June 27, 2026 - Singapore

First
Spark

The First Spark: Full-day symposium for Asia's student founders

Singapore's next generation of AI builders, founders, and operators starts here. Join a full-day symposium for students and young builders exploring how to build, work, and start up in the AI age.

AI Youth Symposium June 20-26 build campaign Demos, panels, office hours

Why attend

Spend a day inside Asia's student founder ecosystem.

The First Spark is built around practical next steps: what to learn, who to meet, what to build, and how to move from curiosity to company-building.

01

What students will learn

How AI is changing startup ideas, careers, product design, founder pathways, and the operator roles young people can step into now.

02

Speakers and live conversations

Hear from public-sector leaders, founders, investors, engineers, and operators shaping Singapore's AI ecosystem.

03

Partners and founder perks

Access partner resources, office hours, credits, and pathways for student founders. Final partner perks are being confirmed.

04

Testimonials

Student founder quotes and alumni stories can be added here once testimonials are approved.

Featured speaker

Jasmin Lau

Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information and Ministry of Education; Minister-in-charge of GovTech.

Speaker placeholders

Founder, investor, engineer, and operator speakers

Add confirmed names, photos, and short bios here as the programme is finalized.

Symposium details

Full-day itinerary, speaker bios, sponsor spotlights, and logistics.

The agenda is designed to move between inspiration, practical founder resources, demos, office hours, and meaningful networking.

TimeSessionDescription
09:00 - 09:30Doors OpenRegistration, coffee, and morning networking.
09:30 - 09:45Opening RemarksWelcome and framing for the day.
09:45 - 10:15Opening KeynoteSingapore's AI future and the role students can play.
10:15 - 11:15Rapid-Fire DemosStudent teams showcase what they have built.
11:15 - 12:00DebateA live debate on whether young builders should join an AI company before starting one.
12:00 - 13:00LunchOffice hours and structured networking.
13:00 - 13:45Fireside ChatA founder conversation on building from Singapore to the world.
13:45 - 14:30Demo DaySelected teams pitch their projects.
14:30 - 15:15Career PanelStarting your career in the AI age.
15:15 - 15:30BreakReset and reconnect.
15:30 - 16:00Resources SessionPractical resources for student founders.
16:00 - 16:45Product PanelBuilding AI-first products.
16:45 - 17:00Closing KeynoteWhat to build, join, or apply for next.
17:00 - 18:00Public MixerCasual networking and drinks.
Speaker bios + photos

Confirmed and upcoming speakers

Jasmin Lau is confirmed. Add final session title, timing, approved photo, and additional speaker bios here before publish.

Sponsor spotlight

January Capital

Host and principal sponsor supporting the next generation of student founders and AI builders in Singapore.

Logistics

Venue, parking, arrival

Venue, parking, transit guidance, check-in requirements, and accessibility notes are still to be announced.

Optional 7-Day Build Campaign

Build for seven days. Demo on symposium day.

For interested builders, the campaign is a focused pre-event sprint to turn an idea into something real before the symposium.

Challenge statement

What can students build with AI in one week?

Teams will be encouraged to build in public, make quick progress, sharpen their demo, and show the most promising work on June 27.

1
Register as a team

Submit your idea, team details, and build direction. Solo builders can indicate that they are looking for teammates.

2
Build from June 20-26

Use the week to prototype, validate, ship, or improve your AI product, tool, workflow, or startup idea.

3
Prepare a short demo

Selected teams will get demo slots or showcase opportunities during the symposium.

Perks for participants

Office hours, partner resources, founder feedback, and potential follow-on conversations. Final perks are being confirmed.

Selected teams showcase

Placeholder for selected teams, project names, and short demo descriptions once applications are reviewed.

Demo pathway

The strongest teams may be selected for demo slots and further conversations with partners, mentors, and ecosystem supporters.

Perks and goodies

Partner credits, founder resources, swag, networking, and exclusive access.

Partner credits

Credits breakdown

Placeholder for cloud, AI tooling, design, data, or founder-service credits once partner allocations are confirmed.

Swag bag

Goodies for attendees

Placeholder for sponsor swag, stickers, notebooks, event merch, and student-founder resource packs.

Networking

Meet builders and operators

Structured networking, office hours, public mixer access, and chances to meet collaborators across schools and communities.

Exclusive access

Founder pathways

Access to ecosystem updates, partner opportunities, demo follow-ups, and future founder programmes.

FAQ

Registration, logistics, build campaign, perks, and credits.

Who can attend The First Spark?

Students, young builders, student founders, early-career operators, engineers, designers, and anyone exploring AI or startups.

Do I need to be building something to attend?

No. You can register for the symposium even if you are not joining the build campaign.

What is the 7-Day Build Campaign?

It is an optional pre-event sprint from June 20-26 for builders who want to create or sharpen a project before symposium day.

Can I join the build campaign and still attend the symposium?

Yes. The build campaign leads into the June 27 symposium, where selected builders may demo their work.

Where is the event?

The venue is still to be announced in Singapore. Parking, transit, and arrival details will be added once confirmed.

Are partner credits and swag confirmed?

Perks and goodies are being finalized with partners. The credits breakdown and swag contents should be updated before publish.

Is the event free?

Ticketing and registration details will be confirmed through the Luma event page.

Registration

Register for The First Spark.

Use the Luma event page as the primary registration path. The build campaign and updates list are secondary actions.

Luma registration widget placeholder Paste the official Luma embed here, or replace the primary buttons with the live Luma event link once it is ready.
Secondary paths

Build campaign and updates

Use the build campaign CTA for team applications. Use the updates area for students who want reminders before registration details are final.

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