INSEAD alumni launch startup incubator in Singapore

Photo credit: INSEADERS, and aims to support INSEAD students and alumni in their business ventures with help from the school’s global network. It’s an initiative by veteran entrepreneurs Rani Saad and Micheal Collins.

(UPDATE, 1:00pm: A previous version of this story erroneously suggested this is an initiative by INSEAD itself. It is in fact an initiative by INSEAD alumni, and the story has been updated to reflect that.)

The incubator will be housed in Singapore’s Block 71 startup hub, which is conveniently located just across the street from INSEAD’s Asia campus. “Our goal is to establish entrepreneurship as the preferred career exit path for INSEAD students,” a statement says.

The incubator will offer working space, networking with INSEAD faculty and alumni advisors, collaboration with corporates, and access to seed and venture capital. Co-founder Micheal Collins tells Tech in Asia that INSEADERS will invest in promising startups in the right stage, but will determine specific terms on a case-by-case basis. It’s not looking for vertical-specific entrepreneurs.

“The global INSEAD community has entrepreneurs from whatever industry you can imagine, online and offline, local and global. What matters is that people get started and build to be the best in their vertical,” he says.

Singapore is only the starting location for INSEADERS – the plan is to set up an incubator in the Europe and Middle East INSEAD campuses, located in Fontainebleau, France, and in Abu Dhabi, UAE. INSEAD students and alumni will be able to work from any of these locations.