The Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at the National University of Singapore (Bezos Centre @NUS) has partnered with Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) to launch a new startup competition that aims to accelerate early-stage sustainable protein innovation.
The competition will identify and support startups developing sustainable protein solutions, selecting three winners through a competitive pitching process. Each will receive funding and in-kind support, gaining access to Singapore’s comprehensive ecosystem of resources. The initiative is part of Bezos Centre @NUS’s US$3 million commitment to accelerate the commercialisation of sustainable protein solutions.
The competition was launched on August 1 at the first International Summit on Sustainable Protein (ISSP). There are plans to hold it annually, supporting up to 15 early-stage global and local startups over a five-year period.
“Our partnership with the Bezos Centre @NUS comes at a crucial time to
support promising foodtech startups in securing funding to develop their technologies and bring innovative solutions to market,” said Ms Jeannie Lim, Assistant Managing Director for Services and Growth Enterprises at
EnterpriseSG. “This initiative reflects our commitment to advance promising sustainable food innovations while catalysing greater private sector participation and investments in Singapore’s foodtech sector. We welcome foodtech startups to leverage Singapore’s resources, robust innovation ecosystem, and progressive regulatory framework to accelerate their R&D efforts and scale their impact across the region.”
Bridging research with real-world impact
The initiative will focus on startups addressing challenges related to food security and climate resilience. This could include solutions in fermentation, cultivated meat, plant-based proteins, or food safety and toxicology. Startups will be evaluated on their technology innovation and readiness, market potential and validation, business model scalability, and team capabilities.
Eight startups will be chosen for the final pitching round, which will take place at the Singapore International Agri-Food Week in November. Each of the three winners will receive seed funding and in-kind support of up to S$175,000.
Bezos Centre @NUS and EnterpriseSG will each provide a grant of $75,000, which winners can use for R&D, prototype development, and to conduct pilot trials. Successful startups will also receive up to S$25,000 worth of in-kind support from Bezos Centre @NUS, including mentorship, laboratory facilities, office space, startup incubation resources, and the opportunity to pitch at an annual startup event.
“One of our goals at the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at NUS is to bridge world-class research in sustainable protein with real-world impact,” said Professor Zhou Weibiao, Acting Director of the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at NUS and Head of the NUS Department of Food Science and Technology. “This startup competition and the ISSP are natural extensions of that mission — paving the way for promising technologies to move from lab to market, and from local to global impact. Our partnership with EnterpriseSG will further support our aspiration by accelerating innovation and strengthening the sustainable protein ecosystem in Singapore and beyond.”
