Women’s Health Takes Centre Stage at the Inaugural Sohn Hong Kong Women’s Breakfast;

Top Investment Ideas Sparkle at Sohn Hong Kong Investment Leaders Conference,

Marking 12 Years of Fostering a Healthier Future

• Health tech pioneers unveiled latest non-invasive detective tools and treatments for cervical precancers, including urine HPV test, menstrual pads and cold light PDT system, were during Women’s breakfast
• More than 250 rising and veteran investors convened at the annual conference, raising over HKD 3 million to envision a healthier future for all

27 May 2024, Hong Kong – The Inaugural Sohn Hong Kong Women’s Breakfast and the 12th Annual Sohn Hong Kong Investment Leaders Conference, presented by the Karen Leung Foundation (KLF) in partnership with the Sohn Conference Foundation, successfully concluded on 23 May, 2024. Over 300 leading hedge funds, asset managers,­ finance professionals from across Asia’s investment community and healthcare visionaries convened for the events. Over HKD 3 million was raised, bringing the total proceeds for the charity over the 12-year period to HKD 30 million, which all contributed towards KLF's mission of supporting the fight against gynaecological cancers and improving women’s health in Hong Kong.

Female Visionaries Reshaping Healthcare with Frontier Diagnostics and Care

The first exclusive women’s breakfast debuted in Hong Kong, showcasing an inspirational fireside chat featuring a pioneering female entrepreneur, biomedical scientist and biotech leader working towards empowering women with improved health knowledge and more effective detective tools and treatments to combat HPV and cervical cancers.

“By honouring Karen Leung’s wish to save lives by reducing the impact of gynaecological cancers in Hong Kong, we are proud to debut this breakfast session to recognise and celebrate innovators at the forefront of advancing women’s health. Their work holds tremendous promise for early detection, prevention and treatment of female cancers affecting millions of women worldwide,” said Katharina Reimer, Executive Director at KLF.

Alia Rahman, Co-Founder and CEO of Amplexd Therapeutics, introduced two topical breakthrough therapies for treatment of cervical precancers. “Once approved, our goal is to provide an alternative to the traditional ‘watch and wait’ approach and invasive surgery to minimise discomfort, and enable more accessible treatments,” she noted. “We are enthused to partner with KLF, who has long supported our mission since inception, to jointly develop strategies that advance our shared goal of eliminating cervical cancer.”

Dr. Pui-Wah Choi, Founder of WomenX, unveiled the latest progress of menstrual pads for HPV testing and detecting cervical cancer markers. “With our ‘Pads for Future Women’, women can now get checked and informed with ease. It provides an accessible pathway for cervical cancer screening, breaking down the barriers for women to take full control of their health,” said Dr. Choi. “We stand committed to empowering women with knowledge and resources until every woman triumphs over cervical cancer.”

Dr. Ricky Chiu, Founder and Chairman at PHASE Scientific, highlighted the world’s first urine test for early HPV detection. “Our private, convenient, and non-invasive urine HPV testing serves as an alternative to safeguard women’s cervical health, addressing their concerns over traditional screening.” He added, “We encourage the Hong Kong government and health organisations to consider making this new screening method widely available, especially for underserved communities.”

Investing For Good: Navigating Market Trends with Asia’s Elite and Emerging Investors

Orienting the half-day conference was the spotlight on the Next Wave programme, where  next-generation fund managers unveiled prospective investment ideas in companies with strong growth potential, across sectors spanning from manufacturing, home appliances and entertainment to recruitment. The conference was followed by insightful pitches by leading hedge funds and investors, shedding light on growing investment opportunities in Asia-Pacific markets found in industries ranging from automotives, new energy, utilities and mining to consumer electronics, media, healthcare and real estate. Key highlights included:

• Wendy Chen, Founder and CIO at Sigmoid Capital, described Sanrio (8136 JT) as the “hidden gem in the Japanese equity market”, highlighting the company’s massive portfolio of beloved intellectual property (IP) headlined by Hello Kitty.
• Daniel Rupp, Founder and CIO at Parkway Capital, took a closer look at Chinese company Haier (690D.DE), a global leader in household appliances, diving into its unique position and competitive landscape, and noting their D-Shares.

• Seth Fischer, Founder and CIO at Oasis Management, saw upside potential for the Japanese mid-cap OTC company, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical (4967 JT), drawing attention to the company’s potential for improved crisis management and privatisation.
• Aaron Stern, Managing Partner and CIO at Converium Capital, explored the unchartered opportunities such as sovereign bonds of the Republic of Ecuador (XS2214238441), which are traded at larger discounts and have a higher bond yield than peers.
• Lloyd Moffatt, Founding Partner at Wickhams Hill, presented a non-consensus view and warned about the enormous downside potential of Lifestyle Communities (LIC.AU) and the loss of competitiveness of investment opportunities in the Australian property market.

“Throughout the past 12 years, the Sohn Hong Kong Investment Leaders Conference has raised essential funds and heightened public awareness towards gynaecological cancers,” Katharina added. “We are immensely grateful for the continued support from the community, which exemplifies our shared goal of ‘investing for good’ and brings us closer to new treatment options and cures to gynaecological cancers. Together, we enable all women to live healthy and fulfilling lives.”

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High-resolution event images can be accessed via the links below:

• Inaugural Sohn Hong Kong Women’s Breakfast: https://tinyurl.com/2p8mwtv
• Sohn Hong Kong Investment Leaders Conference: https://tinyurl.com/bdfwyrce