National Research Foundation Singapore
-
DATABASE (438)
-
ARTICLES (524)
CEO and co-founder of Bygen
Lewis Dunnigan is a researcher turned entrepreneur based in Australia. After earning a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering and working as a researcher at the University of Edinburgh in the UK, Dunnigan returned to Australia. He had a brief stint as a visiting researcher and earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide.During his PhD, Dunnigan was a part of Philip Kwong’s research laboratory. His PhD project involved developing a system to generate activated charcoal and renewable energy from biomass. In 2017, Dunnigan, Kwong, and fellow PhD student Ben Morton decided to commercialize this technology and established a spin-off company called Bygen, which developed a low-cost, novel way to make activated carbon more sustainably using various forms of agricultural waste. Dunnigan is now the CEO of Bygen.
Lewis Dunnigan is a researcher turned entrepreneur based in Australia. After earning a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering and working as a researcher at the University of Edinburgh in the UK, Dunnigan returned to Australia. He had a brief stint as a visiting researcher and earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide.During his PhD, Dunnigan was a part of Philip Kwong’s research laboratory. His PhD project involved developing a system to generate activated charcoal and renewable energy from biomass. In 2017, Dunnigan, Kwong, and fellow PhD student Ben Morton decided to commercialize this technology and established a spin-off company called Bygen, which developed a low-cost, novel way to make activated carbon more sustainably using various forms of agricultural waste. Dunnigan is now the CEO of Bygen.
Established in 1958, VERSO Capital is a boutique merchant banking and financial services firm based in Luxembourg. It also has offices in Geneva, Fribourg, Vaduz, Dubai, Singapore and BVI. VERSO specializes in sectors like education, food and renewables. Since 2011, the firm has invested over $700bn in venture capital in the global startup ecosystem. Funds worth over $245m were pumped into climatech, foodtech and biotech sectors since 2017. In February 2021, it merged with Swiss alternative asset manager ALDINI Capital that was also founded in 1958 and based in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. VERSO will leverage the expertise of ALDINI in hedge funds, private equity and real estate.
Established in 1958, VERSO Capital is a boutique merchant banking and financial services firm based in Luxembourg. It also has offices in Geneva, Fribourg, Vaduz, Dubai, Singapore and BVI. VERSO specializes in sectors like education, food and renewables. Since 2011, the firm has invested over $700bn in venture capital in the global startup ecosystem. Funds worth over $245m were pumped into climatech, foodtech and biotech sectors since 2017. In February 2021, it merged with Swiss alternative asset manager ALDINI Capital that was also founded in 1958 and based in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. VERSO will leverage the expertise of ALDINI in hedge funds, private equity and real estate.
Chief Growth Officer and co-founder of Kobo360
After graduating in business administration at the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2013, Ife Oyedele II stayed on at the university to obtain a master’s in information technology in 2016.While studying in Michigan, Oyedele met up with Obi Ozor and the two friends started an e-commerce venture to sell diapers and baby soap from the US to customers in Nigeria. Ozor later moved to Philadelphia to continue his studies at Wharton School.Still at university, he gained work experience in business intelligence at Michigan consultancy firm CFI Group for about three years. He has also conducted some research for pharma group iLabs and completed stints in business analysis and quality assurance at various companies. In May 2014, he joined General Fuels company in Detroit and worked as a business manager for almost two years.In 2016, Ozor and Oyedele co-founded Uber-style logistics platform Kobo360 in Nigeria. Oyedele was CTO at Kobo360 until 2020 when he became the company’s Chief Growth Officer.
After graduating in business administration at the University of Michigan-Dearborn in 2013, Ife Oyedele II stayed on at the university to obtain a master’s in information technology in 2016.While studying in Michigan, Oyedele met up with Obi Ozor and the two friends started an e-commerce venture to sell diapers and baby soap from the US to customers in Nigeria. Ozor later moved to Philadelphia to continue his studies at Wharton School.Still at university, he gained work experience in business intelligence at Michigan consultancy firm CFI Group for about three years. He has also conducted some research for pharma group iLabs and completed stints in business analysis and quality assurance at various companies. In May 2014, he joined General Fuels company in Detroit and worked as a business manager for almost two years.In 2016, Ozor and Oyedele co-founded Uber-style logistics platform Kobo360 in Nigeria. Oyedele was CTO at Kobo360 until 2020 when he became the company’s Chief Growth Officer.
