Prof. Singh served as a Member of Parliament (MP) in Singapore, from 1996 to 2015 and was the Chairman of the Singapore Government Parliamentary Committee for Finance, Trade and Industry for a duration of his term as an MP. Prof. Singh serves as a Member of the Board of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and in the past served as a board member in several Statutory and Public Bodies, including the Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board and Spring Singapore.
Previously, Prof. Singh founded United Test and Assembly Centre (UTAC) a Singapore-based semiconductor test and assembly company, and served as UTACs President and Chief Executive Officer. UTAC was a Unicorn 3 years after he started the company.
The Global Startup Committee of the World Business Angels Investment Forum is committed to helping the next generation of great companies move forward and to showcase the world’s top startups and scaleups (typically, funded companies in the process of raising €100K–€1M) at the Global Fundraising Stage (GFRS), establishing a superior deal flow pipeline that connects investors with superior startups, and through training and mentorship, to help the next generation of companies that are seeking to raise funding in order to grow and scale their businesses, bridging qualified investors and entrepreneurs and creating a global community that attracts the best deal flow, the most knowledgeable experts and fosters continuous and evolving interactions amongst community members.
As an affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the WBAF announces Global Board Members of the Global Startup Committee. Prof Inderjit Singh will chair the global board with 12 global board members.
Prof Dr. Inderjit Singh serves as Chairman of NTUitive, the Innovation Company of the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Solstar International Pte Ltd, a multinational company from Singapore. Prof. Singh was the founding President of the Singapore Chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs, a network of entrepreneurs and professionals founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley, California. From 1995 to 2012, he was the Deputy Chairman of Action Community for Entrepreneurs (ACE), a Singapore national committee involved in Entrepreneurship Policy and Advocacy.
Previously, Prof. Singh founded United Test and Assembly Centre Limited, or UTAC, a Singapore-based semiconductor test and assembly company, and served as UTACs President and Chief Executive Officer. UTAC was a Unicorn 3 years after Inderjit started the company. Before founding UTAC, Prof. Singh served at Texas Instruments Singapore (known as Micron Semiconductor Asia since 1999) for 13 years, holding the post of Director of Assembly and Test Operations for the Memory Division from 1996 to 1998.
Prof Singh says ‘’ ‘’The role of angel investors in entrepreneurial venture financing is increasing every day. Angel investors provide new ventures with much more than financial resources. By assuming different value-added roles, they also contribute considerable non-financial value to their investee companies during the post-investment phase. They act entrepreneurially through their hands-on involvement, but they often have their own distinct entrepreneurial experience. Through the WBAF’s Global Startup Committee, we will aim to ease access to finance for startups, scaleups, entrepreneurs and SMEs globally. The Committee will focus on developing innovative financial instruments for entrepreneurs and SMEs as a part of its global agenda.’’
Baybars Altuntas, WBAF Chairman, says, ‘’I believe that the Global Startup Committee under the leadership of Prof Singh will bring a wide range of opportunities for entrepreneurs in the world. I invite everyone to join WBAF’s global efforts to ease access to smart finance to create more jobs and more social justice worldwide.’’
Global Board Members of the Committee:
Prof Inderjit Singh, President of the World Entrepreneurship Forum
President of the Committee
Singapore
Israel Pons, President of the AngelsNet Holding
Vice President of the Committee
Mexico
Maryam Najafi, Founder & Chair of the Hooman Consultant
Vice President of the Committee
Iran
Md Sabur Khan, Chairman, Daffodil International University
Vice President of the Committee
Bangladesh
Miguel Martin, Founder and Co-investor at Immerxing Hub
Vice President of the Committee
Spain
Dr Nikhil Agarwal, CEO, FIRST@IIT-Kanpur, India
Vice President of the Committee
India
Christoph Drescher, MBA Managing Partner, MyPrivacy
Secretary General of the Committee
Austria
Deniz Misir, Family Officer – Financial Wellbeing Consultant
Board Member of the Committee
Turkey
Ivan Jovetic, President of the Montenegro Television Broadcasting Company (RTCG) and Co-founder of MEBAN
Board Member of the Committee
Montenegro
Mohammed Elhadi Ahmed Elsayed, National Consultant of the Social Entrepreneurship Program,
Board Member of the Committee
Sudan
Mohammed Sh. Al-Rashidi, Founder and Executive Chairman of One Global Group
Board Member of the Committee
Kuwait
Paula Petkova, Co-Founder, Wethaq
Board Member of the Committee
UAE
Septi Bukula, Founder & Director, Osiba Holdings
Board Member of the Committee
South Africa
Executive Committee Members of the Board
Prof Inderjit Singh, President of the Committee
Israel Pons, Vice President of the Committee
Maryam Najafi, Vice President of the Committee
Miguel Martin, Vice President of the Committee
Dr Nikhil Agarwal, Vice President of the Committee
Christoph Drescher, Secretary General of the Committee
Baybars Altuntas, WBAF President, Observer Member
About the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF)
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) is an international organisation aiming to ease access to finance for businesses from start-up to scale-up, with the ultimate goal of generating more jobs and more social justice worldwide. It is committed to collaborating globally to empower world economic development by creating innovative financial instruments for innovators, start-ups, and SMEs. The Forum interacts with leaders in all areas of society, first and foremost in business and political spheres, to help assess needs and establish goals, bearing in mind that the public interest is of paramount importance. WBAF engages a wide range of institutions, both public and private, local and international, commercial and academic to help shape the global agenda.
About GPFI
The Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) is an inclusive platform for all G20 countries, interested non-G20 countries, and relevant stakeholders to carry forward work on financial inclusion, including implementation of the G20 Financial Inclusion Action Plan endorsed at the G20 Summit in Seoul. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands is the Honorary Patron of the GPFI.
