Lee Kuan Yew Beta Prize
The Lee Kuan Yew Beta Prize is dedicated to supporting nascent-stage startups with bold ideas that have the potential to create transformative impact. As part of the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC), this prize recognizes and empowers early-stage entrepreneurs who are tackling pressing global challenges through deep-tech and innovation.
Lee Kuan Yew
Beta Prize
S$100,000 Cash Prize
Who Is It For?
This prize is designed for:
- Early-stage startups and university spin-offs that are in the ideation, prototype, or pre-commercialization phase.
- Innovators working on disruptive solutions in deep technology, sustainability, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, healthcare, and emerging fields.
- Visionaries looking for critical support to turn their groundbreaking ideas into viable businesses
Why It Matters
Many early-stage startups struggle with funding gaps, market entry barriers, and lack of mentorship. The Lee Kuan Yew Beta Prize bridges this gap by offering a launchpad for breakthrough ideas, ensuring they receive the support needed to achieve real-world impact.
Past Winners
(9th, 10th and 11th Editions)
The Lee Kuan Yew Beta Prize is not just an award—it’s a catalyst for game-changing innovation. Apply now and take your startup to the next level.
A/Professor Cher Heng Tan graduated with MBBS (Singapore) and FRCR (UK). He completed his Abdominal Imaging Fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and thereafter, Executive MBA from Insead. He is presently Senior Consultant with the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he also serves as Assistant Chairman Medical Board (Clinical Research and Innovation).
Jixun Foo is a senior managing partner at Granite Asia. He leads the firm’s overall investment strategy and portfolio management.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew
First Prime Minister of Singapore
The Global Stage for Next-Gen Innovators
Inspired by one of the world’s most visionary leaders, the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC) is one of Asia's most globally representative and exciting deep-tech startup challenges. Every two years, our pitch competition lights up a global stage for next-gen founders to showcase their groundbreaking innovations and connect with the world, fueling their growth.
Powered by Singapore Management University’s Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SMU IIE), we have fostered a global youth innovation village and launched countless successful ventures solving real-world challenges since 2002.
The 12th LKYGBPC is bringing together next-gen innovators addressing the most pressing global challenges in Urban Solutions & Sustainability.
Why Founders Join LKYGBPC
- Leverage Singapore’s edge in innovation, startup-friendly policies and top talent
- Connect with leaders shaping Southeast Asia’s market of 700M consumers
- Pitch to investors in Singapore’s thriving hub of 200+ VC funds and family offices
- Join a deeptech peer learning network of founders from world's top 100 universities
- Receive 1:1 mentorship from C-suite executives
- S$2.5M+ in prizes and counting
- Exclusive opportunity to join the soon-to-launch LKYGBPC accelerator
Prizes
12th LKYGBPC Advisory Committee
Shirley Wong
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, SMU Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship & Managing Partner
TNF Ventures Pte Ltd
Shirley is a results-driven business leader and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in the IT and Technology industry. She currently serves as the Managing Partner at TNF Ventures Pte Ltd, a seed and early-stage venture fund focusing on technology startups.
From 2013 to 2016, Shirley was the Chairman of Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation, now known as SGTech. In 1994, she co-founded Frontline Technologies, which was listed on the Singapore Exchange in March 2001. Under her leadership, the company grew from a team of 8 to a 5000-strong workforce spread across 11 countries in Asia Pacific, before being acquired by British Telecom Global Services in March 2008.
Since 2013, Shirley's focus has shifted to investing in and mentoring technology-based startups. She actively helps startups secure funding and gain market access while remaining passionate about entrepreneurship and innovative technology. Shirley is also the Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Singapore Management University's Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, where she assists in developing a world-class incubation program.
Shirley has been the Chairperson of the President’s Technology Award from 2017 to 2019, recognizing outstanding contributions to R&D in Singapore. Shirley has chaired the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition for the past three editions, a platform that empowers the next generation of innovators from universities worldwide to develop sustainable urban innovation!
In addition, Shirley serves on the boards of Assurity Trusted Solutions, DSO National Laboratories, Netlink NBN, National Kidney Foundation, and Yellow Ribbon Singapore. She is a member of the CAAS authority committee on Cybersecurity and Data Governance, PDPA Advisory, and SIA Engineering Technology Advisory Board. Shirley was recognized as one of Singapore's 100 Women in Tech 2020 for her significant contributions to the tech sector.
