Incubator Plexal heads to Singapore for CyberBoost

Cyber startup hub Plexal expands its presence to Singapore through a new initiative, and sets its sights on helping new UK businesses break into the booming Asia-Pacific market

Alex Scroxton,
Security Editor

Published: 16 Jul 2024 17:05

East London innovation and startup hub Plexal has partnered with the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore – the Asian state’s equivalent to the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – and the National University of Singapore (NUS) to create a cross-border cyber security innovation programme.

Dubbed CyberBoost, Plexal and its collaborators hope the initiative will help connect British and European security innovators with their peers in Asia-Pacific (APAC), and open doors into other economies in the region, equipping them with the local nous needed to fast-track their growth.

The project will work across two streams at first: CyberBoost Build, supporting innovators as they go about building their first products; and CyberBoost Catalyse, powered by Plexal, to support startups using Singapore as a catalyst for scaling.

“Cyber security challenges are global, necessitating international cooperation and creating global opportunities for innovators and adopters alike. Singapore stands as a crucial nexus for this progress,” said Plexal chief commercial officer and innovation head Saj Huq.

The hybrid Catalyse stream, which will be run both in Singapore and virtually, will help startups master growth strategies, build connections in APAC, and tap into investment and commercial opportunities by immersing themselves in Singapore’s cyber ecosystem to build a peer network of like-minded innovators.

In support, the CSA and NUS have launched a new partnership, the CyberSG Talent, Innovation and Growth (TIG) Collaboration Centre, which opens its doors today with the aim of establishing Singapore as a premier global security innovation destination.

“We are proud to extend our international reach by collaborating with the CyberSG TIG Collaboration Centre, established by CSA and NUS. Together, we aim to address critical challenges and accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge technologies by nurturing cyber security companies at various growth stages,” said Huq.

“The CyberBoost: Catalyse programme will enable companies to both establish themselves in Singapore and expand into high-growth global markets.”

Speaking at the launch of the CyberSG TIG facility, Singapore’s digital and innovation minister Janil Puthucheary said: “We recognise that cyber security companies need cyber-specific mentorship and access to networks to help them in their growth journeys. Therefore, the TIG Centre will provide venture development and early scaling support to help grow promising cyber security companies.

“CyberBoost Catalyse is one of the programmes at the centre that has been designed to help cyber security companies at the critical stages of their journey – often called the growth stage. It will be co-delivered by TIG Centre together with Plexal, which has experience in running successful programmes like the UK Cyber Runway as well as the UK’s NCSC for Startups programme.

“These have helped grow a new generation of cyber security companies in the UK and I am delighted to share that Singapore is one of the first countries that Plexal will expand its presence to,” he said.

Singapore has long been a major technological hub, with the likes of Dell, Huawei and SAP operating their own innovation centres there. The city state is also ranked as the top smart city in Asia and one of the smartest in the world. Plexal said the opportunity presented to its members through Catalyse would let them advance their existing traction and development potential to scale across the region.