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From Fields to the Future: DJI Agriculture Achieves 50-Fold Sales Growth After 7 Years in Thailand

A Booming Market Is Revolutionizing Thai’s Agricultural Landscape

SHENZHEN, China, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — 2025 marks DJI Agriculture’s seventh year of in-depth development in Thailand. Since entering the Thai market in 2019, over 10,000 certified drone operators have been trained, while sales for DJI Agriculture drones increased 50-fold sales by the end of 2024. Transitioning from initial pilot projects for drones to full-chain intelligent agricultural solutions, DJI has empowered Thai agriculture through technological innovation, propelling agricultural modernization into a new era. In March 2025, DJI Agriculture partnered with Siam Kubota Corporation to launch the Thailand Agricultural Drone Pilot Competition in the Northeast region, where the new innovative method of farming is growing. DJI aimed at accelerating the adoption of precision farming equipment and elevating operators’ technical expertise.

DJI Agriculture partnered with Siam Kubota Corporation to launch the Thailand Agricultural Drone Pilot Competition in Thai
DJI Agriculture partnered with Siam Kubota Corporation to launch the Thailand Agricultural Drone Pilot Competition in Thai

“The agriculture drone market in Thailand is booming. With the adoption rates for spray drones rising, we see the immense transformative potential for local agricultural modernization through the latest drone technologies,” said Mr. Changfu Deng, the Thailand Market Sales Manager from DJI Agriculture.  ” We are glad to collaborate with our trusted local partner Kubota in launching the pioneering Thailand Agricultural Drone Pilot Competition this Spring. We believe this will lead the local public to better understand this intelligent new realm, encouraging more pilots to engage in this futuristic industry.”

DJI Agriculture’s integrated design requires no assembly with more convenient usage. Advanced transmission system, intelligent obstacle avoidance, intelligent spraying and spreading systems, and RTK centimeter-level positioning, DJI drones are best able to meet the specific demands of precision farming.

As the first drone company that sells integrated agriculture drones in the Thailand market, DJI Agriculture has established a complete pre-sales and after-sales network locally, covering 67 Changwat, including all the key agricultural areas in Thailand. In addition to selling and demonstrating products, the sales network also has pre-sales training and after-sales service. With this established ecosystem, DJI Agriculture is able to provide on-site service to Thai customers within 24 hours to address any after-sales issues efficiently.

As a major agricultural country in Southeast Asia, Thailand has faced problems such as scattered farmland and higher labor costs. The rapid rise of agricultural drones has provided an effective solution to these challenges. DJI Agriculture has developed features that are suitable for local application scenarios such as rice planting and fruit tree spraying and can achieve precise prevention as well as pests and disease control through prescription maps.

  • During the rice planting season, farmers can use drones for full range of tasks, including weeding, sowing rice seed, pest and disease control, and fertilization. This efficient drone operation method saves labor costs and significantly improves efficiency.
  • In addition, fruit tree planting has gradually become a new field of drone application. A single drone can operate about 8,000 rai annually and has great potential to improve agricultural production efficiency and reduce resource waste. For example, drones have reduced the spraying time for durian orchards from 4 days to 1-2 days, enhancing precision and cutting chemical use by 20%-30%, which is crucial during the summer aphid outbreak. In citrus planting, drone spraying operations can also improve the quality and appearance of fruits. As a result, the purchase price of fruits for some farmers has increased by 20%.

With the ongoing advancements in drone technology and the rising market demand, drones are set to play an increasingly vital role in Thailand’s agriculture industry, contributing significantly to its modernization.

The Future of Energy Storage: How String PCS & Active Balancing Define Project Values

DALLAS, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The U.S. energy storage market reached a major milestone in 2024, with CAISO surpassing 13GW of grid-scale storage. Other regions, including ERCOT, are expanding rapidly, while the Midwest and Southeast present new deployment opportunities. According to the American Clean Power Association (ACP), ERCOT’s clean power demand is expected to nearly double by 2030 due to population growth, extreme weather, and rising industrial energy needs. Energy storage is crucial to meeting these demands, providing a scalable and reliable solution for grid stability.

