• Focus on empowering Urban Solutions and Sustainability to solve the world’s most essential, urgent challenges
• Pioneered a new AI screening platform to enhance the discovery of disruptive startups
• Record global participation with S$2.5 million+ prize pool 

SINGAPORE, Aug. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Singapore Management University (SMU) has announced the 60 finalists of the 12th Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC), marking a milestone year as Singapore celebrates its 60th anniversary. Organised by SMU’s Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE), the biennial competition set new records for global participation, reaffirming its status as one of Asia’s largest university-led startup competitions.

This year’s Grand Finals Week will be held from 29 September to 2 October 2025 at SMU’s city campus, where finalists will compete for a prize pool of over S$2.5 million. Startups will compete across 12 focus areas, including Climate Tech, Energy Transition, Sustainable Materials, Urban Mobility, and Public Health.

The competition continues to attract global attention, receiving over 1,500 applications from more than 1,200 universities across 91 countries – a 57% increase from 2023. Entries from Asia grew by 70%.

“This reflects growing confidence in Singapore as a business and technology gateway to Asia,” said Shirley Wong, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at SMU IIE and Chairperson of the LKYGBPC Advisory Committee. “Hosting the competition alongside SG60 and the Singapore Grand Prix amplifies its energy and global reach, making it a powerful platform for entrepreneurs to connect and co-create.”

Many see Singapore as a regional springboard for growth. Evangelos Moschos, Co-Founder and CTO of Amphitrite, said, “Singapore is the world’s busiest transhipment hub where we can access shipping lines, investors, and a world-class R&D ecosystem. We’re also keen to hire Singaporean talent, including SMU students.”

New to this edition is the DueAI™ Challenge, which uses AI to streamline startup evaluation, reflecting trends in global venture capital. “DueAI™ shows how AI can scale and enhance objectivity in entrepreneurial evaluation,” said Dr Sze Tiam Lin, Senior Licensing Advisor at IIE.

The Grand Finals Week will feature roundtables with influential business families, an inaugural Talent Exchange linking students to global deep tech startups, and Blaze Mixer Night, an open networking event for Singapore’s youth to meet the founders.

The 12th LKYGBPC also welcomes A*STAR as its first Scientific Knowledge Partner and introduces new awards, including the Future of Sustainable Materials Award by Indorama Ventures, tapping its end-to-end R&D and manufacturing expertise to spotlight breakthrough materials innovations, and the Zhang Fan Global AI Initiative Award, empowering startups pushing boundaries in AI. This edition also witnessed growing support from investors including Antler, TRIREC, and Wavemaker Partners.

“Over the years, LKYGBPC has attracted bold founders from around the world, reinforcing Singapore’s role as a rising global hub for entrepreneurship,” said Paul Santos, Managing Partner of Wavemaker Partners. “It aligns with our mission to back companies solving meaningful problems and creating lasting impact.”