Dr. Ryan Manuel is the Founder and CEO of, an AI startup that predicts changes in government policy and regulation. Bilby’s software uses AI and machine learning to analyse, rank and evaluate publicly available information on government activity to help businesses make better decisions.

During his 24-year career Ryan’s worked as a computer programmer, management consultant and professor of Chinese politics, helping government, businesses, investors and students better understand China.

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Knowing technology could offer a better way to understand political science, he founded Bilby in 2021, naming the Hong Kong-based startup after an Australian marsupial known for digging and listening. The team is currently focused on products for China, India, the Middle East and Vietnam, with models for Indonesia, Japan and Korea in the pipeline.

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On top of his role leading Bilby, Ryan is also the Chief Asia Advisor for Silverhorn Investments.

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Before Bilby, Ryan was an academic at Oxford University, the Australian National University and Hong Kong University teaching Chinese politics, society and research methodology. His research has appeared in the New York Times, New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and The Guardian, among other publications. As Senior China Analyst with the Australian government, Ryan wrote for the Prime Minister and the National Security Committee. Before this, he was a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group. Ryan holds a doctorate from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. And amongst a host of hidden talents, he’s really good at Badminton.

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Listen to Dr. Manuel discuss his experience and Bilby's work, on episode 6 of our podcast.