Shirley Wong
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, SMU Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship & Managing Partner
TNF Ventures Pte Ltd
Jixun Foo
Senior Managing Partner
Granite Asia
Jixun Foo is a senior managing partner at Granite Asia. He leads the firm’s overall investment strategy and portfolio management.
Jixun has spent the last 20 years working with entrepreneurs in the mobility, transportation and enterprise services sectors in Asia. He is best known for his early investments into companies like Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU), Grab, Xpeng Motors (NYSE: XPEV) and his critical roles in strategic mergers and acquisitions, such as those of Youku-Tudou (the first ever multi-billion-dollar tech merger in China), Baidu/Qunar, Ctrip/Qunar, and Manbang (Yunmanman/Huachebang). His portfolio includes 22 companies valued at more than $1 billion each.
Jixun was previously a Director at Draper Fisher Jurvetson ePlanet Ventures, where he led investment efforts in Asian companies such as Baidu (NASDAQ: BIDU). Prior to DFJ ePlanet, Jixun headed up the Investment Group under the Finance & Investment Division of the National Science & Technology Board of Singapore (NSTB) and was previously an R&D project group leader at Hewlett Packard.
Born and raised in Singapore, Jixun is highly respected in the Asia business community and serves on the boards of regional and global organisations including PSA International (Singapore) and Bombardier (Canada).
He has been named as one of the Top 10 Venture Capitalists by Zero2IPO as well as "VC Professional of the Year" by the Asia Venture Capital Journal. He frequently appears on the global Forbes Midas list, including 2019-2023, and was recognised among the Top 100 Venture Capitalists by The New York Times/CBInsights in 2019.
Jixun is an alumnus of the National University of Singapore, obtained a First-Class Honours in Engineering and later, earned an M.Sc. in Management of Technology from the esteemed Graduate School of Business.
Jixun Foo
Senior Managing Partner
Granite Asia
David Golding
Head of Global Innovation Partnerships
Innovate UK
David’s role involves leading Innovate UK’s global activities working with international partners and networks to build collaborations and delivering programmes in support of innovative high growth UK businesses seeking global innovation and research and development opportunities.
Innovate UK, as UK’s national innovation agency, provides support for businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas and to grow and scale globally.
David has been with Innovate UK since it was established 2007 (as the Technology Strategy Board) and was responsible for developing ‘Connect & Catalyse’ and ‘Concept to Commercialisation’, the first two strategies of the organisation.
He has been involved in developing many of the ways it supports business including Small Business Research Initiative (Contracts for Innovation), Catapult centres, the Enterprise Europe Network and Innovate UK Business Growth, as well as its global programmes including joint programmes with Canada, USA, India, China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Brazil.
Prior to joining Innovate UK, David worked for the UK Department of Trade and Industry (now Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) covering a range of different areas including innovation policy as well as working directly for government ministers.
During 2022, David was Chair of Taftie, the Network of Leading European Innovation Agencies and remains a Board member.
David Golding
Head of Global Innovation Partnerships
Innovate UK
Lim Eng Hwee
Chief Executive Officer
Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
Mr Lim Eng Hwee is the Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) with effect from 1st September 2017. URA is Singapore’s national planning agency, responsible for the physical planning and urban development of Singapore.
Mr Lim was formerly the Chief Planner and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of URA from 2009 to 2017. He has extensive experience in urban planning, urban design, implementation of land use policies and development initiatives. He also served in the Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Trade and Industry.
He served as a member in the Boards of Land Transport Authority, Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, Singapore Science Centre, International Federation for Housing and Planning and Singapore Tourism Board. He currently sits on the Board of National Environment Agency.
Mr Lim graduated with a Bachelor of Planning from the University of Auckland. He also holds a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard University and attended the Wharton Advanced Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Lim Eng Hwee
Chief Executive Officer
Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
Lim Teck Kiat
Deputy Secretary (Resilience)
Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment
Mr Lim Teck Kiat currently serves as Deputy Secretary (Resilience) in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) of the Republic of Singapore. He oversees water and food policies, as well as the Ministry’s international relations, communications and engagement functions.
Teck Kiat also serves as a board member of Yellow Ribbon Singapore, an agency that reintegrates ex-offenders and ensures that they have a second chance in life. Prior to MSE, he has served in the Prime Minister’s Office, in the Public Service Division, and in the Ministries of Social Development, National Development, Transport and Law. He has experience in designing and implementing social policies to build a caring and inclusive society, in building human capital, in climate change negotiations and in building eco-cities. He has also worked on developing Singapore as a maritime hub and enhancing access to legal aid. Before joining the Singapore Civil Service, Teck Kiat worked with Motorola in Shanghai.
