Founders Fireside Chat: Journey to Be Deep-Tech Entrepreneurs

Program Details
Former A*STAR staff-turned-deep-tech founders shared their personal journeys from public research to entrepreneurship. Speakers discussed the transition from lab to launch, the challenges of commercialising innovation, and lessons from the frontlines of building a start-up.
Speakers
Dr. Leong Yew Wei
Speaker
Mr. Leong Yong Shin
Speaker
Mr. Ng Choon Peng
Moderator
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Founders Fireside Chat: Journey to Be Deep-Tech Entrepreneurs

A*STAR Global Network and A*Start Central jointly hosted the Founders Fireside Chat: Journey to Be Deep-Tech Entrepreneurs, held at A*StartCentral on 21 February 2025.

The event featured deep-tech founders who were formerly part of A*STAR – Agency for Science, Technology and Research – and are now building their own ventures. They shared candid insights on their motivations, the challenges of spinning off from public research, and what it takes to launch and grow a start-up in Singapore’s innovation ecosystem.

The panellists included:

  • Dr. Leong Yew Wei, founder of Matriwelz Technologies, Slingshot Grand Winner 2023
  • Mr. Leong Yong Shin, founder of Augmentus

Moderated by Mr. Ng Choon Peng, President of A*GN, the discussion covered topics such as risk-taking, funding, team-building, and moving from the research bench into commercialisation.

The event was attended by aspiring founders, deployed and alumni scholars, and those interested in understanding how to turn scientific innovation into impactful enterprises.