Co-founder of Diamond Foundry
Kyle Gazay is a co-founder of Diamond Foundry, the US-based unicorn that makes lab-grown diamonds and which is also the world’s first diamond producer to be certified carbon neutral. He has worked at Diamond Foundry since its launch, and held several roles there, including being COO as well as president of productionCurrently, Gazay oversees all diamond production at the company. Gazay’s expertise is in engineering and production. He has a decade’s track record in working with any equipment to obtain a robust and repeatable baseline output.Like the other co-founders of Diamond Foundry, Gazay previously worked at Nanosolar, a $640m US-based solar power technology provider, which later folded due to pressure from cheaper competition in China. At Nanosolar, Gazay led the development of its production line, and oversaw the translation of the company’s research into development and baseline production output. Upon the closure of Nanosolar, Gazay joined former Nanosolar CEO Martin Roscheisen and former Nanosolar engineer Jeremy Scholz in pivoting to work on lab-grown diamonds, and in establishing Diamond Foundry.
Kyle Gazay is a co-founder of Diamond Foundry, the US-based unicorn that makes lab-grown diamonds and which is also the world’s first diamond producer to be certified carbon neutral. He has worked at Diamond Foundry since its launch, and held several roles there, including being COO as well as president of productionCurrently, Gazay oversees all diamond production at the company. Gazay’s expertise is in engineering and production. He has a decade’s track record in working with any equipment to obtain a robust and repeatable baseline output.Like the other co-founders of Diamond Foundry, Gazay previously worked at Nanosolar, a $640m US-based solar power technology provider, which later folded due to pressure from cheaper competition in China. At Nanosolar, Gazay led the development of its production line, and oversaw the translation of the company’s research into development and baseline production output. Upon the closure of Nanosolar, Gazay joined former Nanosolar CEO Martin Roscheisen and former Nanosolar engineer Jeremy Scholz in pivoting to work on lab-grown diamonds, and in establishing Diamond Foundry.
Founded in 2013 in Singapore, VVNP is a future-food solutions-orientated investor with a special interest in science-based companies that have the ability to scale global solutions, especially within Asia. It invests from seed stage to Series C level. Typical investments range from $300,000 to $3m and the investor has launched two funds to date. The first raised $40m and invested in seven companies globally, while the second was created in 2020, targeting $150m in total investment.The VC’s most recent investments include a €271,000 pre-seed investment round in Dutch poultry animal welfare biotech In Ovo in March 2021, and leading the as-yet-uncompleted 6m Swiss franc (approximately $6.56m) seed round in Swiss biotech SwissDeCode in January 2021 – a company that applies DNA testing to food traceability.
Founded in 2013 in Singapore, VVNP is a future-food solutions-orientated investor with a special interest in science-based companies that have the ability to scale global solutions, especially within Asia. It invests from seed stage to Series C level. Typical investments range from $300,000 to $3m and the investor has launched two funds to date. The first raised $40m and invested in seven companies globally, while the second was created in 2020, targeting $150m in total investment.The VC’s most recent investments include a €271,000 pre-seed investment round in Dutch poultry animal welfare biotech In Ovo in March 2021, and leading the as-yet-uncompleted 6m Swiss franc (approximately $6.56m) seed round in Swiss biotech SwissDeCode in January 2021 – a company that applies DNA testing to food traceability.
Founded in Sydney in 2004, Artesian Capital Management (Australia) Pty Ltd is a global alternative investment management firm specialized in public and private debt, venture capital and impact investment strategies. The VC was a spin-off from ANZ Banking Group’s capital markets business, backed by ANZ Private Equity. Artesian’s founding partners Jeremy Colless, Matthew Clunies-Ross and John McCartney bought ANZ’s stake in 2005.Today, Artesian has international offices in New York, London, Singapore, Jakarta and Shanghai. Its China VC Fund was launched in 2017 and the firm also has plans for a Southeast Asia VC Fund. The alternative investment firm currently manages multiple funds including Australian VC Fund 2, High Impact Green Debt Fund, GrainInnovate and Women Economic Empowerment Fund.
