Arab News Japan

OSAKA: Thiel Capital’s Head of Private Investments, Matt Danzeisen, toured the Osaka-Kansai Expo and Kyoto, highlighting Asia’s dominance in hardware. “As computing needs increase, we expect great opportunities to come from both new and existing companies within Asia,” he said.

Danzeisen and his entourage of venture capital investors from the U.S., South Korea and Singapore visited multiple national pavilions over the two-day visit, including Japan, Singapore, the United States, South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He was accompanied by Dentsu group President & Global CEO, IGARASHI Hiroshi and the Global CFO, ENDO Shigeki.

They also visited the Pavilion on the Future of Life and Mitsubishi’s exhibit, where officials presented the unique highlights of each.

Saudi Arabia, which is hosting the World Expo in Riyadh in 2030, held a VIP reception for Danzeisen and his group. A Senior Advisor to the Royal Commission for Riyadh City said all key Saudi stakeholders are mobilizing to fulfill Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s vision to produce an Expo in Riyadh.

“This is not merely an event; it is the embodiment of a national commitment,” the advisor stated. “Under the leadership of His Royal Highness, we are reimagining the Expo experience across three strategic pillars: bringing the world to Riyadh, hosting the world with excellence, and entertaining the world in ways never seen before. Riyadh will undoubtedly captivate global audiences and set a new benchmark in the history of Expos.”

Danzeisen and his group had lunch at the Saudi Pavilion restaurant and enjoyed traditional Saudi meals.

At the UAE Pavilion, the group was able to take in the theme of “Earth to Ether,” a multi-sensory journey through the story of the UAE, its cultural heritage, its modern achievements and its future plans, including space exploration.

The group also visited the USA Pavilion and were greeted by Ambassador William E. Grayson as Commissioner General for the USA Pavilion.

The Danzeisen tour in Kyoto included the Tōfuku-ji temple, Komyō-in at Nomura Securities “Heiunso” villa, and Ryoanji Temple Rock Garden, one of Kyoto’s most famous gardens. With its traditional architecture and gardens, Ryoanji is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Reflecting on Japan’s tech landscape, Danzeisen said: “It is never too late. Software, especially AI, will be crucial in modernizing Japan’s legacy hardware and manufacturing companies. If Japan can cultivate home-grown startups that replace archaic and proprietary systems, that will not only boost efficiency and productivity across the broader Japanese economy but also attract capital and talent to Japan’s lagging software industry.”

On the wider impact of AI, he told Arab News Japan: “We predict it will be as big as the Internet. Like the Internet, it will have different implications across different countries and unlock differentiated investment opportunities as the technology matures.”

Danzeisen also praised the optimism of the expo: “It presents a refreshingly optimistic counterpoint to tech doomerism in the press, Hollywood, and pop culture. If the only futures we imagine are bleak, that’s exactly the kind of future we will get.”

He pointed to the Gulf’s proactive approach as a model: “The biggest risk with a capital-intensive, winner-take-all technology like AI is not doubling down enough—and the Gulf countries, with their aggressive investments in their young, tech-forward workforces and infrastructure, are not making that mistake.”