Global Founder Programme

EDB’s Global Founder Programme (GFP) is a targeted initiative for experienced founders to launch and scale their next venture from Singapore. It is designed for founders from around the world, including Singapore, to launch new ventures with global impact.  

The programme comprises a holistic suite of resources and tools to help founders access Singapore’s ecosystem, accelerate their venture growth, and expand into new markets.

What founders have to say about living and building in Singapore

In 2019, Stripe asked me to relocate to Singapore to lead its APAC business. My plan was to be here for one to two years. Moving here expanded my world view and gave me a truly global mindset.

My experience living in Singapore caused me to think global from Day One, when it was time to start my latest company. Singapore has created the ideal environment for both family and business where we can build relationships across cultures both personally and professionally.

Noah Pepper
Co-founder and CEO of Multiplier Holdings, a technology company acquiring and transforming high stakes services firms

I have met amazingly talented people and created invaluable connections through EDB’s Global Founder Programme.

It is a fantastic initiative for founders, bringing together a well-curated network that any founder knows is crucial to building a new business. And with Singapore’s safety, connectivity and unbeatable convenience, it has easily become my home.

Huey Lin
Experienced fintech operator, active in angel investing, back to building what's next

Singapore’s clear, business-friendly regulatory and legal frameworks make it an ideal place to build a business, especially for a regulated venture like LXA.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is not only progressive, but highly respected in the region, giving us a strong foundation as we expand into new markets.

Shawn Low
Co-founder and COO of LXA, a tech-enabled asset manager institutionalising residential mortgages as an
asset class for investors in Asia

Global-first ventures, built from Singapore

Learn how these experienced founders leveraged Singapore’s startup ecosystem to validate ideas, scale business operations, and secure venture capital.

Who the Global Founder Programme (GFP) is intended for

EDB’s Global Founder Programme (GFP) is for you if you plan to build a new venture and are:

A successful founder who has founded and scaled a startup into a global business; or
A key employee of an MNC or tech unicorn who has developed and grown a major new product or business line; or
A deep tech founder who has led a startup to achieve strong commercial traction in areas such as healthcare, hardware, artificial intelligence (AI) and green economy

EDB works closely with each founder and venture to deliver tailored support that maximises their potential for success. To ensure that all founders who join us on this journey have the best shot at building a global business, our support is optimised for a limited programme cohort size.

The support and benefits offered through the GFP are designed to meet the unique needs of each founder and venture. While EDB strives to provide a comprehensive range of resources, the availability and scope of benefits may vary between ventures based on factors such as programme fit, stage of growth, and strategic alignment.

What you can expect

Start

Invitation to ONE Pass, Singapore’s personalised pass for top talent, to explore new business opportunities and living in Singapore
Business guides and personalised introductions to navigate Singapore’s ecosystem
Admission to a community of global founders for peer advice and networking, as well as regular programming with strategic partners, investors and advisors

Build

Streamlined business setup and hiring in Singapore, including talent connections and facilitation for Tech.Pass and Employment Pass (EP) for key hires
Access to EDB’s Venture Builders and network of experts, who can support founders to refine their go-to-market strategy 
Connections to first customers and companies looking to pilot new tech and solutions, including potential grant support for eligible pilots
Access to EDB’s network of financial and strategic investors, including corporations, regional venture capital (VC) firms, family offices and SG Growth Capital (SGGC)

Accelerate

A dedicated EDB team working alongside founders, to address key business needs and enable regional or global venture expansion
Access to additional support schemes by EDB and other government agencies in Singapore
Potential profiling opportunities on highly visible platforms by EDB and its partners

Discover the Global Founder Programme

Read the programme booklet for GFP benefits, a glimpse into our community of serial founders and seasoned builders.

Download (3.7MB)

The global nexus for founders to create next-generation ventures

A powerhouse for global-first ventures
A bridge to new experiences
A platform for impact

Strategic geographic & logistical hub

Singapore is a strategic base for capturing business opportunities in Asia-Pacific and beyond.