Teck Kiat is an alumni of Harvard Kennedy School, the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University. Teck Kiat volunteers in community programmes in his free time.
Lim Teck Kiat
Deputy Secretary (Resilience)
Ministry for Sustainability and the Environment
Prof Shlomo Magdassi
Professor of Chemistry
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Shlomo Magdassi is a professor at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Institute of Chemistry. His research centers on micro and nanomaterials, with a focus on their applications in 2D 3D and 4D printing. He is the founder of 3D printing center of the Hebrew University, was the Chair of HUJI Innovate, the entrepreneurship center of the Hebrew University, and the former Chair of the Insitute of Chemistry. Currently is is the Vice-Dean for entrepreneurship. Throughout his career, he has published more than 350 papers, edited four books, and holds approximately 300 patents and patent applications. His industrial research outcome includes creating numerous commercial activities, including start-up companies, licensing agreements, and worldwide sales. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the 2016 European Colloid and Interface Society Solvay Award, the 2022 Johann Gutenberg Prize by the Society for Imaging Science and Technology, the 2022 Israel Chemical Award for Outstanding Scientist, and the 2024 Landau Award for outstanding achievements in arts and sciences. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
Webpage: https://magdassi.huji.ac.il/
Prof Shlomo Magdassi
Professor of Chemistry
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Jacqueline Poh
Chief Executive Officer
JTC Corporation
Ms Poh has been CEO of JTC Corporation since 1 April 2025 and also a director on the Jurong Port Board.
Ms Poh was previously Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) from 2021 to 2025. She was the Chairperson of Design Singapore Advisory Board and board member of EDB Investments.
Prior to EDB, Ms Poh was deputy secretary in the Prime Minister's Office Strategy Group. She was also founding chief executive of the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) and managing director of the former Infocommunications Development Authority.
She also held key positions in three ministries - manpower, finance and defence.
She currently sits on the Boards of SingHealth and the Singapore Institute of Technology.
Ms Poh is an alumnus of Oxford, Cambridge, INSEAD (MBA) and Stanford.
Jacqueline Poh
Chief Executive Officer
JTC Corporation
Cher Heng Tan
Group Chief Research and Innovation Officer
National Healthcare Group
A/Professor Cher Heng Tan graduated with MBBS (Singapore) and FRCR (UK). He completed his Abdominal Imaging Fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and thereafter, Executive MBA from Insead. He is presently Senior Consultant with the Department of Diagnostic Radiology at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he also serves as Assistant Chairman Medical Board (Clinical Research and Innovation).
At the National Healthcare Group, Cher Heng is Group Chief Research and Innovation Officer and previously Executive Director, Centre for Healthcare Innovation. He is concurrently Assistant Dean (Clinical Research) for the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, and responsible for bridging clinicians to academia, facilitating the development and translation of technology into healthcare. He is involved in the setting up of the Academic Health System between NHG and LKCMedicine-NTU Singapore, as Director of the joint Academic Partnerships Office.
Cher Heng holds leadership positions in various Radiology societies locally and internationally. He was previously Senior Fellow in MOH, under the Healthcare Family Fellowship Programme for which he oversaw the formulation and implementation of guidelines for appropriateness criteria for use of imaging technology and is co-Chair for the national imaging AI platform (AimSG).
Cher Heng Tan
Group Chief Research and Innovation Officer
National Healthcare Group
12th LKYGBPC Mentors
Sugandhi Matta
Chief Impact Officer
abc IMPACT
Jeremy Goon
Chief Sustainability Officer
Wilmar International
Gary Kunis
Former Chief Science Officer
CISCO Systems
Hugh Lim
Executive Director
Centre for Liveable Cities
Ivan Ng
Chief Technology Officer
City Developments Limited
Kheng Nam Lee
Deputy Chairman
Vertex Holdings
Pauline Tay
Director
National Health Innovation Centre (NHIC)
Liu Xiao Wei
Asia Director & Senior Advisor to Secretary General
World Energy Council
12th LKYGBPC Category Judges
Dr LEE Shiang Long
Group Chief Technology & Digital Officer Chief Technology Officer, Defence & Public Security
ST Engineering
Dr. Lee Shiang Long is the Group Chief Technology & Digital Officer at ST Engineering, a global technology, defence and engineering group with a diverse portfolio of businesses. Earlier, he had roles as President, Land Systems at ST Engineering with US$1B turnover; Executive Director for A*STAR-Institute for Infocomms Research; and SAF Chief Information Officer.
