The APEC Young Entrepreneurs Conference opened in Hangzhou on Sept 16, bringing together about 200 young entrepreneurs, investors, and representatives from APEC economies to exchange ideas on AI, entrepreneurship, and digital trade.

Under the theme "Entrepreneurship Engine, Youth-Led Change: for a Prosperous Asia-Pacific for All", the conference is a youth-focused event held during China's 2026 APEC host year.

Among the young entrepreneurs exploring new opportunities is Qiu Yongjie, a 25-year-old Malaysian and third-year master's student in computer science at Zhejiang University.

Qiu is developing an AI-powered platform to help users learn and use AI tools more easily. He said the rapid pace of AI development means traditional learning methods can struggle to keep pace, while his platform aims to help beginners without technical backgrounds quickly learn new AI tools.

For Qiu, entrepreneurship is about more than just building a business. He believes entrepreneurs should also consider how technology can address social problems and benefit society.

He also stressed the importance of teamwork during the early stages of entrepreneurship, saying communication among team members helps bring new knowledge and ideas into the process.