Founded in Sydney in 2004, Artesian Capital Management (Australia) Pty Ltd is a global alternative investment management firm specialized in public and private debt, venture capital and impact investment strategies. The VC was a spin-off from ANZ Banking Group’s capital markets business, backed by ANZ Private Equity. Artesian’s founding partners Jeremy Colless, Matthew Clunies-Ross and John McCartney bought ANZ’s stake in 2005.Today, Artesian has international offices in New York, London, Singapore, Jakarta and Shanghai. Its China VC Fund was launched in 2017 and the firm also has plans for a Southeast Asia VC Fund. The alternative investment firm currently manages multiple funds including Australian VC Fund 2, High Impact Green Debt Fund, GrainInnovate and Women Economic Empowerment Fund.
LeapFrog Investments is an impact-focused investor, managing over $1.6bn in assets mainly investing in Africa and Asia. Its “profit with purpose” has led to investments in startups that provide healthcare, financial services and insurance for low-income consumers. Since it was founded in 2007, LeapFrog has attracted funds from Prudential, AXA, Swiss Re and Omidyar Network, becoming the first impact investor in the world to reach the $1bn milestone. It’s headquartered in South Africa and Singapore.LeapFrog is best known for its investments in the insurance sector. One of the most prominent companies in its portfolio is BIMA, the mobile-based insurance provider that has provided coverage in Ghana, Bangladesh, Cambodia and many other countries. In 2020, LeapFrog invested in Indonesian startup PasarPolis, which is a broker for a wide range of microinsurance products. In the healthcare and biotechnology sectors, LeapFrog has funded Indian genetic diagnostics company MedGenome, as well as Goodlife Pharmacy, a Kenyan company providing access to affordable medicine in the East African country.
LeapFrog Investments is an impact-focused investor, managing over $1.6bn in assets mainly investing in Africa and Asia. Its “profit with purpose” has led to investments in startups that provide healthcare, financial services and insurance for low-income consumers. Since it was founded in 2007, LeapFrog has attracted funds from Prudential, AXA, Swiss Re and Omidyar Network, becoming the first impact investor in the world to reach the $1bn milestone. It’s headquartered in South Africa and Singapore.LeapFrog is best known for its investments in the insurance sector. One of the most prominent companies in its portfolio is BIMA, the mobile-based insurance provider that has provided coverage in Ghana, Bangladesh, Cambodia and many other countries. In 2020, LeapFrog invested in Indonesian startup PasarPolis, which is a broker for a wide range of microinsurance products. In the healthcare and biotechnology sectors, LeapFrog has funded Indian genetic diagnostics company MedGenome, as well as Goodlife Pharmacy, a Kenyan company providing access to affordable medicine in the East African country.
Former technical development lead and co-founder of Graviky Labs
Nitesh Kadyan (also known as Nitesh Kumar) is a computer scientist, robotics engineer, inventor, maker and hacker. He was one of the three co-founders of Graviky Labs, a startup producing ink from captured carbon emissions. He worked at Graviky Labs from 2016–2018, during which he led its hardware development and prototyping. Currently, he works as a senior creative technologist at Lowe's Innovation Labs India.Kadyan holds a degree in computer science from the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore and did a research stint on AI and robotics at Freie University, Berlin. His background includes expertise in machine learning and embedded systems. Kadyan’s past projects include self-driving model cars, autonomous smart wheelchairs, an augmented reality interface for laser cutting, as well as machines that sketch and draw. He also founded a startup that does 3D printing in nearly any material, from plastic and metallic clay to chocolate, playdoh and fabric, and which was incubated at MIT Global Startup Labs 2014.Kadyan was named one of Foreign Policy magazine’s Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2016. He is a recipient of the Campus Diaries 25 Under 25 award, and is a two-time speaker at TEDx.