He is currently an Adjunct Research Professor in NUS and a member of NUS College of Design and Engineering Advisory Board. He had held memberships at the NTU Board of Trustees, National Library Board, Singapore Polytechnic Board and Civil Service College Board. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from NTU, MBA from Cambridge University, and a Master of IT from NUS.
Dr LEE Shiang Long
Group Chief Technology & Digital Officer Chief Technology Officer, Defence & Public Security
ST Engineering
NG Huck Hui
Assistant Chief Executive, Research and Talent Development
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Professor Ng Huck Hui is the Assistant Chief Executive for Research and Talent Development, Agency for Science, Technology and Research.
Prof Ng is renowned in the field of gene regulation and genomics. His laboratory is developing diagnostic and therapeutics modalities for brain and liver diseases. Prof Ng had held several administrative positions. He was the Executive Director of the Genome Institute of Singapore and the Executive Director of the A*STAR Graduate Academy.
Prior to joining A*STAR, Professor Ng was a postdoctoral fellow with Harvard Medical School under the prestigious Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Postdoctoral Fellowship. Professor Ng is renowned in the field of stem cells, having spent more than a decade in research to understand and uncover the intricacies of gene regulation and how they relate to cell biology. He was also the President for the Stem Cell Society Singapore, which is a major platform for educating the public on stem cell research. In 2016, Professor Ng was elected to be an Associate Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization, making him the only associate member to be based in Singapore.
In recognition of his scientific contributions, Professor Ng has received numerous local and international honours and awards, including the Young Scientist Award in 2004, Singapore Youth Award in 2005, National Science Award in 2007, Junior Chamber International (JCI) The Outstanding Young Persons Singapore Awards in 2009, Singapore Youth Award (Commendation Medal) in 2010, President's Science Award (Team Award) in 2011, President’s Science Award (Team Award) in 2018 and The Public Administration Medal (Silver), National Day Awards 2019.
Outside of A*STAR, Professor Ng is very active in the local universities and organizations, and holds adjunct positions at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NUS Faculty of Science, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) School of Biological Sciences, and the Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI). He also sits on the Board of Science Centre Singapore and NUS High School.
NG Huck Hui
Assistant Chief Executive, Research and Talent Development
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Jonathan CHENG
Chief Technology Officer
Building and COnstruction Authority (BCA)
Mr Jonathan Cheng is the Chief Technology Officer at the Building and Construction Authority (BCA). Jonathan has accumulated over 15 years of experience across roles in policy development and research & innovation, including a stint at the National Research Foundation (NRF). He organises various programmes and forges meaningful partnerships on the Innovation & Technology (I&T) front that can raise safety, productivity and sustainability outcomes in Singapore's Built Environment sector.
Jonathan CHENG
Chief Technology Officer
Building and COnstruction Authority (BCA)
Mario Fernandez
Vice President, Head of Catalyst
Breakthrough Energy
Mario is a senior energy transition executive with significant experience developing and investing in energy infrastructure projects.
Prior to Breakthrough Energy, Mario was with Chicora Energy, an energy transition investment platform he co-founded focused on Latin America. Before Chicora, Mario was with Macquarie Capital serving as a Managing Director and Head of Latin America Energy Principal Investments Origination. Prior to Macquarie, Mario was the CFO for Trafigura’s US$1 billion Colombia fluvial logistics project. Mario also worked for several international financial firms, including ING Capital and Syncora Guarantee.
Mario was a management consultant before obtaining his Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Boston College. Over the course of his career, Mario has worked in different cities across the world, including New York, Geneva, Amsterdam and Bogotá.
Mario Fernandez
Vice President, Head of Catalyst
Breakthrough Energy
Frank T. ROTHAERMEL
Regents’ Professor, McDonough Chair, & Sloan Industry Studies Fellow
Georgia Institute of Technology
Frank T. Rothaermel is a Regents’ Professor, holds the McDonough Chair, and is a Sloan Industry Studies Fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. Based on 40 academic articles, Thomson Reuters identified Frank as one of the “world’s most influential scientific minds” based on papers published in the top 1% of citations; Scholar GPS places him in the 0.5% in terms of scholarly impact. Frank’s work has been cited 25,000 times (Google Scholar). He authored the widely used textbook “Strategic Management” (7th edition, 2026), with translations into Greek, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish. He has written 70 case studies distributed by Harvard Business Publishing, with 34 achieving “bestseller” status.
