Budget 2026: Singapore to support startups with S$1 billion top-up for Startup SG Equity
Finance minister also announces second S$1.5 billion tranche of the Anchor Fund to attract high-quality listings
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[SINGAPORE] The Republic will increase funding to help startups scale and anchor high-quality public listings, with a S$1 billion enhancement to Startup SG Equity and a second S$1.5 billion tranche of the Anchor Fund, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said on Thursday (Feb 12).
Under the Startup SG Equity scheme, the government provides initial capital to catalyse and crowd in private funding for promising startups. The government will now enhance it to catalyse growth capital in Singapore.
While startups now find it easier to access early-stage capital now than a decade ago, many still face challenges at the growth stage, said Wong, who is also prime minister, during his Budget speech delivered in Parliament.
Tightening growth-stage capital globally makes it harder for many firms, especially those in deep tech, to raise the larger and longer-term funding needed to scale, he added.
The Startup SG Equity scheme – which has mainly focused on early-stage funding to date – will now be expanded to cover growth-stage companies.
Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat will also be leading a new workgroup, which will work with industry to develop strategies to position Singapore as a leading centre for growth capital.
As for the Anchor Fund, which was set up in 2021 to attract and anchor high-quality listings, the finance minister announced a second S$1.5 billion tranche, co-invested by the government and Temasek. This follows an initial S$1.5 billion tranche.
Since the Anchor Fund’s launch, there have been “encouraging signs of renewed listing activity” on the Singapore Exchange, PM Wong said.
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He added: “When enterprises are ready to list, we want them to see Singapore as their listing venue of choice.”
For more of BT’s Budget 2026 coverage, go to bt.sg/budget26
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