Nitesh Kadyan (also known as Nitesh Kumar) is a computer scientist, robotics engineer, inventor, maker and hacker. He was one of the three co-founders of Graviky Labs, a startup producing ink from captured carbon emissions. He worked at Graviky Labs from 2016–2018, during which he led its hardware development and prototyping. Currently, he works as a senior creative technologist at Lowe's Innovation Labs India.Kadyan holds a degree in computer science from the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore and did a research stint on AI and robotics at Freie University, Berlin. His background includes expertise in machine learning and embedded systems. Kadyan’s past projects include self-driving model cars, autonomous smart wheelchairs, an augmented reality interface for laser cutting, as well as machines that sketch and draw. He also founded a startup that does 3D printing in nearly any material, from plastic and metallic clay to chocolate, playdoh and fabric, and which was incubated at MIT Global Startup Labs 2014.Kadyan was named one of Foreign Policy magazine’s Top 100 Global Thinkers in 2016. He is a recipient of the Campus Diaries 25 Under 25 award, and is a two-time speaker at TEDx.
Founded in 1994, London-based Hermes GPE is a subsidiary of NYSE-listed Federated Hermes Inc (FHI). The UK limited liability partnership (LLP) is one of the UK’s leading independent investors with $7bn pumped into 260 funds. With a network of over 300 general partners worldwide, the LLP also works with global LPs like BT Pension Scheme, Royal Bank of Scotland and Korea Teachers Credit Union.Hermes started investing in tech startups in 2002 and has provided over $3.7bn worth of co-funding to both tech and non-tech startups via 234 fundraising rounds. Managing assets worth $6bn and international offices in New York and Singapore, sustainability is at the core of its investing portfolio of over 113 startups worldwide. In 2021, recent investments include participation in the $54m Series B round of Austrian refurbished electronics goods marketplace Refurbed in August and May’s $125m Series B round of Paysend, the UK-based card-to-card pioneer and international payments platform.
Founded in 1994, London-based Hermes GPE is a subsidiary of NYSE-listed Federated Hermes Inc (FHI). The UK limited liability partnership (LLP) is one of the UK’s leading independent investors with $7bn pumped into 260 funds. With a network of over 300 general partners worldwide, the LLP also works with global LPs like BT Pension Scheme, Royal Bank of Scotland and Korea Teachers Credit Union.Hermes started investing in tech startups in 2002 and has provided over $3.7bn worth of co-funding to both tech and non-tech startups via 234 fundraising rounds. Managing assets worth $6bn and international offices in New York and Singapore, sustainability is at the core of its investing portfolio of over 113 startups worldwide. In 2021, recent investments include participation in the $54m Series B round of Austrian refurbished electronics goods marketplace Refurbed in August and May’s $125m Series B round of Paysend, the UK-based card-to-card pioneer and international payments platform.
Founded in 2013 by Ramanan Raghavendran and John Kim, Amasia is a venture capital investment firm based in San Francisco and Singapore. The VC promotes environmental and sustainable innovations that help to reduce consumption, boost recycling and upcycling. Eco-investments include Finch, Treedots and Joro. Finch provides information about a product’s environmental impact to consumers while TreeDots connects grocery suppliers directly with businesses and households. Joro advises users on actionable steps to reduce their carbon footprints.Amasia primarily invests in startups from seed stage up to Series B, but it has also participated in later-stage investments. The VC also aims to encourage conventional offline businesses to go online and optimize supply chain activities. In October 2020, Amasia participated in a $100m Series E round raised by Dialpad, a remote working communication software firm. In September 2021, the VC took a stake in Indonesian fintech Xendit’s $150m Series C round. Tokopedia also joined the Amasia stable in 2016 when the e-commerce platform became Indonesia’s first tech unicorn after the $147m funding round.Other investments include Super, a social commerce platform that improves FMCG distribution to tier-2 and tier-3 cities in Indonesia, online education firm SkillShare and Rainforest Life that acquires and aggregates direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands.
