NUS Enterprise pledges $116 M to accelerate growth of deep tech start-ups in Singapore

To support the expansion of deep tech start-ups, NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial division of the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore’s premier comprehensive research university, is investing S$150 million ($116 million) to launch the NUS VC Program.

By concentrating on high-potential businesses within the NUS ecosystem, such as start-ups from the National Graduate Research Innovation Program (National GRIP), the initiative seeks to improve support for early-stage tech innovation, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

The statement claims that venture capital investments have plummeted to a ten-year low of S$85 billion ($66 billion), indicating that Asia is experiencing a protracted funding winter.

Early-stage funding came to less than S$38 billion ($29 billion) in 2024, a five percent decrease from 2023. The program’s goal is to fill the crucial funding and mentorship gaps that tech start-ups encounter.

Notably, National GRIP enables innovators to turn laboratory-based research findings into internationally competitive, market-ready businesses.

“As the region faces a sharp pullback in venture capital activity, we see the new NUS VC Program — the first of its kind initiative by a university in Asia — as a critical enabler,

“Research-based start-ups face distinct challenges, including research and development (R&D) cycles that are much longer than traditional start-ups, making them especially vulnerable in today’s cautious investment environment,” said Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS President.

“This program combines funding, strategic alliances, and specialized venture experience to build a more robust path from lab to market,” he said.

Two essential components make up the program. Initially, NUS will invest S$50 million (US$39 million) in a few venture capital firms that have a solid track record of making early-stage deep tech investments over the course of the next three years.

These companies offer start-ups organized, practical assistance, such as time, knowledge, and access to their networks to enable successful scaling.

Granite Asia, a multi-asset investment platform that has supported innovative technology ventures worldwide for 25 years, and 4BIO Capital, a specialized life sciences investor with an emphasis on cutting-edge therapies, are the first two venture capital partners.

The second is that NUS will reserve S$100 million ($78 million) for joint ventures with these venture capitalists.

NUS-affiliated start-ups will be the focus of these joint investments.

Many National GRIP start-ups are still in the early phases of technological readiness, the statement said, and they need ongoing, strategic support to move from lab to market.

The NUS VC Program thus fills this need for downstream venture development, which is a complement to the National GRIP framework.