Fuel Ventures, a leading venture capital fund in the UK, was founded in 2014 by entrepreneurs with multiple successful exits. It has invested in more than 140 companies and exceeds 95% of its peers globally. Our team has over 50 years of experience investing in technology start-ups, and we have exited investments worth over $3 billion.
In its ambition to start a tech revolution, Fuel Ventures, the UK's venture capital pioneer, has decided to set up a lab centre in Singapore and create a global development industry fund, with the aim of building a technology bridge between Asia and Europe, and working together to create a thriving tech ecosystem in both places.
On 3 July, Fuel Ventures hosted a high-profile Europe-Asia Technology Summit in Singapore to celebrate the launch of Fuel Ventures Asia. The summit brought together industry leaders such as Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDB), Zhongguancun International Holdings Limited, the Institute for Functional and Intelligent Materials (IFIM) at the National University of Singapore, Franklin Medici Group, and the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore to discuss key topics such as investment trends, market development strategies, and financing and innovation.
In their welcoming remarks, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Konstantin Novoselov and Fuel Ventures Founder Mark Pearson set an exciting tone for the Summit.
To illustrate Fuel Ventures' path to success, Mark Pearson, Founder of Fuel Ventures, and Jingjing Xu, Managing Director of Fuel Ventures Asia, presented their firm's investment philosophy, strategy, and track record.
A detailed introduction was also given to the investment team working behind the scenes, a group of experienced experts with a deep understanding of the technology industry, who have been the backbone of Fuel Ventures' success.
They also demonstrated the potential and appeal of the Singapore Science Park, which is not only an incubator for technology and innovation, but also a hotbed for future development. Participants were encouraged to appreciate the importance of the Singapore Science Park and the Global Development Industry Fund (GDIF), while looking forward to future investment opportunities.
Among the big names and entrepreneurs from all walks of life, the summit also featured two in-depth keynote discussions on the development and differences between the Eurasian tech ecosystems.
Panel Topic 1: The Evolution and Key Differences in Europe and Asia Tech Ecosystems
● Key trends driving the markets and challenges
● Comparative analysis of investment strategy, managing risk and exit strategies
● Various key stakeholders and their roles in the ecosystem
Speakers:
Mark Pearson, Founder, Fuel Ventures
Ge Qi, Associate Director, Institute for Functional and Intelligent Materials, NUS
Kaijie Ng, Director, IMDA Pixel
Augustus Xu, CEO, Franklin Medici Group
Dave Scowen, Head of Information Security, Thermo Fisher Scientific Asia Pacific
David Kelly, Executive Director, British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore
Panel Topic 2: From Ideation to Launch: Navigating the Startup Journey in Europe and Asia
● Differences in GTM strategy in Europe vs Asia
● Assessing product-market fit, validating the idea
● Funding, scalability into different markets, and regulatory adaptation
Speakers:
Jingjing Xu, Partner, Fuel Ventures, Managing Director, Fuel Ventures Asia
Alison Eyring, CEO, Produgie
Jacob Corlett, CEO, Shift
Howard Wu, CEO, Antobot
Sam Glasswell, CEO, Arbolus
Boris Hodakel, Feel CEO
During the seminar, cutting-edge technology trends, innovative business models, and ways in which Asia and Europe can build stronger partnerships were discussed. Industry experts interacted with guests to promote innovation and development in the Asia-Europe technology sector.
The summit was rounded off with a wonderful closing speech by Mr Lu Jiang, spokesperson of Zhongguancun. His words both illuminated our expectations for sustainable technology development and provided insightful thoughts for all participants.
The successful establishment of Fuel Ventures Asia in Singapore demonstrates its strong commitment to building an Asia-European technology ecosystem. We firmly believe that only through cross-border collaboration and knowledge sharing can more innovative and business opportunities be nurtured, and Fuel Ventures is committed to being the link between Asia and Europe, providing tech entrepreneurs with the necessary resources to drive the tech ecosystems of the two regions to share prosperity.