The startups in Singapore by women, for women

Dr Biz • October 1, 2020

As any reader of the Dr Biz blog will know, we like startups in Singapore. This is not least because the city-state happens to be one of the world’s hotspots for startups that are breaking the mould and boldly going where no new business has gone before. Moreover, Singapore is also Asia’s leader for female-led startups, with Dell’s 2019 Women Entrepreneur Cities Index rating Singapore as the best city in the region for women founders, and 21st globally.

Female founders have a unique perspective on issues related to women and families, and are often better able to understand the specific challenges that face them, and find solutions that male entrepreneurs may miss. As part of our women in business series, we have put together a list of startups in Singapore founded by women, for women, to celebrate the unique talents and entrepreneurial drive of Singapore’s female business leaders.

SoGal Ventures

SoGal Ventures is setting out to solve one of the biggest problems in the startup world: the fact that new businesses led by women attract, on average, less than half the funding that those led by men do. Founded by Chinese-born Pocket Sun, SoGal Ventures is a Singapore-based venture capital fund for women and other “undervalued entrepreneurs” worldwide that aims to be “the strongest ally” of the companies it invests in.

Sun founded SoGal when she was at university in the US and was one of the youngest people ever to be featured on Forbes 30 under 30 list in 2016 at the age of just 24. Co-founder Elizabeth Galbut, who also founded the first student-led venture capital firm powered by Johns Hopkins students, A-Level Capital, was also featured on Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2018. Today, the duo have a portfolio of over 70 startups through SoGal Ventures, investing in companies in the US, Asia Pacific, Europe and Africa.

Homage

Often, women bear the responsibility of caregiving for elderly family members, putting pressure on many that have to juggle work, children and caregiving. Gillian Tee, founder of one of the most socially innovative startups in Singapore – Homage – saw this clearly when she returned from studying in the US to find her elderly mother had a number of care needs that were difficult to meet. Thus, Tee put her software engineering expertise to use to found Homage, an app that connects professional caregivers, nurses and doctors with elderly patients.

From daily essentials like showering and eating to more complex medical requirements, Homage provides opportunities for independent caregivers while relieving the pressure on family caregivers and ensuring the city’s elderly are well cared for. Founded before the COVID-19 epidemic, Tee in-fact rolled-out the service faster to meet the needs of so many elderly unable to reach doctors during the circuit breaker period.

Style Theory

Have you ever looked at your wardrobe in despair, hating everything in there but not wanting to spend a fortune on new clothes and waste the old ones? We know we have! Taking her queue from the rapidly growing sharing economy, Raena Lim decided to invent the ‘Netflix of fashion’ with her startup Style Theory, which gives its members access to designer clothing at the click of a button for a monthly subscription fee.

The StyleTheory wardrobe boasts over 20,000 items to rent while members can also buy pre-loved items and even earn commission renting or selling their own handbags. Lim and her co-founder Chris Halim initially invested just S $40,000 into the business, which has since received multiple VC funding to become one of the quirkier startups in Singapore to find a foothold in both Hong Kong and Indonesia.

Tickled Media

Singapore based Tickled Media has become one of Asia’s leading champions for women, with a stable of brands and products that includes TheAsianParent.com, AsianMoneyGuide.com, HerStyleAsia.com and Nonila.com. Led by founder Roshni Mahtani, Tickled Media has seen its user base mushroom since 2013, from 1 million users a month to more than 25 million per month today.

TheAsianParent.com is now the number one parenting and pregnancy app in the ASEAN region, available in more than 13 countries and 11 languages for news, information and support groups for those expecting their first child to experienced parents. In 2019 Tickled Media raised S $6.7 million to fund its expansion into SouthEast Asia and to develop two new media assets also aimed at Asian women. In July Mahtani also launched Project Sidekicks, an initiative aiming to reduce the number of stillbirths in SouthEast Asia by 10% by 2023.

Women’s Register

Launched in 2007 by Singapore’s former Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Yu-Foo Shoon, Women’s Register is a female networking platform that aims to reach, inspire and lead women into top positions in Singapore’s business world. It offers interactive workshops that emphasize specific skills aimed at boosting both professional and personal growth as well as the opportunity to connect with women across Singapore’s business community.

Women’s Register also collaborates with local universities to co-organize a yearly debate tournament that focuses on topics related to issues that affect women. Chaired by Jacqueline Chua, president of the Financial Women’s Association Of Singapore and co-chaired by Cheryl Chong, business analyst at Willis Towers Watson, Womens Register also regularly partners with industry to organize events to empower women to achieve greater salaries, career development, and flexible working arrangements.

At Dr Biz, we provide tailored and comprehensive solutions for all entrepreneurs’ business needs. From incorporation to accountancy, tax and payroll, to professional advisory services, we help businesses in Singapore assess potential risks and become more cost effective and efficient.

To find out more, please feel free to contact us.

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