The city-state’s port is one of the busiest and most efficient in the world, while Changi Airport was the fourth-busiest international airport in 2024 in terms of airline seat capacity.

Singapore's modern transportation networks, advanced telecommunications, and state-of-the-art facilities ensure seamless connectivity and efficient flow of information and goods.

Learn how Singapore connects international and regional markets >

Business friendly environment

Singapore is known for its pro-business environment. It offers competitive tax rates and does not impose capital gains tax. The country is backed by stable policies and strong intellectual property protection. These factors contribute to Singapore’s consistently high rankings in global ease-of-doing-business indices.

Our regulatory frameworks are robust but consultative. Together with our transparent legal system, they help to streamline business operations.

Discover how Singapore helps businesses to grow >

Scientist working with lab equipment, representing innovation and global talent in scientific research.

Global talent pool

Singapore brings strong local talent and top global professionals together. Across business, technology, and research sectors, this combination is well-equipped to navigate regional markets.

The government has partnered tech giants such as Alphabet, Meta and AWS, as well as home-grown unicorns such as Grab and Sea Group, to invest in talent development initiatives. This ensures that our workforce is continuously retrained and reskilled, according to the needs of industry.

Continued investment in education and cross-border research collaboration programmes has strengthened our talent pipeline. Singapore is home to over 47,000 researchers, scientists, and engineers in deep tech domains.

Find out how Singapore can support you in building your A-team >

Diverse & innovative sectors

While renowned as a global financial hub, Singapore is also home to vibrant and established industrial sectors. These sectors are supported by strong advanced manufacturing capabilities, and an innovative technology ecosystem. More than 80 of the world’s top 100 technology companies are based here.

Singapore’s diverse economy offers many opportunities for ventures seeking development partners, lead demand, and well-rounded talent.

A top global destination for expats & families

Singapore consistently ranks as a choice destination for expats and their families, thanks to its safety, stability, quality of life, and cultural access to Asia.

Our vibrant multicultural society fosters a welcoming and inclusive environment, where diverse cultures coexist harmoniously.

Founders and their families can easily access APAC countries, most of which are within a seven-hour flight radius from Singapore.

Singapore is known for being safe and clean, and recognised for its world class education and healthcare systems.

Living and working in one of the world’s most liveable cities >

Rapid growth of Southeast Asia’s digital economy

Southeast Asia’s digital economy has been growing steadily for the past decade. The number of people online has doubled between 2016 and 2023.

By leveraging digital technology, companies have been able to bring much-needed products and services — such as healthcare and banking — to underserved segments of society.

Untapped opportunities for impactful innovation

Southeast Asia continues to have its fair share of pressing needs. These are centred around financial inclusion, sustainability and climate change solutions, manufacturing uplift, productivity, and more efficient healthcare.

Founders have the opportunity to make a significant impact in this part of the world, through their ventures that address these needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

The programme comprises a holistic suite of resources and tools to help founders accelerate their venture growth as well as expand into new markets. This includes exclusive connections, dedicated facilitation for streamlined business setup and hiring, and expert support for growth.

GFP is meant for experienced founders, builders and innovators with strong 0-to-1 experience, where they have successfully built and scaled a product or digital infrastructure from scratch, and who intend to build a new venture.

GFP focuses on ventures with the potential to become global champions. While the programme is open to founders and ventures from a wide range of sectors, we are particularly interested in high growth sectors such as the Digital Economy, AI, Sustainability and Deep Tech. These areas have strong potential to drive innovation, economic impact, and positive societal outcomes.

EDB assesses GFP founders based on proven entrepreneurial expertise. Our focus is on identifying founders with a strong execution track record and the potential to build high-impact ventures from Singapore.

View all FAQs

Ready to build your next venture
on the world stage?

Apply