To help bridge a critical funding gap for early-stage tech ventures in Asia, National University of Singapore (NUS) is launching a S$150 million Venture Capital (VC) Programme through its entrepreneurial arm, NUS Enterprise.
In Asia, venture capital funding has nosedived to a decade low of S$85 billion, with early-stage investments declining five per cent from 2023 to S$38 billion in 2024. In this challenging climate, tech startups, particularly those born from intensive research and development cycles, face some of the steepest hurdles.
The NUS VC Programme is designed to enhance support for early-stage tech innovation by focusing on high-potential ventures within the NUS ecosystem, including startups from the National Graduate Research Innovation Programme (National GRIP).
National GRIP empowers innovators to transform lab-based research discoveries into globally competitive, market-ready ventures. While GRIP currently provides up to S$250,000 in seed funding per startup, many startups require continued support to move beyond proof of concept and into commercial markets.
The programme addresses this need by focusing on post-seed growth, combining capital and structured, hands-on venture-building support to help these startups scale effectively.
First, NUS will commit S$50 million over the next three years in selected venture capital firms with strong track records in early-stage deep tech investments. These firms will provide structured, hands-on support to startups, including time, expertise, and access to their networks to help them scale effectively. Second, NUS will commit S$100 million to an autonomous investment fund focused on NUS-affiliated startups, with the flexibility to invest alongside selected VC partners.
