Launch Pad
IP Commercialisation · Fashion & Lifestyle · Singapore
We convert validated IP into venture-ready businesses for fashion.
TBFI Launch Pad bridges the gap between promising research and market-ready startups — matching founders with pre-vetted intellectual property across sustainability, advanced materials, AI, and supply chain.
OUR
PROGRAMME
From validated IP to investable venture
A structured four-phase process that solves commercialisation risk — not invention risk. SFC handles IP translation, founder matching, and industry access. You focus on building.
01
IP curation & de-risking
SFC sources IP from universities, research institutes, and corporate R&D — evaluating TRL, fashion-industry relevance, and commercial feasibility before translating findings into venture-ready briefs with defined problem statements, target segments, and risk maps.
OUTPUT
Pre-vetted IP brief
02
Founder–IP matching & team formation
SFC sources IP from universities, research institutes, and corporate R&D — evaluating TRL, fashion-industry relevance, and commercial feasibility before translating findings into venture-ready briefs with defined problem statements, target segments, and risk maps.
OUTPUT
Pre-vetted IP brief
03
Venture build & selection gate
Teams receive structured support: incorporation guidance, licensing coordination, business model development, and mentorship from fashion, manufacturing, and sustainability practitioners. Only teams passing an industry panel evaluation advance.
OUTPUT
Pre-vetted IP brief
04
Prototype & market validation
SFC facilitates business matching with brands, manufacturers, and platforms. Teams exit with a functional prototype or MVP, industry pilots or LOIs, and a costed roadmap to scale. The programme concludes at validation — not full commercial launch.
OUTPUT
Validated MVP + pilot / LOI
For
Founders
Access defensible IP. Skip the research phase.
Most deep tech founders spend 12–18 months searching for a viable IP position. The Launch Pad gives you pre-vetted, commercially translated IP from day one — so you can focus on building the venture, not hunting for the technology.
Who should apply
- Aspiring entrepreneurs with commercial or industry experience
- Experienced founders and serial entrepreneurs
- CEOs-in-Residence seeking a new platform
- Corporate veterans or senior leaders transitioning into entrepreneurship
What you get
- Access to pre-vetted, defensible IP with clear commercial briefs
- Licensing facilitation and pro-bono legal support where available
- Industry mentors across fashion, manufacturing, sustainability, and supply chain
- Facilitated access to pilots, brands, and manufacturers
- Structured pathway to investor introductions
- Association with SFC and its ecosystem for credibility
What’s expected
- Commercial drive and ability to build and lead a founding team
- Commitment to attend matching sessions and venture-build phases
- Submission of a business plan and commercialisation strategy for the selection gate
- Active participation in market validation and pilot activities
For
IP OWNERS
Monetise dormant IP without running a venture programme.
Most IP with commercial potential never reaches the market—not because the technology isn’t ready, but because the commercialisation infrastructure isn’t there. The Launch Pad closes that gap. SFC handles founder sourcing, commercial translation, and venture building. You retain strategic control and upside.
Who should submit IP
- Universities and research institutes (e.g. NTU, NTUitive, A*STAR)
- Corporate R&D and innovation teams with unlicensed or under-commercialised IP
- Industry labs with fashion-adjacent technology across sustainability, materials, AI, and supply chain
What you get
- Increased IP utilisation without internal resource burden
- Access to a vetted pool of commercial founders and venture builders
- Retained strategic optionality — licensing, equity, or acquisition pathways
- Revenue-sharing or equity upside from successful ventures
- ESG and sustainability impact reporting for portfolio and stakeholder purposes
- SFC facilitation of licensing discussions and deal structuring
For
CORPORATES
Early access to emerging technology.
A de-risked innovation pipeline.
Corporate open innovation is expensive and slow. The Launch Pad offers a lighter, faster path: early visibility into emerging technologies relevant to your business, the ability to shape pilot use cases, and first-look rights before ventures enter the open market.
What corporate partners get
- Early access to emerging technologies across sustainability, materials, AI, and supply chain
- First-look and preferred pilot rights on validated ventures
- De-risked open innovation pipeline without running internal R&D programmes
- Ability to shape solution development to align with real business needs
- ESG-aligned innovation with measurable, credible outcomes
- Strategic insights into future fashion and lifestyle industry technologies
How to get involved
- Corporate sponsorship packages (portfolio-level or single cohort)
- Paid pilot and proof-of-concept engagements
- Option-to-license or first-look arrangement as ventures progress
What we’re building toward
Credibility, monetisation, and a sustainable dealflow ecosystem.
2–3
startups
Validated ventures launched from Singapore’s research ecosystem in the first cycle
50+
introductions
Qualified investor introductions facilitated annually through structured VC dealflow
Cost
recovery
Multiple revenue streams validated, reducing reliance on government grant funding
Join the Launch Pad.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Select the track that applies to you.
Founder track
- Aspiring or experienced entrepreneurs
- Serial founders & CEOs-in-Residence
- Corporate veterans seeking entrepreneurship
- Strong commercial instincts essential
IP owner /
corporate track
- Universities and research institutes
- Corporate R&D and innovation teams
- IP at TRL 3–6 with fashion-relevant applications
- Sustainability, materials, AI, supply chain