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Founder at AlBUILD
Co-founder, Global Elite School
Academic Staff at Melbourne University
Investigator at Australian Research Council
Global Talent Program Alumnus
It’s a pleasure to be here with everyone at SMArt Gen. I’m Wang Yifei, founder and CEO of Aibuild, the company providing IT R&D support for this AI-driven app.
Eight years ago, as I was about to graduate from the University of Melbourne with a degree in Computer Programming and Software Systems, I took part in an exchange program at Peking University. My strong performance there caught the attention of an Imperial College London professor who happened to be teaching in Beijing, and he invited me to pursue my career in the UK. But because I still had so many unfulfilled dreams and ambitions in Australia, I had no choice but to let that opportunity pass—a regret I’ve carried ever since.
Eight years later, I’m honored to take on a brand-new AI mission, now as an Australian Global Talent (GTI) visa holder, an IT mentor at the University of Melbourne, and founder and CEO of Aibuild, a leading Australian AI company: AI should not be a dividend reserved for tech giants alone—it is also a real business challenge and an intelligent engine for small and medium-sized enterprises. Through this mission, I aim to provide the technical support needed to rapidly develop and launch SMArt Gen in UK, an AI-driven app offering a one-stop service for young Chinese students studying abroad in the UK.
Today I’d like to share three things that have resonated with me most deeply: moving from large-scale AI R&D to empowering SMEs; achieving precise breakthroughs from massive AI models down to niche markets; and my journey from an unfinished chapter at Imperial College to a new venture in the UK.
As an AI expert with a foot in both academia and commercial application, over the past eight years I’ve served as an IT mentor at the University of Melbourne while continuously pursuing academic research, all while leading Aibuild in turning that research into real-world commercial products—with strong backing from the Australian government and the University of Melbourne. In just a few short years, we’ve participated in nearly AUD 20 million worth of Australian government-funded projects, spanning collaborative R&D across sectors including aged care, education, real estate, and healthcare.
The more deeply I invested myself, the more clearly I came to realize that AI, at present, remains largely the exclusive privilege of tech giants and capital. For most small and medium-sized enterprises, the barriers are steep: prohibitive costs (computing power, data, talent) that they simply can’t afford; technical barriers (patents, infrastructure, chips) that remain out of reach; and implementation challenges (customization, integration, maintenance) that leave them hesitant to even try.
But as a true believer in AI+, I’ve always held firmly to this conviction: AI should not be the exclusive privilege of giants—it is an opportunity of this era for every small and medium-sized enterprise; AI is not just a privilege of capital—it is an innovation tool for every SME. And the emergence of SMArt Gen has given me the chance to prove this in practice: small and medium-sized enterprises, too, can plug in an AI engine. This is precisely why, no matter how busy I am, I make it a point never to miss any key stage of SMArt Gen’s R&D process.
From a graduate of the University of Melbourne’s AI program eight years ago to an IT guest lecturer at the same university today, I’ve witnessed the emergence and application of large AI models as a major milestone in the history of artificial intelligence. But it’s an undeniable fact that large AI models demand steep computing costs, talent costs, and data costs—costs that remain out of reach for most small and medium-sized enterprises.
Fortunately, I firmly believe that AI’s value isn’t reserved only for the “big.” For SMEs, the power of AI can be focused precisely and efficiently on specific niche markets. SMArt Gen is exactly this kind of “precision breakthrough” AI product. Its core AI technology, SMArt AI Search, doesn’t chase being large and all-encompassing in its models—instead, it’s built around being “small and beautiful,” targeting the niche of young study-abroad students within the UK study-abroad industry, making personalized AI customization for young study-abroad services truly within reach.
Beyond SMArt AI Search, another core feature of SMArt Gen—SMArt VR Search—is also a key focus of our R&D. Using campus VR materials captured with the Otaro panoramic platform and 360° VR cameras provided by SMArt Gen, we apply advanced VR technology to deliver users the best possible immersive VR campus tour experience.
Eight years ago, declining the invitation from Dr. Andras, a professor in Imperial College’s AI program, was indeed an unfinished chapter for me. Fortunately, SMArt AI Search—developed by Aibuild, the leading Australian AI company I founded and now serve as CEO of—has become the flagship project marking Aibuild’s entry into the UK market.
SMArt AI Search is Aibuild’s first project in the UK market, and a fully committed innovative application whose significance extends far beyond the project itself. It represents an attempt to pave a path where UK SMEs, with a budget of just a few hundred thousand pounds or even less, can equip their business operations and project management with the same AI-powered engine that giants use.
SMArt AI Search and SMArt Gen, this AI-driven app, together provide a one-stop UK young study-abroad service for Chinese communities worldwide. The project is currently in its final development sprint, with plans to complete version 1.0 by the end of June this year, launch it to market, and continue iterating based on user feedback.
Aibuild is also actively preparing to set up a UK subsidiary. I myself, working around a schedule that doesn’t conflict with my teaching commitments at the University of Melbourne, will be participating as part of the Victorian (Australia) Government’s technology trade delegation to the UK and Europe, attending London Tech Week in June 2025, where we’ll showcase our latest AI project.
