Kang Kai Yong

Kai Yong, Kang is a Partner at GenAI Fund and an experienced startup founder and ecosystem builder who has worked with some of Asia’s most promising entrepreneurs, investors, enterprises, and technology companies.

GenAI Fund operates across three core pillars: building one of Southeast Asia’s largest curated networks of AI startups, with more than 3,000 companies and 3,000 AI professionals and engineers across the region; accelerating AI adoption across more than 100 enterprises and government agencies through training, advisory, and practical implementation; and investing in promising AI companies across Asia.

Before joining GenAI Fund, Kai spearheaded startup ecosystem initiatives and AI accelerator programs at Amazon Web Services across Southeast Asia and Pakistan. He built and supported programs reaching more than 25,000 startups and managed partnerships with over 1,000 startup organizations and venture capital firms across Asia. Through this work, he helped founders access technology, capital, strategic partnerships, and regional growth opportunities.

Kai began his entrepreneurial journey by founding startups in the education and media industries. He has since supported emerging companies from several perspectives, including as a founder, technology business leader, ecosystem partner, and angel investor through select investments across Asia.

This combination of entrepreneurial experience, regional reach, and exposure to thousands of companies gives Kai a rare, market informed perspective on what separates promising ideas from exceptional businesses. As a judge, he looks for founders with deep customer insight, strong execution, commercial potential, and the ambition to define and lead their categories.