SINGAPORE - Mr John Cheng is stepping up to the plate. As chairman of open innovation platform Feed 9 Billion, he hopes to find a sustainable solution to feed the global population, which is expected to hit nine billion in 2050.

The 39-year-old founder of Innovate 360, an accelerator for food start-ups, is nurturing local businesses and helping them to grow.

Mr Cheng, who is also director at his family's sugar manufacturing business Cheng Yew Heng, is passionate about food innovation and sustainability, and emphasises that collaboration is key.

"My hope is that Singapore can attract global companies and start-ups and be seen as an innovation hub, and create real change and impact the world," he said.

Innovate 360 provides start-ups with office space and kitchen and manufacturing facilities, as well as opportunities for networking, mentoring, and collaboration with other firms.

Since it began in 2018, more than 40 start-ups have joined.

Mr Cheng has also spent time sharing his knowledge and skills through volunteer work with the North West Community Development Council, the philanthropic council at Singapore Management University and the Youth Business Affairs Committee at the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among others.

He also founded Food Culture Singapore, an e-commerce platform to showcase local brands and help start-ups reach a wider market both in Singapore and globally.

The platform was launched on National Day with about 30 brands and has a goal to reach 100 by the end of the year.

He said: "Everyone we knew was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic... Rather than just focus on our own brands, we decided to help other brands."