Founded in 2013 by Ramanan Raghavendran and John Kim, Amasia is a venture capital investment firm based in San Francisco and Singapore. The VC promotes environmental and sustainable innovations that help to reduce consumption, boost recycling and upcycling. Eco-investments include Finch, Treedots and Joro. Finch provides information about a product’s environmental impact to consumers while TreeDots connects grocery suppliers directly with businesses and households. Joro advises users on actionable steps to reduce their carbon footprints.Amasia primarily invests in startups from seed stage up to Series B, but it has also participated in later-stage investments. The VC also aims to encourage conventional offline businesses to go online and optimize supply chain activities. In October 2020, Amasia participated in a $100m Series E round raised by Dialpad, a remote working communication software firm. In September 2021, the VC took a stake in Indonesian fintech Xendit’s $150m Series C round. Tokopedia also joined the Amasia stable in 2016 when the e-commerce platform became Indonesia’s first tech unicorn after the $147m funding round.Other investments include Super, a social commerce platform that improves FMCG distribution to tier-2 and tier-3 cities in Indonesia, online education firm SkillShare and Rainforest Life that acquires and aggregates direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands.
With currently over $21bn of AUM, Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) was started in Hong Kong in 1997 by Jean Eric Salata, as the regional Asian PE investment arm of UK-based Baring Private Equity Partners. With $300m in its first fund, it focused on riding China’s economic rise spurred by the country’s market liberalization. In 2000, Salata led a management buyout of BPEA and continues to head the firm today as CEO and Founding Partner. BPEA has invested in more than 100 companies, across healthcare, logistics, IT services, media, education, financial services and retail. It is one of the largest independent PE firms in Asia and has eight offices across the continent.With offices in China, India, Japan, Australia, and Singapore, it currently has around 43 portfolio companies, almost all Asia-based, across multiple business segments in tech and non-tech startups, especially in bricks-and-mortar education establishments. It also makes acquisitions, including most recently of US outsourcing services company Virtusa in February 2021.Other recent investments include in the June 2021 $85m Series C round of Portuguese home physiotherapy tech solution SWORD Health, the world’s fastest-growing musculoskeletal solution, and in the November 2020 $198m Series D round of Chinese computer coding for kids edtech Codemao.
With currently over $21bn of AUM, Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) was started in Hong Kong in 1997 by Jean Eric Salata, as the regional Asian PE investment arm of UK-based Baring Private Equity Partners. With $300m in its first fund, it focused on riding China’s economic rise spurred by the country’s market liberalization. In 2000, Salata led a management buyout of BPEA and continues to head the firm today as CEO and Founding Partner. BPEA has invested in more than 100 companies, across healthcare, logistics, IT services, media, education, financial services and retail. It is one of the largest independent PE firms in Asia and has eight offices across the continent.With offices in China, India, Japan, Australia, and Singapore, it currently has around 43 portfolio companies, almost all Asia-based, across multiple business segments in tech and non-tech startups, especially in bricks-and-mortar education establishments. It also makes acquisitions, including most recently of US outsourcing services company Virtusa in February 2021.Other recent investments include in the June 2021 $85m Series C round of Portuguese home physiotherapy tech solution SWORD Health, the world’s fastest-growing musculoskeletal solution, and in the November 2020 $198m Series D round of Chinese computer coding for kids edtech Codemao.
Co-Founder and CEO of Cicil
Former banker Leslie Lim is Singaporean and holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering with Business Finance from University College London. As an undergraduate, Leslie was on the Dean’s List and graduated with first class honors, and received the Goldsmid Sessional Prize for Mechanical Engineering. He met Cicil co-founder while pursuing an MBA at INSEAD. Prior to co-founding Cicil, Leslie had worked at Barclays, HSBC, BNP Paribas Securities and Duxton Asset Management (Deutsche Bank Group).
Former banker Leslie Lim is Singaporean and holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering with Business Finance from University College London. As an undergraduate, Leslie was on the Dean’s List and graduated with first class honors, and received the Goldsmid Sessional Prize for Mechanical Engineering. He met Cicil co-founder while pursuing an MBA at INSEAD. Prior to co-founding Cicil, Leslie had worked at Barclays, HSBC, BNP Paribas Securities and Duxton Asset Management (Deutsche Bank Group).
Co-founder and CEO of Dekoruma
Dimas Harry Priawan made the switch from engineering to work at e-commerce solutions firm aCommerce when he returned to Indonesia, after pursuing a master’s in Environmental and Energy Management at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.The Electrical and Electronic Engineering graduate from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University had also previously worked as a device engineer for ST Microelectronics. He is now CEO of Dekoruma which he co-founded with fellow NTU graduate Aruna Harsa.