SMArt Gen’s mission goes beyond simply building an intelligent platform serving young study-abroad students—it’s also about exploring how AI can truly empower small and medium-sized enterprises, helping them break through technical barriers and achieve precise growth. Going forward, we will continue to optimize the algorithms behind SMArt AI Search, iterating and upgrading based on user feedback to make our AI engine more precise and efficient. At the same time, we plan to establish an AI R&D center in the UK, further driving the application of AI technology in fields such as education and business services, so that more companies and individuals can access and benefit from AI’s dividends.
In this new era of artificial intelligence, AI should not be a dividend reserved for tech giants alone—it should be an opportunity for every innovator. I firmly believe that AI + SMEs will become a vital driver of future economic growth. And SMArt Gen is the best example of this vision put into practice.
SMArt Gen’s mission goes beyond simply building an intelligent platform serving young study-abroad students—it’s also about exploring how AI can truly empower small and medium-sized enterprises, helping them break through technical barriers and achieve precise growth. Going forward, we will continue to optimize the algorithms behind SMArt AI Search, iterating and upgrading based on user feedback to make our AI engine more precise and efficient. At the same time, we plan to establish an AI R&D center in the UK, further driving the application of AI technology in fields such as education and business services, so that more companies and individuals can access and benefit from AI’s dividends.
In this new era of artificial intelligence, AI should not be a dividend reserved for tech giants alone—it should be an opportunity for every innovator. I firmly believe that AI + SMEs will become a vital driver of future economic growth. And SMArt Gen is the best example of this vision put into practice.
With his outstanding performance, Yifei Wang was directly hired as an IT mentor by the University of Melbourne right after graduating. His University of Melbourne student card was upgraded straight to a staff card, making him the pride of Australia’s international students.
Eight years ago, as a student, Yifei Wang caught the eye of Imperial College London professor Dr. Andras. Today, Wang Yifei is a well-known figure in Australia’s business community, and has appeared alongside Melbourne’s Lord Mayor, The Rt Hon. Nicholas Reece, as a spokesperson for the city.
Early in his entrepreneurial journey, Yifei Wang’s major technical breakthroughs in the VR field earned him recognition from Kathy Coultas, Director of the Victorian Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (Tech/Science area), who has even recommended Wang Yifei and his team on her own social media.
Yifei Wang isn’t just a scholar—he’s also a fighter: in his spare time in Australia, he spent a full year training rigorously under Predrag Galie, a renowned coach who has won a Wako World Cup silver medal and a Balkan Championship gold medal. He lost over 30 kilograms in six months and successfully earned a highly regarded Australian boxing coaching certification.
With a formal academic background in AI, Yifei Wang was invited to serve as an IT mentor at his alma mater, the University of Melbourne, right after graduating. Not only does he place great emphasis on patent development in the AI field, he has personally led his team to secure numerous AI patents.
In just a few short years, Yifei Wang has led AIBUILD to secure nearly AUD 20 million in collaborative project investment from the Australian government, while also building close partnerships with numerous Australian universities and enterprises.
AIBUILD’s rapid growth in AI, VR, and AR has also drawn close attention from tech giants like Google—not only providing support such as Google Cloud data services to help AIBUILD continue its rapid growth, but also featuring and promoting its partnership with Aibuild on Google’s official website, an honor currently shared by only 6 companies.
Today, AIBUILD has become a leading, cutting-edge AI tech company in Australia, and has been invited to join Victoria’s global AI and trade delegations, representing the state at events around the world to widespread acclaim.
With his outstanding performance, Yifei Wang was directly hired as an IT mentor by the University of Melbourne right after graduating. His University of Melbourne student card was upgraded straight to a staff card, making him the pride of Australia’s international students.
Eight years ago, as a student, Yifei Wang caught the eye of Imperial College London professor Dr. Andras. Today, Wang Yifei is a well-known figure in Australia’s business community, and has appeared alongside Melbourne’s Lord Mayor, The Rt Hon. Nicholas Reece, as a spokesperson for the city.
Early in his entrepreneurial journey, Yifei Wang’s major technical breakthroughs in the VR field earned him recognition from Kathy Coultas, Director of the Victorian Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions (Tech/Science area), who has even recommended Wang Yifei and his team on her own social media.
Yifei Wang isn’t just a scholar—he’s also a fighter: in his spare time in Australia, he spent a full year training rigorously under Predrag Galie, a renowned coach who has won a Wako World Cup silver medal and a Balkan Championship gold medal. He lost over 30 kilograms in six months and successfully earned a highly regarded Australian boxing coaching certification.
With a formal academic background in AI, Yifei Wang was invited to serve as an IT mentor at his alma mater, the University of Melbourne, right after graduating. Not only does he place great emphasis on patent development in the AI field, he has personally led his team to secure numerous AI patents.
In just a few short years, Wang Yifei has led AIBUILD to secure nearly AUD 20 million in collaborative project investment from the Australian government, while also building close partnerships with numerous Australian universities and enterprises.
AIBUILD’s rapid growth in AI, VR, and AR has also drawn close attention from tech giants like Google—not only providing support such as Google Cloud data services to help AIBUILD continue its rapid growth, but also featuring and promoting its partnership with Aibuild on Google’s official website, an honor currently shared by only 6 companies.
Today, AIBUILD has become a leading, cutting-edge AI tech company in Australia, and has been invited to join Victoria’s global AI and trade delegations, representing the state at events around the world to widespread acclaim.
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