Singapore: Smart Port Challenge 2025 draws record of 288 proposals from 35 countries

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS), held the annual PIER71 Great Circle 2025 on Wednesday (5 November), featuring the 9th Smart Port Challenge (SPC) Grand Finals and a Maritime Technology (MarineTech) Innovation Showcase.

MPA Chief Executive, Mr Ang Wee Keong, officiated at the event, which brought together over 300 participants from start-ups, venture capital firms, research institutions, and the maritime community.

Following the Call for Proposals in June 2025 to invite startups to develop innovative solutions for the maritime industry, roadshows were conducted across 13 cities – including for the first time, in Boston and Los Angeles in the United States, as well as cities in China, Germany, India, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. A record 288 submissions from 35 countries were received in response to the 15 challenge statements addressing key issues and opportunities in the global maritime industry. These covered digitalisation, smart ports, smart shipping, and maritime green technologies.

From these submissions, 19 start-ups were selected for the 10-week SPC Accelerate programme, receiving mentorship, hands-on workshops, and market validation support.

Together, these start-ups have secured over 30 Letters of Intent with local maritime companies to explore proof-of-concept or pilot trials.

Selected SPC participants can qualify for grants of up to SGD 100,000 for proof-of-concept or pilot trials, and up to SGD 250,000 for product development under MPA’s Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund.

Since the inception of SPC in 2017, the MINT Fund has supported 68 start-ups, with over 30 innovative technologies already deployed in the maritime sector following successful trials. The eligibility criteria for the MINT START-UP Grant have also been broadened to include start-ups funded by partner Venture Capitals (VCs) and Corporate Venture Capitals (CVCs), enabling a wider pool of innovative companies in Singapore’s ecosystem to benefit from the support.

At the SPC 2025 Grand Finals, Cyntegra emerged as the Top Start-up winner, sponsored by the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Onecare Group emerged as the Top Scale-up winner, sponsored by Reefknot Capital. The winners were awarded SGD 15,000 each.

Four thematic prizes of SGD 10,000 each were presented to: OneCare Group for Digitalisation Prize, sponsored by RINA; Beecharge Innovation Group for Maritime Green Technologies Prize, sponsored by OCBC and Smart Port Prize, sponsored by PSA Singapore and PSA Ventures; and Fathom Science for Smart Shipping Prize, sponsored by ZEBOX. Fathom Science was also acknowledged by the Judges with a Special Mention.

Note: The 15 challenge statements and more information on the recipients of the Mint Grant from July 20225 and winners of the Smart Port Challenge 2025 can be found here. 

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 7 November, 2025