Tech Planter Singapore 2025 is happening tomorrow!

Guided by its mission of “Advancing Science and Technology for Global Happiness,” Leave a Nest Singapore, alongside the broader global Leave a Nest Group, is actively cultivating a future where science and technology catalyze impactful change. By fostering ecosystems that are issue focused and passion driven, the organization remains steadfast in its commitment to supporting Singapore’s vibrant and rapidly evolving deep tech landscape through initiatives such as TECH PLANTER.

Operating across six Southeast Asian countries, the TECH PLANTER platform serves as a springboard for researchers and startups developing deep tech innovations. It connects them with the wider Leave a Nest ecosystem spanning Singapore, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and beyond. Participants benefit from comprehensive support, including prototyping resources, intellectual property strategy, and access to potential investment and collaboration opportunities.

Leave a Nest Singapore will host the TECH PLANTER Demo Day 2025 in Singapore, continuing its mission to empower deep tech innovators and research teams by providing a platform to showcase their breakthroughs and accelerate their journey toward commercialization and impact.

For 2025, nine (9) Finalists from across Singapore, working in diverse deep tech fields, will pitch their innovations head to head for a chance to represent Singapore at the TECH PLANTER Asia Final 2025, to be held in August in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. Finalists will also compete for various prizes, including both monetary awards and non-monetary support from the Program Partners.

Finalists for TECH PLANTER in Singapore 2025

s/n	Team Name	Theme
1	Thiospark Energy	Advancing safe, high-density, and cost-effective energy storage through next-generation lithium-sulfur battery technology.
2	Hydrogen Innovation Pte. Ltd.	Advanced Anion Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers for Low-cost Green Hydrogen Production
3	Measure AI	Real-time, ultra-sensitive, and intelligent multi-gas sensing for advanced quality control and process optimization.
4	Pepshield	Peptide-nanonet based coating for medical devices and surfaces that addresses the issue of bacterial colonization and biofilm formation by physically trapping and killing bacteria upon contact.
5	FORTE BIOTECH	Affordable, portable, and highly sensitive DNA-based pathogen detection for real-time disease management in aquaculture.
6	Sequential Pte. Ltd.	Sequential: A non-invasive, high-resolution skin microbiome platform enabling rapid, scalable insights from sampling to analytics.
7	SMARTRX	Automatic dispensing of prescription medicine and telemedicine consultation with real time vital signs evidence that can be deployed modularly and in any environment.
8	UniStop Tech Pte Ltd	UniStop Tech: Smart, secure, and space-saving AI robotic stores revolutionizing retail with automated, contactless, and data-driven operations.
9	uHoo	Ensuring healthier and people centric spaces

Lightning Talk Teams for TECH PLANTER in Singapore 2025

Partners

With this occasion, Leave a Nest Singapore would like to thank all the partners for creating this project with us.

 

Judges

Mr. Shohei Michael Maekawa, Director, Leave a Nest Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Mr. Maekawa is Director of Leave a Nest Singapore and President of Leave a Nest UK. He was born in the USA and raised in Europe. He studied Zoology for his undergraduate degree and Evolutionary Anthropology for his postgraduate degree, both at University College London. With experience abroad and passion towards advancement of science and technology, he joined Leave a Nest in 2013. He became the Director of Leave a Nest Singapore Pte. Ltd. from May 1st 2019 with the vision to interconnect various industry partners for global development.

 

Mr. Jia Hong, Head of Ignite, Investment and Program Manager, Elev8.vc

Jia Hong is Elev8's Head of Ignite, the fund's dedicated resource to their pre-seed investments. Elev8 Ignite is Elev8's pre-seed investment function that helps Singapore based Deep Tech innovators take their first steps out of the labs and on the path to their first commercial milestones. We engage the vast experience of the broader Elev8 team and its deep access to industry expertise, to deliver an experience for founders that is tailored to the specific needs of each participating startup, only where and when they need help. Serving as investment and program manager, Jia Hong will be your go-to person on the Ignite journey.

 

Dr. Jeanne ONG, Director (Ecosystem and Internationalization), National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC)

Jeanne is the Director of Ecosystem and Internationalization at the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC), Singapore. She leads efforts to strengthen Singapore's AM ecosystem through strategic partnerships, industry engagement, and global collaborations. With a PhD in Chemical Engineering and a background spanning deep tech venture building and investing, research translation, and sustainability-focused innovation, Jeanne brings a multidisciplinary perspective to early-stage technology evaluation. startups, and multinational corporations, and startups is passionate about empowering deep tech to scale impactfully and sustainably.