Frank T. Rothaermel is a Regents’ Professor, holds the McDonough Chair, and is a Sloan Industry Studies Fellow at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. Based on 40 academic articles, Thomson Reuters identified Frank as one of the “world’s most influential scientific minds” based on papers published in the top 1% of citations; Scholar GPS places him in the 0.5% in terms of scholarly impact. Frank’s work has been cited 25,000 times (Google Scholar). He authored the widely used textbook “Strategic Management” (7th edition, 2026), with translations into Greek, Korean, Mandarin, and Spanish. He has written 70 case studies distributed by Harvard Business Publishing, with 34 achieving “bestseller” status.
Frank T. ROTHAERMEL
Regents’ Professor, McDonough Chair, & Sloan Industry Studies Fellow
Georgia Institute of Technology
Cyril EBERSWEILER
General Partner at SOSV and the Founder/MD of HAX
Cyril is a General Partner at SOSV and the founder/MD of HAX.
He is an experienced investor in deep tech (250+) and has invested globally.
Board member/advisor to a few startups including Formlabs, AngelList, Adoreme (ACQ: VSCO), Collaborate (ACQ: CISCO), Hackster (ACQ: AVNET), Dispatch Robotics (ACQ: AMZN), Makeblock, Yeelight, Particle, Opentrons, Bartesian, Avidbots and Simbe Robotics.
Popular speaker at international events (TC Disrupt, Collision, Pioneers, MIT Forum, etc...) and Universities (Stanford, UC Berkeley, etc...) and author of dozens of articles on topics such as technology, robotics, health and crowdfunding. Featured in The Economist, Popular Mechanics, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Huffington Post, Wired, BBC and more.
Cyril EBERSWEILER
General Partner at SOSV and the Founder/MD of HAX
Benjamin SWAN
Founder / CEO
BECO Ventures
A visionary leader and entrepreneur with a unique ability to connect the dots across diverse industries—construction, finance, and agriculture. As the Founder and CEO of BECO Ventures, Ben is pioneering the integration of cutting-edge technology and data analytics to optimise resource use and production efficiency. His journey includes co-founding and leading Sustenir, Asia's first high-tech vertical farm, which marked a significant leap in sustainable agriculture. Ben's expertise also extends to finance, where he led groundbreaking digital banking transformations at Citibank. With a solid foundation in construction, exemplified by his role in the iconic Marina Bay Sands project, Ben brings a comprehensive perspective to sustainable growth and innovation, consistently delivering transformative solutions across ecosystems.
Benjamin SWAN
Founder / CEO
BECO Ventures
Prof Reginald TAN
Executive Director, Science and Engineering Research Council
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Professor Reginald B.H. TAN is Executive Director at the Science and Engineering Research Council at A*STAR, and concurrently Professor at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore.
His research areas of interest include multi-phase flow, crystallisation processes and modelling, solid-state formulations, and life cycle assessment. Prof Tan has been a keen educator and advocate of science-based and evidence-based solutions to pressing environmental issues.
With his expertise in environmental sustainability, Prof Tan has been an active standards volunteer over the past 25 years. He has served in many leadership roles both internationally (ISO TC207 Strategic Leadership Group, ISO Coordinating Committee on Climate Change) and nationally (Chair of Environmental and Resources Standards Committee). He was awarded the Singapore Standards Council Distinguished Partner Award in 2019.
Prof Reginald TAN
Executive Director, Science and Engineering Research Council
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Daniel TAY
Vice President, Emerging Technology
Temasek
Daniel Tay is VP of the Emerging Technology group at Temasek, where he focuses on deep tech investments in Materials and Energy Transition Technologies. His investment portfolio covers critical areas such as next-generation batteries, green steel production, next-gen solar photovoltaics, plastic recycling, AI for Materials Discovery and carbon capture technologies. Daniel earned his PhD in Organic Chemistry from the National University of Singapore and furthered his academic journey with a post-doctoral degree in Biomedical Sciences at A*STAR. He later completed an MBA at Nanyang Business School (NTU), equipping him with a blend of scientific expertise and business acumen. Prior to joining Temasek, Daniel was Director at A*STAR where he led efforts to translate A*STAR-developed technologies into new ventures.
Daniel TAY
Vice President, Emerging Technology
Temasek
Dr. Claus RETTIG
President Asia Pacific, Associate Member of the Executive Board
Evonik Industries AG
Dr. Claus Rettig is the regional president of Evonik Asia Pacific since July 1 st , 2022. As a member of the extended executive board of Evonik Industries AG with general power of attorney, Dr. Rettig is responsible for driving the company's growth plan in Asia and making sure that Evonik is present on the ground with modern production and a strong research and development footprint.
