Building a Global Tech Empire from Singapore: Tianyi Jiang's Vision for AvePoint

For Dr Tianyi Jiang (TJ), serial entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of AvePoint, the path to building impactful ventures was shaped by both tragedy and reflection. On September 11, 2001, while working as a software consultant at Lehman Brothers, TJ witnessed the second plane strike the South Tower from across the Hudson River on his way to work. Thankfully, everybody on the 40^th floor of World Trade Center North Tower where TJ worked, survived. The experience became a defining moment, prompting TJ to re-evaluate his career and pursue his passions. 

"Life is too short to not take risks," TJ recalls. "I knew I wanted to build something impactful while being able to solve complex problems."

AvePoint started humbly in a public library in Somerset, New Jersey, as a backup product for Microsoft Exchange. Its breakthrough came when TJ, alongside his co-founder Kai Gong, developed the first migration solution for SharePoint, a Microsoft platform for team collaboration and document management. This earned AvePoint recognition from Microsoft and multiple customer referrals, cementing its reputation as a company that could tackle complex enterprise problems.
 

Drawing on his background in financial institutions, TJ combined his expertise in data mining and machine learning with a hands-on, customer-focused approach. "We didn't just sit back and observe," TJ says. "I travelled extensively to meet customers, partners, and employees, while staying attuned to market shifts."

As cloud adoption surged, AvePoint expanded its offerings to include data security, governance, and collaboration. Today, with artificial intelligence (AI) driving digital transformation, AvePoint plays a key role in ensuring secure and compliant data, which is vital for AI adoption. AvePoint supports 25,000 customers worldwide, with a physical presence in 18 countries across five continents, delivering secure and scalable data management solutions.
 

Scaling Global Businesses with Singapore as a Strategic Hub

Although TJ's entrepreneurial journey began in the U.S., Singapore has become both AvePoint's Asia headquarters and R&D hub, as well as the launchpad for TJ’s new ventures. TJ has firmly rooted his family and life in the city-state too, with his Singaporean wife and five children in public schools. 

TJ says Singapore was an instant top contender for AvePoint and building new businesses. "Singapore’s thriving tech ecosystem and commitment to innovation was what first attracted us. On top of that, the government's strong support for tech ventures – whether through grants, business-friendly policies or openness to emerging technologies – is a game-changer for accelerating growth.”
 

Singapore’s strategic position and talent pool has also enabled AvePoint to expand across Asia-Pacific. “The region has an exponentially growing demand for digital transformation solutions, and we have been able to build an excellent team here to support this demand. Our Singapore-based team is not only diverse but multidisciplinary, comprising developers, engineers, analysts, sales and support staff, and provides 24/7 support for mission-critical systems."
 

How Singapore's Talent Drives AvePoint's AI Innovation and IP Generation

Singapore is a major hub for AvePoint's AI research and innovation. In 2022, AvePoint established a S$100 million international R&D hub in Singapore, followed by the launch of its AI Lab in 2024.  

The AI Lab commercialises AI innovations and integrates them into AvePoint’s software as a service (SaaS) platform, supporting industries like finance, education, healthcare, and government. AI researchers at AvePoint collaborate with teams from different countries on real-world challenges, ensuring their solutions are globally adaptable.

TJ cites this collaborative environment and "international exchange of knowledge", combined with a skilled workforce, as crucial to driving new product innovation and intellectual property creation for AvePoint.

 "Finding the right talent in AI and R&D is a challenge everywhere, and we have found world-class hires here in Singapore. The technical expertise, problem-solving mindset, and adaptability of ICT professionals here make Singapore a prime location for R&D and AI development," TJ emphasises.

Building a Future-Focused Tech Empire 

Despite AvePoint’s success, TJ feels his entrepreneurial journey is far from complete, and the itch to build again – and build new – remains as strong as ever.

His strategy includes spinning off specialised ventures from Singapore to tackle industry verticals. One example is MaivenPoint, an EdTech SaaS platform designed to modernise learning and training. "Spinning off ventures allows us to address distinct challenges while encouraging a startup mindset," TJ says. "It also empowers next-generation leaders, like MaivenPoint's CEO Zoe Shang, to take ownership and hone their leadership skills." 

Singapore continues to be an ideal base for serial entrepreneurs, according to TJ. "Singapore's pro-business environment, combined with clear regulatory frameworks, provides a solid foundation for launching and scaling multiple ventures. The ease of starting a business significantly lowers barriers to entry, allowing founders to focus on innovation and growth."  
 

Looking ahead, Singapore will remain key to TJ’s plans as he looks to capture opportunities in the evolving tech and data landscape, be it through AvePoint or new venture ideas.

TJ sees major growth in data security and management solutions, highlighting how AvePoint’s R&D team in Singapore is central to this growth strategy. By unlocking new technologies to govern and secure AI, AvePoint will pave the way for businesses to achieve new levels of efficiency and innovation. 

“AI governance and security are our biggest focus,” TJ says. "High-quality data is essential to producing reliable AI outcomes, and ensuring robust governance and security is critical to managing the risks associated with AI. This is why we are investing heavily in R&D to help businesses unlock AI’s potential while ensuring data security. We are combining cutting-edge AI solutions with our data governance expertise – and positioning AvePoint to lead the next wave of digital transformation."
 

This article is part of a series spotlighting serial entrepreneurs building new global ventures from Singapore. Find out more at https://go.gov.sg/gfp