Singapore-based venture capital company Integra Partners has launched a woman-focused venture partner programme while Singapore Deep-Tech Alliance (SDTA) has launched a joint incubator programme with Innovate UK.
Integra partners USAID to launch women-focused programme
Singapore-based venture capital company Integra Partners has collaborated with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to launch a woman-focused venture partner programme to promote female participation in angel investing, venture capital, and technology startups.
For the Win With Women programme, the early-stage-focused firm plans to appoint a senior venture partner in each of its key markets including the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Pakistan. The venture partners will source, evaluate, and invest in female-founded, -led, and -focused startups, according to a company release. These companies will be provided technical expertise, mentorship, and coaching on a monthly basis from the partners.
“We’re exceptionally proud to be launching this initiative as we expand our regional footprint and add boots on the ground in our key markets,” said Jennifer Ho, Partner at Integra Partners, where 50% of its general partners are women.
“One of the biggest barriers to inclusion for women is the limited access to mentorship and advice. Our hope is that this program goes some way towards demystifying the venture capital process for aspiring women angels and female founders and that ultimately, it will help address the gender gap on both sides of the equation – the funding seekers as well as the funding providers.”
Launched a day prior to International Women’s Day, Integra aims to show its commitment to supporting gender equality by grooming startups to become “more investment ready”. In 2022, the venture capital investor partnered with USAID for Digital Invest, a programme to make financial and digital health services across South and Southeast Asia more affordable and responsible.
Singapore Deep-Tech Alliance joins hands with Innovate UK
Singapore Deep-Tech Alliance (SDTA), a sustainability-focused deep-tech venture builder, has launched a joint incubator programme with Innovate UK, a British national innovation agency, to import six UK startups into the city-state and connect them with its advanced manufacturing industry.
Dubbed Innovate UK Global Incubator Programme Singapore, it will provide UK startups and SMEs with access to Singapore’s businesses, universities, labs and investors to drive new tech adoption for manufacturing, according to a statement on Tuesday.
The participating companies will have an opportunity to connect with deep-tech experts and entrepreneurs from local institutions such as Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Enterprise Singapore, and Nanyang Technological University, which are among SDTA’s networks.
SDTA will also support these companies to expand into the ASEAN region, the statement said.