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- For the first time, China Construction Bank Singapore collaborated with NUS Enterprise, supporting 22 of its start-ups to showcase their solutions at the Singapore FinTech Festival
- CCB Singapore’s partners — TT Foundation Advisors and Co-Axis, initiatives by Temasek Trust — facilitated the collaboration
- CCB’s participation in the SFF2025 marked an extension of its partnership with Gprnt, a first-of-its-kind nationwide sustainability reporting platform launched by the Monetary Authority of Singapore
SINGAPORE, Nov. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — China Construction Bank Corporation (“CCB“) Singapore Branch is partnering for the first time with NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial heart of the National University of Singapore (“NUS“), to showcase 22 cutting-edge start-ups from its ecosystem at the 2025 Singapore FinTech Festival (“SFF2025“). Temasek Trust’s digital impact marketplace Co-Axis and its professional philanthropy services advisory arm TT Foundation Advisors (“TTFA“) played an active role in facilitating this multi-party collaboration.
Partners at the event: Sun Nianbei, General Manager, CCB Singapore (middle), Andrew Sim, Senior Associate Director, NUS Development Office (3rd from right); Lionel Wong, CEO of Gprnt (3rd from left); Li Chao, Deputy General Manager, CCB Singapore (2nd from left); Fifi Pang, Associate Director, Strategy & Partnership of NUS Enterprise (2nd from right); Lawrence Ng, Head of Impact Opportunity Origination and Syndication, Co-Axis (leftmost); Joyce Teo, Senior Philanthropy Advisor, TTFA (rightmost).
Building an Innovation Ecosystem for a Greener Future
Guided by NUS’ mission to nurture entrepreneurial talent and power global innovation, NUS Enterprise seeds ideas, sparks innovations, and scales ventures into global companies. Since 2001, it has nurtured nearly 4,300 students and supported over 3,000 start-ups, including 10 unicorns, enriching innovation and start-up ecosystems globally.
At SFF2025, CCB Singapore, through its CCB SG Vision Foundation, supported 22 high-potential tech start-ups in showcasing breakthrough technologies at SFF2025. These start-ups were incubated in the NUS Enterprise ecosystem through platforms such as BLOCK71, NUS Enterprise’s global network of physical accelerators across 11 cities, and programmes like the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (NUS GRIP), which transforms research into market-ready ventures.
The showcase provided start-ups with a platform to engage directly with investors, industry partners, and potential collaborators. Participating start-ups include:
- Ohceans: An AI and data analytics tech company that uses data-driven monitoring and circular solutions to help coastal industries reduce waste and protect marine ecosystems, advancing ocean sustainability.
- ConcreteAI: A Singapore-based construction tech start-up providing real-time concrete monitoring to speed floor cycles, cut waste, and lower embodied carbon.
- Polar Cold: An IoT-enabled tech company that offers energy-efficient, eco-friendly cold storage rentals, reducing cold room energy use by around eight per cent[1] compared with standard facilities.
- Ecovolt: A smart energy platform with over 1,500 smart plugs deployed, reducing “phantom energy” waste by eight to 20 per cent[2] and lowering costs through plug-level monitoring and automated device management.
- MADCash: A fintech company empowering women entrepreneurs with access to capital, financial literacy, and business support to grow micro-businesses.
NUS Enterprise’s booth at the SFF2025.
Deepening Strategic Partnerships and Fostering Cross-Sector Synergies
In June 2025, CCB Singapore partnered with TTFA to establish a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF), aimed at supporting a wide range of initiatives including ESG and tech innovation to foster a more inclusive and sustainable society. Co-Axis supported this partnership by bridging NUS Enterprise and CCB Singapore, and driving participation at SFF2025, to bring visibility and funding opportunities for the featured start-ups. This partnership aims to strengthen cross-sector collaboration and accelerate the development of a sustainable green ecosystem.
Sun Nianbei, General Manager of CCB Singapore, said, “We are delighted to partner with NUS Enterprise, Co-Axis, and TT Foundation Advisors to showcase 22 promising tech start-ups at SFF2025. This collaboration reflects our commitment to connecting cross-sector resources, advancing tech innovation, and amplifying social impact.
Digital finance, Fintech and green finance are important parts of our business strategy for both CCB Group and CCB Singapore, and we look forward to forging more collaborations with Singapore’s government agencies, our clients, and partners to drive meaningful fintech innovation within the green ecosystem.”
Associate Professor Benjamin Tee, Vice President (Innovation and Enterprise), NUS Enterprise, said, “Partnering with China Construction Bank, Co-Axis and TT Foundation Advisors at this year’s Singapore FinTech Festival gives our start-ups a global stage to showcase their timely innovations especially for sustainability use cases. The deep networks across demand and supply-side stakeholders they access here through our partners help drive our ecosystem growth towards a thriving globally connected start-up ecosystem.”
