DeepDive Labs @ Singapore FinTech Festival 2025

Divya and I went to the Singapore FinTech Festival this year as part of the DeepDive Labs team. It was the 10th anniversary of the festival, and we expected something special to mark the occasion. But once we were inside, it looked and felt like any other year. There were no big banners or celebrations to show that it had completed ten years.

RegXperience Launch

We were there to launch our product, RegXperience—short for Regulatory Experience. This has been our focus for more than two and a half years. Most of that time went into research, and about six to eight months into actual development work. Our research included the usual regulatory reading, the presentations we gave at conferences, and the design work done by our General Assembly interns. They spoke to compliance managers and others, and those conversations helped us make sense of what people really needed.

Setting Up the Booth

Exhibitor Economics As exhibitors, we chose the startup booth. Even the "reduced rate" was about SGD 5,000, and every extra item—printed graphics, tables, chairs—came with an additional cost. So we kept things simple. We bought a table and chair from IKEA because it was cheaper than renting one at the venue. Somehow that small decision made the whole thing feel more down-to-earth.

We were allowed into the venue the day before. We set up our computer, which showed our demo videos on a loop, and put up two flex banners—one meant for GRC consultants and the other for startups and SMBs. After arranging everything cleanly, we called it a day and prepared for the opening.

Day 1 - November 12

Meeting People

We reached the booth around 9 AM on the first day. The festival opened only at 10, so we had time to look around and settle in. Our booth was in Hall 4, next to the food and logistics area. We thought this would bring us good foot traffic, but people only started coming in steadily later in the day.

Visitors came in all types.

Casual Visitors

Some walked slowly, reading the banners carefully. If they were genuinely curious, they waited patiently even when we were talking to someone else. Others were shy. They tried to make eye contact, looked away, looked at the screen again, and walked very slowly past us. It took only a gentle question—"Interested in compliance?"—to make them stop and talk. Once they did, it became easier to understand who they were and what they needed.

We also learned not to launch into long demos immediately. Instead, it worked better to first ask about them, have a simple conversation, and only then decide whether a demo made sense.

Serious Visitors

These were people who saw a line in our value proposition and wanted to know more. Some asked very direct questions about what mattered to them. Others asked for a full walkthrough after a short introduction. We showed them the system in detail. Thankfully, all our demos worked perfectly. That helped build trust, and a few of them even shared our website with their colleagues. We noticed new sign-ups from their companies by the next morning.

Job Seekers and Curious Wanderers

Some visitors were not there to look at products at all. They were exploring the job market or just curious about the industry. Many were friendly and open and told us they were between jobs. We exchanged cards and connected on LinkedIn.

Then there were the "silent" ones—people who simply took a card and moved on without a word. We assumed they planned to check all the websites later at home. It felt a little odd, since they could have spoken to us directly, but exhibitions bring all kinds of behaviour.

Speed-Networking Sessions

Speed-Networking Format

On the first and second days, we also joined the speed-networking sessions. It reminded me a little of speed dating—hundreds of tiny tables, three chairs each, and a long series of short meetings. Before the event, we could see the list of delegates, read about them, and choose whom we wanted to meet. They, in turn, did the same. A matching system paired people with overlapping interest.

Divya and I attended the session on the first day. It turned out to be very useful. Some people had a general idea of what we did, and others had even read our blog posts and understood our work well. Conversations were to the point, and we were able to meet many people quickly.

Session Details These sessions ran on November 12 and 13 from noon to about 4:30 PM. Preparing for them took some effort—mostly reading profiles and figuring out who might be relevant. Divya went through the list one by one, which made things much easier later.

Days 2 & 3 - November 13-14

A Busier Booth

Foot traffic increased noticeably on the second and third days. A few visitors had heard about us from others, some had seen our posts online, and others were searching specifically for GRC-related products. This brought in more serious conversations and a few new demo requests.

We tried to show full demos only to those who clearly wanted one. Talking continuously for hours can be tiring, and not everyone needed the complete walkthrough. Keeping the balance helped us stay fresh and gave each visitor what they truly needed.

A Touch of Home

We also met a surprising number of people from Chennai. Hearing Tamil in a foreign setting always feels comforting. These conversations were warm and familiar, and even if not always directly related to our field, they added to the richness of the experience.

Exploring the Festival

Divya and I took turns leaving the booth to walk around the festival. Most companies were in the financial space, as expected, but there were also many AI tools, smart-hiring platforms, and related technologies. AI seemed to be everywhere.

There were large pavilions from India, Poland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, and many other countries. We couldn't visit each one properly, but it was nice to see how different nations showcased their ecosystems.

Proactive Outreach Strategy

During these walks, we also approached companies that we felt could be potential customers. Instead of having long, polite listening sessions where the other person talked exhaustively about their product, we tried a more direct approach. We simply asked, "May I take three minutes to tell you what we are building?" Everyone said yes. Whether these conversations turn into something more, time will tell. But speaking to people when they were relaxed and not already busy worked well.

Closing Thoughts

The three days at the festival were a refreshing experience. Being in a hall full of people—startups, founders, innovators, curious wanderers—brought a sense of energy that is hard to find elsewhere. It reminded us that no matter how much we think we have understood our own product or our own direction, there is always something new happening out there. That was both humbling and encouraging.

We wrapped up by posting on LinkedIn and tagging the people we had met. It was a simple way to acknowledge the conversations and keep in touch.

We look forward to attending more such events in the future.