Home Sweet Perth ☀️ After two incredible weeks in Asia (Singapore and Hong Kong), here’s Part 1 of the #throwbackpost - Singapore.
I joined the Team WA delegation as an ecosystem builder to #SWITCH2025, representing the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct and CORE Innovation Hub. SWITCH is a major global innovation platform connecting startups, investors, corporates and researchers.
For WA, this delegation was a strategic opportunity to elevate our innovation profile internationally, build global partnerships, identify shared goals and open new pathways into Asia-Pacific markets. A huge thanks to Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, Curtin University, West Tech Fest, Spacecubed, and Meshpoints for making this possible - and what a fabulous idea to bring together Founders and Ecosystem Builders 🙌
Key Highlights:
➡️ Dr Victor Tay delivered an eye-opening overview of Singapore’s ecosystem – worth $144B, Asia’s #2 startup hub, Top 10 globally, with 20 unicorns, $4.4B in early-stage funding, solid start up network support and strong growth in deep tech.
➡️ Pitchflix rev – a sold out “reverse-pitch” event where investors (VCs, CVCs, angels, and family offices) pitched their value to founders. Great to meet you, Nicky van Domburg!
➡️ Lab Crawls – site visits to:
🔹 Punggol Digital District – Singapore’s first smart, sustainable mixed-use district integrating business, education, community and testing facilities
🔹 ACE.SG – building entrepreneurship through startup–investor–corporate–government connections.
🔹 BLOCK71 Global – NUS Enterprise’s innovation network supporting startups via incubation and global access.
🔹 ASTAR / ASTART Central – helping deep-tech startups move from lab to market through R&D, and industry partnerships.
➡️ Attending multiple sessions at SWITCH spanning AI, robotics, global ecosystems, the slingshot pitch competition (well done Graeme Speak for qualifying!), the WA power panel moderated by Stephen Dawson as well as exhibiting as part of the Team WA booth, representing the AARP. The exhibition area was buzzing, and I was inspired by all of the tech, live demos and startups on display 💥
The insights from the trip affirmed the fact that WA has a real opportunity to embed deeper into the Asia-Pacific innovation ecosystem — scaling our enterprises globally and signaling to investors, corporates, and innovation hubs - that WA is open for business, collaboration, and growth.
THANK YOU to the epic WA #squad for a memorable and inspiring trip - inc all the joint commutes and foodie adventures! Danelle Cross Sarah Kahle Nate Sturcke Charlie Gunningham Ivana Deng Stephanie Underwood GAICD Jeroen van Dalen Josh Van Ross Charlotta Kemp Oliver Bazzani Rob Nathan Nicola Bedwood Gordon C. Justine Kruger Masha Polshinskaya Nathan Wipane Parakram Vishwakarma Adele Peek Garrett Strydom Omair Chodhry Linley Lord Larry Lopez Narendran Subramaniam Anya Jones, PhD Ian Brown Dr. Priyanka Toshniwal Nick Woolf