With extensive experience in the international chemical markets and deep knowledge about the chemical industry in Asia, Dr. Rettig has played a pivotal role in realizing several strategic investments in the region.
Dr. Rettig, who holds a doctorate in chemistry, began his career in Huls AG, one of Evonik's predecessor companies in 1987. He worked in South Africa and Japan respectively to oversee business strategies and operations for the company. In 2003, he returned to Germany as the President of the former Degussa Care Specialties Business Unit, and continued with various executive roles. In 2015, he was appointed as the Chairman of the Board of Management Evonik Resource Efficiency GmbH, before moving to his role in 2020 as the President of Smart Materials division of Evonik. Dr. Rettig is also appointed as a Board Member to the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) since February 2024.
Dr. Claus RETTIG
President Asia Pacific, Associate Member of the Executive Board
Evonik Industries AG
TAN Cher Heng
Group Chief, Research and Innovation
NHG Health
A/Prof Cher Heng Tan graduated with MBBS (Singapore) and FRCR (UK). He completed his Abdominal Imaging Fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center and holds an Executive MBA from Insead. He is presently Senior Consultant with the Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Assistant Chairman Medical Board at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He is concurrently Group Chief, Research and Innovation for NHG Health and Assistant Dean (Clinical Research) for the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.
TAN Cher Heng
Group Chief, Research and Innovation
NHG Health
Karen NG
Chief of Staff
ENGIE Southeast Asia
Karen Ng is an experienced energy and sustainability leader with over 15 years of experience across startups, government-linked organisation and multi-national companies. She brings a strong blend of business and technical expertise, having led innovation consulting projects focused on emerging technologies and new business models. Karen has mentored numerous startups and is passionate about supporting founders driving the region’s energy transition and low-carbon future.
Karen NG
Chief of Staff
ENGIE Southeast Asia
Catia CESARI
Managing Partner
Volta Circle
Catia Cesari is the Managing Partner of Volta Circle, the early-stage investment platform of the single-family office of the Lohia Family, who are the largest shareholders of Indorama Venture Ltd. Volta Circle is focused on technologies enabling the circular economy and regenerative systems.
Additionally, she is a non-executive board member of companies operating in the consumer industry.
Previously, Catia was SVP Corporate Development of Coty, a NYSE listed company, belonging to JAB Holding, where Catia held multiple executive roles.
Instrumental in the creation of Gucci Group (renamed Kering), Catia co-lead the acquisitions of multiple iconic brands such as Boucheron, Bottega Veneta, and Balenciaga.
Catia started off at General Electric, where she was involved in structuring complex transactions and in integrating newly acquired businesses as part of the GE Corporate M&A team in the US.
An art lover originally from Florence, she currently resides in Geneva.
Catia CESARI
Managing Partner
Volta Circle
Prof. YEOH Lean Weng
Chief Sustainability Officer
Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR)
As Chief Sustainability Officer of A*STAR, Prof Yeoh is responsible for the strategic positioning of A*STAR’s capabilities and curation of A*STAR’s contributions to address national demands and opportunities in sustainability. He represents and promotes A*STAR as a leading organisation for sustainable solutions and technology development globally. He led the design and development of a modular decarbonisation translational testbed that will transform the manufacturing processes of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Prior to that, Prof Yeoh worked in National Research Foundation, Prime Minister’s Office, as Senior Director, Urban Solutions and Sustainability where he was responsible for developing R&D strategy and managing Singapore’s national R&D programmes in urban systems to meet national needs in areas such as energy, water, and land & liveability. Prof Yeoh also initiated our national decarbonisation R&D strategy to support the energy transition towards a low-carbon future and achieve Singapore’s decarbonisation goals.
Prof Yeoh spent 30 years in DSTA where he worked on large scale systems engineering projects in command and control systems, and as a systems architect in integrated defence systems. He developed the systems architecting methodology framework that guided programme managers frame systems solutions. As an active systems architect, he continues to develop case studies in architecting communications system, education system, water system, energy system, as well as urban system.
As an adjunct professor in NUS, he conducted systems thinking and architecting for the Young Engineers Leadership Programme since 2015 and had trained more than 800 young engineers.