Speaking at the 2025 Energy Storage Summit USA, Steven Chan, CLOU North America GM, emphasized battery storage’s critical role in managing Texas’s anticipated peak demand surge. Held in Dallas on March 26-27, the summit brought together nearly 1,000 industry leaders, including CLOU Overseas GM Songyu He, and CLOU’s expert team.

Steven stressed that success in energy storage extends beyond technology—it requires strong financing, operations, and optimization to align with evolving grid needs and investor expectations. He highlighted two key technologies poised to transform the industry: String PCS and Active Balancing.

Traditional storage systems rely on passive balancing, which causes voltage imbalances within battery packs, leading to frequent maintenance and downtime. Engineers typically spend hours manually balancing packs, incurring significant costs—up to $192K to $3.84M over 20 years. CLOU’s Active Balancing technology solves this by maintaining cell voltage deviations below 5mV, ensuring better performance while reducing balancing time. Compared to passive methods, it offers: 4% capacity increase, 2.13% longer lifespan, lower maintenance costs and system downtime.

CLOU’s TX10 project in Texas was the first in the industry to deploy a full-scale cell-to-rack active balancing system. As a result, all nine sites ranked in ERCOT’s Top 30 for market revenue in 2023, generating $196K/MW annually (Modo Energy).

Steven also outlined the advantages of String PCS over Centralized PCS. In a 5MWh system, a centralized PCS failure causes a total system outage. However, with String PCS, only the affected unit (~0.417MWh) is lost—just 1/12th of the total capacity. In a 100MWh project, String PCS improves availability by 4.8%, significantly boosting reliability.

CLOU, as part of Midea Industrial Tech, is expanding globally. Songyu He highlighted CLOU’s flexible solutions through software and system integration partnerships. With cutting-edge technology and a forward-looking approach, CLOU is driving the next wave of energy storage innovation.

CLOU on Energy Storage USA Summit
CLOU on Energy Storage USA Summit

 

Network-source collaboration to promote green development: State Grid Wuzhong Power Supply accelerates the construction of new energy systems

WUZHONG, China, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Based on its strategic positioning as “a key hub in the Ningxia power grid and an important delivery terminal for new energy,” State Grid Wuzhong Power Supply Company is committed to advancing the construction of a new power system through innovative measures such as government-enterprise cooperation and network-source coordination. By the end of February, the installed capacity of new energy in the Wuzhong area reached 13.2916 million kilowatts, accounting for 63.59% of the total installed power supply capacity in the region, marking a significant breakthrough in new energy development.

As the transition period between the conclusion of the “14th Five-Year Plan” and the commencement of the “15th Five-Year Plan” approaches, the company aims to optimize the new energy service system by strictly adhering to the timeframes outlined in the “Grid Fair Supervision Measures.” It has established expedited channels for grid connection applications and ensures that all preliminary project work complies with legal and regulatory requirements through proactive provision of access parameters and parallel audit design reports. In terms of power grid construction, the company coordinates the development of multi-level grids ranging from 35 kV to 750 kV. Leveraging the seven under-construction 750-kV substations in Xingtang and Weizhou, it plans to construct ten 330-kV transmission and transformation projects in Shuofang and Lide, while simultaneously promoting main transformer substation expansions to build a multi-level network for new energy consumption.

To address the investment pressures faced by new energy enterprises, the company innovatively implemented a buyback mechanism for grid connection projects. By comprehensively sorting out asset ownership and establishing project list ledgers, pre-buyback agreements have been reached with several power generation enterprises. Standardized processes for due diligence and asset evaluation ensure that asset disposal remains lawful and compliant. Currently, the buyback work for grid connection projects is being carried out in an orderly manner, effectively activating enterprise funds.

In the next phase, State Grid Wuzhong Power Supply Company will focus on enhancing the support capabilities of the power grid, accelerating the expansion of new energy consumption channels, deepening the application of new technologies such as grid-based energy storage, and continuously improving the safe operation level of the power grid. This will provide robust support for the healthy and orderly development of new energy in the Wuzhong region.

