Beyond Silicon Valley: Why ambition is eastward bound

Noah Pepper, is no stranger to the rhythms of the tech circuit. In 2011, he built a data analytics company that was acquired by X (formerly Twitter) just two years later. But it was a 2016 move to Singapore to lead Stripe’s expansion into Asia-Pacific that set the stage for his next leap as a founder.

“I was told I would see the world differently after living overseas, but I underestimated the extent to which it would fundamentally reshape my worldview,” he recalls. “I loved living in Singapore and working with people from all over the world, and I knew that whatever I did in the future, I wanted it to be extremely global.”

In 2022, Mr Pepper launched Multiplier. The company acquires professional services firms and embeds a proprietary AI layer, automating manual workflows and freeing staff to focus on clients. Its lean, asset-light model means the company could be run from anywhere. However, with ambitions for global expansion, Mr Pepper chose Singapore to access the talent, customers and capital needed to survive the critical early stages of startup growth.

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“I think if I had started this business in San Francisco, I would have been more purely software-focused and US-focused,” he says. “By taking a ‘Singapore point of view’, our focus is much more global and people-oriented, which are our biggest advantages in a competitive world.”

Asia as a centre of growth

Mr Pepper is part of a growing cohort of founders behind early- to growth-stage startups that are turning east in pursuit of new opportunities. This shift reflects a new era of “dual-hub” ambition, where founders are increasingly seeing Asian hubs as essential for a truly global expansion strategy. A survey by HSBC found that over half of entrepreneurs are looking to relocate overseas, with a majority citing Singapore as their destination of choice.

Located at the heart of South-East Asia, Singapore is deeply enmeshed in the region’s trade ecosystem, boasting strong trade ties and more than 28 regional and global free trade agreements. This connectivity makes it an effective gateway to new markets, customer segments, government agencies and industry players.

These connections matter: they make it easier to scale.

For AlphaSense, a New York-based AI market intelligence firm, establishing its Singapore office in 2023 was in response to rising regional demand for its services. Across Asia-Pacific, the company works with clients in industries ranging from finance and life sciences to energy, consumer goods and technology. Singapore now serves as a key regional hub within its eight-city global network, housing core sales and marketing teams. “We have continued to grow our team in Singapore as demand for our AI enterprise market intelligence platform rises," said Kiva Kolstein, AlphaSense's President and Chief Revenue Officer.

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Similarly, since putting down roots in Singapore, Mr Pepper’s move has yielded significant returns. The city-state’s role as a commercial testing ground and cosmopolitan density has also allowed Multiplier to grow its regional client base and attract talent. “Singapore is inherently one of the most international places in the world,” says Mr Pepper, who views the city-state’s global outlook as a strategic advantage when hiring high-quality tech talent.

“The level of talent here—especially in engineering, product and design—is excellent. There’s a unique ecosystem here where you can find both great local talent and entice foreigners to move to.”

Mr Kolstein concurs, noting that Singapore’s “thriving market and impressive talent pool” have enabled AlphaSense to hit the ground running.

Operational momentum has quickly translated into financial backing from both sides of the Pacific. In 2025, Multiplier announced that it had raised US$27.5m in seed and Series A funding from EDBI, a Singapore-based strategic investor, as well as US-based venture capital firms like Ribbit Capital—a key backer of digital bank Revolut—and Lightspeed, whose portfolio includes AI innovators such as Anthropic and Suno.

Singapore also makes things easier for founders. Founder-friendly visas like ONE Pass reduces the bureaucracy of immigration, providing entrepreneurs with the certainty they need to focus on building their businesses.

For Mr Pepper, the city’s “smart density”, well-known liveability and efficient handling of the minutiae of migration—from bank accounts, housing, taxes and school registration—added to the quality of life for not just himself but also his family. “Government agencies in Singapore are much more modern, automated, well-documented and customer-service-oriented,” he says.

An institutional ally

When it came to Multiplier, Mr Pepper credits the city’s dense and connected communities as essential to scaling his business, especially those connections facilitated by Singapore’s Global Founder Programme (GFP). The programme links founders to a like-minded community of strategic partners, investors and advisors. These carefully curated connections support expansion and growth: founders are provided with personalised introductions as well as resources to refine their go-to-market strategies, pilot solutions and tap local talent.

“Government leaders met up regularly with a small community of serial entrepreneurs to ask about our pain points and goals,” shares Mr Pepper. “I was blown away by the pragmatism and competitive focus. They were constantly probing for ways to benefit both the founders building companies and the broader Singaporean economy.”

For AlphaSense, Singapore-based investment platform SG Growth Capital (SGGC) is a critical partner in its go-to-market strategy. Mr Kolstein says SGGC provided regional investment insights and recruitment support, allowing the company to rapidly assemble best-in-class sales and marketing teams, which now serve as a high-touch centre for AlphaSense’s regional and global clientele.

As the startup grows, AlphaSense expects Singapore’s world-class research base and ecosystem collaborations to shape the company’s flagship solutions. Through close links with enterprise partners and the region’s leading companies, AlphaSense can test its AI platform in real-world settings to ensure its products are locally and globally relevant.

With a global-first approach becoming the gold standard for tech startups, founders are increasingly seeking environments that offer stability and proximity to new growth. For companies like AlphaSense, Singapore offers a unique value proposition. “Singapore sits at the centre of one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing economies in the world,” says Mr Kolstein.

“As we further our mission to help companies in wide-ranging industries, including many leading firms in Asia-Pacific, Singapore is a crucial pillar of our future.”