The National University of Singapore’s entrepreneurial arm, NUS Enterprise, has taken bold steps in 2025 to anchor Singapore as a global deep tech hub. Strategic investments above S$170 million, including co-investment deals and a pioneering partnership with Stanford University, are tailored to fill gaps in early-stage funding and bring new global perspectives to local startups.
A redesigned i3 building serves as the new nexus for Singapore’s innovation ecosystem, integrating research, start-up development, and multidisciplinary collaboration. New partnerships mean that NUS founders can access matched funding, mentorship, and world-class facilities for R&D prototyping, market validation, and scaling ventures. This effort is supercharged by the S$50 million commitment to select VC funds and an autonomous S$100 million start-up fund for NUS alumni and researchers.
The Khetan Foundation-backed S$2 million Stanford pilot allows student teams to work on real-world tech challenges with partners like Meta, enhancing local talent with Silicon Valley best practices. The National GRIP Labs, as Singapore’s deep tech training center, will accelerate commercialisation across fields such as AI, smart city solutions, and climate tech. Collectively, these moves set a model for best-in-class university venture ecosystems globally.
Three Best Practice Takeaways
•Strategic Co-Investment Partnerships: Ensure university venture programs leverage co-investment models with government agencies and global family offices for both funding scale and reputational strength.
•Pipeline for Global Collaboration: Develop hands-on overseas programs (e.g., with Stanford) for students and researchers to build global experience, technical mastery, and networks in innovation hotspots.
•Integrated Innovation Infrastructure: Centralise entrepreneurship activities—incubation, prototyping, co-working—in purpose-built innovation hubs that facilitate connections among founders, mentors, and funders, and foster community resilience.