 

EQT Infrastructure VI holds final close at its hard-cap, raising EUR 21.5 billion in total commitments

  • EQT Infrastructure VI raises EUR 21.5 billion in total commitments, including EUR 21.3 billion in fee-generating assets under management, exceeding the EUR 20 billion target and hitting hard-cap
  • This represents a 35 percent increase on the Fund’s predecessor, owing to strong support from both existing and new investors
  • The Fund builds on EQT Value-Add Infrastructure’s more than 15-year track record investing in infrastructure companies that provide essential services to society across Europe, North America and Asia Pacific

STOCKHOLM, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — EQT is pleased to announce the closing of its flagship infrastructure fund, EQT Infrastructure VI (the “Fund”) on EUR 21.5 billion in total commitments, including EUR 21.3 billion in fee-generating assets under management. 

EQT Infrastructure VI received commitments from a diversified, global group of institutional investors, including pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, asset managers and insurance companies. The private wealth segment represented an increased share compared to the predecessor vehicle. Fund investors were based across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and the Nordics.

The Fund is 35 percent larger than its predecessor which closed on EUR 15.7 billion in November 2021. EQT Infrastructure VI invests in infrastructure companies that provide essential services to society, have a stable or growing underlying demand, predictable cash flows, and an asset-based, contracted and well-protected business model. It pursues attractive investment themes such as digital infrastructure; generating, storing, and distributing energy; decarbonization and electrification of industrial processes and transport; resource efficiency and circularity; and social infrastructure.

Masoud Homayoun, Head of Infrastructure at EQT, said: “EQT Infrastructure VI has had a great start with 12 highly thematic investments closed or signed. Our sector teams are continuing to deliver on a healthy investment pipeline and we are excited by the large opportunity set underpinned by global, long-term trends such as the transition to a decarbonized and circular economy and the digitalization of society. Our focus remains on creating lasting value in our portfolio and delivering outstanding performance for our clients.” 

Lennart Blecher, Head of Real Assets at EQT, added: “Since its inception in 2008, EQT Infrastructure has grown at pace and today, we have a 130-strong team and three investment strategies: Value-Add, Active Core and the recently launched Transition Infrastructure strategy. We are thrilled to announce the final close of EQT Infrastructure VI, our latest flagship fund within EQT’s EUR 75 billion1 global infrastructure business, and look forward to continuing to scale the platform.” 

Suzanne Donohoe, Chief Commercial Officer at EQT, commented: “We would like to thank our longstanding clients, whose commitments represented around 70% of this fundraise, for their continued confidence in the EQT Value-Add Infrastructure strategy. We are also grateful for our new partners’ trust in EQT and we aim to continue to deliver attractive returns through economic cycles.”

EQT Value-Add Infrastructure takes an industrial approach to value creation in mature infrastructure businesses. It actively partners with high-quality companies with significant and sustainable growth potential to build strong, resilient businesses through hands-on support of management teams, and bringing deep operational expertise in areas such as AI, digitalization and sustainability. The EQT Infrastructure team is further supported by EQT’s Industrial Advisors. This global network of more than 600 business executives and entrepreneurs is engaged in the entire investment process and act as board members to contribute operational and strategic expertise to portfolio companies.

EQT Infrastructure VI is 45-50 percent committed (including closed and/or signed investments, announced public offers, if applicable, and less any expected syndication), based on the actual fund size. The Fund has closed ten investments, including in Constellation Cold Logistics, OX2, Statera and Universidad Europea in Europe; a new partnership with EdgeConnex, Arcwood Environmental (formerly Heritage Environmental Services), Lazer Logistics and Madison Energy Infrastructure in the US; and Rena (formerly KJ Environment) and SK Shieldus in Asia Pacific. It has also announced entering into exclusive negotiations to acquire a majority stake in Eutelsat Group’s ground station infrastructure business in Europe and a Joint Venture with T-Mobile to acquire Lumos in the US. 

