The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial heart of the National University of Singapore (NUS), held the annual PIER71 Great Circle 2025 today, featuring the 9^th Smart Port Challenge (SPC) Grand Finals and a Maritime Technology (MarineTech) Innovation Showcase.

2.        MPA Chief Executive, Mr Ang Wee Keong, officiated at the event, which brought together over 300 participants from start-ups, venture capital firms, research institutions, and the maritime community.

Expanding Reach and Supporting Innovation

3.        Following the Call for Proposals in June 2025 to invite startups to develop innovative solutions for the maritime industry, roadshows were conducted across 13 cities [1] - including for the first time, in Boston and Los Angeles in the United States, as well as cities in China, Germany, India, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. A record 288 submissions from 35 countries [2] were received in response to the 15 challenge statements addressing key issues and opportunities in the global maritime industry. These covered digitalisation, smart ports, smart shipping, and maritime green technologies (See Annex A).

4.        From these submissions, 19 start-ups were selected for the 10-week SPC Accelerate programme, receiving mentorship, hands-on workshops, and market validation support. Together, these start-ups have secured over 30 Letters of Intent with local maritime companies to explore proof-of-concept or pilot trials.

Strengthening the MINT Ecosystem

5.        Selected SPC participants can qualify for grants of up to S$100,000 for proof-of-concept or pilot trials, and up to S$250,000 for product development under MPA’s Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund.

6.        Since the inception of SPC in 2017, the MINT Fund has supported 68 start-ups, with over 30 innovative technologies already deployed in the maritime sector following successful trials (see Annex B). The eligibility criteria for the MINT START-UP Grant have also been broadened to include start-ups funded by partner Venture Capitals (VCs) and Corporate Venture Capitals (CVCs), enabling a wider pool of innovative companies in Singapore’s ecosystem to benefit from the support.

Recognising Top Innovators

7.        At the SPC 2025 Grand Finals, Cyntegra emerged as the Top Start-up winner, sponsored by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). OneCare Group emerged as the Top Scale-up winner, sponsored by Reefknot Capital. The winners were awarded S$15,000 each.

8.        Four thematic prizes of S$10,000 each were presented to: OneCare Group for Digitalisation Prize, sponsored by RINA; Beecharge Innovation Group for Maritime Green Technologies Prize, sponsored by OCBC and Smart Port Prize, sponsored by PSA Singapore and PSA Ventures; and Fathom Science for Smart Shipping Prize, sponsored by ZEBOX. Fathom Science was also acknowledged by the Judges with a Special Mention (see Annex C and D).

9.        The judging panel comprised Associate Professor Chai Kah Hin, Dean, School of Continuing and Lifelong Education, NUS; Mr Chin Yi Zhuan, Deputy Chief Executive (Industry & Corporate), MPA; Dr Gu Hai, Vice President of Technology, American Bureau of Shipping; and Mr Marc Dragon, Managing Partner, Reefknot Capital.

PIER71’s Continued Impact

10.        Since its establishment in 2018, PIER71 has nurtured close to 170 start-ups, which have collectively raised over S$130 million in venture capital funding. Many have gone on to deploy their technologies commercially or scale their operations (see Annex E).

11.        This year, PIER71 also launched a MarineTech Directory to connect maritime companies and investors with promising start-ups (https://pier71.sg/startups), underscoring its continued role as an important catalyst for maritime innovation.

Strength in Partnership

12.        Mr Ang said, “Congratulations to this year’s winners and finalists. The growing participation in the Smart Port Challenge shows that Singapore remains a key global maritime innovation hub. The PIER71 ecosystem will continue to bring together maritime companies, startups, investors, and partners from adjacent sectors to collaborate and learn from one another. Together, we can build a maritime industry that is innovative, resilient, and ready for the future.”

13.        Dr Tan Sian Wee, NUS Senior Vice President (Innovation and Enterprise), said, “With over 200 international shipping groups and a growing MarineTech start-up community, Singapore is steadily emerging as a vibrant hub for maritime innovation. The record submissions for Smart Port Challenge 2025 and our start-ups raising nearly S$40 million this year – up from S$29.4 million in 2024 – highlight the sector’s steady progress and strengthening foundations. These achievements underscore PIER71’s commitment to nurturing and connecting start-ups with partners and markets, turning bold ideas into scalable companies.”

14.        Dr Gu Hai, ABS Vice President of Technology (Pacific), said, “The Smart Port Challenge is a powerful catalyst, connecting innovators with real operational challenges across the maritime ecosystem. ABS is committed to collaborating with startups and stakeholders to transform promising concepts into class-aligned solutions that support safety and sustainability across the industry. Congratulations to the finalists—your work is helping the industry move forward with greater confidence and purpose.”

15.        Mr Marc Dragon, Managing Partner of Reefknot Capital, said, “We are thrilled to sponsor the Top Scale-up Prize for this year's Smart Port Challenge. This collaboration with MPA and PIER71 underscores Reefknot’s commitment to driving Supply Chain and Maritime innovation and transformation through Singapore, globally. We believe that Singapore is a great location to be a catalyst for developing and nurturing impactful and sustainable start-ups in the Maritime and Logistics space. We will continue with our Venture Investments in this domain, as well as extend our innovation advisory arm in support of the industry.”

[1] PIER71 SPC in-person roadshows across 13 cities in – China (Guangzhou, Shenzhen), Europe (Hamburg, London, Rotterdam), South Korea (Busan, Seoul), India (Chennai, Mumbai), Singapore, and the United States (Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco). This was the first time roadshows were held in Boston and Los Angeles, China, Germany, India, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

[2] Most proposals came from Singapore, India, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and South Korea.