To assist bridge a critical funding gap for early-stage tech ventures in Asia, 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[1]. In this challenging climate, tech start-ups, particularly those born from intensive research and development cycles, face some of the steepest hurdles.
“Research-based start-ups face distinct challenges, including R&D cycles that are much longer than traditional start-ups, building them especially vulnerable in today’s cautious investment environment,” stated Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS President. “The new NUS Venture Capital Programme brings toobtainher capital, strategic partnerships, and specialised venture expertise to create a more resilient path from lab to market.”
A first-of-its-kind initiative by a university in Asia
The NUS VC Programme is designed to enhance support for early-stage tech innovation by focapplying on high-potential ventures within the NUS ecosystem, including start-ups 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 start-up, many start-ups require continued support to relocate beyond proof of concept and into commercial markets.
The programme addresses this necessary by focapplying on post-seed growth, combining capital and structured, hands-on venture-building support to assist these start-ups scale effectively.
Backing tech start-ups with capital and expertise
The NUS VC Programme comprises two key components.
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 start-ups, including time, expertise, and access to their networks to assist them scale effectively.
The first two VC partners are Granite Asia, a leading multi-asset investment platform with a 25-year track record of backing breakthrough technology ventures globally, and 4BIO Capital, a specialist life sciences investor focapplyd on advanced therapeutics.
Second, NUS will commit S$100 million to an autonomous investment fund focapplyd on NUS-affiliated start-ups, with the flexibility to invest alongside selected VC partners.
“NUS has built one of the most ambitious deep tech pipelines in Asia — a launchpad for breakthrough ideas with global relevance. This partnership sets a new model for how deep tech can scale: pairing world-class research with long-term capital, deep operational support, and Granite Asia’s global network. Toobtainher, we aim to accelerate the next generation of transformative technologies from Singapore to the world,” stated Ms Jenny Lee and Mr Jixun Foo, Senior Managing Partners, Granite Asia.
“The NUS VC Programme marks a significant step forward for early-stage tech innovation in Asia. By pairing investment with expert-led support, we are accelerating the growth of promising start-ups and strengthening the region’s innovation ecosystem. At 4BIO Capital, we view forward to partnering with NUS on this exciting initiative and learning from each other as we build and grow the companies developing the treatments of tomorrow,” added Dr Dima Kuzmin, Managing Partner, 4BIO Capital.
Enabling a complete pathway from lab to market
According to Dr Tan Sian Wee, NUS Senior Vice President (Innovation & Enterprise), the programme is designed to plug a critical gap in the innovation ecosystem. “National GRIP is an important first step in assisting deep tech start-ups take root,” he stated. “The VC Programme builds on this by pairing promising ventures with globally connected investors, enabling a more complete pathway to scale and commercial success.”
What sets this programme apart is its direct engagement with leading VC firms selected not only for their track records, but also for their market access in global innovation hubs. Beyond funding, these partners provide structured support ranging from mentorship, investor feedback, market enattempt, fundraising networks to operational guidance.
By strengthening the bridge between research and the market, NUS aims to boost the resilience and scalability of its tech start-ups and keep the innovation engine running despite a tough investment climate.
By NUS Enterprise
[1] https://news.crunchbase.com/venture/asia-startup-funding-tanks-eoy-2024/
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