from GCash, Digital Pilipinas, Kickstart Ventures, and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation.
- Amor Maclang, the convenor of Digital Pilipinas, expressed the firm’s support for the UK’s technological developments as part of its commitment to the renewed Indo-Pacific cooperation in digital economies.
The all-women Philippine delegation of local fintech firms and organizations were welcomed by United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. The invitation was part of the gathering of 200 global tech leaders at 10 Downing Street during the recently concluded London Tech Week 2023.
UK Prime Minister Invitation at Downing Street
In line with the tech week, on June 15th, the prime minister of the UK himself invited 200 CEOs to Downing Street–the UK leader’s residence, akin to the White House in the US and Malacanang Palace in the Philippines. The occasion marked the transformation of the iconic black door of No10 into binary code which symbolizes the UK’s commitment to technological modernization.
Sunak noted that the occasion is meant “to show just how committed we are to making the UK an island of innovation.”
“So it’s no secret that I want the UK to be the best place in the world to start, grow and invest in a tech business… The UK’s door is open to any innovator wanting to grow,” he affirmed.
Rishi Sunak became UK’s prime minister last October 2022 replacing Liz Truss. Recently, he suggested that Britain can be the global home of artificial intelligence regulation by urging tech hub leaders to know the opportunities and challenges of AI.
The Philippine Delegation
The country’s representatives were led by Martha Sazon, CEO GCash, Makati Mayor Mar-Len Abigail Binay, and Amor Maclang, the Convenor of Digital Pilipinas. GCash is currently one of the leading fintech firms in the country with 77 million users as of March 2023. Digital Pilipinas, on the other hand, is one of the largest private sector movements for digitalizing key industries in the Philippines.
They are also joined by Pebbles Sy from GCash, Minette Navarette from Kickstart Ventures, and Chaye Cabal-Revilla from Metro Pacific Investments Corporation.
“We look to the UK, one of the major dialogue partners of ASEAN, for its renewed Indo-Pacific commitment especially in the space of Digital Economies. Digital Pilipinas commits to be a most active supporter of the UK’s programs on startup development, cybersecurity, healthtech AI and fintech,” Maclang said in a statement.
Maclang, through Digital Pilipinas, organizes the annual Philippine Fintech Festival, which pushes for digital adoption in the ASEAN region.
London Tech Week
Started in 2012, London Tech Week holds a prominent position in the UK tech calendar, centered around the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. This year’s event ran from June 12–16, 2023, with over 500 events across the UK capital–the week-long gathering drew in an estimated number of 30,000 attendees.
The tech week offered a platform to demonstrate the transformative impact of technology on both business and society. The event highlighted major tech trends and sectors including sustainability, digital innovation, health technologies, and hosted notable gatherings such as the renowned London AI Summit–a premier global event in the field of artificial intelligence.
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