“The partnership between CCB Singapore, NUS Enterprise, TTFA and Co-Axis exemplifies how collaboration among likeminded organisations can transform bold ideas into reality,” said Joycelyn Ong, Head, Co-Axis. She adds that “this milestone demonstrates Co-Axis mission to support high-impact start-ups, by connecting them with impact-driven funders and build capability.”
Dickson Lim, Head, TT Foundation Advisors, said “TT Foundation Advisors is proud to join CCB Singapore, NUS Enterprise, and Co-Axis in advancing sustainable innovation. Through strategic philanthropy and donor-advised funds, we enable cross-sector collaboration to empower impact-driven start-ups and build a resilient green ecosystem.”
Driving Green Finance and Strengthening China–Singapore Collaboration
As a leading commercial bank in China and globally, CCB is a global advocate of sustainability and has developed a comprehensive suite of products including green credit, green bonds, green funds, and green investment solutions. In April 2024, CCB Singapore signed a Statement of Intent with Gprnt to support SMEs’ decarbonisation and transition financing needs. At SFF2024, CCB Singapore held a forum on Fintech and Sustainability at its Insights Forum, where Mr Leong Sing Chiong, Deputy Managing Director of the MAS welcomed CCB Singapore as one of the pioneer members of the Green Circle, a flagship sustainability ecosystem programme initiated by Gprnt.
About the Singapore FinTech Festival
The Singapore FinTech Festival, launched in 2016, is an annual global gathering of policymakers, regulators, central bankers, fintechs, technologists, investors and the finance industry. Designed to foster impactful connections and collaborations, SFF is a platform to explore the intersections of cutting-edge financial solutions, evolving regulatory landscapes, and the latest technological innovations. SFF champions sustainable practices, emphasising responsibility in every aspect of the festival.
About China Construction Bank Corporation
China Construction Bank Corporation, headquartered in Beijing, is a leading large-scale commercial bank in China. Its predecessor, People’s Construction Bank of China, was established in October 1954. It was listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange in October 2005 (stock code: 939) and Shanghai Stock Exchange in September 2007 (stock code: 601939). At the end of 2024, the Bank’s market capitalisation was approximate US$212,427 million, ranking sixth among all listed banks in the world. The Bank ranks second in “Top 1000 World Banks Ranking” in 2024 by The Banker magazine and second in the “Top 500 Banking Brands” by Brand Finance.
The Bank provides customers with comprehensive financial services, including corporate finance business, personal finance business, treasury and asset management business and others, serving 771 million personal customers and 11.68 million corporate customers. Moreover, it has subsidiaries in various sectors, including fund management, financial leasing, trust, insurance, futures, pension and investment banking. At the end of 2024, the Group had 376,847 staff members and 14,750 operating entities.
China Construction Bank Corporation, Singapore Branch (“CCB Singapore” or the “Branch”) commenced business in 1998 under an offshore banking licence, which was upgraded to a wholesale banking licence in 2010. In December 2020, CCB Singapore was awarded a Qualifying Full Bank (“QFB”) licence by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, allowing the Branch to offer a full suite of banking products and services to the Singapore market.
Under the QFB licence, the Branch delivers dedicated, professional services through its five business centres, namely, the Commodities Trade Financing Centre, the Infrastructure Financing Service Centre, the Investment Banking Transaction Centre, the Private Banking Centre and the FinTech Innovation Centre. These five centres are collectively the driving force for the Branch’s business growth in Singapore and the region. Tapping onto CCB Group’s vast client network and strong capabilities in Fintech innovation, CCB Singapore is committed to building an integrated, cross-border financial service platform that serves our clients in Singapore and China, as well as countries participating in the “Belt and Road Initiative” and along the “New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor”.
For more information, please visit www.ccb.com
About TT Foundation Advisors (TTFA)
TT Foundation Advisors is an independent professional philanthropy services advisory arm of Temasek Trust. It provides specialised philanthropy advisory and management services to philanthropic foundations, family offices, business corporations, philanthropists, and charities. It taps on Temasek Trust’s insights, capabilities, and resources, as well as the expertise and evidence-based interventions across the wider philanthropic ecosystem, to deliver strategic and impactful solutions for its clients. For more information, please visit www.ttfa.sg. Follow TTFA on LinkedIn for the latest updates.
About Co-Axis:
Co-Axis – Collaborative Action to Xcelerate Impact and Sustainability – is a digital impact marketplace that catalyses high-impact solutions at speed and scale by unlocking capital across the spectrum and galvanising action within the global impact community. It curates opportunities ranging from research and early-stage innovations to new business models, connecting them with a diverse network of funders, solution providers, and expert advisors. Beyond transactions, Co-Axis fosters knowledge exchange and capacity-building through forums, a knowledge hub, and workshops – empowering global leaders to seed capital, spark ideas, and scale impact for a better tomorrow. Learn more at www.coaxis.network and follow Co-Axis on LinkedIn for updates.