60 Rising Stars to Compete in Singapore at SMU’s Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition

Empowerph | SINGAPORE – Singapore is gearing up to host 60 of the world’s most promising young innovators as finalists for the 12th Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC), organised by the Singapore Management University (SMU) Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE). The biennial event, taking place from September 29 to October 2, 2025, arrives with record-breaking global participation and a prize pool exceeding S$2.5 million, making it one of the largest university-led startup competitions in Asia.

This year’s milestone edition aligns with Singapore’s 60th year of independence (SG60), giving the event added symbolic weight as the city-state reflects on its transformation while spotlighting the next generation of changemakers.

A Global Stage for Urban Solutions and Sustainability

The 2025 competition focuses on Urban Solutions and Sustainability, tackling some of the most urgent global challenges. Finalists are pitching breakthroughs that could redefine industries: airless wheels based on NASA technology, transistors that slash data centre energy use by 30 percent, bioplastics tough enough to rival petroleum-based plastics, on-demand hydrogen production at sea, and even self-healing concrete for greener construction.

“This year we saw a 57 percent surge in applications, with more than 1,500 submissions from 1,200 universities across 91 countries,” said Shirley Wong, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at SMU IIE and Chairperson of the LKYGBPC Advisory Committee. “The rise in entries from Asia—up 70 percent—reflects Singapore’s growing reputation as a gateway to Asia and a global innovation hub.”

AI-Powered Startup Discovery

For the first time, LKYGBPC has pioneered an AI-driven evaluation system called the DueAI™ Challenge. Fourteen independent AI models screened startup applications in parallel with assessments by 220 human judges from 46 countries, enhancing scalability and objectivity in selecting the most promising ventures.

“This initiative shows how AI can transform entrepreneurial evaluation and investment processes,” said Dr. Sze Tiam Lin, Senior Licensing Advisor at SMU IIE. “It doesn’t replace human judgment but amplifies it—helping identify disruptive startups faster and more accurately.”

More Than a Competition

Grand Finals Week at SMU’s city campus promises more than high-stakes pitching. Finalists will engage in closed-door roundtables with Asia’s most influential business families, attend mentoring sessions, and participate in the Talent Exchange—a new segment connecting Singaporean students directly with startups from elite universities including Harvard, ETH Zurich, Tsinghua University, and the University of Tokyo.

The week culminates with Blaze Mixer Night, an open youth-driven event where Singapore’s next generation can meet and network with the world’s rising founders.

For finalists like Evangelos Moschos, CTO of France-based OceanTech startup Amphitrite, Singapore’s role as a global hub is a key draw. “Singapore is the world’s busiest transshipment hub, and through this competition we gain access to investors, government agencies, and potential research partners. We’re also eager to hire local talent and expand across Asia from here.”

Partnerships Fueling Innovation

This year also marks the entry of A*STAR as the competition’s first official Scientific Knowledge Partner, adding research firepower to the ecosystem. Industry leaders are backing category awards that reflect urgent priorities:

• Zhang Fan Global AI Initiative Award – empowering AI-driven startups.
  
• Future of Sustainable Materials Award by Indorama Ventures – spotlighting next-generation material science breakthroughs.
  
• Venture Capital firms such as Antler, TRIREC, and Wavemaker Partners – supporting sustainability and deep-tech founders with catalytic funding.
  

“We’ve supported the competition for years because it attracts bold founders solving meaningful problems,” said Paul Santos, Managing Partner of Wavemaker Partners. “LKYGBPC reinforces Singapore’s role as a global entrepreneurship hub.”

Building on a Legacy

Named after Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, the competition honours his entrepreneurial vision that propelled Singapore onto the global stage. It has since grown into a magnet for young disruptors eager to reimagine the future.

As Ms. Wong summed up: “Bringing 60 of the brightest startups to Singapore during SG60 and the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix creates a convergence of global attention. This isn’t just a competition—it’s a launchpad for technologies and founders that will shape the world for decades to come.”

Sources:

LKYGBPC official site: smu.sg/lkygbpc

Singapore Management University (SMU) Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship press release, Aug 11, 2025