Welcome Remarks by ACE Chairman James Tan at ACE Lunar New Year Gathering & Lo Hei Lunch

ACE Patron Minister Tan See Leng

Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

1          I am very happy to see all of you here this afternoon. This is a large ACE family gathering. Indeed, every year, every Chinese New Year provides us with an opportunity to celebrate, catch up, relax, and recharge, in the company of our dearest family and friends. So, thank you for being here today.

2         2022 was challenging for the startup ecosystem, with many twists and turns, largely due to the uncertainties in the global economy, geopolitical tensions, and inflationary pressures, but I am glad to see ACE and our partners like you ever so resilient and upbeat about our mission to drive entrepreneurship in Singapore. 2023 looks like it may not be easy but I am confident that with an entrepreneurial mindset, we have what it takes to do better and do more for the ecosystem.  

3         With the resumption of travel, ACE hosted overseas delegates and engaged both foreign and local political office holders and senior Government officials. We also organised ten roundtable discussions last year. Through these conversations, we were able to sharpen our ground-sensing ability and serve as an effective advocate for startups. We will continue to bridge communications between startups and the Government. Beyond communications and advocacy, we organised one networking event almost every week, including the JTC LaunchPad Founders’ Breakfast sessions, workshops, mentorship and learning sessions for founders and startup employees. We also organised recognition events like the National Youth Entrepreneurship Awards and the ACE Under 35 awards ceremony. We worked with corporates and partners such as Tik Tok and Zoom to offer industry expertise and pitching opportunities for startups. Our flagship programme BACECAMP continued to run every quarter, equipping budding entrepreneurs with the know-hows. ACE was also often quoted in the news and is now widely acknowledged as the go-to association for startups and innovation. All these would definitely not have been possible without your efforts and on behalf of ACE, I thank you.   

4          Special mention and thanks to Minister Tan See Leng and his team at the Ministry of Trade & Industry, who have been very supportive of ACE’s work. Credit also goes to our Enterprise Singapore colleagues here today as well as our JTC colleagues, for working closely with the ACE team. I would also like to thank our Board members for your guidance to the team and all that you are doing behind the scenes. And to ACE’s very important Sub-Committee chairmen, chairwomen and committee members, your wealth of knowledge and networks have propelled us to make outsized impact for the startup ecosystem. Last but not least, to the ACE team, I commend your efforts and dedication in serving our stakeholders. 

5         Many of us here are volunteers, in fact more than half of us here are volunteers, and I am sure we will continue to do our best and make a difference. Let’s push forward and work together even more closely to uplift the Singapore startup ecosystem! 

6         I take this opportunity to wish you good health, happiness, and success. Thank you very much, please enjoy the rest of the programme.