In Singapore, building a startup ecosystem is not left to chance. Do you optimise for reach or for relevance? Through initiatives like the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC), and its integrated Venture Capital Office Hours (VCOH), Singapore’s ecosystem demonstrates that the most valuable introductions are not always the most numerous. VCOH, co-hosted by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Singapore Management University (SMU), is built to prioritise quality over quantity in startup–investor engagement.
Through structured one-to-one sessions, data-driven matching, and clear intent from both founders and investors, VCOH turns networking into a repeatable mechanism for measurable outcomes such as faster funding conversations and stronger B2B partnerships. As Edwin Low, Director at IMDA, explains, “Our mission is to build the next generation of B2B enterprise startups.” That mission is reflected in the deliberate design of platforms like VCOH, where curated connections translate design into impact, accelerating growth and learning for both founders and the investors who back them.
As the presenting partner of VCOH, IMDA continues to shape Southeast Asia’s largest structured investor–founder engagement platform. VCOH provides finalists with direct access to investors during the competition’s grand-finals week. More than 50 venture-capital firms participated in the latest edition, a 45% increase from the previous run, reflecting growing confidence in Singapore’s curated model.
Rather than relying on open networking, IMDA’s approach is intentional. Entrepreneurs and investors are matched by complementary focus and mutual interest, ensuring that every conversation begins with context and purpose. The result is an ecosystem designed for depth of connection over volume of contact. It is a model that translates Singapore’s innovation philosophy into practice.
Shirley Wong, LKYGBPC Chairperson and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at SMU's Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, articulated the philosophy behind the event's design: “The VCOH was designed to facilitate one-to-one meetings where sector, stage, and mutual interest were factors taken into consideration.” It is systematic curation built on the understanding that quality introductions require preparation, context and intentionality.
When Structure Enables Discovery
The distinction between structured and unstructured networking isn't always obvious until you experience both. Remi Chong, Partner at Elev8.vc, captured it clearly: "Structured meetups are very efficient. I know who I'm meeting. I get the information beforehand." It's a different proposition from LinkedIn outreach or corridor encounters, which have their place but serve different purposes.
The mechanics reveal the philosophy. Founders submit materials in advance. Investors review profiles before committing to 20 to 30 minute dedicated slots. Rufus Sorsa, Associate Partner at Antler, emphasised what this filtration enables: "Curated events are extremely valuable. There's already been multiple layers of filtration, which allows for much deeper connections." For a firm that receives around 160,000 applications annually and works with only 3,000 founders, that pre-screening represents genuine value.
SMU's Wong emphasised that the value extends beyond what's immediately apparent: "The learning and impact is also more than bi-directional." VCOH serves as an efficient platform for local and regional VCs to gain access to the global pipeline of quality founders and frontier technology. It's ecosystem building through structured exchange, where each party arrives with clarity about what they're seeking and what they can offer.
Why Convergence Matters
What distinguishes VCOH is its multiplier effect. The event sits within an architecture where regulators, corporates, research institutions and investors converge deliberately. Speaking at a panel discussion during the competition, Jonathan Cheng from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) reflected on this unusual combination: "Bringing a whole mix of people that don't typically come together is quite unconventional for us as regulators to be part of the venture equation."
A single startup through VCOH receives investor feedback, regulatory guidance from agencies like BCA, and connections with corporates like Keppel who can offer pilot opportunities. Melvyn Yeo of TRIREC, also on the panel, described this coordinated support as being "like your band of brothers, in the trenches with you."
Stwart Peña Feliz from Microcycle Technologies, speaking on the same panel, experienced this compression firsthand: "In 48 hours since we've been here in Singapore alone, we've already had multiple people offered to help us with supplies." For a textiles startup from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) looking to access Asia's manufacturing ecosystem, this represented months of development compressed into days.
SMU's Wong noted how IMDA's support has been critical in bridging startups with key players across Singapore's digital economy. The ecosystem approach operates across multiple stages. Through SPARK, IMDA supports early-stage B2B enterprise startups with funding, mentorship and market validation. The accreditation programme provides established startups with credentials that ease market entry and corporate adoption. VCOH sits at a different point in the journey, creating the investor and corporate connections that enable scaling. Through the partnership between IMDA and LKYGBPC, over 200 founder-investor connections have been facilitated since the 11th edition in 2023.
What Surfaces in Quality Conversations
Success metrics tell part of the story, but what emerges in actual conversations reveals more. Antler's Sorsa observed a shift in founder ambition: "Founders today are thinking regional and global already from Day Zero. They didn't necessarily used to do that." When founders arrive at VCOH, they're testing assumptions, validating regional expansion strategies and building relationships that may pay dividends years down the line.
SMU's Wong confirmed this pattern: "Several startups had secured follow-up meetings with investors through VCOH, demonstrating how the right introductions can spark real momentum."
Investor transparency about selection criteria helps founders understand what matters. TRIREC's Yeo laid out what TRIREC seeks: "Good teams, good entrepreneurs, resilient people with the grit, integrity, business models that make sense, addressable markets that are big enough."
The quality of discourse matters as much as the outcomes. SMU's Wong observed patterns in how founders engage: "Across anecdotal feedback from VCs, the LKYGBPC finalist founders ask precise questions, test assumptions, and turn feedback into clarity." Dr Jeremy Loh, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Genesis Alternative Ventures, reflected on what he encountered: "The calibre of founders here is impressive, global-minded and rooted in solving real problems for the world."
When founders consistently ask about regulatory pathways, that signals where additional coordination might help. When VCs report strong deal flow quality from specific sectors, that informs where capability building might matter most.
Gateway by Design
Behind the curated approach sits a deliberate positioning choice. Minister Chee Hong Tat, speaking at the opening ceremony for the broader LKYGBPC week, articulated the ambition: the nation must remain "open, connected and welcoming" as an innovation hub.
Elev8.vc's Chong highlighted what Singapore's scale enables: "Singapore's a small enough place that allows us to do that. It's a unique advantage." The compact geography and tight coordination between government agencies, universities and private sector players enables orchestration that would prove difficult in larger, more fragmented ecosystems.
BCA's Cheng defined success as making "Singapore one of the top countries for expansion or for access." It positions the city-state not as the final destination but as the strategic gateway. IMDA's Low framing captured this philosophy: "The best ecosystems in the world learn to leverage off each other."
This gateway positioning aligns with developing Singapore's digital economy and strengthening the nation's position as a global infocomm media hub. When these startups choose Singapore as their regional base, they bring talent, capital and innovation that compounds across the economy.
SMU's Wong summary underscores this interconnected vision: "Simply put, Singapore builds ecosystems, and the VCOH at LKYGBPC serves as the excellent platform for repeatable, meaningful dialogue across founders, next-gen entrepreneurial students and investors." That word—repeatable—signals something important. This isn't a one-off showcase. It's infrastructure: a recurring mechanism that compounds value year after year.
The 45% increase in investor participation at VCOH 2025 suggests the approach is working. More telling, returning investors indicate that the quality of interactions warrants repeat engagement. For an ecosystem, that repeat participation matters more than one-time attendance spikes.
As Singapore continues building its position as a digital hub for enterprise innovation, initiatives like VCOH represent infrastructure that transforms aspiration into reality. By deliberately engineering quality over quantity in startup-investor dynamics, and by coordinating across government, academia and private sector, the approach charts a path that other ecosystems might study. The work continues: building the next generation of B2B enterprise startups, one curated connection at a time.
