Singaporean initiative launches plastic management program for startups in SEA, South Asia

The Incubation Network, an impact-driven initiative based in Singapore, has teamed up with investment advisory firm Sagana for a program that aims to fast-track startups in South and Southeast Asia that apply a circular economy approach to plastic waste management.

Called Plastics X Circularity Curriculum (PXCC), the initiative is aimed at pre-seed and seed-stage startups. It comprises 31 sub-modules across nine learning domains, along with mentorship and cross-learning from industry experts within The Incubation Network. Under the program, startups can opt for bite-sized, on-demand learning or personalized lessons that focus on specific topics.

The Incubation Network is a partnership between SecondMuse and The Circulate Initiative, a nonprofit that is looking to solve problems related to ocean plastic pollution by supporting circular, inclusive, and investible waste management and recycling systems in South and Southeast Asia. The organization is backed by Circulate Capital, a Singapore-based venture capital firm.

“As an investor, Circulate Capital is looking for ventures that have developed strong business models to prevent plastic leakage and scale circular plastics value chains,” said CEO Rob Kaplan. “A high-quality curriculum and support program is critical in helping early-stage entrepreneurs to build and scale effective and circular solutions into investable opportunities in the long term.”

An initial fifteen organizations will join PXCC, where entrepreneurial support firms will receive tools such as a fundraising guide, a sample pitch deck, and lesson plans designed to turn learning into action. The program’s curriculum content and supporting materials were developed with input from entrepreneurial support organizations SocialAlpha and StartUpX.

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PXCC has already been piloted by five entrepreneurs under the guidance of The Incubation Network. The participants include Natasha Viitasaari, co-founder of Nu Cycle, a waste offset service in Indonesia.

Ryan Corpuz, founder of Nanolabs LRC, also went through the pilot to explore opportunities for his startup, which provides sustainable nano-solutions to electrochemical energy storage and environmental challenges in the Philippines.

Correction (June 22, 4.21pm): The article was corrected as it earlier mentioned The Incubation Network as a nonprofit organization.