EnterpriseSG, Lenovo launch 24-month accelerator to support Singapore-based startups

[SINGAPORE] Enterprise Singapore, the government agency tasked with supporting local startups and small and medium-sized enterprises, unveiled a suite of initiatives and partnerships on Wednesday (Oct 28).

Among these is a 24-month global accelerator programme with technology giant Lenovo.

The programme, which is intended to help startups scale, aims to connect selected startups with Lenovo’s stack of capabilities, including global R&D and tech services, and potentially with Lenovo’s enterprise customers as well. 

These startups will receive support across areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics and advanced materials – helping them validate their technologies in real-world environments and integrating their solutions into enterprise workflows. 

Speaking at the Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre on Wednesday, Singapore’s Minister for Energy, Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng said such partnerships can “make all the difference” for startups as they give access to more researchers, investors and industry partners to help test, adopt and scale solutions.

“For many startups, developing a breakthrough technology is only the first step. The greater challenge is validating their solutions in real-world environments, securing early customers and building a commercially viable business,” he said.

Lenovo and Singapore 

For Lenovo, the new accelerator programme deepens its footprint in the city-state. 

Speaking to The Business Times ahead of the announcement, Ho Fan, Lenovo’s vice-president and general manager of its Asia-Pacific solutions and services group, said the company must constantly be exposed to new ideas to serve customers in the region.

The accelerator programme builds on test cases and references that Lenovo already has in Singapore, she added. She did not rule out the possibility of local startups working with the company on a commercial level. 

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The tech multinational, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of personal computers, previously partnered Singapore’s Manufacturing Federation to support the upskilling of Singapore’s manufacturing and retail sectors, and to encourage the adoption of AI-powered solutions in these sectors. 

Singapore’s ST Logistics is one of Lenovo’s biggest customers in the Republic, using Lenovo’s robotic technology in its latest warehouse. 

While Lenovo has a wide range of solutions from manufacturing to tech hardware and services, Ho said the company does not develop everything internally and works with startups to learn how they think about solutions in the tech space. 

Beyond deeper access to Singapore’s tech ecosystem, Ho said the Republic is attractive due to its exposure to regional markets, even if its own market size may still be smaller than places such as the Greater Bay Area.

“The Singapore government has been connecting with Asean, and I would say that relative to Hong Kong and Shenzhen, I think the relationship is very deep,” Ho said.

“There are a lot of Singapore companies investing in nearby countries,” she noted, adding that the city-state has also “been resilient in balancing the East and West”. 

Global network

Separately, EnterpriseSG and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday to deepen collaboration between the two cities’ startup ecosystems.

The partnership will support Singapore startups looking to expand into Japan, and help Japanese startups to leverage Singapore as a launchpad into regional markets. 

EnterpriseSG is also expanding its Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) network through a partnership with Bakar Labs at the University of California, Berkeley. 

This will give Singapore-based startups access to laboratory facilities, specialised equipment and technical expertise to test and validate technologies in areas such as life sciences and advanced materials. 

Startups will also be able to access resources at UC Berkeley and in the wider Bay Area innovation network to develop their technologies, so they can address local market needs, accelerate commercialisation or pursue global business opportunities. 

Eligible startups can receive funding for up to 70 per cent of qualifying costs, which include the use of facilities and equipment, materials and consumables, access to researchers and technical experts, and relevant business-matching activities.

“Singapore offers a strong base for innovation, with our research capabilities, sophisticated industries and connectivity to regional markets,” said Dr Tan.

“But our domestic market is small,” he noted. “For startups to achieve their full potential, they must be able to access capabilities, customers and opportunities beyond our shores.”