IIE News

Semester's starting soon — and if "get real-world experience" is on your list again this term, we built something for you 🌱 Introducing Spring Board: a curated opportunities board by SMU's Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Hear from founders as they share their startup stories — the wins, the chaos, what it's actually like inside an early-stage team — and give you a first look at the projects they're opening up to students this semester. Also in the room: visiting professors from Harvard and MIT, and VCs from our network. Come with questions. Leave with a gig (maybe 👀). 📅 Wednesday, 12 August 2026 🕒 3:00–4:00 PM 📍 Level 5, SMU Connexion RSVP via: https://luma.com/4j41j10q It's time to level up. See you there! 🚀

Have an invention, research outcome, or innovative idea? 🚀 Join us to learn the fundamentals of intellectual property, research commercialisation, licensing, and how universities transform knowledge into real-world impact and market opportunities. Open to SMU faculty, staff and postgrad students - no prior bkgd needed Friday, 28 August|10.30am–12.00pm Jay & Marilyn Ng Greenhouse | lunch after 👉REGISTER: https://luma.com/qov81n0v

Registration open   Your next deep-tech venture could find its launchpad in Guangzhou.    Jointly organized by the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the 2026 Guangzhou Sci-Tech Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition Global Division cum HKUST One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition Guangzhou is now open for applications themed Startup@Guangzhou. Shortlisted semi-final and final teams gather in Nansha to pitch live, meet investors, and explore the Greater Bay Area ecosystem.    What you can gain:    💰 Global Division prizes up to RMB 4.5 million (cash + cloud compute, incorporation, IP, legal and more)  🎪 Nansha Ignite Entrepreneurship 🚀 Pathway to the HKUST One Million Dollar Entrepreneurship Competition national final  🌏 Grand Final & post-event site visit: Organising covers transportation, accommodation and meals    Apply by 14 Aug 2026, 17:00 (Beijing GMT+8)  https://1m.hkust.edu.hk (Guangzhou Division)

🚀 The Singapore-India Hackathon (SIH) 2026 Applications Are Open! SIH returns for its 4th edition — 60 students from Singapore, 60 from India, 36 hours to build cross-border solutions. 📅 15–17 Nov 2026 | 📍 SMU ⏰ Apply by 15 Aug 2026 4 Tracks: ⭐️ FinTech & InsurTech ⭐️ Sustainability & Climate Action ⭐️ Emerging Technologies ⭐️ Social Innovation & Inclusive Development Why apply: 💰 $88,000 in prizes 🚀Opportunities for incubation & funding support at SMU 🌏 Cross-border market access 💼 Internship pathways with partners Who can apply: Uni & poly students in Singapore Are you ready to build the future? 👉 Apply: bit.ly/SIH2026

Think you have what it takes? We’re looking for students with curiosity, drive, and a passion for startups - not with finance background. 🚀 Sign up as a Protégé Ventures Student VC Analyst: https://bit.ly/pvinterest2026

"Protégé Ventures has been an incredible springboard into the startup ecosystem for me." That's Ying Wei, one of our Partner 25/26 alumni, reflecting on her time with us - from learning VC fundamentals in the classroom to hands-on startup calls and a network of peers and investors built through our office hops. We're recruiting our next cohort of analysts. If you're curious about venture capital and want real exposure — not just theory — apply now: https://bit.ly/pvinterest2026

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗿. ⚙️⚡️ Every organisation has at least one. The person who asks "why do we do it this way?" and doesn't accept "because we always have" as an answer. They see the exception others dismiss. They take the ordinary others overlook. And they build something new from both. The Kajima Book Prize recognises exactly this kind of thinker - SMU students whose ideas challenge convention and create real impact. If that sounds like you (or someone in you know), Apply here: https://bit.ly/kajimaapplication2026 Nominate someone here: https://bit.ly/kajimanom2026

𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝. No polished pitches. No rehearsed answers. Just honest conversations. What does it really take to build a startup? What goes wrong? What keeps founders going? Join us for an evening of candid stories, practical lessons, and the conversations you won’t usually hear on stage. Meet founders, connect with fellow builders, and explore startup booths showcasing innovative ventures from our ecosystem. 🗓 24 July 2026 🕕 6.00–9.30pm 🎟 Secure your spot: https://bit.ly/pvvu2026

Want more than an internship on your resume before you graduate? Being a Student VC Analyst means a real portfolio, real decisions, and startups you actually backed — not just tasks you completed. Protégé Ventures is recruiting analysts for AY26/27. No finance background needed. You'll: → Evaluate real startup pitches alongside senior investors → Sit in on investment decisions that affect real founders → Build a track record you can speak to in any interview → Connect with senior VCs Walk away with something no internship can give you. Register and apply here 👉 https://bit.ly/pvinterest2026 Not sure yet? Come to an info-session and find out. 📅 4 July | 📅 11 July 👉 https://bit.ly/PVRecinfo2026

The Kajima Book Prize in Innovation 2026 is officially open. ✊⚡ A $5,000 award that looks beyond grades and recognises graduating SMU students who've built, disrupted, and shown up differently. Three prizes. One deadline: 31 July 2026. Apply or nominate someone → https://bit.ly/kajimaapplication2026

Beyond the Classroom: A UK–Singapore Innovation Experience Cambridge is organising a student hackathon under the UKSAEI initiative, and all singapore students are invited to take part. Participants will take on real-world innovation challenges in an international setting, work alongside global peers, and get a first-hand look at the Cambridge innovation ecosystem. 🔗 Sign Up: https://forms.office.com/r/gn8UKD87LB