As a melting pot of cultures, ideas, and businesses, Singapore boasts world-class infrastructure, a business-friendly environment, and unparalleled access to Asia’s booming economies.
Singapore offers one of the highest qualities of life in the world. The city-state is known for its safety, healthcare, education, and cultural diversity, making it an attractive destination for companies looking to attract and retain top global talent.
Singapore’s ecosystem is supported by a robust venture capital scene, alongside government grants and programs. The country’s focus on innovation attracts investors and partners eager to fuel the growth of startups. The Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) & Enterprise Singapore offers unmatched guidance, helping startups navigate expansion and connect with key players.
#1 Most Globally Connected Country
- DHL Global Connectedness Report 2024
#1 Place to do Business on the next 5 years
- EIU’s Business Environment Rankings (BERs)
YOUR BUSINESS FUTURE IN ASIA STARTS HERE:
Startupbootcamp (SBC) helps Dutch startups unlock the Asian market. This 3-month program offers everything you need to expand to Singapore.
The first 2 months (online) focus on understanding Singapore’s business landscape, supported by SBC Amsterdam. In the final week, we travel to Singapore for a packed agenda, including networking events, in-person meetings with business leaders, workshops led by industry experts, and a Demo Day, during which you’ll present your business to a select group of investors and industry partners.
By the end of the programme, you will have:
• A deeper understanding of the local culture, industries, and available ecosystem support
• A personalized market landscape research for your business
• A go-to-market strategy tailored for Singapore
• Multiple warm introductions to relevant leads in your industry
• Connections with local investors
• A local strategic advisor matched to your needs
• Confidence in setting up your business in Singapore
• .... and most importantly, 3 months of exciting, fun memories!
Applications close: ̶N̶o̶v̶e̶m̶b̶e̶r̶ ̶1̶1̶,̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶4̶ November 28, 2024
Selection finalized: November 25, 2024
Program starts: January 6, 2025
Singapore Trade Mission: Feb 24 - March 2, 2025
(including Sustainability Expo Asia)
As long as your decision to expand into Southeast Asia is intentional and strategic, we encourage you to apply!
We're looking for innovative companies with a strong foundation in their domestic market.
Companies that meet the following eligibility requirements are welcome to apply:
• Startups, scale-ups, or small to medium enterprises incorporated in the Netherlands
• Has reached at least product-market fit in the Netherlands and is ready to scale
• Must demonstrate sufficient domestic traction to show your capacity and commitment to launching in the Singapore market
• Should be at the revenue-generating stage
Not sure if you're a fit? Contact us!
We're primarily interested in startups operating in the following sectors, which are key growth areas in Singapore and align with SBC's expertise:
• Climate & Sustainability
• Climate Change
• Agri-Food & Technology
• Health & BioMedical
We will consider companies outside these areas on a case-by-case basis.
The fee for the program is SGD $6,535 (around €4,575) per company, plus travel costs. This fee is highly subsidized to make the program more accessible. In addition, you may be eligible for the SIB Knowledge and Skills subsidy provided by RVO, which can cover up to 50% of the program fee. We'll provide more information about this subsidy during the kick-off session.
Each company can send more than one participant under the same fee. This fee covers:
• 9 weeks of intensive preparation: Weekly workshops, one-on-one sessions with industry experts, personalized expert advisors based in Singapore, personalized market research report crafted specifically for your company, and curated customer and investor leads.
• 9 days of immersive activities in Singapore: Guest speakers, networking events, site visits, one-on-one meetings with investor and customer leads, one-on-one meetings with advisors and local business support experts (legal, banking, HR etc.), entrance to Sustainability Expo Asia (February 27-28), and a final Demo Day pitch.
Please note that you will need to cover your own travel and accommodation costs when we travel to Singapore. We will provide some guidance on different types of accommodation to suit different budgets, share any partner discounts or promotions whenever applicable.
The first 9 weeks of the program will consist of weekly sessions held online. We'll have experts from the Netherlands and Singapore leading the sessions. The session times may vary, but most will be scheduled in the mornings to accommodate the different time zones.
You must be available to travel to Singapore for the entire in-market portion, from February 24th to March 2nd, 2025. If you have any concerns about meeting the dates, please reach out to us.
To apply, simply complete the application form and submit a pitch deck summarizing your company and explaining why you want to join the program. We'll conduct short interviews with shortlisted applicants and notify you by early December 2024, giving you ample time to prepare for the program.
Once accepted, you'll receive an invoice for the program fee, which must be paid before the program start.