SUSS Launches GOOD Incubator to Nurture Entrepreneurs Building Ventures for Social Good

• The new incubation platform will support startups and social ventures to develop, test and scale solutions for social and environmental impact, including innovations that support healthy longevity.
• SUSS’ flagship ‘Pitch for Good’ returns for its second edition at the Geronpreneurship Innovation Festival 2026

Singapore, 26 August 2026 – With Singapore entering a new demographic chapter, the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) today launched the GOOD Incubator, a new incubation platform that strengthens support for founders developing solutions to society's most pressing challenges. The initiative brings together  mentorship, partnerships and real-world opportunities to help startups and social ventures develop, test and scale solutions to address Singapore's evolving social needs. 

Professor Tan Tai Yong, President, SUSS, delivered the welcome address and launched the GOOD Incubator at the Geronpreneurship Innovation Festival 2026.

Announced at the Geronpreneurship Innovation Festival (GIF) 2026, the GOOD Incubator initiative was introduced to more than 400 attendees, including representatives from Active Ageing Centres (AACs), social service agencies, startups and businesses, researchers, SUSS students and faculty, policymakers and community partners from Singapore and the region. The event was graced by  Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, Mr Ong Ye Kung, who delivered the opening address. 

From left: Ms Yeo Lay, Dean of Students, SUSS; Mrs Mildred Tan, Chairman, SUSS Board of Trustees; Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies; Mr Chia Chor Meng, President, Ngee Ann Kongsi; Professor Tan Tai Yong, President, SUSS; and Professor Robbie Goh, Provost, SUSS, at the Geronpreneurship Innovation Festival 2026.

Advancing Innovation for a Longer-lived Society

The launch comes as Singapore intensifies efforts to respond to the opportunities and challenges of a super-aged society, with growing emphasis on innovation, entrepreneurship and cross-sector partnerships to improve quality of life and support healthy longevity. Through the GOOD Incubator, SUSS aims to contribute to these national efforts by supporting founders who are developing practical solutions to address real community needs.

The GOOD Incubator is anchored on four complementary pillars, each supporting different aspects of purpose-driven innovation. Programmes under GOODTech, GOODBiz and GOODBridge will be rolled out at launch, while GOODCause will be introduced at a later stage as part of the Incubator’s longer-term development.

• GOODBiz, for social enterprises creating commercially sustainable solutions with measurable social impact
• GOODBridge, which helps international and local ventures build partnerships and expand into new markets.
• GOODTech, for technology startups developing scalable innovations;
• GOODCause, for non-profit organisations seeking to strengthen their impact through innovation.
  

The GOOD Incubator is supported by the Ministry of Education (MOE), through its Innovation & Enterprise Office Decentralised Funding. This funding is under Singapore’s broader Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2030 (RIE2030) Plan, led by the National Research Foundation (NRF) under the Prime Minister’s Office. The plan seeks to strengthen the country’s research and innovation ecosystem and address key economic and national priorities. One of RIE2030’s first Grand Challenges, “Maximising Healthy and Successful Longevity”, focuses on addressing critical challenges associated with an ageing population through healthcare, socio-environmental, AI and technological innovations.

Open to SUSS full-time, part-time and Continuing Education and Training (CET) students with incorporated startups, the initiative is targeted at ventures that are ready to scale. Applicants are selected through a pitch to a panel comprising SUSS representatives, mentors and industry partners.

Selected founders receive structured incubation, mentorship and access to industry and community networks, with opportunities to test their solutions in real-world settings. Depending on their track, founders can also tap technology resources and training, work with social service agencies to pilot solutions, or access partnerships and market opportunities in Singapore and the region.  

Professor Tan Tai Yong, President, Singapore University of Social Sciences, said:

“Many incubators help founders build businesses. Through the GOOD Incubator, we want to help founders build solutions that matter. By bringing together entrepreneurs, industry and community partners, and drawing on SUSS’ strengths in gerontology and community engagement, we hope to support innovations that address real social needs and improve lives.”

Pitch for Good Identifies Promising Solutions to Social Challenges

Four ventures were recognised at the second edition of Pitch for Good, SUSS’ regional startup competition.

• Agewhale (Hong Kong) received the Gold Award (S$25,000) for its solution that helps working caregivers navigate and coordinate eldercare, with the aim of reducing caregiver burnout.  
• Aaira (Singapore) received the Silver Award (S$10,000) for its use of AI and robotics to support caregivers, address healthcare workforce shortages and meet increasingly complex care needs.
  
• Atom Bios (Hong Kong) received the People’s Choice Award (S$2,000) for its nano-liposome drug-delivery platform, designed to reach difficult targets such as the brain and tumours.  
• The Tzu Chi GLOW Award (S$10,000), supported by Tzu Chi Foundation (Singapore) and open to all participating applicants, was awarded to Gray Matter Solutions (Singapore) for its fast, AI-powered cognitive screening solution that supports the early detection of cognitive decline.
  

As a key initiative under the GOODBridge pillar, this year’s Pitch for Good attracted over 200 applications from 19 countries this year, up from more than 80 applications across 10 cities in its inaugural run in 2025. Proposed solutions seek to address needs in areas such as healthy ageing, healthcare, assistive technologies, community participation and independent living.

From this year’s pool of applicants, 10 finalists, representing Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Hong Kong SAR, were selected to pitch their solutions at GIF 2026.

Beyond the cash prizes, winners of the Gold, Silver and People’s Choice Awards will have opportunities to further develop their ventures with SUSS through mentorship and industry networks. The winner of the Tzu Chi GLOW Award will also receive mentorship and a 12-month test-bedding opportunity to further develop and validate its solutions.

Pitch for Good is designed to identify promising ideas. Through the GOOD Incubator, promising founders can now continue developing their ideas beyond the competition through structured incubation, mentorship and opportunities to validate their solutions in real-world settings. 

Winners of the Pitch for Good Grand Finals 2026

Turning Partnerships into Solutions for Healthy Ageing

Organised by SUSS with funding support from Ngee Ann Kongsi, GIF brings together entrepreneurs, researchers, businesses, policymakers and community organisations to exchange ideas, forge partnerships and accelerate solutions that address the opportunities and challenges of an ageing society.

This year’s theme, “The Power of Purpose in Ageing: Our Future Chapter”, reflects Singapore's transition towards a super-aged society and the importance of enabling people to continue learning, contributing and living well throughout longer lives.

The festival features keynote addresses, panel discussions, startup showcases and networking opportunities that encourage cross-sector collaboration and innovation.

GIF builds on SUSS’ longstanding strengths in gerontology and serves as a platform to connect research, innovation and partnerships in support of healthy ageing.