SUTD students and alumni to receive $35 million boost for start-up creation

SINGAPORE - Students and alumni from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) will get a $35 million boost to support innovation and venture creation.

This investment funds an initiative called Design·AI Innovation and Venture Exploration (DIVE), which includes financial grants, global internships, a mentorship network and a residential college for first-year students.

Launched on April 17 at the SUTD campus in Upper Changi, DIVE aims to shift the university’s model from a traditionally academic focus to one on innovation, where students can freely explore creativity.

Speaking at the launch, SUTD president Phoon Kok Kwang said this move comes amid changing global demands in the age of artificial intelligence.

Knowledge alone is no longer enough, he said. “The real shift is towards skills and creation – how we use knowledge to solve real problems, how we work with AI to prototype, test and refine ideas quickly, and how we create novel value in the real world.”

This initiative is optional, unlike the academic curriculum, said Professor Phoon, and students will still be trained in all required fundamentals in their chosen discipline.

“But they will now be encouraged to take on an even more hands-on approach by working with AI in an industry-mentored environment,” he added.

As part of the initiative, first-year students may stay in the innovation-themed DIVE residential college and take part in workshops and discussions on topics like technology ethics.

Participants in DIVE can access two funds – the Baby Shark Fund for early stage prototypes and the Design-2-Venture Grant for turning prototypes into market-ready products. Both are available to undergraduates, graduating students and recent alumni.

The initiative also includes Global Innovation Internships, which place students for up to 12 months in tech ecosystems across cities such as Stockholm in Sweden, Toronto in Canada, Hangzhou in China, and the Greater Bay Area in the US.

These placements span sectors including deep tech, sustainability, semiconductors and robotics.

Throughout this process, student teams are supported by a mentorship network called the DIVE Mentor Network, which connects them to industry experts with diverse backgrounds who would typically be out of reach to early stage innovators.

For postgraduates, the programme provides a pathway to translate lab research into real-world solutions by engaging directly with industry partners.

Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo, who spoke at the launch of DIVE, said that while AI changes industries, human skills like creative thinking, resilience and adaptability remain in high demand by employers.

These are skills that only humans can deliver, he said.

“For Singapore to succeed in this next phase of growth, we need Singaporeans who are confident with AI, and grounded in values, judgment and purpose,” said Mr Neo, who is also Senior Minister of State for Education. This is where institutes of higher learning, like SUTD, play a critical role.

DIVE strengthens the pathway from classroom ideas to real-world ventures, he said, and builds a “stronger innovation ecosystem where students can test ideas, build solutions, and take them further”.

Mr Tristan Fong, 21, a first-year student at SUTD, is part of a student team that is among 50 teams currently benefiting from DIVE.

Together with his co-founder, the design and AI student developed DAIdalus, an AI-powered video-editing assistant that turns raw footage into professional edits via natural language prompts.

They have received $6,000 in seed funding and consistent mentorship under the Baby Shark Fund.

The AI assistant can process 20 clips totalling five minutes in length into a finished edit within 10 to 15 minutes, while simpler tasks, such as stitching clips together, take about three minutes.

Mr Fong said that the financial boost is vital for covering backend AI processing tokens and software architecture costs. But having “freedom to explore” is the primary benefit, he added.

“Having funding takes the stress off us,” he said. “We don’t have to worry if we are doing too much; we have the freedom to explore.”

Beyond the capital, Mr Fong said that around-the-clock mentorship is perhaps more critical than the money itself, particularly when navigating the unseen costs of frequent failure in the start-up world.

“No start-up is an island,” Mr Fong said. “Mentorship helps you navigate the journey so you avoid certain pitfalls that could cost you.” He plans to take DAIdalus live by the end of 2026.