SINGAPORE - Singapore Exchange (SGX) and ETPL, the commercialisation arm of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), will work together to help start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises tap on innovative technologies and capital more efficiently, driving business growth and capturing greater value for Singapore's economy.

Under a two-year memorandum of understanding signed on Monday, SGX and ETPL will jointly identify companies with growth potential to help them efficiently access capital from private or public capital markets. The partnership also seeks to help start-ups and SMEs better translate their inventions and intellectual capital into marketable products, processes and services, SGX and ETPL said in a joint press release.

The identified enterprises can tap on A*STAR's research and development capabilities which span across the biomedical sciences and physical sciences and engineering, and receive ETPL's guidance in productisation and business development.

SGX will organise forums on how the identified companies can raise capital and use Singapore as a springboard into the Asia-Pacific region. The partnership will also provide financial education to enterprises, which include A*STAR's spin-offs and licensees, as well as investors and potential investors.

"Our partnership with ETPL is another step towards our vision of supporting innovative and high-potential businesses, bringing their ideas, technologies and growth plans to fruition," said Mr Chew Sutat, head of equities and fixed income in SGX. "By marrying our capital markets expertise with ETPL's technology commercialisation capabilities, we look forward to playing a part in nurturing competitive and future-ready companies and strengthening Singapore's position as a technology hub."

ETPL chief executive Mr Philip Lim said the partnership will enable SGX deepen R&D engagement with industry including our local enterprises, and increase the speed to market of emerging technologies. " The SGX-ETPL partnership will leverage each other's complementary strengths to address these challenges, and help grow a pipeline of quality enterprises and promising intellectual properties that deliver greater economic impact for Singapore."

Six market professionals have committed to come onboard and provide professional support to the companies identified by ETPL and SGX. These organisations are: Catalist Sponsors SAC Capital Private Limited and UOB Kay Hian Private Limited, law firms Virtus Law

LLP and WongPartnership LLP, and audit firms Deloitte Singapore and PwC Singapore.