Contact

Olof Svensson, Head of Shareholder Relations, +46 72 989 09 15
EQT Press Office, press@eqtpartners.com, +46 8 506 55 334

[1]Total AuM as of December 2024

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/eqt/r/eqt-infrastructure-vi-holds-final-close-at-its-hard-cap–raising-eur-21-5-billion-in-total-commitmen,c4125647

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137th Canton Fair Promotes Innovation and Trade in Hong Kong and Macao, Bringing Regional Economy to New Heights

GUANGZHOU, China, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The 137th Canton Fair, set to commence on April 15th in Guangzhou, successfully hosted two promotion conferences on March 18th and 19th in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Macao Special Administrative Region, respectively. These events further bridged international trade exchanges and promoted convention and exhibition development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area).

The Deputy Director of China Foreign Trade Centre, Zhang Sihong, conveyed heartfelt gratitude to the Hong Kong and Macao business communities for their longstanding support of the Canton Fair and provided updates on the upcoming 137th session.

The Hong Kong Spring Reception and Canton Fair Promotion Conference was joined by over 260 guests including representatives from Hong Kong Trade and Industry Department, 6 Hong Kong chambers of commerce, 21 foreign chambers of commerce, 17 top multinational corporations, members of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, exhibition industry partners and media.

Dr. Jonathan Choi, Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce of Hong Kong stated that the Hong Kong business community has been an active participant and beneficiary of the Canton Fair. He highlighted that, moving forward, Hong Kong businesses can further leverage the Fair as a platform to expand into markets within Belt and Road countries and emerging economies.

The Macao Spring Reception and Canton Fair Promotion Conference on March 19th was attended by 90 guests from Trade Office of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macao SAR, the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT), 9 business associations, 17 exhibitors and media.

Xu Lemin, Deputy Secretary of Macao Chamber of Commerce, expressed her hope that more Macao enterprises can showcase the achievements of “manufactured in Macao” and “designed in Macao” to global buyers through the Canton Fair, especially to bring focus to the “Macao and Hengqin” coordinated development advantages and push the regional economic development to new heights.

The Canton Fair, as a prime example of China’s Commitment to expand opening-up, provides global buyers with a one-stop trade platform covering a complete range of products and excelling in quality, price, convenience, efficiency and credibility. The 137th Canton Fair will be held from April 15 to May 5, 2025 in Guangzhou. To download the Canton Fair App, please visit https://cief.cantonfair.org.cn/en/app/appintro.html.

DAHON Unveils its Latest 2025 lineup at Taipei Cycle Show, Pushing the Boundary of Cycling Innovation

TAIPEI, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The highly anticipated Taipei Cycle Show (TCS) 2025 kicked off at Nangang Exhibition Center Halls 1 & 2. DAHON, global folding leader, unveiled its current lineup of bicycles designed with its latest D-VELO technology suite, patented components, and innovative accessories, drawing keen interests from industry leaders and cycling enthusiasts.

Strategic Partnership formed with Shengyang Bicycles

DAHON and Shengyang Bicycles (SYB) signed a strategic partnership on the show’s first day. This collaboration aims to bring DAHON’s high-quality bicycles to Taiwanese consumers, expanding DAHON’s presence in the market.

Dr. David Hon, DAHON’s Founder, and Josh Chang, SYB’s CEO, officiated the ceremony, joined by cycling industry guests.

Dr. David Hon (left) and Josh chang (right) sign a strategic partnership agreement
Dr. David Hon (left) and Josh chang (right) sign a strategic partnership agreement

DAHON’s Vélodon A4, the first aluminum road bike with D-VELO technology, won the TCS 2025 Innovation Design Award. Chosen from 150+ global entries, it features a unique triangular eagle-shaped frame with Soaring Seat Stay and Dual Curved Cone, offering 37.9% greater stiffness than standard aluminum road bikes. Its low-step top tube accommodates riders of various heights, enhancing accessibility.

DAHON Vélodon A4 won the TCS 2025 Innovation Design Award
DAHON Vélodon A4 won the TCS 2025 Innovation Design Award

D-VELO Technology Suite making Breakthrough

DAHON showcased its groundbreaking D-VELO technology suite, enhancing frame design for superior speed across its folding and road bike lineup. Featured models include:

Vélodon C8 Di2 – A high-performance carbon road bicycle, featuring an aero-position frame, Soaring Triangle Frame and wind-cutting tube design, delivering exceptional speed and stability.