Mr. Jeremy Yap, Partnerships Director, NUS Enterprise

With over 10 years of business development in both the Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America, He is passionate about building businesses specifically in tech and startups. He was leading the expansion efforts of the National University of Singapore's growth into the Latin America and US space. Currently, he is working on strategic initiatives between NUS Enterprise and our global partners.

 

 

Mr. Qiao Liang, Deputy Director, Startup Ecosystem, Enterprise Singapore.

Qiao Liang holds a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Singapore, and began his career as an engineer at Micron Semiconductor Asia. He later transitioned into the public sector, joining the then SPRING Singapore, the current Enterprise Singapore. He contributed to initiatives supporting enterprise and ecosystem development in the Manufacturing, Logistics sector, and the Innovation domain. Specifically, he was involved in the development and execution of industry plans, working closely with partners to grow enterprises, uplift sectors, and innovation spur-driven growth.

 

Mr. Malcolm Chua, Head of Israel and China Offices for ST Engineering Ventures. 

Malcolm Chua is currently the Head of Israel and China Offices for ST Engineering Ventures. In this role, he is responsible for the technology scouting, investments and portfolio management in both geographies. Prior to this appointment, he has over 20 years of experience in deep tech, transformation, and innovation with MNCs and government agencies. Malcolm holds a Masters of Engineering (M.Eng)(1st Class) from Imperial College, London and is a CFA charter holder.

 

 

Ms. Celestine Khoo, Senior Director, Venture, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)

Celestine is a senior director at the Singapore University of Technology and Design where she leads the venture building, incubation and entrepreneurship initiatives. In addition to her vast public policy, investment and commercial experience, she was bitten by the startup bug after a stint in a start-up and is passionate about mentoring and supporting startups and deep tech spinoffs. She also leads SUTD's co-investments in affiliated spinoffs and startups.

 

 

Mr. Norio Asahara, Regional R&D Director, Ezaki Glico Co. Ltd.

Glico manufactures not only confectionery and ice cream, but also a wide range of food categories such as beverages, dairy products, processed foods and baby milk powder. Mr. ASAHARA is the director of research and development in Glico Asia Pacific. He is looking for new research partners as well as technical support, investment and opportunities for various collaborations such as buying of new ingredients. He is responsible for new business in Asia Pacific.

 

 

Ms. Mika Tsutsui, Catalyser, GLOCALINK Inc.

Mika graduated from the School of International Relations at Peking University and the School of Political Science and Economics at Waseda University. After working in the food business at Mitsubishi Corporation, she was in charge of product marketing for the Japanese market at Google Japan. She then moved to Pinterest Japan, where she was in charge of product marketing for the Asia Pacific region and was involved in GTM strategy formulation, product development, and partnership promotion. As a trilingual (Japanese, English, and Chinese), she is strong in cross-cultural collaboration and works with global teams to drive the business forward while incorporating diverse perspectives.

Mr. Kouhei Miyajima, Business development Division, East Japan Railway Company.

Kouhei Miyajima is involved in the TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY project, one of the largest urban development projects in Tokyo, which opened in March 2025. With the aim of creating a global startup ecosystem in TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, he is in charge of the business creation facility “LiSH” and the venture capital “TAKANAWA Global Co-Benefit Fund.”

 

 

Mr. Henry Tao, Executive Director, UntroD Capital Asia Pte. Ltd.

In 2023, Henry joined UntroD Capital Asia, which manages the Real Tech Global Fund franchise. He was appointed as a director in 2025. In his current role, he leads direct investments connecting Southeast Asia, Japan, and global markets, while supporting portfolio growth. He's particularly interested in tech innovations that create meaningful impact in climate and sustainability. Before joining UntroD, he worked on early- and growth-stage investments in the industrial and agri-tech sectors. He began his career at Bayer AG in a global leadership program, holding responsibilities in Germany, the US, and Singapore.He obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School.

 

Timetable of event

12:00 – 13:00	Registration
13:00 – 13:30	Opening Ceremony
13:30 – 14:20	Presentation Round 1 – Energy & Industrial Automation
14:20 – 14:30	Break
14:30 – 15:20	Presentation Round 2 – BioSphere Vanguard
15:20 – 15:30	Break
15:30 – 16:20	Presentation Round 3 – Living with Automation
16:20 – 17:30	Judging/Partner Presentation/Lightning Talks/Poster Presentations
17:30 – 18:00	Awards Ceremony