Singapore Management University’s Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (SMU IIE) has opened applications for the 13th Lee Kuan Yew Global Business Plan Competition (LKYGBPC), inviting university founders and recent graduates to present technology-based solutions to urban and sustainability challenges. The biennial competition focuses on 12 areas, including climate technology, energy, food and land use, urban mobility, health technology, longevity, sustainable materials and circularity. It aims to help early-stage ventures connect with investors, industry partners and potential customers to bring their technologies into practical use.
Fifty finalists will be invited to Singapore from September 28 to October 1, 2027. They will compete for more than S$2.5 million (US$2 million) in prizes and participate in an Innovation Festival featuring investor meetings, mentorship and engagement with corporate and ecosystem partners.
Selected finalists may also join SMU’s Urban SustaInnovator (USI) accelerator, launched in 2025. The programme supports start-ups through market access, pilot projects and strategic introductions across Asia. In May 2026, SMU IIE launched the USI Fund to support promising ventures as they test and expand their solutions.
Rony Palathinkal, Head of LKYGBPC and Urban SustaInnovator at SMU IIE, said the competition was designed to connect technology founders with partners and markets that could help them deploy their solutions. He added that the accelerator and fund provide opportunities for start-ups to pilot projects, expand operations and raise capital across Asia. SMU plans to draw on its Overseas Centres in Bangkok, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Shenzhen, along with its International Advisory Councils in eight countries, to facilitate connections with industry, government and community partners.
One example is Singapore-based Standard Physics, formerly Inviscid AI. Founded by Qiu Ziming and Kabir Jain, the company was a finalist in the 2025 competition before joining Y Combinator’s Winter 2026 cohort and SMU’s first USI accelerator batch. Its technology combines physics-informed artificial intelligence and Internet of Things-enabled digital twins to improve energy efficiency in buildings and data centres. Through USI, the company secured a pilot with The GEAR, operated by Japanese construction group Kajima, and is discussing three additional opportunities. It has also raised US$2.3 million in seed funding led by Square Peg Capital.
Established in 2002, LKYGBPC attracted more than 1,500 entries from founders representing 1,200 universities across 91 countries in its 2025 edition. Finalists from the ninth to 12th editions have collectively raised more than S$1 billion, according to SMU. Shirley Wong, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at SMU IIE and chairperson of the 13th competition’s advisory committee, said the event connects international founders with Singapore’s network of investors, institutions and industry partners.