Télodon C8 AXS – A folding carbon road bicycle, integrating DAHON’s DELTECH, Super Down Tube and Falcon Carbon Fiber Frame for superior rigidity and power transfer.

K-Feather – An ultra-light e-bicycle weighing just 12kg, providing a seamless blend of portability and power with a 40km assisted range.

Innovative Patented Components & Interactive Experiences

DAHON also showcased its Sharing 360 Program, including patented techs such as  Single-piece Handlepost, DELTECH, and Safety Disc Brake, drawing interest from global manufacturers. Visitors actively engaged in test ride sessions, and the Folding Bicycle Challenge, experiencing firsthand the performance benefits of DAHON’s latest innovations.

Join DAHON at Taipei Cycle 2025

With over four decades of dedication to cycling innovation, DAHON remains steadfast in its commitment to delivery outstanding quality and performance in its products. Experience the future of cycling at Booth M0511, 4F, Hall 1, and discover how DAHON’s ‘D-VELO’ Technology is shaping the next generation of bicycles.

For more information, please email marketing@dahon.com

Geely’s Eric Li Wears AR Glasses to Speak at Global Investment Promotion Conference in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — “For today’s speech, I implanted the speech script into my glasses.” Eric Li, chairman of Geely Holding Group and founder of DreamSmart, said with a smile at the 2025 Shanghai Global Investment Promotion Conference held on March 25th.


As a leading figure in China’s tech and automobile industry, Eric Li’s appearance is particularly striking – he wore a pair of StarV Air2 smart glasses on stage, the whole “off-script” speech. The glasses not only project the speech in real time on the lenses, but also synchronize the content according to the speed of speech.

The glasses come from none other than Geely eco-company Meizu. As a technology company, Meizu has redefined the future of interaction with AR+AI technology, and Geely has the next generation of human-machine interaction products.

As a key platform to promote the construction of Shanghai’s “five centers”, this year’s Shanghai Global Investment Promotion Conference attracted more than 500 domestic and foreign well-known enterprises, investment institutions and representatives of business associations gathered together. the first four sessions have contributed to the signing of more than 580 major projects, with a total investment of more than 1.1 trillion yuan.

In this stage for global enterprises to share opportunities, Eric Li attracted the attention of global investors with a technological speech, showing Meizu’s innovative strength and product charm. From the perspective of the conference as a whole, the “newness” of this scene is far more than just a display of technology, but also reflects the courage and confidence of entrepreneurs to physically promote the development of science and technology.

Eric Li’s AR glasses and Shanghai has an inextricable link. “I’m wearing this pair of smart AR glasses today, the core technology research and development team and the core supply chain are in Shanghai, has been mass-produced for two generations and has been verified by tens of thousands of consumers.” Meizu’s deep cooperation with the industry’s TOP-level supply chain partners has resulted in the debut and first use of many industry-leading products, leading the development trend of the smart glasses industry.

StarV Air2 has been mass-produced and optimized through two generations of products, serving more than 50,000 users cumulatively, and is a phenomenal product in the AR field. In addition to supporting the teleprompter function that has recently flamed out of the circle.It also supports AI real-time translation, AR navigation, AI meeting assistant and other functions. StarVee Phantom researches its own Flyme AI big model, and in addition to accessing the head third party big model such as Tongyi Thousand Questions, Byte Beanbag, and Wenxin Yiyin, it is also the first to access the DeepSeek big model, and is actively building a comprehensive AI ecosystem.

StarV Air2 adopts a highly difficult optical waveguide program, and after two generations of iteration, the product power is leading generation to generation. Not long ago, iResearch released the “2024 Consumer AR Glasses Market Report”, which researched the five most powerful companies in the smart glasses industry and put forward the concept of “Five AR Glasses Giants”, with Meizu at the top of this.

The iResearch also pointed out that in the first quarter since the release of the StarV series of products in September last year, the market share quickly reached 41.5%, and the sales volume in the AR category was the first in the country, directly pulling the industry sales growth.

Meizu is the only enterprise with a full ecological layout in the AR glasses industry. As an important part of Meizu’s “smart phone + XR + smart car” business layout, AR smart glasses can be interconnected with smartphones, smart cars and other terminals through Flyme AIOS, and jointly build a multi-terminal, full-scene, immersive and integrated experience for consumers.

