PlasticFri (now Grale), a startup from Germany, won the Infinity Prize at the 11th edition of the LKYGBPC in 2023
Singapore Management University’s (SMU) Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) has announced the 60 finalists of its 12th Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC).
In this edition, the 60 finalists will gather at SMU’s city campus between 29 September and 2 October 2025 to pitch their innovations to a judging panel during the Grand Finals Week of the biennial competition.
Startups will compete for a prize pool of over S$2.5 million (~US$2 million). Global competition shines a spotlight on startups with urban solutions and sustainability innovations that address today’s grand universal challenges.
Also Read: Urban solutions, sustainability take centre stage at SMU’s LKYGBPC startup challenge in 2025
From airless wheels based on NASA technology, bioplastics tough enough to rival petroleum-based plastics, on-demand hydrogen production at sea, and self-healing concrete, these breakthroughs are amongst the shortlisted entries that challenge decades-old limits in energy, mobility, and infrastructure.
“The 12th LKYGBPC saw record-breaking 1,500+ applications from more than 1,200 universities across 91 countries, a 57 per cent increase compared to the previous edition’s submissions. Entries from Asia increased by 70 per cent, and we also saw a significant increase in submissions from North America, the Middle East and North Africa,” said Ms Shirley Wong, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at SMU IIE, Managing Partner of TNF Ventures, and Chairperson of the 12th LKYGBPC Advisory Committee.
The contestants will compete across 12 focus areas: carbon tech, climate tech, emerging tech, energy transition, food and land use, green buildings and construction, homeland security, public health, sustainable materials and circularity, transport and logistics, urban mobility and water solutions.
As a new feature this year, LKYGBPC also introduces the DueAI Challenge, a novel initiative that leverages Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance the efficiency and comprehensiveness of startup screening. This approach reflects emerging trends in the global venture capital (VC) and startup landscape, where AI-enabled capabilities are increasingly adopted to streamline data collection, accelerate deal flow, and support data-driven investment decisions.
Throughout the Grand Finals Week, held from 29 September to 2 October 2025 at SMU, the 60 global finalists will participate in a series of events designed to connect them with key stakeholders. These include closed-door roundtable sessions with influential regional business families. The startup founders will gain invaluable insights and mentorship, while the business families can engage with cutting-edge technologies relevant to their investment portfolios and industries.
Also Read: German startups MEDEA Biopharma, PlasticFri win LKYGBPC competition
This year’s competition will also serve as a vital pipeline for internship and career opportunities for Singapore-based students. Via an inaugural Talent Exchange segment, students will have the chance to pitch their expertise directly to the finalist startups for the opportunity to join startup teams from universities such as the University of Tokyo, ETH Zurich, Tsinghua University and Harvard University.
The Grand Finals Week will culminate in the highly anticipated Blaze Mixer Night, an open invitation for Singapore’s youth to engage with the young founders from the 60 finalist startups, be inspired by their new technologies, and grow their network.
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