Dimas Harry Priawan made the switch from engineering to work at e-commerce solutions firm aCommerce when he returned to Indonesia, after pursuing a master’s in Environmental and Energy Management at the University of Twente in the Netherlands.The Electrical and Electronic Engineering graduate from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University had also previously worked as a device engineer for ST Microelectronics. He is now CEO of Dekoruma which he co-founded with fellow NTU graduate Aruna Harsa.
Co-Founder and CEO of UangTeman
Singaporean Aidil Zulkifli was a commercial lawyer at Duane Morris & Selvam before founding the financial services comparison portal KreditAja.com in Indonesia in 2013. It was later sold to Singapore’s Moneysmart.sg in 2014. He then founded UangTeman in 2015.
Singaporean Aidil Zulkifli was a commercial lawyer at Duane Morris & Selvam before founding the financial services comparison portal KreditAja.com in Indonesia in 2013. It was later sold to Singapore’s Moneysmart.sg in 2014. He then founded UangTeman in 2015.
Meatable: Cell-based meat startup secures $47m Series A for scalable technology
The Dutch startup offers a pioneering technology for quickly scaling cell-based meat production while eliminating the need for animal-derived growth media
Allozymes wants to supercharge manufacturing with engineered enzymes
The Future Food Asia 2021 award winner speeds up enzyme engineering from years to months, is already attracting clients and has just raised $5m seed funding
Circular economy: Discarded goods get a new lease of life in Spain
From e-chargers inside phone booths, recycling chatbots to refurbished stadium seats from Atlético Madrid, the offbeat magic of the circular economy is fast becoming a lucrative business in Spain
SmartAHC: Wearables for pigs and smart farm management to boost productivity
SmartAHC has also expanded beyond pig farms to related sectors in the supply chain, including insurance, banking and local government
ARTICARES: Personalized, more affordable arm rehab therapy at home
Using adaptive AI, its H-Man robot works like an occupational therapist, assessing patient’s performance and adjusting the complexity of training tasks in real time
Pula: Pioneering insurtech helps to improve Africa's food security
With Kenyan insurtech Pula’s micro-insurance products, millions of farmers no longer have to bear the full risk of losses from natural disasters and crop failures
Sophie's Bionutrients: Alternative protein from microalgae
Inspired by fish in the ocean, the startup developed microalgae-based flour that can take on unlimited forms, textures or colors to make almost any alt protein product
MENA and Du’Anyam: How two Indonesian social enterprises are tackling Covid-19 challenges
The call to help women in rural communities has become more urgent as social enterprises struggle to survive the current crisis
US non-profit investor New Energy Nexus seeks to kickstart Indonesia’s clean energy sectors
With a “patient capital” approach to investments and a variety of programs, New Energy Nexus hopes to show that startups can lead the way in renewables and smart energy
HighPitch 2020: Goers wins Indonesia's national startup competition
Event ticketing startup Goers gains new revenue streams with pivot to helping leisure spots go online; hotel SaaS Izy and on-demand medical testing service CekLab also in top three
Bringing Indonesia's research to the world: Interview with Anton Lucanus, Neliti CEO
The former biologist talks about online repositories and his vision for improving Indonesia's research culture
Indonesian state enterprises launch e-wallet LinkAja, competing with Go-Pay and OVO
Even with a wider range of services and extensive state backing, LinkAja faces a tough battle
MSMB: From university research to agritech ecosystem
The Indonesian startup is moving beyond sensors to build technologies for livestock tracking and fish farming
SWITCH Singapore 2021: Benefits and challenges of AI applications in healthcare
Medical experts and healthcare startups agree AI can contribute more to healthcare beyond improving diagnosis and personalized treatment, but hurdles still remain
Bukalapak CEO Achmad Zaky steps down, ex-banker Rachmat Kaimuddin to take over
Rumors of a leadership change first surfaced in August as the Indonesian unicorn and its co-founder got a bad press
Sorry, we couldn’t find any matches for “National Research Foundation Singapore”.
POPULAR DATABASE