Meizu’s convergent AI ecology has been widely welcomed by users, and the results of the ecological layout have been initially seen: in 2025, Meizu has won “three firsts in China” – the first in the sales growth rate of AI cell phones, the first in the market share of smart glasses, and the first in the number of listed models and the first in the growth rate of users in a single month of the intelligent cockpit operating system, and has covered more than 600,000 car owner users. Flyme Auto is the first in the number of listed models and the first in the growth rate of users in a single month, and it has already covered more than 600,000 car owners and users, and is firmly in the first camp of the automobile system.

It’s worth to mention that Meizu is the smartphone brand of DreamSmart Group, which carries AI eco-products in three product areas, which are smartphones, XR and smart cars. With deep technological expertise in multiple industries, DreamSmart is recognized as a leader in smart ecosystems.

Meizu took the lead in proposing the “All in AI” strategy at the beginning of 2024, and has made every effort to promote the application of AI at the product level, bringing users a brand-new integration experience. Looking ahead, Meizu’s practicality, innovation and leadership in application scenarios will paint a new picture of the global smart mobility ecosystem.

NUS expands start-up hub in Tokyo to propel deep tech innovation

  • BLOCK71 Tokyo, its second office in Japan, opens at TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, the country’s latest global innovation hub.
  • NUS collaborates with Japanese partners, who will invest about ¥1 billion to spur global venture creation.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 March 2025 NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS), is expanding its presence in Japan with the launch of its second BLOCK71 office in Tokyo today. This follows the successful opening of its first location in Nagoya in November 2024. In collaboration with key partners, Central Japan Innovation Capital (CJIC), Kyoto University, and TIS Inc., NUS Enterprise aims to support start-ups, researchers, and students while connecting them with investors. These partnerships align with Japan’s efforts to accelerate the growth of its start-up ecosystem[1].

Located at TAKANAWA GATEWAY Link Scholars’ Hub, BLOCK71 Tokyo will support the growth of Southeast Asian technology-driven start-ups in Japan, contributing to the urban development’s focus on environmental sustainability, mobility and robotics, and smart health. It will also provide Japanese start-ups with the resources needed to expand into Southeast Asia and beyond.

“Japan’s strong foundation in technology and research makes it an ideal environment for start-up growth. It ranks among the world’s top three countries for patent applications and invests over three percent of its GDP in R&D, one of the highest globally. This creates immense potential for innovation. With BLOCK71 Tokyo located in the country’s latest innovation hub, we have a strategic platform to connect start-ups and drive cross-border collaboration. To amplify our impact, we are partnering one of Japan’s top universities, a major corporation, and a leading venture capital firm, all sharing our vision to foster deep tech innovation and build a robust global ecosystem,” said Professor Tan Eng Chye, NUS President, at the opening of BLOCK71 Tokyo.

Professor Tan was joined by Dr Tan Sian Wee, NUS Senior Vice President, Innovation and Enterprise; Associate Professor Benjamin Tee, Vice President (Ecosystem Building), NUS Enterprise; Mr Hiroyuki Takeshima, Executive Officer, East Japan Railway Company (JR East); and Mr Kikukawa Jingo, Director-General, Innovation and Environment Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry[JO1] at the opening of BLOCK71 Tokyo.

Building innovation ecosystems through strategic partnerships

Building on the success of its globally recognised BLOCK71 model, BLOCK71 Tokyo will promote knowledge exchange, cross-border innovation, and new opportunities for start-ups entering the Japanese market. To deepen its impact, NUS has inked three new partnerships.

NUS-Central Japan Innovation Capital collaboration

Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Assoc Prof Tee and Professor Kazuya Takeda, CJIC CEO, CJIC will invest up to five percent of its assets under management in NUS-affiliated deep tech start-ups. The fund aims to raise approximately ¥5 billion by the end of its fundraising, expected in November 2025. A subsidiary of the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System, CJIC supports university start-ups focused on deep tech innovation. NUS and CJIC will also explore broader collaboration opportunities to help start-ups from both ecosystems expand into the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets.

