In It for the Long Run - with Thomas Butter

In It for the Long Run
Building a Global AI Startup Without a Tech Background

How do you take the step from corporate to founder? Not in theory - in practice.

• How do you build the first version of your app without a technical background?
• How do you find your first customers with no marketing budget?
• How do you scale AI while keeping the "human touch" to ensure accuracy?

We're excited to welcome Thomas Butter, Founder & CEO of Movaia, to this Startup Grind Hong Kong event. After 15 years in corporate roles, Thomas founded Movaia — an AI-powered sportstech startup in Hong Kong.

Movaia uses computer vision to analyze running form from a smartphone video, helping runners get faster and avoid injuries — without expensive lab visits. In this fireside chat, Thomas will share what he learned making the leap — from finding first customers to scaling AI with humans in the loop.

📅 Date: Thursday, 20 August⏰ Time: 7:00 PM HKT / 1:00 PM CET📍 Location: Online (Virtual Event)

🎤 Meet the Speaker

Thomas Butter is the Founder and CEO of Movaia, a Hong Kong-based sportstech startup that uses AI to analyze and improve running form. A veteran of the corporate world, Thomas spent 15 years leading global business lines and award-winning product launches before a personal running injury exposed a critical gap in the market: professional biomechanics analysis was inaccessible to the average runner.

Breaking the mold of the typical AI founder, Thomas is a non-technical solo entrepreneur. He combined his background as an athlete and certified running coach with a vision for accessible tech to solve the injury crisis that affects 65% of runners annually.

He built Movaia from a concept into an AI-powered platform serving over 4,000 users across the US, UK, and Hong Kong—achieved almost entirely without paid marketing. The company is part of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP) incubation programme.

Thomas is passionate about making performance analysis accessible to every runner, not just elite athletes. His approach — combining computer vision with human verification — reflects a founder who values getting it right over moving fast.

💡 What You'll Learn

✅ How to transition from a corporate career to startup founder
✅ Why launching an alpha version early beats waiting for perfection
✅ How to use human-in-the-loop validation to build trust in your AI
✅ What it takes to find your first customers with no marketing budget
✅ The value of building local — even when your ambition is global

🎯 Who Should Attend?

🚀 Startup founders building AI-powered products or services
📈 Corporate professionals considering the leap to entrepreneurship
🧠 Founders navigating early-stage growth with limited resources and no technical co-founder
🎤 Anyone curious about how AI startups actually work behind the scenes

🚀 Don't miss this opportunity to learn how one founder turned a personal injury into an AI startup.

📌 RSVP now to secure your spot

Agenda

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Speaker

Thomas Butter - Movaia (Founder & CEO)

Thomas Butter is the Founder and CEO of Movaia, a Hong Kong-based sportstech startup that uses AI to analyze and improve running form. A veteran of the corporate world, Thomas spent 15 years leading global business lines and award-winning product launches before a personal running injury exposed a critical gap in the market: professional biomechanics analysis was inaccessible to the average ru…

Hosted By

Jens Wernborg, Director

Over 25 years of experience doing business with companies in Hong Kong, China and India across a wide range of industries.

Have worked with companies to successfully increase sales, save costs through purchasing and outsourcing, establish local presences, recruit and train staff and use digitalization to improve their productivity.

Always looking for ways to streamline and make businesses more efficient using digital tools and services. Knows how to get things done.

Margaret Leung, Co-Director

Margaret is a seasoned Business Consultant and Project/Event Manager who helps foreign companies, both large and small, develop new business and expand in Hong Kong and Greater China. She also has over 20 years of experience in curating and managing events such as seminars, exhibitions, and official-cum-business delegations across multiple industries. This involves working closely with government officials, C-level executives, and collaborating with project team members from different countries and cultures.

Since joining the Startup Grind team in October 2017, Margaret has been deeply inspired by the dynamic energy of the startup ecosystem. She is passionate about community building and fostering meaningful connections among entrepreneurs and professionals.

Amrit Sethi, Startup Grind Moderator

Guest moderator Startup Grind Hong Kong.

Over 30 years of experience helping clients explore the world and make travel stress free.

Individual and corporate travel. Specialist groups, cruises, tours, worldwide hotels, sightseeing, sport competitions. Visa services in Hong Kong.

I combine my teams expertise with a personal touch to ensure that your travel plans meet your needs and wishes while eliminating all the hassle.

Marin Magré, Ambassador

A Frenchman who grew up in Poland, studied in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and started a coffee business in Guatemala before deciding to go back to Hong Kong to be closer to the world of Tech and AI.
My strengths are my international and broad vision combined with a keen sense for operational detail, my fearless go-getter attitude and my attraction to building mutually beneficial relationships.
Excited to be part of the SG community to learn and grow alongside inspiring and innovating people seeking to make a positive impact!

Keith Engine, Mentor

Life is too short to... I love to explore new things - globetrotter, bookworm, and you can see me in most of the startup events in Hong Kong (and beyond) - hunt me! Besides Startup Grind, I was the organizer of Startup Weekend and AngelHack. Some topics can get my immediate attention: emerging technologies, youth entrepreneurship, corporate innovation, startup ecosystem in Asia Pacific. I'm approachable, so, feel free to drop me a message on LinkedIn!

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Global Partner

Carta (http://www.carta.com/launch?utm_campaign=20240423-nam-general-smb-startup_grind_partnership&utm_medium=social&utm_source=startup_grind)
Carta helps people manage equity, build businesses, and invest in the companies of tomorrow. Carta Launch is the only free cap table product, helping new founders get started. The company is trusted by more than 40,000 companies, over 7,000 funds and SPVs, and over two million equity holders to manage cap tables, compensation, valuations, liquidity, and more. For more information, visit carta.com.

Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, and connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities and 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators and investors who share personal stories and lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers and annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups and the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections and gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind.

Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-hong-kong-presents-in-it-for-the-long-run-with-thomas-butter/.