New buzz but common constraints

Singapore

THE year 2014 has been nothing short of bustling for entrepreneurship in Singapore as many startups won landmark funding and scored high valuations, as more money and entrepreneurs entered the scene. But some observers noted the relative lack of "landmark exits", and warned of increased competition from the region, a talent crunch, and even a plateauing of investment deals for digital startups. (see infographic)

"Many moon-landings were made this year," said Darius Cheung, serial entrepreneur and most recently, founder of home rental site 99.co. Big wins, he told BT, included Zopim's US$30 million exit and gaming startup Razer joining the billionaire club.

"Both are significant in size, and particularly important because the startups are founded and led by Singaporeans, which means a much higher chance of retaining the wealth and experience here," he said. Meanwhile, growth-stage startups such as Redmart, Patsnap and Carousell have also done well, raising notewort have also done well, raising noteworthy Serie…