Playground Global and Matter Venture Partners join US$117 million NUS VC Programme to tap Singapore's deep tech ecosystem, as global competition intensifies

• Partnerships connect Singapore's most promising deep tech start-ups with the US market.
• New university-led, Silicon Valley outpost at Playground Global to sharpen Singapore start-ups' product-market fit.

SINGAPORE, June 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- US-based venture capital (VC) firms, Playground Global and Matter Venture Partners, have partnered with NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial heart of the National University of Singapore (NUS), to join its US$117 million NUS VC Programme. Through these partnerships, both VC firms will gain closer access to Singapore's deep tech ecosystem and its pipeline of start-ups developing breakthrough innovations in artificial intelligence, biotech, quantum technologies and advanced materials.

Early access to deep tech start-ups built for global scale

For US investors and corporates, Singapore serves as a strategic gateway to Asia's innovation economy. The city-state is home to more than 4,500 tech start-ups^[1] and has committed approximately US$29 billion under its Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2030 plan^[2] to deepen its national innovation capabilities. Many Singapore start-ups are also designed for international expansion from inception, offering the US market early exposure to technologies refined by Asian market dynamics, regional supply chains, and diverse regulatory landscapes.

Through these partnerships, Playground Global and Matter Venture Partners will gain privileged access to pre-screened, high-potential deep tech companies from Singapore's innovation ecosystem. In turn, these start-ups will benefit from Silicon Valley's venture networks, market intelligence, technical expertise and corporate partnerships, enabling them to sharpen product-market fit and accelerate international growth.

Based in Silicon Valley, Playground Global is an early-stage VC firm that backs the most technically ambitious founders working at the frontier of engineering and science. The firm is recognised for helping transform breakthrough technologies into globally competitive businesses. With approximately one in five portfolio companies achieving unicorn status and US$1.7 billion in assets under management, Playground invests in early-stage companies shaping the future of next-generation computing, automation, energy, and engineered biology.

"We are excited to partner with NUS Enterprise to support the next generation of deep tech founders emerging from Singapore," said Bruce Leak, General Partner, Playground Global. "Building globally competitive technology companies requires access to long-term support, deep technical expertise, and access to international networks. We look forward to helping more global founders navigate that journey."

Matter Venture Partners complements this with a deeply technical and globally connected platform spanning Silicon Valley and key industrial ecosystems across Asia and beyond, including Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the United Arab Emirates. The firm focuses on partnering with "HardTech" founders developing advanced semiconductor, electronics, and Physical AI innovations. The Matter team provides hands-on support and access to a strategic network of partners to help founders navigate supply chains, scale manufacturing, and bring complex technologies to market, with key competencies in areas such as robotics, advanced materials, and next-generation manufacturing.

"The next generation of globally significant HardTech companies will be built across ecosystems, not within a single geography. Singapore is a critical node in that network, with talent, capital, technology and ambition concentrated in one place. Through this partnership with NUS Enterprise, Matter Venture Partners is excited to support Singaporean HardTech founders who are thinking globally from day one, by connecting them with the right partners, manufacturing networks, and market access needed to succeed at scale," said Dr Wen Hsieh, Founding Managing Partner, Matter Venture Partners.

A pipeline calibrated to US market demand

NUS Enterprise will also establish its first global outpost at The Studio, Playground Global's 70,000-square-foot incubation facility in Silicon Valley. With access to wet and dry laboratories, advanced prototyping workshops and precision engineering tools, NUS-backed founders will gain the infrastructure and market exposure needed to validate technologies, engage US customers and sharpen product-market fit.

The outpost is part of NUS Enterprise's broader strategy to connect Singapore's innovation ecosystem with key global markets. It will help founders gather market insights from Silicon Valley, better understand customer needs and refine their solutions in one of the world's most mature venture markets. Insights gained through the outpost will also strengthen NUS Enterprise's education, research and commercialisation pathways. Over time, this will build a stronger pipeline of Singapore deep tech start-ups with clearer market validation, greater commercial readiness and stronger appeal to global investors and industry partners.

"Silicon Valley is one of the most demanding proving grounds for deep tech, with investors and competitors that move at a relentless pace," said Dr Tan Sian Wee, NUS Senior Vice President (Innovation and Enterprise). "Research-based founders need investors who understand how deep tech companies are actually built and scaled, not just funded. Through our partnerships with Playground Global and Matter Venture Partners, and from our Silicon Valley outpost, our ventures can see opportunities early, test against real customer demand, sharpen product-market fit, and grow into category leaders across global markets."

About National University of Singapore (NUS)

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore's flagship university, which offers a global approach to education, research and entrepreneurship, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. We have 15 colleges, faculties and schools across three campuses in Singapore, with more than 40,000 students from 100 countries enriching our vibrant and diverse campus community. We have also established more than 20 NUS Overseas Colleges entrepreneurial hubs around the world.

Our multidisciplinary and real-world approach to education, research and entrepreneurship enables us to work closely with industry, governments and academia to address crucial and complex issues relevant to Asia and the world. Researchers in our faculties, research centres of excellence, corporate labs and more than 30 university-level research institutes focus on themes that include energy; environmental and urban sustainability; treatment and prevention of diseases; active ageing; advanced materials; risk management and resilience of financial systems; Asian studies; and Smart Nation capabilities such as artificial intelligence, data science, operations research and cybersecurity.

For more information on NUS, please visit nus.edu.sg.

About NUS Enterprise

At NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial heart of the National University of Singapore (NUS), we advance the University as a global magnet for talent and an engine for impactful innovation. We seed ideas, spark innovation, and scale ventures through our distinctive 360° framework, integrating education, ecosystem support, and world-class venture building and investment. 

This creates a self-reinforcing cycle powering both educational and entrepreneurial outcomes across industries and communities. Since 2001, NUS Enterprise has nurtured 10 unicorns, over 3,000 start-ups, and 5,500 students. Our ambition: to improve the lives of 1 billion people by 2035. 

For more information on NUS Enterprise, please visit enterprise.nus.edu.sg.

Annexe: NUS VC Programme

The US$117 million NUS VC Programme aims to enhance support for early-stage tech innovation by focusing on high-potential ventures within the NUS ecosystem, including start-ups from the National Graduate Research Innovation Programme (National GRIP). National GRIP empowers innovators to transform lab-based research discoveries into globally competitive, market-ready ventures.

The programme comprises two key components.

First, NUS has committed to invest US$39 million over the next three years in selected VC firms with strong track records in early-stage deep tech investments. These firms will provide structured, hands-on support to start-ups, including time, expertise, and access to their networks to help them scale effectively.

The programme currently has four VC partners:

• Granite Asia: A leading multi-asset investment platform with a 25-year track record of backing breakthrough technology ventures globally.
• 4BIO Capital: A specialist life sciences investor focused on advanced therapeutics and breakthrough healthcare technologies.
• Playground Global: A Silicon Valley-based investment firm backing research-driven companies developing advanced technologies across engineered biology, energy transition, robotics, and next-generation computing.
• Matter Venture Partners: A Silicon Valley-headquartered VC firm supporting founders developing "HardTech" solutions that combine sophisticated hardware and software to address real-world challenges.

Second, NUS has set aside US$78 million for co-investments alongside these VC partners. These co-investments will be targeted at NUS-affiliated start-ups.

SOURCE NUS Enterprise