The investment arm of Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), SEEDS Capital (SEEDS), has announced the appointment of 20 new local and global partners to co-invest in Singapore-based deep tech startups.
Under the Startup SG Equity scheme, SEEDS will allocate SGD 150 million over the next three years to stimulate an additional SGD 300 million in private sector investments across key industries including advanced manufacturing, pharmbio/medtech, agrifood tech, sustainability, spacetech, and quantumtech.
With these new appointments, SEEDS now has a total of 52 co-investors. This expansion aims to help startups scale successfully and strengthen Singapore’s deep tech ecosystem.
Global Networks to Support Overseas Expansion
The newly appointed partners include global venture firms such as East Ventures (Indonesia), Global Brain (Japan), HIVEN (South Korea), Paspalis Corporation (Australia), and Valuence Ventures (USA/South Korea). These firms provide crucial resources and networks to help Singaporean startups expand into international markets, secure new customers, and diversify supply chains.
“Expanding overseas, especially into Japan, presents challenges such as cultural differences, communication barriers, and navigating high-context corporate environments. Many Singapore startups find it difficult to adapt to Japan’s intricate decision-making processes and indirect communication styles,” explained Tatsuya Matsumoto, Partner, Global Brain.
Industry News: 5G to Boost Mobile Service Revenue Growth in Singapore
Driving Growth through Technical Expertise
SEEDS has also appointed several prominent local investors who are well-versed in Singapore’s regulatory and business landscape. These partners, including Vickers Venture Partners, iGlobe Partners, K3 Ventures, Antares Ventures, Monk’s Hill Ventures, and Tin Men Capital, will provide mentorship and guidance to startups, further enriching the local startup ecosystem.
Arun Pai, Principal at Monk’s Hill Ventures, said, “We see increasing opportunities in areas such as agritech material science, advanced robotics, AI for healthcare diagnostics, and next-generation semiconductor technologies across Southeast Asia.”
SEEDS’s new partners include specialized investors such as Kurma Partners, 22Health Ventures, and Trinity Innovation Bioventure Singapore, which specialize in healthcare; Eurazeo and Shift4Good, which specialize in sustainability; and Xora, Matter Venture Partners, and ST Engineering Ventures, which specialize in hard tech.
Julien Mialaret, Operating Partner, and Ernest Xue, Director at Eurazeo, noted that investment activity is expected to accelerate in 2025 as key technologies advance and become more economically viable.
Exclusive Interview: Harnessing Generative AI and Tech Innovation to Advance Growth in Singapore’s Retail Industry
Strengthening Singapore’s Deep Tech Ecosystem
So far, nearly SGD 3 billion has been invested in more than 330 startups through the Startup SG Equity scheme. To further support early-growth stage deep tech startups, SEEDS has increased its co-investment cap from SGD 8 million to SGD 12 million per startup.
Cindy Khoo, Chairman of SEEDS Capital, highlighted, “We are happy to see strong interest from the venture capital community, ranging from established Singapore-based funds to international funds with deep expertise and experience backing deep tech category leaders, as well as corporate venture funds looking to back promising startups here with synergistic technologies and business models. SEEDS is committed to growing Singapore’s startup ecosystem and will double down on efforts to nurture a strong core of deep tech startups.”
Also Read:
How Singapore’s APIs Hold the Key to Asia’s 5G Telecom Potential
Singapore to Invest in National Quantum Strategy, Launches Green DC Roadmap
