2015年新加坡初创企业的主要收获
新加坡的创业生态系统是成熟和vibrant. This is due to concentrated efforts by the Government to improve the support system, interest from venture capitalists and mentorship programs ran by educational institutions and companies to nurture and steer the startup scene to its present position. We explore the key themes that will direct the startup scene in 2015.
利用改善的融资渠道
Singapore’s reputation for transparency and excellent corporate governance has successfully generated interest and attracted investors from all over the world, creating a wide pool of venture capitalists. Besides the existing funding avenues, the government has recognized the gaps that are challenging early stage companies. In this year’s budget the Government announced an increase in the co-investment cap for SPRING’s Startup Enterprise Development Scheme (Seeds) and Business Angel Scheme (BAS). This will essentially improve the access to funding.政府正在试行的风险债务风险分担计划是一项开创性的努力，旨在帮助小型但高增长的初创企业。这是一个针对缺乏财务健全创始人的初创公司的针对性很强的融资计划。根据该计划，新加坡春天将与选定的金融机构一起提供50%的风险分担风险融资。这是一个有效的替代传统的银行贷款，要求强有力的抵押品。
Observers believe that this enhanced access to funding will empower smaller startups and early stage startups to muster the financial resources needed to fuel their initial stage. Some pre-seed stage startups should essentially独自创立to evolve into qualified candidates for funding but may still find help from other schemes such as theAction Community for Entrepreneurship(ACE) grant, which is given to young resident Singaporeans.
超越电子商务——电子商务不是唯一的一站
大多数初创公司都不约而同地涉足电子商务领域。然而，将目光放在电子商务之外会有更好的回报。一些区域性电子商务初创企业的成功，激励了几位企业家创办电子商务初创企业。但在日益混乱的电子商务领域，找到一个有利可图的利基市场将是一个挑战。新加坡是一个高度数字化的国家，互联网和智能设备在该地区的普及速度令人震惊。在老龄化和数字化的新加坡及周边经济体中，有新的未开发的机遇在不断发展。Beyond ecommerce, gaming, media, data analytics and entertainment, startups focusing on fashion, food, travel, and health are also gaining traction among investors. Startups that are successful in finding their niche, with sizeable commercial value, and caters to larger Asian market, are bound to succeed.
企业家和创新者被要求超越消费领域。企业板块，尤其是制药、石油天然气和制造业，基本上还没有开发。在网络安全、企业移动性、物流和资源管理方面，有很多挑战需要解决。解决这些问题最终也会为区域企业市场带来机遇。
新加坡政府的“智慧国家”计划是向这一方向努力的初创企业的理想试验机会。“智慧国家”是一项旨在通过智能部署技术来应对人口老龄化和城市密度不断增加带来的挑战的倡议，这是全球各国政府面临的两大问题。
More startup space – capitalize the cluster
New startup spaces have been launched facilitating easy access to a nurturing ground for the startups by bringing accelerators, incubators, mentors and service providers all under one roof. The recently expanded,JTC LaunchPad在one north，设有欢迎中心和BASH（在这里建立令人惊叹的初创企业），将使创业者、投资者、导师和专业促进者更接近集群，从而进一步活跃创业现场。LaunchPad的欢迎中心是由ACE管理的一站式专业服务中心。BASH是由Infocomm Investments Pte Ltd（IIPL）发起的一项计划，该公司是Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA), to congregate the tech startup community. The LaunchPad will be further expanded by 2017 with three more blocks in the cluster.密集的创业环境促进了年轻企业家之间的合作和伙伴关系，他们也从导师和教练那里受益匪浅。除了通过实验室和车间等共享设施节省成本外，社区网络还有助于建立商业牵引力和市场准入。这些对于初创企业的长期成功至关重要。
With the recent launch of Block 71 in the US startup paradise – San Francisco, expansion, collaboration and deal making with US counterparts will now become easier for Singapore startups. JTC LaunchPad is affectionately nicknamed Block 71, the original block of startup space where many of the now successful local and foreign startups were born. With a vision to replicate the success and spirit offshore, the name has stuck on. This is an outcome of the concerted effort by InfoComm Investment (IIPL), NUS Enterprise and SingTel Innov8. Given the rising trend of US based venture capitalists and startups looking for opportunities and anchorage in Singapore and South East Asia, the new co-working space is a timely launch.
值得注意的是，在旧金山推出71号地块期间，IDA宣布将2亿美元的基金扩展至美国科技初创企业，该基金此前只对新加坡初创企业开放。这些融资措施和联系正在建立，以吸引有兴趣通过新加坡向亚洲扩张的科技初创企业。这将增加当地创业生态系统的活力。本地初创企业和中小企业必须利用这种联系实现国际化。
在最近的预算中宣布的帮助本土企业国际化的三个新计划中，有两个将对初创企业有所帮助。这个IE支持所有符合条件的国际化活动的计划从50%增加到70%。双重扣税provision has been enhanced to cover salaries of Singaporeans posted overseas therefore startups can claim tax deductions on qualifying expenses incurred in their internationalization efforts.
注重人才
对创业人才短缺是一个重大的挑战。They cannot match the large companies or the multi-nationals in terms of training or benefits. The scramble for talent often remains a thorn in the path of progress for startups. But the SkillsFuture scheme announced in 2015 Budget will enable the startups to tap on the enlarged talent pool, by drawing students from ITE and Polytechnics under the Earn and Learn program.Training new and young talent during their early stage will bring better payoffs in the later stage for the startups by building a strong and loyal talent pool alongside strong brand image. Startups must also focus on talent augmentation through grooming because poor talent management would often result in derailment of the venture. Therefore, startups should focus on talent building and leverage schemes such as the SkillsFuture.