From Bench to Business: Building MedTech Ventures That Matter
On 24 February 2026, BMSIPO and HealthTEC.SG – Singapore Health Technologies Consortium co-organised a panel discussion at Singapore Science Park, bringing together over 80 attendees from across the MedTech ecosystem. Researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs, investors, and regulatory specialists gathered for a frank conversation on what it truly takes to translate biomedical innovation into ventures with lasting clinical and commercial impact.
The panel was moderated by Seck Yee Kwang, Director of BMSIPO, and featured Dr Sidney Yee, Venture Partner at iGlobe Partners and former CEO of DxD Hub; Dr Tan Min-Han, Founder, CEO and Medical Director of Lucence; and Prof Sng Ban Leong, Senior Consultant Anaesthesiologist at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and clinician-innovator behind HiCura Medical. Drawing on their firsthand experience across venture-building, clinical translation, and investment, the panellists addressed commercialisation pathways, clinical adoption and regulation, scaling considerations, and the realities of the founder journey.
A central theme was the gap between regulatory approval and commercial success. Regulatory clearance opens the door — but clinical evidence, workflow integration, reimbursement logic, and sustained revenue traction determine whether a solution achieves meaningful adoption. “By the time you get your regulatory approval, you still have nothing to show to your buyers — a pilot is only step two of five stages of how you get your product to an exit,” said Dr Sidney Yee. Dr Tan Min-Han echoed this urgency from a national lens: if Singapore cannot learn to sell technology, there is no sustainable path forward — and that means knowing precisely who the buyer is, what they will pay for, and why.
On exits, the panel offered a grounded perspective: MedTech is often a decade-long journey, with strategic acquisition the most common regional pathway — and approximately USD $3 million in annual recurring revenue with strong growth as a practical benchmark for attracting credible buyers.
A closing reflection encapsulated the evening’s spirit: Singapore may be a small market, but it is a powerful launchpad. The path from bench to business demands both scientific excellence and commercial acuity — and the ecosystem is stronger when both are built together.