Singapore is known to many today as the Silicon Valley of Southeast Asia, a trusted financial and business hub for startups who want to enter the region.

What’s less known is how much trial and error and effort it took for the nation’s builders to put together the startup ecosystem, change skeptical mindsets, and develop Singapore’s innovation identity.

In the first episode of Startup Frontiers Singapore, the pioneers of the city-state’s startup community take us back to the 90s, when the growing dot-com bubble signaled a turning point for the city.

It was a time when few believed in the potential of Singapore as a place for startups, and there was no guidebook to building such an ecosystem in Southeast Asia. A handful of young founders, investors, and government officials had a vision of what Singapore could become and had to navigate uncharted territory to make it a reality.

Tune in and watch how Singapore’s foundations as a “startup paradise” was built.
 

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This entry is part of the Startup Frontiers series, which explores the tech and startup ecosystem of a market, portrays a historical account of the business landscape, dives into the current state of tech and innovation, looks at the key players in the ecosystem, and discusses its prospects for future growth.

 

This video was produced by Tech in Asia, in partnership with Enterprise Singapore.