SME Tech Day 2025
Since 2020, SME Tech Day has been an integral part of the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH). Organised annually by A*STAR and with support from Enterprise Singapore, the event encourages local enterprises to innovate by tapping into A*STAR ready solutions, knowledge transfer initiatives and cutting-edge technological capabilities. SME Tech Day underscores A*STAR’s commitment to both leveraging deep tech and emerging technologies to help enterprises grow, and co-developing deep tech with enterprises to address real-world challenges. It also highlights opportunities for public-private collaboration to co-innovate, codevelop new products and enhance business processes.
SME Tech Day 2025 will feature C-Suite executives from diverse industries, who will share their experiences with public-private co-innovation and strategies for local enterprises to upgrade, transform and seize growth opportunities. In addition, there will be a panel discussion revolving around how AI can be used to create authentic connections between businesses and customers. The event will also include the annual Technology for Enterprise Capability Upgrading (T-Up) Awards, recognising researchers who have made impactful contributions to local companies under the T-Up secondment scheme, as well as student innovators who have excelled during their work attachments with local enterprises under the mentorship of A*STAR secondees.
AGENDA
| Time | Programme |
|---|---|
| 2:30 PM | Arrival of Guest of Honour (GOH) |
| 2:35 PM | Opening Address by GOH Ms Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) |
| 2:40 PM | T-Up Awards Ceremony |
| 3:00 PM | The AI-Powered Series Reversing the Global Mental Health Crisis with AI Dr Isabelle Tay, COO, Universal Health Mr Neeraj Kothari, CTO, Universal Health |
| 3:15 PM | The AI-Powered Series AI vs AI: Breaking Down AI-Powered Deception Mr Omar Dapul, CEO, Deepfaic |
| 3:30 PM | Imagine AI Panel Discussion – more details coming soon! |
| 4:00 PM | End of Event |
SPEAKERS
The AI-Powered Series
Data-Driven Detection. Continuous Care. Sustained Wellbeing – Using AI to Reverse the Global Mental Health Crisis
Dr Isabelle Tay
COO and Behavioural Scientist, Universal Health
Dr Isabelle Tay is a Stanford-trained interdisciplinary research scientist and gold medalist dancesport athlete for Singapore. She specialises in psychological interventions and large-scale behavioural research to improve mental wellbeing and resilience.
Isabelle has led global initiatives safeguarding athlete wellbeing initiatives while shaping global standards in the field, supporting the wellbeing of a global community of 130,000 registered athletes in 99 countries through her leadership at the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) and developing policies implemented at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and other international events.
Her research expertise spans psychological interventions that improve resilience, social belonging, and performance. Skilled in advanced data science, AI applications, and fluent in multiple languages, Isabelle bridges elite sports experience with scientific Mr Neeraj Kothari CTO, Universal Health Synopsis of Talk expertise, combining psychology, AI, and technology to tackle realworld mental health challenges.
Mr Neeraj Kothari
CTO, Universal Health
Neeraj Kothari is an inventor with extensive expertise in digital medicine and healthcare innovation.
He was a key architect of Singapore’s National Electronic Health Records system (NEHR) at MOH Holdings and led multiple nationwide data-driven healthcare initiatives. He has over a decade of entrepreneurial experience in the development of AI-powered platforms integrating digital biomarkers for mental and physical health monitoring.
A patent holder and serial innovator, Neeraj has a proven track record in translating complex digital health technologies into practical solutions that improve patient outcomes and system efficiencies.
Synopsis of Talk
Early detection and ongoing intervention are critical to reversing the global mental health crisis - a problem deeply personal to Universal Health. We bridge the gap - left by subjective, delayed approaches - by enabling objective, real-time monitoring of mental health risks and delivering localised and tailored interventions exactly when needed, moving beyond reactive care models relying on self-reported symptoms. Our clinically validated technology delivers 91% accuracy in risk detection, empowering consumers with self-management tools, healthcare systems with remote patient monitoring support, corporates with employee mental wellbeing insights and interventions, and policymakers with aggregated population risk insights via API and SDK to inform smarter policy decisions. By focusing on user voices and lived experiences, our mission is to alleviate the global burden of mental illness leveraging on scientific research and the urgent need to address what cannot be ignored.
Mr Omar Dapul
CEO, Deepfaic
Omar Dapul is the CEO of Deepfaic. He specializes in early-stage growth, strategic partnerships, and transforming complex technologies into scalable go-to-market propositions. Prior to Deepfaic, Omar served as Chief Growth Officer of European fintech firm Cardo AI, leading its expansion into the U.S. market and helping to secure US $15 million in Series A funding. He was also a member of the early team of Black Mountain Systems and scaled the EMEA and international business units, culminating in a $700Mn acquisition by a Private Equity firm.
Omar holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from the University of Asia and the Pacific and completed the Advanced Management and Leadership Programme at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Omar also founded Agos Capital, a private capital advisory firm, and is a Partner at global consultancy firm Finarch.
Synopsis of Talk
This talk reveals how artificial intelligence has become a force multiplier for cybercriminals, enabling attacks that easily bypass traditional security controls and exploit human trust. By leveraging AI tools like chatbots, synthetic voice, and deepfake content, threat actors escalate social engineering to unprecedented levels of realism and scale, targeting identity systems and manipulating routine human interactions. As a result, organizations now face not just advanced technical intrusions but systemic, content based threats that turn employees into unwitting access points, driving escalating risks of data loss and business disruption. The session calls on enterprise leaders to move beyond outdated defenses and adopt adaptive, behavioral defense measures that recognize and respond to AI-powered deception at every layer of the organization.
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