NUS-Kyoto University collaboration

Beyond funding, NUS is enhancing entrepreneurial support for deep tech start-ups through its partnership with Kyoto University, formalised by an MOU signed by Prof Tan and Dr Nagahiro Minato, Kyoto University President. As a first step, Kyoto University will send start-ups to join the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (NUS GRIP). They will also become the first overseas university partner in a localised version of the programme. This will empower Kyoto University’s graduate students, researchers, and alumni to transform research into impactful deep tech ventures, addressing some of the social challenges in Asia and seizing new opportunities.

Both universities will also offer exchange programmes to foster cross-border entrepreneurial experiences. Kyoto University students will have the opportunity to intern at NUS GRIP start-ups, while NUS GRIP start-ups can gain hands-on experience from Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd (Kyoto-iCAP), the university’s venture capital arm. This partnership enhances the flow of entrepreneurial talent and deepen innovation ties between the two countries, further boosting their deep tech ecosystems.

NUS-TIS Inc. collaboration

NUS is expanding its global entrepreneurship efforts through a partnership with TIS Inc., one of Japan’s leading IT companies, to build a globally connected start-up ecosystem. This collaboration, formalised through a Collaboration Agreement signed by Prof Tan and Mr Yasushi Okamoto, TIS Inc. Group President, launches the Deep Tech Seed to A Growth Expansion Programme (Deep-SAGE), a tailored start-up acceleration initiative to help seed-stage start-ups worldwide scale towards pre-Series A and Series A funding.

TIS Inc. will commit a total of ¥840 million to support Deep-SAGE over the next three years. This will include three cohorts, each comprising up to 10 start-ups. As part of this commitment, TIS Inc. plans to invest a minimum of ¥55 million each in at least two start-ups per cohort.

BLOCK71 will design and deliver the programme, providing structured support through virtual mentorship sessions and workshops. Start-ups will also have incubation opportunities at BLOCK71 offices across 11 cities, including Singapore, Silicon Valley, Saigon and Suzhou, drawing on a global network that supports international market entry and commercial opportunities.

Through these strategic collaborations, NUS reinforces its position as a leading start-up university in the global innovation landscape, nurturing entrepreneurial mindsets and empowering the next generation of technology entrepreneurs.

Deepening market immersion and cultural exchange in Tokyo

Following the success of its second Japan Immersion Programme in Nagoya held in 2024, where start-ups gained insights into Japan’s manufacturing powerhouse, BLOCK71 Japan will launch the third edition in Tokyo in May 2025. The 2024 programme provided start-ups with a deeper understanding of Japan’s culturally distinct landscape, helping them build connections with local partners, secure new customers, and develop new proof-of-concept projects.

The 2025 edition will focus on the three key themes of TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY: environmental sustainability, mobility and robotics, and smart health. It will welcome five Southeast Asian start-ups, who will have the opportunity to showcase their solutions at the upcoming GATEWAY Tech TAKANAWA event — a platform for large corporations and start-ups to exchange innovative ideas and solutions. This immersive experience will further strengthen ties between Southeast Asia and Japan, equipping start-ups with the knowledge and networks they need to enter new markets and drive innovation.


[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/japan/2025/02/11/japans-newest-startups-are-revitalizing-regional-economies/

Annexe – Quotes by representatives

“As a sub-subsidiary of the Tokai National Higher Education and Research System, CJIC has strong commitment to support university start-ups focused on deep tech innovation and enhance the central Japan economy. NUS and CJIC will also explore broader collaboration opportunities to help start-ups from both ecosystems expand into the Japanese and Southeast Asian markets.”

Dr Kazuya Takeda, Central Japan Innovation Capital CEO

“NUS and Kyoto University have been collaborating in the field of basic research for some time, but with the signing of this MOU, we will build a new relationship in the field of industry-academia collaboration.”

Dr Nagahiro Minato, Kyoto University President

“Our collaboration with NUS under the Deep-SAGE programme demonstrates TIS Inc.’s unwavering belief in the power of innovation. With this investment, we are poised to accelerate the growth of deep tech start-ups worldwide. This initiative not only reinforces our commitment to global entrepreneurship but also sets the stage for a new era of technology-driven growth.”

