In further collaboration with SMU, a thought-provoking panel discussion titled "Surviving The Funding Winter: Insights from Top VCs" took centre stage and explored the nuanced strategies of venture capital in the face of the current socioeconomic climate. Against the backdrop of the festival’s innovative spirit, the session offered startups valuable insights into navigating the funding landscape during turbulent times. Moderated by James Chan, CEO of Ion Mobility, Southeast Asia’s emerging EV mobility company which raised a US$18.7M series A round in February 2023, and top venture capitalists Chik Wai Chiew, CEO of Heritas Capital, Murli Ravi, Partner at Tin Men Capital, and Fady Abdel-Nour, Partner at Antler, shared their perspectives on investment criteria, readiness, and the factors that set startups apart.
The event culminated with The GEAR Residency Programme Demo Day, which featured eight of its resident startups2 to showcase the outcomes of their 6-month stint at The GEAR. One resident startup, Spinoff Robotics, completed a pilot drone flight to measure the drone’s precision to target and remove stains on The GEAR’s façade. Spinoff Robotics is an SUTD spinoff from the aerial innovation research lab. Another startup, WeavAir, has their devices installed around the building to collect building health and occupant data to provide insights on energy use and recommend potential improvements.
FCF 2.0 proved to be a premier event that serves as a catalyst for driving transformative solutions for future cities. Luke Wu, Head of Innovation at Kajima Development, emphasised the focus of the transformative potential of using The GEAR as a testbed and global community for the industry in his opening remarks.