Platform and AI thinking for your next stage of growth.
I help companies and investors make their next big growth decisions, at home and across borders, drawing on what I built at Alibaba Group and Ant Group, where platforms and AI were proven at scale.
about meOperator experience, independent perspective.
I’m Dream Meng Liu, a digital economy and entrepreneurship adviser based in Cambridge, UK.
Over seven years at Alibaba Group and Ant Group, I led the business design and international scale-up of Trusple, Ant Group’s AI- and blockchain-powered cross-border payment and financing platform. I also took part in Alipay’s global rollout and the launch of Tmall Global’s Direct Import Initiative, and designed entrepreneurship programmes that accelerated digital economy development in emerging markets.
Since 2023, as an independent adviser, I have helped companies, investors and public institutions apply platform and AI thinking to growth, innovation and entrepreneurship.
MEng and MBA, University of Cambridge
Track RecordOver a decade building and scaling digital platforms in payments, e-commerce and trade, from China to markets on four continents.
100+
Businesses helped into China or advised on business models and new revenue streams
1000+
Entrepreneurs and businesses leaders trained
15+
International and regional banks supported on digital platforms and digital assets
20+
Independent advisory engagements since 2023, for private and public sector clients including UN agencies
How i can helpThree ways to work with me
Every engagement is shaped around your question.
01
Advisory & Consulting
Market entry, partnerships, new business and commercial due diligence, as expert sessions, focused projects or ongoing advice.
02
Briefing & Masterclass
Tailored sessions on China’s digital economy, fintech and AI for leadership teams, investment committees and programmes.
03
Speaking
Keynotes, panels and moderation at conferences and executive events.
Whether you’re entering a new market, choosing a partner, launching a new business or assessing an opportunity, I bring an operator’s view from building and scaling China’s leading e-commerce and fintech platforms for global markets
01 · Advisory & consulting
Market Entry & Expansion
Where to go, and how to win there: market assessment, localisation, channel and platform strategy, and an entry roadmap.
Partnerships & Ecosystems
Who to work with, and on what terms: partners and distributors, platform, bank and payment partnerships, and governance.
New Business & Growth
Where your next growth comes from: staying ahead of your industry, new offerings and revenue streams, and business model design.
Commercial Due Diligence
Understand the market, industry trends and competitors, how the product, business model and ecosystem may evolve, and where a strategic investment creates synergies with your business.
02 · Briefing & MasterclassUnderstand China’s digital economy, and what it means for you.
What China’s platforms and AI leaders have learned, distilled for your team and tailored to your sector and the decisions in front of you.
Briefing
A tailored briefing paper and a 90-minute session with your leadership team or investment committee, focused on one question.
Masterclass
Half-day or full-day, in person or online, for leadership teams, offsites and entrepreneurship programmes.
Grounded insight, delivered with clarity
Keynotes, panels, moderation and workshops on the digital economy, e-commerce, fintech and entrepreneurship, tailored to your audience.
What the world can learn from China’s digital economy
The AI economy: what China’s fast, low-cost AI means for your business
The future of cross-border trade and payments
Going global: how Chinese companies win in new markets
Digital inclusion that pays: lessons from China’s rural e-commerce
Super apps and platform ecosystems: building businesses others build on
Leapfrogging: how emerging markets can skip a generation of technology.
Entrepreneurship in the AI era: how small businesses can compete with platforms and AI
Stablecoins and tokenisation: what’s real, and what it means for trade.
Latest · Speaker, panellist and judge at World Investment Forum 2026, Doha
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Latest · Speaker, panellist and judge at World Investment Forum 2026, Doha 〰️
03 · SpeakingExpertiseTopics I cover
The topics behind all three services. Each one can be an advisory project, a briefing or masterclass, or a talk.
IN DEMAND NOW Agentic commerce · Stablecoins & tokenisation · China’s low-cost AI · Chinese brands going global · Instant retail · Digital public infrastructure
01
China’s AI and tech innovation
AI adoption and application across China’s digital economy
Industrial AI, robotics and EVs
How Chinese tech companies innovate
China’s startup and innovation culture
02
China’s platforms and digital commerce
China’s digital economy ecosystem and super apps
The evolution of China’s e-commerce
Live and social commerce
Instant retail and the food-delivery platform race
03
Payments and digital money
Cross-border payments and e-wallets
Blockchain and virtual accounts in cross-border payments
Stablecoins, tokenisation, CBDCs and the e-CNY
Agentic commerce: AI agents that shop and pay
Open banking and embedded finance
04
SME finance and digital trade
SME credit and alternative credit scoring
Digital trade finance
Digital trade standards and electronic trade documents
KYC, KYB and digital identity
05
Platforms, consortia and partnerships
Governance and rules for consortia and shared platforms
Platform business models and new revenue streams
Partnerships with banks, payment providers and governments
06
Entrepreneurship and SME growth
Investment readiness and fundraising
SME digital transformation and AI
Moving up the export value chain
Entrepreneurship and accelerator programmes
In a decade, platforms and AI helped China leapfrog.
China moved from cash to mobile payments, opened investing and credit to people banks had never served, and went from few shopping malls to the world’s largest online marketplaces. It is now putting AI to work faster than almost anywhere. I worked inside that shift, and I bring the same platform and AI thinking to help your business grow.
What clients say
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Head of Entrepreneurship, UN Agency
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Partner, Consulting Firm
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Head of Innovation, Regional Bank
Dream helped our team separate real use cases from hype in tokenisation. She walked us through the different consortium and business models, and the practical steps to launch the initiative with partners.
Let’s talk about what you are building.
Tell me a little about your organisation and what you have in mind. I usually reply within two working days.