Connecting Singapore and Global Eco-System Through TECH VENTURE Meetup Singapore 2026

Singapore, 26 October 2026 – TECH VENTURE Meetup Singapore 2026 was successfully held on 26 October 2026 as part of “SWITCH Day 0: From One Block to Global Impact,” co-hosted by B71 Singapore, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP), and Leave a Nest.

The full-day programme brought together startups, investors, corporates and ecosystem partners to explore how startups can expand beyond their home markets and build meaningful connections across Asia and beyond.

Rather than focusing only on startup pitching, the event was structured around market exploration, investor perspectives, founder experiences, startup pitches and networking, giving participants multiple ways to understand new markets and meet potential partners.

Exploring New Markets Through Different Ecosystems

The morning programme introduced participants to different startup ecosystems and pathways for overseas expansion.

Participants first explored opportunities in Taiwan through Startup Island Taiwan, followed by an Investment Vehicles Panel led by UntroD Capital Asia, where investors shared perspectives relevant to startups looking to grow across borders.

Leave a Nest then led the Japan Ecosystem Session, with a particular focus on Yokohama, providing participants with insights into opportunities for entering and collaborating with the Japanese ecosystem. Four Japanese startups also pitched during the session, giving them an opportunity to introduce their technologies to Singapore-based and international participants.

In the afternoon, participants were introduced to the NUSX ecosystem and opportunities in Hong Kong through HKSTP, providing further perspectives on how startups can access different innovation hubs across Asia.

UntroD Capital Asia Session: Strategic Investment for Startup Commercialisation

As a session partner of TECH VENTURE Meetup Singapore 2026, UntroD Capital Asia led a panel discussion focusing on how strategic investment can help startups move promising technologies towards commercialisation and expand into new markets.

 

The session was moderated by Mr. Henry Tao, Executive Director of UntroD Capital Asia, and brought together Mr. Malcolm Chua, Head of Israel/China at ST Engineering Ventures; Mr. Lim Swee Yong, Chief Executive Officer of EXEO Innovation Fund; and Dr. Vidal Bharath, CEO of VFlowTech.

Drawing on perspectives from venture investment, corporate innovation and startup entrepreneurship, the discussion enabled founders to hear different views on the role of investment in supporting commercialisation and regional expansion. For participating startups, the session provided an opportunity to better understand how investors and corporate venture partners look at growing technology companies and how strategic capital and partnerships can contribute to their next stage of development.

The session complemented the market-focused discussions throughout TVMU by encouraging startups to think not only about where they want to expand, but also about the investment and strategic partnerships required to turn their technologies into commercial opportunities.

Learning from Founders Who Have Gone Global

Another interesting part of the programme was the “Founders Going Global” Fireside Chat.

Instead of discussing internationalisation only from an ecosystem perspective, founders who had experienced overseas expansion shared practical lessons from their own journeys including how they entered new markets, the support they needed, challenges they encountered and what they learned through the process.

This created an opportunity for Singapore and overseas startups to learn from real market-entry experiences before planning their own international expansion.

Connecting Global Startups with Investors and Partners

The programme culminated in a Global Startup Pitch Session featuring 11 startups, where participating startups presented their businesses and received direct feedback from judges and ecosystem players.

Together with the four Japanese startups featured earlier in the programme, the pitch sessions created opportunities for participating startups to gain visibility beyond their existing networks and start conversations with potential investors, corporate partners and ecosystem supporters.

Networking was also an important part of the programme. The networking lunch and interactions throughout the day enabled founders, investors, corporates and ecosystem partners to continue discussions beyond the formal sessions and identify potential areas for follow-up.

Creating Two-Way Opportunities for Singapore and Overseas Startups

The event was designed to create value in both directions. For Singapore startups, the participation of international ecosystem partners provided direct exposure to potential pathways into Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other overseas markets. Instead of starting their international expansion journey only through cold outreach, founders could meet people who understand these ecosystems and potentially support their next steps.

For overseas startups, Singapore served as a meeting point to understand the local and Southeast Asian ecosystem, interact with investors and corporates, and explore potential partnerships for entering the region. For investors and corporates, the event provided an opportunity to meet startups originating from different innovation ecosystems in one place, discover new technologies and identify potential companies for investment, pilots, business collaboration or market partnerships.

For ecosystem partners, it created a platform to connect their respective startup communities and explore how startups can be supported across borders rather than within a single ecosystem.

From One Connection to Global Impact

The event demonstrated the value of bringing different innovation ecosystems together in one place. Through the combined networks of B71, HKSTP, Leave a Nest and participating ecosystem partners, founders were able to explore multiple markets, hear directly from investors and experienced entrepreneurs, pitch their technologies and build new relationships within a single day. More importantly, the connections created during the event provide a starting point for continued engagement after the programme, whether through market exploration, investment, corporate collaboration, pilot opportunities or partnerships across borders.

Leave a Nest Singapore will continue engaging with participating startups and partners to help transform the connections initiated during the event into meaningful opportunities for both Singapore startups expanding overseas and international startups exploring Singapore and Southeast Asia.