Comprehensive platform leverages city’s unique advantages to capture emerging market opportunities across culture, entertainment, and digital assets
By Exec Edge Editorial Staff
The global investment landscape is experiencing a fundamental shift as economic growth increasingly concentrates in emerging markets, where younger demographics drive current market dynamics with sophisticated expectations for how business, culture, and technology should integrate. Adrian Cheng’s launch of ALMAD Group on September 21, 2025, represents strategic positioning to capture these opportunities through Hong Kong’s unique advantages as an international financial hub with deep cultural connections across Asia.
“We firmly believe that Hong Kong is a resilient community with a global outlook, widely recognized as a bridge to the world,” Cheng stated, positioning ALMAD Group to leverage the city’s distinctive role connecting Eastern and Western markets—particularly valuable for serving Gen Alpha and Gen Z audiences who expect seamless global cultural integration.
ALMAD Group’s focus on emerging markets including Mainland China, ASEAN countries, and the Middle East targets regions where digital-native audiences represent larger population segments and where less entrenched traditional infrastructure creates space for innovative approaches from the beginning.
Emerging Markets Strategy: Capturing Demographic and Economic Convergence
The group’s first strategic direction focuses on transformative industries across high-growth markets, spanning culture, entertainment, sports, media, healthcare, commercial management, and cultural tourism. These industries demonstrate current commercial viability while possessing potential to shape the global economy over the next twenty years, serving Gen Alpha and Gen Z market needs effectively.
ASEAN countries, with rapidly growing middle classes and tech-savvy populations, represent compelling opportunities for cultural and entertainment investments integrating authentic local programming with global technological capabilities. The Middle East’s ambitious cultural development initiatives create opportunities bridging traditional heritage with contemporary expression.
These markets share characteristics ideal for ALMAD Group’s approach: growing affluent populations with sophisticated cultural expectations, government support for creative industries, and less entrenched infrastructure enabling innovative integration of culture, commerce, and technology.
Hong Kong as Strategic Platform: Unique Advantages for Global Investment
ALMAD Group’s Hong Kong headquarters leverages the city’s advantages for emerging market investment. As an international financial center with established regulatory frameworks and global connectivity, Hong Kong enables operation across multiple markets while maintaining operational flexibility.
The city’s position as bridge between East and West provides particular value for investments requiring authentic understanding of both traditional cultural heritage and contemporary global trends—especially valuable for Gen Alpha and Gen Z audiences who expect sophisticated cultural programming respecting traditional foundations while embracing contemporary innovation.
Hong Kong’s connections with Mainland China, combined with its international outlook, create ideal conditions for capturing China’s economic growth while maintaining global perspective. The city’s deep ASEAN relationships provide foundation for Southeast Asian expansion.
Proven Investment Track Record: Validating Emerging Market Approach
Cheng’s confidence in identifying transformative opportunities stems from demonstrated success recognizing platforms capturing how younger demographics in high-growth regions create and consume value. His early-stage investment in Xiaohongshu exemplifies this capability, backing the platform during its evolution into essential infrastructure for lifestyle and commercial decisions among young Chinese consumers.
Xiaohongshu’s success combining authentic cultural content with commerce innovation validates ALMAD Group’s core investment thesis: that authentic cultural engagement with technological sophistication creates value in ways traditional models struggle to replicate, particularly where younger demographics drive significant purchasing power and cultural influence.
This success, alongside backing XPeng Motors and Micro Connect, established credibility in identifying businesses creating entirely new value categories matching how digital-native audiences in emerging markets naturally approach lifestyle, technology, and cultural consumption.
Cultural Ecosystem Expansion: K11 by AC Global Strategy
ALMAD Group’s third strategic direction—globalizing the K11 by AC cultural ecosystem—represents systematic application of proven cultural commerce innovations to emerging markets. K11 by AC’s differentiation lies in sophisticated cultural content, brand experience co-creation, and commercial management, targeting younger affluent demographics who make decisions based on authentic cultural connection.
The expansion includes Experience 11, the rapidly growing Anime IP business targeting Mainland China and the Middle East. By curating experiences with leading Anime IPs and leveraging its global art network, this segment captures the fast-expanding ACGN and “two-dimensions” industries resonating strongly with Gen Alpha and Gen Z audiences.
K11 by AC is also scaling its Gentry Club business—a high-privacy luxury city club for cultural enthusiasts appreciating artisanal lifestyle experiences. This demonstrates understanding that affluent younger consumers in emerging markets seek culturally-informed experiences providing genuine education and authentic connection, reflecting both local heritage and global cultural innovation.
Digital Assets Innovation: Serving Tech-Forward Market Expectations
ALMAD Group’s second strategic direction positions the platform at the forefront of Web3 financial innovation, with planned exploration of digital currency, real-world asset tokenization, and blockchain applications. This digital assets focus recognizes particular relevance in markets where younger demographics demonstrate strong adoption of technological innovation.
The approach extends beyond cryptocurrency investment, focusing on blockchain applications and immersive digital experiences unlocking new possibilities for authentic cultural connection across multiple industries. For Gen Alpha and Gen Z audiences in emerging markets who demonstrate greater willingness to adopt innovative platforms, meaningful Web3 integration represents essential infrastructure for business models matching their worldview.
Systematic Market Development and Future Growth
“From ideation two years ago, we have been determined to build ALMAD Group as a movement propelling this shift, investing in transformative industries in emerging markets such as ASEAN and the Middle East, while advancing globally in digital assets and cultural industries,” Adrian Cheng explained, emphasizing the systematic nature of this emerging market approach.
The “movement” positioning acknowledges that serving emerging market opportunities effectively requires coordinated innovation across multiple industries rather than isolated investments within traditional boundaries.
“As ALMAD Group’s movement evolves, I look forward to unveiling more projects in the near future, showcasing the group’s commitment to transforming vision to action,” Cheng concluded.
ALMAD Group’s systematic approach to emerging market investment, combined with Hong Kong’s unique advantages as global financial and cultural hub, positions the platform to capture transformative opportunities. For emerging markets where Gen Alpha and Gen Z represent significant population segments, ALMAD Group’s comprehensive preparation offers systematic approach to building infrastructure serving their expectations rather than adapting existing models developed for different market conditions.
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