{"id":133690,"date":"2026-03-24T10:02:37","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T13:02:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tech.einnews.com\/article\/901447633"},"modified":"2026-03-24T10:02:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T13:02:37","slug":"4-singapore-startups-pivot-to-deep-tech-as-funding-tightens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/24\/4-singapore-startups-pivot-to-deep-tech-as-funding-tightens\/","title":{"rendered":"4. Singapore startups pivot to deep tech as funding tightens"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Founders must show stronger unit economics and clear expansion strategies.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Singapore\u2019s startup economy is poised for modest growth this year as founders pivot toward deep-tech innovations, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe foresee not a broad bull market, but a strong environment for high-quality startups with clear ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) expansion pathways,\u201d Mike Mat\u00e9, a general partner at Kickstart Ventures, Inc., told Singapore Business Review<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n

The cautious outlook follows a strong 2025. Singapore, home to more than 48,000 startups, climbed to fourth place globally from fifth a year earlier, according to StartupBlink Ltd.\u2019s Global Startup Ecosystem Index.<\/p>\n

Data from Kickstart Ventures\u2019 January report showed equity funding in Singapore rose 35% to $5.4b (US$4.2b) in 2025, with fintech leading at $1.3b (US$1b).<\/p>\n

Mat\u00e9 noted that whilst the ecosystem\u2019s value remains resilient at $184.7b (US$144b), investors <\/a>have become more selective.<\/p>\n

Founders must now show stronger unit economics, clear regional expansion strategies, or category-defining products.<\/p>\n

Nick Cocks, a partner at Velocity Ventures Pte. Ltd., said the shift reflects a more disciplined funding environment.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of funds are sitting on investments that are underperforming,\u201d he said via Zoom. \u201cThat\u2019s what caused the so-called funding winter over the last 18 months. But we\u2019re starting to see funds deploy more rationally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whilst fintech led deal activity, health technology had the strongest rebound, signalling renewed investor interest in regulated, high-impact sectors, Mat\u00e9 said.<\/p>\n

Kickstart Ventures reported that health tech raised $413.44m (US$323m) in 2025. Ultragreen.ai Ltd.<\/a> reached unicorn status after raising $240.64m (US$188m) in a pre-maiden round that valued the company at $1.664b (US$1.3b).<\/p>\n

Herston Elton Powers, founding managing partner at 1982 Ventures Pte. Ltd., said founders are entering the market more prepared and globally focused.<\/p>\n

Many are building for multiple markets from the outset rather than expanding later, he said in an emailed reply to questions.<\/p>\n

Zen Liew, investment director for Singapore at Gobi Partners Venture Capital, said investors are prioritising sustainable business models over rapid expansion.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a shift towards deeper technology, business-to-business startups, particularly in AI, fintech, infrastructure, and enterprise,\u201d he said in a separate Zoom interview.<\/p>\n

Sun Sun Lim, vice president for partnerships and engagement at Singapore Management University, said the ecosystem is becoming more science-driven, supported by stronger investment in research and development. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis creates that ecosystem with scientific innovations, with scientific talent,\u201d she said via Zoom, adding that there\u2019s a growing appetite for \u201cdefensible\u201d technologies that address structural challenges across the region.<\/p>\n

Analysts see AI, sustainability, and health tech as key sectors in 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cAI infrastructure, climate tech, and digital health are the three sectors most likely to see accelerated funding,\u201d Mat\u00e9 said, citing strong adoption and regional scalability.<\/p>\n

Liew also pointed to growing interest in robotics, advanced materials, and semiconductors, partly driven by firms shifting operations to Southeast Asia amidst US-China trade tensions.<\/p>\n

In travel and hospitality, Cocks said robotics could play a bigger role as companies adopt labour-saving technologies in manpower-intensive settings such as hotels and airports.<\/p>\n

US$1 = S$1.28<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/strong> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

… as founders pivot toward deep-tech<\/span> innovations, particularly in artificial intelligence … . \u00e2\u0080\u009cThere is a shift towards deeper technology<\/span>, business-to-business startups, particularly … in 2026. \u00e2\u0080\u009cAI infrastructure, climate tech<\/span>, and digital health are the three …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-133690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133690"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133690\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}