Deep tech – including breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI), synthetic biology, quantum computing, and advanced materials – is shaping the future of industries, economies, and everyday life.
In 2023, the global deep tech market was valued at US$548 billion (S$703 billion), and it is expected to grow to US$2.7 trillion by 2034, according to Future Market Insights.
These technologies are not just creating new products and services; they are driving transformations in key industries such as energy, healthcare, mobility, and manufacturing.
Governments are responding accordingly: the US Chips Act, Europe’s EIC Accelerator, and China’s sovereign AI programmes reflect a shared strategic priority – accelerating deep tech commercialisation.
For corporations, the implications are clear. Capturing the value of deep tech is no longer optional. It is crucial to develop long-term competitiveness. Yet despite growing urgency, many firms find that internal research and development (R&D) effort alone is not delivering at the speed or scale desired.
Why corporate R&D alone often falls short
Corporations are not short on resources or talent. Yet, deep tech innovation presents structural challenges that traditional R&D systems struggle to overcome.
Siloed organisation structures often separate research teams from business units, procurement, and compliance functions. Layered decision-making slows down experimentation momentum.
Short-term performance focus creates friction with the long development timelines that deep tech requires. And many organisations lack internal capabilities to evaluate unproven technologies at early maturity stages.
Startups, by comparison, operate differently. They plan scientific and commercial milestones around the urgency and constraints of limited capital and time. Their flat teams enable faster iteration and testing cycles, guided by market feedback and commercial traction.
According to Startup Genome’s 2023 deep tech report, top-performing startups consistently compress time to Technology Readiness Level 7 (real-world prototype validation) through agile development, lean operating models, and fast feedback cycles.
These dynamics do not suggest that startups are inherently superior. Corporations bring advantages that startups often lack – such as regulatory expertise, global market access, and deep industry relationships.
This contrast reveals an opportunity: partnerships that combine the scale and resources of corporations with the speed and adaptability of startups.