TusStar, the global tech incubator network anchored at Tsinghua University, has expanded its Southeast Asian presence through a new partnership with SEA Bound and AI Singapore, aimed at accelerating the adoption of people-centric, agentic AI.
The three organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to bring leading agentic AI companies to Singapore, support local enterprise innovation, and expand regional market entry pathways.
The collaboration is poised to create opportunities for Singaporean companies to co-develop AI-driven projects that directly benefit the workforce and the broader economy.
A central component is the involvement of mid-career apprentices equipped with sector expertise in areas such as accounting, construction, healthcare and transportation. These apprentices work alongside technology companies to refine problem statements, adapt solutions to Singapore’s regulatory environment, and gain market-ready AI skills, ultimately enhancing their employability.
A recent project involving Elixir Technology, a homegrown software platform company founded in 1993, illustrates the potential of the initiative. Through TusStar’s global network, the incubator connected Elixir with Bo Huai Technology, an agentic AI firm boasting more than 100 client use cases.
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Together with support from a mid-career apprentice with an accounting background, the companies are co-developing an agentic reporting workflow solution tailored for financial services firms in Singapore. The project demonstrates how global tech can be customised to local needs through structured collaboration.
According to TusStar, the motivation for signing the MOU stems from a strategic vision that has been five years in the making. “Five years ago, TusStar set up the 160th centre in Singapore to bring tech companies to Singapore, and this year, with the help of SEA Bound and the AI Singapore programme, we are ready to expand the market entry to Southeast Asia,” the organisation noted.
TusStar’s extensive global footprint underpins this ambition—more than 300 locations across 90 cities—enabling it to scout high-potential agentic AI companies worldwide.
The incubator emphasised that supply is not the challenge; instead, the priority is to curate the right market demand and public policy alignment to replicate the success these solutions have achieved overseas.
The partnership also opens doors for participating companies to access IMDA’s SPARK programme, which provides market validation, industry exposure and a structured framework to help promising tech ventures scale effectively.
TusStar views SPARK and AI Singapore as complementary pillars that enable international companies to understand Singapore’s operating environment, while demonstrating the robustness of their solutions.
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Crucially, the trilateral model—uniting a global AI innovator, a local enterprise partner and a Singaporean subject-matter expert—is seen as the blueprint for regional expansion. SEA Bound will play a key role in this next phase by leveraging TusStar’s satellite presence across Southeast Asia to help companies scale talent development, reach new customers and capture market share.
“With the addition of Elixir and mid-career apprentices, they will help to customise Bo Huai’s tech solution to meet compliance, security and other product-market fit requirements to operate well in Singapore and Southeast Asia,” TusStar explained.
As more agentic AI companies enter Singapore through this collaboration, the ecosystem is expected to benefit from increased innovation, stronger workforce upskilling and broader participation in regional digital transformation.
TusStar believes the long-term success of the initiative will depend on sustained collaboration. “We believe such trilateral partnerships—between a new agentic AI company, a homegrown partner, and a local subject matter expert—are crucial to success, not just for us but for the host economies and their technology futures.”
The partnership marks a significant step in strengthening Singapore’s position as a regional hub for applied agentic AI and reinforces TusStar’s commitment to bringing global innovation to Southeast Asia.
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Image Credit: TusStar
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