Start-ups with an Impact: SUSS Venture Builder Programme Demo Day 2022

^{Group photo of the pitching teams and the judges for the Venture Builder Programme 2022.}

The Venture Builder Programme provides SUSS students and alumni with a structured 3-month full-time curriculum designed to encourage them to take a lean start-up approach towards building impact-driven start-ups or businesses, with the primary goal of kickstarting impact ventures with credible early-stage traction. 

Since the pandemic, this is the first physical event organised by the SUSS Office of Entrepreneurship (Venture Builder Programme) that is open to members of the impact innovation ecosystem. Prior to the Demo day, seven start-ups were selected from the most recent cohort of Venture Builder trainees to pitch for a chance to win attractive prizes.

^{Dr Yap Meen Sheng, SUSS Dean of Student, Student Success Centre, giving the opening address.}

The Venture Builder Programme Demo Day kicked off with an opening address by Dr Yap Meen Sheng, SUSS Dean of Students at the Student Success Centre. Dr Yap shared that as an academic institution, the greater mission of entrepreneurship at SUSS is to make “profit for a purpose” a reality by enabling social entrepreneurship and creating tangible social impact. 

^{Zoe Poh and Tan Yan Ning, Co-founders of SpedGrow, with Dr Yap Meen Sheng, SUSS Dean of Student, Student Success Centre.}

Congratulations to SpedGrow for taking home the top prize at the Venture Builder Demo Day 2022!

Their digital wallet is embedded with a smart protection system that helps the vulnerable population make financial transactions in the community safely and securely, making independent living a reality for the vulnerable population. SpedGrow walked away with $800 of SeedLegals Credits, $300 Osome Credits and three months of complimentary hot-desking at O2 works.

^{Dugyu Sahin and Valen Tan, Co-founders of Social Gifting, with Dr Yap Meen Sheng, SUSS Dean of Student, Student Success Centre.}

The second-place winner of the Venture Builder Programme was awarded to Social Gifting, a one-stop platform that partners with differently-abled crafters to provide corporate gifting to enhance enterprises’ brand identities. Social Gifting walked away with $500 SeedLegals Credits, $200 Osome Credits and 50% off hot-desking at O2 Works.

^{Alphonsus Wan, Founder of Playnium, with Dr Yap Meen Sheng, SUSS Dean of Student, Student Success Centre,}

The third-place winner of the Venture Builder Programme was awarded to Playnium, an on-demand live-streaming platform offering interactive edutainment content for children aged 3 to 8. They were awarded $200 SeedLegal Credits, $100 Osome Credits and a 50% discount for hot-desking at O2 Works.

^{Judges (top left) Stanley Koh, Findjobs; (top right) Jessica Koh, Vertex Ventures; (bottom right) Alfie Othman, raiSE; (bottom left) Michael Song, V.Hive & Levels.}

^{The SUSS Office of Entrepreneurship extends our deepest appreciation to our sponsors: Osome, O2 Works and SeedLegals for sponsoring the prizes.}

We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to all our sponsors, judges and assessors who volunteered their time as well as the innovation ecosystem partners for their support. We believe the Venture Builder Programme Demo Day serves as a launchpad for enriching conversations and potential partnerships with different players from the innovation ecosystem. Read more about the Venture Building Programme, and how you can build and launch a successful impact-driven venture.