Mr Yasushi Okamoto, TIS Inc. Group President

“RoPlus participated in the Japan Immersion Programme organised by BLOCK71 Japan in 2024, which proved to be a fruitful experience. We had the opportunity to engage in individual meetings with stakeholders, including end-users and potential investors. Additionally, we showcased our products at Messe Nagoya, where we connected with various industry partners and increased market awareness. Through this programme, we successfully secured a distributor for the Japanese market and engaged two potential end-users. I would like to thank BLOCK71 Japan for fostering a supportive ecosystem and providing a strategic platform for NUS spin-offs to enter the Japanese market.”

Mr Low Jin Huat, RoPlus Co-Founder

“The Japan Immersion Programme from NUS helped me make valuable connections with Japanese companies. We were able to secure a pilot project with one of the companies we met during this programme. It has helped us shape our strategy for entering the Japanese market.”

Mr Zaid Ahmed Khan, M.I. Cloud Technologies CEO

Hashtag: #NUS

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About National University of Singapore (NUS)

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore’s flagship university, which offers a global approach to education, research and entrepreneurship, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. We have 16 colleges, faculties and schools across three campuses in Singapore, with more than 40,000 students from 100 countries enriching our vibrant and diverse campus community. We have also established more than 20 NUS Overseas Colleges entrepreneurial hubs around the world.

Our multidisciplinary and real-world approach to education, research and entrepreneurship enables us to work closely with industry, governments and academia to address crucial and complex issues relevant to Asia and the world. Researchers in our faculties, research centres of excellence, corporate labs and more than 30 university-level research institutes focus on themes that include energy; environmental and urban sustainability; treatment and prevention of diseases; active ageing; advanced materials; risk management and resilience of financial systems; Asian studies; and Smart Nation capabilities such as artificial intelligence, data science, operations research and cybersecurity.

For more information on NUS, please visit .

About NUS Enterprise

NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS), plays a pivotal role in advancing innovation and entrepreneurship at NUS and beyond. We actively promote entrepreneurship and cultivate global mind-sets and talents through the synergies of experiential learning, active industry partnerships, holistic entrepreneurship support and catalytic entrepreneurship outreach. Our initiatives and global connections support a range of entrepreneurial journeys and foster ecosystem building in new markets. We provide expertise and connections to create successful spin-offs and translate innovations into the marketplace through industry collaboration. These initiatives augment and complement the University’s academic programmes and act as a unique bridge to industries well beyond Singapore’s shores.

For more information on NUS Enterprise, please visit .

About BLOCK71

BLOCK71 is an initiative by NUS Enterprise in collaborative and strategic partnerships with established corporates and government agencies. It is a technology-focused ecosystem builder and global connector which catalyses and aggregates the start-up community. In Singapore, we spearhead new initiatives and provide mentorship and growth opportunities in key local, regional and global markets.

For more information on BLOCK71, please visit .

About TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY

Carrying on in the tradition of its past as a gateway to Edo (now known as Tokyo) and a history of innovation that began with Japan’s first railways, TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY will be an experimental site to create enriching lives for the next 100 years, where the creation of new culture and business continue under the concept of a Global Gateway.

THE LINKPILLAR 1 and the area around Takanawa Gateway Station open at the end of FY2024 (March 2025), with the other buildings (THE LINKPILLAR 2, MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives, and TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY RESIDENCE) and the surrounding areas to open in FY2025. JR East will continue developing the Shinagawa Development Project to enhance the value of Shinagawa Station area (Shinagawa Station North Exit and Shinagawa Station Block).

For more information on TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY, please visit .

About TAKANAWA GATEWAY Link Scholars’ Hub

TAKANAWA GATEWAY Link Scholars’ Hub (LiSH) is the facilities for a start-up ecosystem in TAKANAWA GATEWAY CITY with diverse human resources and systems that support over 100 start-ups. It aims to create solutions to social issues around the world and implement them in society by collaborating with diverse and cutting-edge knowledge, analysing data using the city data platform (city-OS) including railway data, and providing a variety of financial support.

For more information on LiSH, please visit .