Venture Lab is a Founder Fellowship designed to find, fund, and mentor Singapore's most ambitious undergraduate students. It is not an internship where you work on company tasks. It's a structured, the program where you work on your own startup idea with our funding, guidance, and support. Our goal is to help you turn your concept into a real, viable venture.

We are looking for current undergraduate students from universities in Singapore (e.g.,ITE, SGPoly, NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, etc.). You should have a well-thought-out idea for a venture, a passion for problem-solving, and a strong desire to build. Both solo founders and teams are encouraged to apply. For CPF contributions, (For now we are looking at applicants of Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents.)

Both solo founders and pre-formed teams are welcome to apply. We evaluate the strength and potential of the founder(s) and the idea itself.

You don't need a finished product, but you should have more than just a vague concept. We look for new ideas that have a potential market. Many of our best applicants turn their Final Year Projects or personal passion projects into their venture concept.

For the avoidance of doubt, the fellowship does not provide a direct cash salary or stipend. The value is delivered through a "grant-in-kind" model, which includes a dedicated Program Budget for your venture and, for Singaporean/PR fellows, full CPF contributions to invest in your long-term future.

Each team is allocated a dedicated Program Budget (e.g., S$5,000) for venture-related expenses. You do not receive this money in your bank account. Instead, you will request funds for pre-approved expenses like software subscriptions, prototyping costs, or company registration fees. Venture Lab pays the vendor or service provider directly. This ensures fiscal discipline and that the funds are used effectively to build your venture.

100% yes. We are serious about investing in local talent. Instead of a temporary cash stipend, we make full statutory CPF contributions (both employer's and employee's share) on your behalf. This is a real, tangible investment in your long-term future, helping you save for your tuition, a future home down payment, or other long-term goals. To do this compliantly, the fellowship is legally structured as a temporary, project-based employment relationship.

Absolutely not. The Program Budget funds you use and all CPF contributions made are non-recourse. If your venture does not succeed, you owe us nothing. We believe in the "Good Leaver" policy—we are investing in you and your learning journey, and failure is a part of that process.

You do. Our policy is simple and founder-first: The Founder Fellow(s) retain 100% ownership of the Intellectual Property they develop during the program. The parent company makes no claim to your IP.

Transparency is a core principle for us. In exchange for the non-dilutive grant, elite mentorship, and full CPF contributions, we ask for one thing: a pre-signed Venture SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity).

This is not an immediate ownership stake in your company. It is a contractual right for our parent company to become an investor in your venture if and when you raise your first professional round of funding. This gives us the opportunity for a financial return on our most successful ventures, which in turn funds the next generation of fellows. Our strategic return is also gaining a first look at emerging technologies and building relationships with top-tier talent (you!).

The Venture Lab fellowship is specifically designed to complement, not compete with, your university workload. We understand that your studies are your top priority.

Our model is built around a simple, powerful idea: turn your Final Year Project (FYP), capstone, or major assignment into a real-world venture. Instead of adding another major commitment to your schedule, we provide the funding, mentorship, and structure to supercharge the work you already have to do.

Here’s what the commitment looks like in practice:

• - Focus on Your Project: The bulk of your time will be spent on what you'd be doing anyway—researching and building your project. We just give you a real budget and world-class mentors to do it better.

• - Structured Support (Not Distractions): We have a few key workshops and monthly roundtable sessions. These are high-impact and strategically timed, designed to give you critical skills (like pitching and market validation) that will likely improve your project's academic score, not just its business potential.

• - Flexible Check-ins: Our check-ins with the Program Architect are concise and flexible, designed to fit around your academic calendar and exam periods.

Think of it this way: it’s not about spending more time; it’s about making your time more valuable. You focus on building an incredible project for your degree, and we'll help you turn it into a potential career.

The program is a hands-on experience structured in three phases:

1.  Problem Validation: Customer interview techniques, market sizing, and refining your value proposition.

2. Solution Prototyping: Building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), user testing, and design thinking.

3. Go-To-Market & Pitching: Developing business models, financial projections, and crafting a compelling investment pitch for Demo Day.

You will get direct access to our curated Mentor Network of 10-15 industry leaders (CEOs, Directors, and seasoned entrepreneurs). Our "Mentor OS" technology helps match you with the most relevant mentors for your specific challenges. You will interact with them through monthly roundtables, bookable "office hours," and asynchronous feedback sessions.

The process is designed to be efficient and fair. It involves:

1. An online application form. (CLICK HERE)

2. An initial screening and summarization of your application using our "AI Triage" system.

3. An asynchronous review of the AI-vetted briefs by our Mentor Network.

4. A final selection day where shortlisted teams present to a core committee.