More support for food start-ups with new Innovate 360 building
Food start-ups have a new 90,000 sq ft building in Chin Bee Drive they can call home. It offers research and development laboratories, a co-working area and trading, logistics and manufacturing facilities.
A spin-off by sugar company Cheng Yew Heng, the six-storey Innovate 360 opened about two weeks ago. It is now at around 60 per cent occupancy, Innovate 360 vice-president Elias Tan said yesterday.
Start-ups can also benefit from Innovate 360's network of sales partners, mentors and funding, he said.
For Mr Ethan Eng, founder of beverage producer Kombynation, Innovate 360 provides financial support and introductions to business networks and distribution channels.
Mr Eng, 26, started brewing kombucha in his university dormitory last year. With help from Innovate 360, he now produces four flavours and is planning to branch out to China and the US.
"As a start-up, my team and I didn't really know how to set up our factory space, but (Innovate 360) pointed us in the right direction so we could focus on developing our product," he said.
Mr Eng and Mr Tan spoke to The Straits Times on the sidelines of an exhibition at Tiong Bahru Plaza by the Singapore Manufacturing Federation's Lifestyle Industry Group (LIG).
LIG chairman Kimming Yap said: "Some people have the impression manufacturing is a sector that is old, or in the background... We want to show how our local manufacturers are evolving."
Another start-up present, Theo10, was founded by an accountant, Mr Theodore Khng, 29.
His company produce Health Sciences Authority-approved skin products. It is working with local scientists to develop medicine. It has represented Singapore at an Asean fair in Thailand for three years, and intends to expand to that country.
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