Bezos Centre @NUS and EnterpriseSG launch new startup competition to boost early-stage sustainable protein innovation

The Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at the National University of Singapore (Bezos Centre @NUS) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) announced a new partnership to accelerate early-stage sustainable protein innovation through a startup competition. This is part of Bezos Centre @NUS’ US$3 million in grants over five years to support early and growth-stage startups in this space.

The inaugural Sustainable Protein Startup Competition will identify and support early-stage startups in sustainable protein solutions. Three winning startups will be selected through a competitive pitching process. Each winner will receive funding and in-kind support of up to S$175,000, while gaining access to Singapore's comprehensive ecosystem of resources. The competition will be launched on 1 August 2025 at the first International Summit on Sustainable Protein (ISSP). There are plans to hold the competition annually, supporting up to 15 early-stage global and local startups over a five-year period.

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, said, “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. 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.”  

Ms Jeannie Lim, Assistant Managing Director for Services and Growth Enterprises at EnterpriseSG, said, “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. 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.”

Bezos Centre @NUS x EnterpriseSG’s Sustainable Protein Startup Competition

The competition aims to support early-stage startups developing novel sustainable protein technologies that can address critical challenges in food security and climate resilience. This includes innovative solutions in fermentation, cultivated meat, plant-based proteins, and food safety & toxicology. Startups will be evaluated on their technology innovation and readiness, market potential and validation, business model scalability, and team capabilities.

From the entries, eight promising startups will advance to the final pitching round which will be held at the Singapore International Agri-Food Week in November 2025. Three winning startups will be selected, and each winner will receive seed funding and in-kind support of up to S$175,000. Bezos Centre @NUS will provide a S$75,000 cash grant and EnterpriseSG will match this with a S$75,000 Startup SG Founder (Competition) grant. Winners can utilise the seed funding for R&D, prototype development and to conduct pilot trials for sustainable protein products. Besides the funding, winners will receive up to S$25,000 worth of in-kind support from Bezos Centre @NUS. This includes mentorship, laboratory facilities, office space, startup incubation resources, and the opportunity to pitch at an annual startup event.

Interested startups can submit their applications from 1 August to 8 September 2025. More information on the Sustainable Protein Startup Competition is available here. 

Support for growth-stage sustainable protein startups

As part of its US$3 million funding to accelerate sustainable protein solutions, Bezos Centre @NUS has earmarked up to US$1.5 million to help growth-stage sustainable protein startups and high-potential projects scale up production, strengthen market presence, and drive international growth.

Bezos Centre @NUS plans to award grants of up to US$500,000 each to three promising startups or high-potential projects. EnterpriseSG will be partnering with Bezos Centre @NUS to further enhance this support through the Startup SG Tech Grant matching. More details will be announced in November this year.

ISSP: A collaborative platform to drive innovation and knowledge sharing in sustainable protein

The ISSP is co-organised by the Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein at NUS, the Department of Food Science and Technology at the NUS Faculty of Science, the Singapore Food Agency, and Enterprise Singapore, with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research as a strategic partner. The two-day event will be held from 31 July to 1 August 2025 at Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore.

Talks and discussions held at ISSP addressed one of the most urgent global challenges: how to sustainably feed a growing and aging global population, projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, amidst intensifying climate pressures and resource constraints. To cater to the rising demand for safe and high-quality protein, it is imperative to develop innovative solutions that guarantee food security and optimal nutrition while reducing environmental impacts. ISSP provides a unique platform for experts, stakeholders, and innovators from diverse fields to converge and collaborate on advancing sustainable proteins.

Core themes at ISSP include:

• Scientific Knowledge Exchange: Showcasing cutting-edge research on sustainable proteins by global and regional thought leaders.

• Technology Translation and Growth: Accelerating promising research and commercialisation efforts through competitions, industry feedback, and curated investor engagement.

• Ecosystem Building: Facilitating collaborations among academia, startups, government bodies and industry.

• Showcasing Capabilities: Highlighting ready-to-license innovations and technical expertise from research institutes, universities, and enterprise partners.

ISSP convened more than 200 participants from top research institutes, alternative protein hubs, industry, and policy circles. Notable speakers at the summit included Professor Francesco Branca, Invited Professor from the Institute of Global Health at the University of Geneva, and Dr Lynnette Marie Neufeld, Director of the Food and Nutrition Division at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

More information on ISSP is available at: https://issp2025.sg/index.php