Singapore's top university commits $116m for deep-tech startups

NUS's entrepreneurial arm to fund VCs and co-invest in school-affiliated firms

A view of the National University of Singapore campus. President Tan Eng Chye says a new SG$150 million initiative will be a "critical enabler" for research-based startups. © Reuters

TSUBASA SURUGA

July 22, 2025 19:02 JST

SINGAPORE -- The National University of Singapore, the city-state's top university, is launching a 150 million Singaporean dollar ($116 million) program aimed at investing in startups that work in robotics, autonomous driving and other deep-tech fields.

Over the next three years, the NUS VC Program will pour SG$50 million into venture capital (VC) firms with track records in early-stage deep-tech investments and provide support for the university's tech startups, NUS announced on Tuesday. It will set aside another SG$100 million for a separate fund focused on NUS-affiliated firms, with plans to invest alongside the selected VCs.