A structured mission across two markets
Jessica Hu represented GBM Health Group during the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Canadian Women-only Business Mission to the Philippines and Singapore, held from February 3 to 11, 2026. APF Canada’s official delegate list identifies Hu as Director of GBM Health Group, while her profile on the same organization’s website describes her as the group’s Founder and CEO.
The mission, titled Securing our Futures, was the tenth initiative in APF Canada’s Women’s Business Missions to Asia series. It brought Canadian women entrepreneurs together with business, institutional and investment communities in the Philippines and Singapore. The program focused broadly on sustainable and resilient economic development, including the digital economy, infrastructure, food and energy security, and international trade.
GBM participated as a health-innovation business working across molecular diagnostics, AI-enabled health technologies and international commercialization. Its inclusion placed the group within a cross-sector delegation rather than a health-specific trade mission. The program offered access to a structured international business environment, but it did not validate a product, approve market entry or establish a commercial relationship.
The official agenda divided the mission into two stages. Activities in Manila ran from February 3 to 7, followed by the Singapore program from February 9 to 11. The itinerary included public and private discussions, institutional and company visits, networking events and scheduled business meetings.
From visibility to structured business conversations
A central component of the mission was personalized business-to-business matchmaking. APF Canada states that entrepreneur delegates participated in B2B meetings, company pitches and curated networking opportunities. Its published agenda scheduled dedicated B2B programming in both Manila and Singapore.
For a company assessing international market pathways, this format is different from general conference attendance. Curated matchmaking can create opportunities to introduce capabilities, hear directly from local stakeholders and begin evaluating whether there is a basis for further discussion. It also helps identify the questions that must be answered before pursuing a market: regulation, channel structure, local operating capacity, customer needs and partner responsibilities.
GBM’s participation is therefore best described as business development and market engagement. The verified facts are that Jessica Hu and GBM Health Group were formally listed as part of the delegation and that the official program provided B2B matchmaking and related activities. APF Canada’s public materials do not identify an investment secured, a contract signed or a transaction completed by GBM as a result of the mission.
That boundary does not reduce the value of participation. International commercialization often begins with disciplined market learning and qualified introductions. The mission gave participating entrepreneurs a defined setting in which to develop those conversations while drawing on APF Canada’s regional programming and institutional network.
Singapore, CIAC2026 and the CanWIN investor forum
The Singapore segment connected the mission with a wider Canada–Asia business environment. APF Canada states that the mission concluded alongside the Canada-in-Asia Conference 2026 and CanWIN’s invite-only investor forum. The official agenda lists an investor summit, B2B meetings, a meeting with the Trade Commissioner Service and CIAC2026 programming during the Singapore stage.
For GBM, these activities created several forms of engagement. B2B meetings supported company-to-company introductions. CIAC2026 provided a wider setting for dialogue among Canadian and Asian business and institutional participants. The CanWIN forum added an investor-oriented environment intended to connect women entrepreneurs with relevant networks.
These activities should be described as access and engagement opportunities. Participation in an investor forum does not mean that financing was offered or received. A B2B meeting does not establish a partnership unless the parties later confirm one through a separate agreement or announcement.
Building relationships without overstating outcomes
GBM’s participation reflects the group’s continuing interest in understanding international health markets and developing credible pathways for cross-border commercialization. The Philippines and Singapore offer different business environments, making the two-market format useful for comparing market needs, operating models and possible routes for future engagement.
At this stage, the appropriate outcome is not a claim that GBM entered either market. The more accurate conclusion is that the mission allowed GBM to participate in structured conversations, expand its regional understanding and introduce its capabilities within a recognized Canadian international business program.
Any subsequent investment, distribution arrangement, research collaboration or commercial agreement should be announced separately and supported by its own evidence. This article records participation in the APF Canada mission; it does not represent confirmation of a transaction.
Through programs such as this one, GBM can continue building the knowledge and relationships required to connect health innovation with real-world markets. The emphasis is on a sequence of verified steps rather than on compressing early conversations into claims of completed expansion.
That measured approach is especially important for a smaller company. It allows management to compare opportunities, decide where further diligence is justified and identify the capabilities that a credible local partner would need to contribute before resources are committed.