I. Introduction
In April 2025, the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) launched the Global Founder Programme (GFP), a new initiative designed to attract experienced global entrepreneurs to establish and grow their next ventures from Singapore. The launch of the GFP reflects Singapore's continued commitment to fostering innovation-led economic growth, and complements the suite of strategic programmes already administered by EDB - including strategic tax incentives, innovation-building support, and targeted talent attraction frameworks.
The GFP adds to EDB's existing fiscal tools to further enhance Singapore's position as a global hub for business and innovation – tools such as the Pioneer Certificate Incentive and Development and Expansion Incentive (targeted at growing capabilities and business expansion), the Intellectual Property Development Incentive (encouraging the use and commercialisation of intellectual property rights), and the Tech@SG Programme (supporting the formation of core teams and facilitating business opportunities for high-growth companies). In addition, EDB has also introduced innovation platforms such as the Corporate Venture Launchpad and administered targeted talent pathways like the Tech.Pass and the ONE Pass.
In this article, we will outline where the GFP sits within this broad ecosystem and the distinct purpose it serves. While other initiatives support existing enterprises or professional talent, the GFP is focused on a specific class of individual - the accomplished founder - and is designed to support them from the inception of a new business, all the way to a global scale.
II. Details of the GFP
The GFP provides curated, high-touch support for selected founders intending to launch new, globally competitive ventures from Singapore. It offers a structured journey across three distinct phases, Start, Build, and Accelerate, each of which is designed to correspond to a key stage of the venture-building process.
In the Start phase, founders are supported with personalised onboarding to Singapore's business ecosystem. This includes guidance on company incorporation, access to relevant professional and regulatory networks, and facilitation in applying for a ONE Pass, a five-year work and residence pass that provides the flexibility to operate or be involved in multiple companies concurrently. Founders are also introduced to a community of peers through EDB's global founder network, helping to embed them within Singapore's innovation landscape.
As the venture takes shape, the programme moves into the Build phase. Here, founders receive assistance in forming their team, including support in securing Employment Passes or Tech.Pass options for co-founders and early hires. EDB also connects participants with venture builders, expert advisors, and pilot customers, with the aim of accelerating product-market fit and business validation. The emphasis is not only on operationalising the business, but on ensuring it is fit for international scale and local integration.
The final phase, Accelerate, is oriented towards growth. Founders benefit from introductions to investors, including EDB-linked entities such as SG Growth Capital, and may qualify for visibility through EDB's media platforms or global innovation partners such as Founders Forum. EDB also offers advisory support for ventures intending to expand across the region, as well as navigation through Singapore's broader innovation and funding schemes.
As founders may have familial commitments, the GFP also incorporates family support measures. Founders' spouses are eligible to work in Singapore via a Letter of Consent, and dependants may reside in Singapore under the standard Dependant Pass scheme. This reflects Singapore's awareness of the practical realities facing relocating founders and reinforces its reputation as a family-friendly base for long-term business creation.
III. Eligibility and application
The GFP is by-invitation, and is intended for candidates that typically fall into one of three profiles:
- a successful startup founder who has founded and scaled a startup into a global business,
- a key employee of an MNC or tech unicorn who has developed and grown a major new product or business line, or
- a deep tech founder who has led a startup to achieve strong commercial traction in areas such as artificial intelligence, hardware, healthcare, and green economy.
Notably, the programme is intended only for those intending to start new ventures from Singapore. It is not available to individuals seeking to relocate existing companies, nor to those in the early stages of their entrepreneurial journey. Interested individuals may register their interest via EDB's online form, following which, selected individuals will be contacted by EDB to progress the application.
IV. Comparison with existing EDB programmes
As alluded to above, Singapore's startup and innovation ecosystem is underpinned by a range of programmes administered or supported by EDB. These include both broad-based enterprise incentives and more targeted initiatives for specific categories of business activity or talent. The table below provides a high-level comparison of how the GFP differs in its scope and target audience (and also guidance on EDB's other tools for growth of the ecosystem):
| Programme | Primary Focus | Target User |
Unique Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Founder Programme | End-to-end support for building new global ventures | Experienced entrepreneurs planning to launch a new venture in Singapore | Invitation-only, curated ecosystem access, startup-focused capital and visibility support |
| ONE Pass | Talent mobility and business flexibility | Senior professionals with salary ≥ S$30,000/month or equivalent credentials | Five-year pass with freedom to work across entities; also used in GFP |
| Tech.Pass | Tech sector talent attraction | Founders, tech leaders, investors, and domain experts | Administered by EDB; applicants must meet eligibility independently |
| Corporate Venture Launchpad | Corporate innovation through venture sprints | Large Singapore-based corporates | Co-funding for internal venture projects or startup collaborations |
| EDB Incentives & Schemes | Capability building, expansion, and anchoring high-value activities in Singapore | Companies establishing or expanding strategic functions in Singapore | Each scheme offers tailored features – for example, tax credits under the RIC, emissions reduction co-funding via REG(E), and IP commercialisation under IDI |
| Global Investor Programme | PR status for high-net-worth individuals with local investment | Investors with business or fund-related activity in Singapore | Pathway to PR via investment in approved categories (amongst other pathways) |
V. Our thoughts
The structure of the programme, encompassing ecosystem integration, venture builder access, curated investor introductions, and regional scaling support, reflects a clear intention by Singapore to not only attract talent, but to embed it meaningfully within the local business architecture. The use of existing infrastructure, such as the ONE Pass and Tech.Pass, is intelligently combined with venture-stage support mechanisms to provide a seamless experience for founders, from entry to scale.
In our view, the launch of the Global Founder Programme therefore marks a meaningful inflection point in Singapore's strategy to remain a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. It provides a one-stop shop for high growth talent and experienced founders to easily set-up in Singapore and scale their businesses in and from Singapore.
Crucially, the GFP reinforces Singapore's preference for quality over quantity. Its invitation-only design, combined with its hands-on orientation, ensures that resources are directed toward founders who have both the track record and the intent to make a meaningful contribution to Singapore's innovation landscape.
From perspective of entrepreneurs who have a desire to establish their next global venture, the GFP offers a highly sophisticated platform to build, scale, and thrive in one of Asia's most connected and credible business environments.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