Prof Yeoh has been active in the Singapore engineering professional and academic circles. He served as the President of the Institution of Engineers (IES) from 2018 to 2020 and is currently a Chartered Engineer, Chairman of Awards Committee and Emeritus President of the Institution. Prof Yeoh served also as the President of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), Singapore Chapter from 2009 to 2011, and in 2009, he was conferred a Fellow of INCOSE, the first such Fellow in Singapore, for his contributions and achievements through technology, leadership, and teaching systems engineering.
Prof Yeoh received his Bachelor of Science (with Honours) and Master of Science degrees from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1983 and 1987 respectively. He further obtained two Masters (with distinction) in 1990 and a PhD degree in Electrical Engineering in 1997 from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). He attended the Program for Management Development at Harvard University in 2003.
Prof Yeoh is a recipient of the Singapore Public Administration Medal in 2001 (Bronze) and 2008 (Silver). He was conferred the Defence Technology Prize in 1992, 2004 and 2007, the last of which was an individual award for C4I development, large scale systems engineering and technology leadership.
Prof Yeoh recently received the prestigious IES/IEEE Joint Medal of Excellence Award on 15 Oct 2024 from Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Prof. YEOH Lean Weng
Chief Sustainability Officer
Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR)
Sugandhi Matta
Chief Impact Officer
abc IMPACT
As Chief Impact Officer, Sugandhi leads the firm’s approach towards assessing, measuring, consolidating and driving impact outcomes across its portfolio companies, in order to deliver measurable, positive impact alongside compelling financial returns. She also invests for the firm in South and South East Asia.
With over 20 years of investing experience in South and Southeast Asia, Sugandhi was previously Director of Investment at LeapFrog Investments, a billion-dollar impact fund focused on financial inclusion. In her previous role, Sugandhi led and oversaw investments in financial services businesses in Indonesia and India. Prior to impact investing, she focused on Southeast Asia mid-market private equity at emerging markets investor Actis. Sugandhi began her investing journey as a member of the Financial Services team in Temasek Holdings.
An experienced board member, Sugandhi has held board directorships in companies operating across different countries, including India, Thailand, and Indonesia. She currently sits on the board of Cropin, a global artificial intelligence and data-led agri-tech organization based in India; HCAH India, a leading rehab & recovery care provider in India and the Enterprise Board of the Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the Singapore Management University. Beyond her board roles, Sugandhi is also actively involved in several investment communities where she holds leadership roles. As Co-Chair of the Impact Principles’ Regional Committee, Sugandhi promotes impact investing in Asia through roundtables, webinars, thought leadership, and engagement with key ecosystem stakeholders. Her role helps foster alignment in impact methodologies and facilitates the adoption of best practices across the region, where she actively shapes impact measurement and management standards.
Sugandhi is an advocate of gender equality and actively commits time to mentor women entrepreneurs as well as women-led ventures. She believes that access to education, employment, and entrepreneurship is the key to elevating lives and livelihoods.
Sugandhi holds a Master of Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (India), and a Bachelor of Engineering from Maharaja Sayaji Rao University, Baroda (India).
Sugandhi Matta
Chief Impact Officer
abc IMPACT
Prof. Ralph EICHLER
Professor Emeritus
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Professional Career
- 1982-1990 Project leader of a B-meson factory at Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI)
- 1989-2014 Professor of physics at ETH Zürich
- 1995-1997 Spokesman of the international collaboration H1 at DESY, Hamburg
- 1998-2002 Deputy Director and Head of Department Particles and Matter at PSI
- 2002-2007 Director of PSI (national lab)
- 2007-2014 President of ETH Zürich
- 2008-2018 Vice President of the Venture Foundation
- 2015-2025 President of the Foundation Swiss Youth in Science (science competition) Memberships (shortlist)
- 2007-2019 Member of the Governing Board of Belenos Clean Power Holding AG
- 2014- Member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences
- 2015- Member of the Board of Councillors of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), Japan
Prof. Ralph EICHLER
Professor Emeritus
ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Rowena Yeo
Global Chief Technology Officer and SVP, Technology Services
Johnson & Johnson
As Global Chief Technology Officer, Senior Vice President, Technology Services, Rowena Yeo is responsible for delivering technology solutions and operational excellence for Johnson & Johnson globally. Rowena, Johnson & Johnson’s first woman and Asian CTO, leads Technology Services, an organization that directly enables J&J’s growth, innovation, and agility, enabling the technology foundation and capabilities required to improve healthcare outcomes. Rowena has been instrumental in the transformation of the Technology Services organization. She has extensive experience leading the strategic direction for technologies, driving innovation and business priorities, as well as creating value for the employees, patients, and customers we serve.
