Singapore student-run VC programme launches new fund

The Marina & David Su Protégé Ventures Fund II – supported by David Su, a founding managing partner at Matrix Partners China – will provide pre-seed and seed funding to start-ups founded by students or recent graduates of Singapore’s tertiary education system. It operates on a sector-agnostic basis.

The PV programme was established in 2017 to facilitate connections between university innovations and venture capital funding, and to foster collaboration among students across different tertiary institutions. It also gives students the opportunity to gain practical insights into the venture investment landscape, according to a statement.

More than SGD 265,000 has been invested in 10 student start-ups since the programme’s inception. The companies have gone on to raise more than SGD 35m in follow-on funding. During this period, PV claims to have rained 251 students and evaluated over 1,100 deals.

“As a venture capitalist, I have witnessed how venture capital has effectively funded disruptive innovations that fundamentally change the way we work and live,” said Su (pictured, right, with representatives from PV and SMU and Singapore’s deputy prime minister, Swee Keat Heng).

“For Singapore to successfully engage the challenges of tomorrow, we must cultivate a new generation of tech-savvy, agile and skilled decision-makers who can take the lead in navigating the turbulent and uncertain technological and economic landscape with sensitivity and wisdom.”

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• Topics
• Southeast Asia
• Fundraising
• Venture
• Early-stage
• Singapore
• Matrix Partners
• Fundraising