The premier university startup competition is back — and it’s calling for innovations that can shape the future of climate, tech, and society.
The 12th edition of the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC), hosted by Singapore Management University’s Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, is now open for applications — with a deadline of April 30, 2025.
This isn’t your typical startup competition. It’s one of Southeast Asia’s most prestigious global platforms for student and young alumni founders building deep-tech solutions that matter.
EcoHQ Partnership
We’re excited to share that we’ve joined as a Community Partner to amplify this opportunity within our ecosystem — especially for Indian innovation eyeing global relevance.
Calling all Impact Founders:
Carbon Tech, Climate Tech, Energy Transition, Food & Land Use, Green Building & Construction, Homeland Security, Public Health, Sustainable Materials & Circularity, Transport & Logistics, Urban Mobility, Water Solutions, and Emerging Tech.
Who can apply?
For each team, at least one founder must be a current university student or a graduate (Bachelor, Master’s, or PhD) within the past five years.
Your startup is either:
- Pre-revenue with a clear path to commercialisation, or
- Revenue-generating and up to Series A
- Note: IP stays between you and your university — no strings attached.
What you’ll need to submit:
- An Executive Summary (max 500 words, PDF)
- A Pitch Deck (max 20 slides, PDF)
Here is the online application for the 12th Edition of the Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition:
Apply by: April 30, 2025
Why this could be a game-changer:
If selected as a finalist and make it to the Top 50, your team will:
- Fly to Singapore in Sept 2025 for the Grand Finals — flights & accommodation covered!
- Pitch to Singapore’s global 200+ VCs, family offices, and ecosystem leaders!
- Win over S$2M+ million in prizes and counting — including $100,000 Grand Finals prize money and a wide range of sponsor awards up for grabs!
- Plug into Singapore’s innovation scene—it’s your gateway to connecting with leaders in Singapore and exploring how to expand in Southeast Asia’s 700M+ market!
If your team makes it to the Top 50, you won’t just represent your startup—you’ll define a growing wave of impact-driven, South Asian-rooted innovation!
Join the LKYGBPC Grand Finals, a week-long global gathering of student founders.
A Word to Founders
If you’re a deep-tech, climate-first, or impact-led founder still in college or recently out — this could be your moment to go global.
For the Enablers who Back the Builders
If you mentor or support such teams, pass this on. The travel-to-Singapore reward for recommenders will be extended to those whose recommended teams make it to the Top 50 and choose to come to Singapore.
Doors like these are open for funding, future collaborations, ecosystems, and serendipity.
Let’s get more India-led solutions on the world stage!