Rowena serves on J&J’s Global Technology Leadership Team, helping translate business priorities and challenges into technology solutions. She is also a founding member of J&J’s Global Data Science Council and continues to serve on the council representing the Technology function.
Rowena joined J&J in 2016 as Vice President, CIO Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Asia Pacific. In that role, she led the strategic direction of technology to support business objectives in the region. By fostering collaboration among J&J business partners and the broader technology organization, Rowena and her team established digital and technology platforms that enabled next-generation digital capabilities in the region.
Rowena offers a wealth of experience, having spent more than 21 years at Cargill, Inc., which she joined in 1994. During that time, she held various regional and global leadership roles with increasing responsibilities before serving concurrently as the Global Group CIO for Cargill Agricultural Trading and Processing Sector and Asia Pacific Regional CIO. At Cargill, Rowena built and developed both the Global and Regional IT teams, established technology strategies and capabilities, and led Cargill through various transformations that enabled Cargill’s growth. Before Cargill, Inc., Rowena had a successful career with IBM Singapore.
Rowena’s experience in technology and business spans more than three decades in various global, regional, and business roles. She has lived abroad in North America and has travelled extensively across the globe. This has empowered her to successfully lead and collaborate with diverse global teams and business partners. Rowena has received various industry recognition and awards for her leadership and contributions throughout her career.
A native Singaporean, Rowena earned her Bachelor of Engineering Honors Degree from the National University of Singapore. Rowena actively champions diversity, equity and inclusion and women’s leadership. Rowena is a member of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), and serves on J&J’s Winning in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing and Design (WiSTEM2D) Global Steering Committee and actively sponsors the Asia Pacific WiSTEM2D Committee. She is also a board member of the Singapore Central Provident Fund Board.
Rowena is married with three daughters and enjoys music, reading, building LEGO, and searching for otters in her free time.
Rowena Yeo
Global Chief Technology Officer and SVP, Technology Services
Johnson & Johnson
Yiran LU
Vice President of Investment
Granite Asia
Dr. Yiran Lu, Vice President of Investment at Granite Asia, has over 10 years of experience in investment and R&D in the fields of technology and sustainability. He entered the venture capital industry in 2019 and has worked as an investor at Granite Asia and SummitView Capital. To date, he has invested in nearly 20 companies.
Prior to his investment career, he had 6 years of experience in materials research and development, working at companies including Philips North America.
Dr. Lu holds a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Brown University and a bachelor’s degree in materials science and engineering from Tsinghua University.
Yiran LU
Vice President of Investment
Granite Asia
David Golding
Head of Global Innovation Partnerships
Innovate UK
David’s role involves leading Innovate UK’s global activities working with international partners to build strong collaborations and accelerate the global scaling of innovative UK businesses.
David has been with Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency, since it was established 2007 and was responsible for developing the first two strategies as well as many of the ways it supports business. This includes Contracts for Innovation, Catapult centres, Innovate UK Business Growth, as well as its global programmes.
Prior to joining Innovate UK, David worked for the UK Government covering areas including innovation policy and working directly for government ministers. During 2022, David was Chair of Taftie, the Network of Leading European Innovation Agencies and remains a Board member.
David Golding
Head of Global Innovation Partnerships
Innovate UK
Stories
Powering Climate Progress By Piloting Innovation Through Collaboration
Published onA prototype does not save the planet. A working pilot might. This stark truth underlies one of the great challenges in the fight against climate change: it’s not enough to invent a clever new climate solution in a lab – we must prove it works in the real world, at scale, and fast. As global temperatures rise and climate impacts accelerate, we have no time or capital to waste on innovations that never leave the drawing board. Every year, governments and companies announce bold sustainability targets, yet the gap between ambition and action yawns wide. Bridging that gap means turning prototypes into pilots, because only then can promising ideas translate into tangible emissions cuts.
Global Collaboration That Brings Together Green Innovation and Urban Solutions
Published onAsia’s approach to sustainability can be traced to a unique interplay of strategic policy continuity, high-impact demonstration projects, and robust supply chains. Beyond progressive policies, Asia’s integrated manufacturing ecosystems and surging green finance industry, such as China’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) and Singapore and Hong Kong–based climate bonds, have accelerated clean innovation, from lab-based prototypes to mass-market deployment. For sustainability-focused startups, this confluence of regulatory clarity, industrial depth, and investment exuberance positions Asia as the launchpad for globally relevant solutions.
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