Temasek Foundation

What Temasek Foundation does

Temasek Foundation is a Singapore-registered philanthropic organization (Temasek Foundation Ltd.) established in 2007 through endowments gifted by Temasek and operating under the Temasek Trust ecosystem. It functions as a catalytic grantmaking and program-operating foundation, deploying philanthropic capital across four pillars: liveability and sustainability, healthcare innovation, social resilience, and youth/leadership development. Its portfolio is delivered through a combination of competitive challenge platforms (The Liveability Challenge, Climate Impact Innovations Challenge, Healthcare InnoMatch, Net Zero Challenge), named program funds (OSCAR Fund for ground-up community initiatives, Temasek Foundation Scholarships, Asia Leaders Connect), and named endowments honoring Singapore pioneers. Through FY24/25, the foundation has committed S$1.2 billion in cumulative funding across 1,788 programmes, touching 4.4 million lives across Singapore and Asia, with 10X+ follow-on funding leverage on its 88 funded sustainability and health innovations.

The foundation's underlying operating model is orchestrative rather than productive: it does not build core technology, hold a sales force, or generate commercial revenue. Instead, it curates a multi-stakeholder ecosystem — partnering with multilaterals (WHO, UNICEF, Kofi Annan Foundation, Philanthropy Asia Alliance), sovereign-linked entities (KKH, Ministry of Health Singapore, A*STAR, Enterprise Singapore, PLN, Sport Singapore), and corporate partners (Hyundai HMGICS, Tencent, East Ventures, Golden Gate Ventures, Touchstone Partners, Rockefeller Foundation) — to source, de-risk, test-bed, and scale innovations. Revenue mechanics are endowment-driven: capital flows in from Temasek/Temasek Trust and flows out as competitive grants, catalytic prizes (S$1M top prizes at The Liveability Challenge 2026), and co-funding contributions to multilateral programmes (e.g., UNICEF Femtech Ventures with Sweden). The foundation is headquartered at Temasek Shophouse, 28 Orchard Road, Singapore, and runs on a lean 11-50 person staff with execution leverage delivered through partner channels.

Name

Temasek Foundation

Legal name

Temasek Foundation Ltd.

Website

https://temasekfoundation.org.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Temasek Foundation is a Singapore philanthropic foundation (est. 2007) funded by Temasek endowments that deploys catalytic grants and runs challenge platforms — The Liveability Challenge, Healthcare InnoMatch, OSCAR Fund, CIIC, and UniVentures — to support climate, health, and community programmes across Singapore and Asia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation Grant-Making

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grant programs
• Climate innovation challenges
• Healthcare innovation funding
• Community development grants
• Sustainability grant programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grant Disbursement: Temasek Foundation operates as a philanthropic organization funded by endowments from Temasek. It disburses funding through competitive grant programs, challenge platforms, and direct partnerships to support sustainability, healthcare, education, and community development initiatives across Singapore and Asia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Temasek Foundation is a Singapore-based philanthropic foundation that disburses catalytic funding through competitive grant programs, challenge platforms, and direct partnerships. It supports sustainability, healthcare, education, and social resilience initiatives across Singapore and Asia, including flagship challenge competitions (The Liveability Challenge, Climate Impact Innovations Challenge, Healthcare InnoMatch), micro-philanthropy grants (OSCAR Fund), scholarships, and regional programs in genomics, digital health, and climate innovation.

Product overview

Temasek Foundation is a Singapore-based philanthropic organization that operates multiple grant programs, innovation competitions, and community initiatives rather than a unified software product. Its portfolio includes funding vehicles (OSCAR Fund for micro-philanthropy), innovation challenge platforms (The Liveability Challenge, Climate Impact Innovations Challenge, Healthcare InnoMatch, Net Zero Challenge), healthcare programs (Genomics for Kids in ASEAN, Digital Health Wallets), educational initiatives (scholarships, fellowships), and support for decarbonization technologies (Equatic, Qarbotech). These programs function independently rather than as an integrated product suite, unified by their focus on sustainability, liveability, healthcare, and social resilience in Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OSCAR Fund: A micro-philanthropy fund supporting ground-up initiatives that strengthen collective care and mutual support for vulnerable communities.
• The Liveability Challenge
• Climate Impact Innovations Challenge
• Net Zero Challenge
• Healthcare InnoMatch

Products and services

• OSCAR Fund A micro-philanthropy fund supporting ground-up, self-help initiatives by citizens, residents, and newly-registered non-profits to uplift vulnerable communities and foster collective care. Quick-start projects can kick off in 30 days and complete within 6 months, with S$14.5M committed since 2020 across 420 projects reaching over 1 million lives.
• The Liveability Challenge Asia's largest crowdsourcing platform for climate solutions, offering catalytic grant funding to innovative startups addressing sustainability and liveability challenges in Southeast Asia. Organized in partnership with Eco-Business, with a record S$4.3 million in catalytic funding deployed in 2026.
• Climate Impact Innovations Challenge (CIIC) Indonesia's largest climate tech innovations competition co-presented by East Ventures and Temasek Foundation, with Tencent as a new presenting partner for 2026, supporting startups with prize pools for solutions in energy transition, food and nature solutions, and circular economy. Since 2023, CIIC has received over 1,300 applications from 60+ countries.
• Healthcare InnoMatch Annual healthcare innovation challenge that connects health-tech innovators with real-world test-beds within Singapore's three public healthcare clusters, funding winning solutions for pilot deployment. Managed by the Centre for Healthcare Innovation (CHI).
• Genomics for Kids in ASEAN Programme Regional genomic medicine initiative providing genetic testing and diagnosis for rare diseases to 510 families across Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam, achieving a 52% diagnostic success rate versus the 25-40% international benchmark and reducing average diagnostic time from 7.6 years to weeks.
• Digital Health Wallets Initiative Three-year initiative to help ASEAN nations transition from paper-based health records such as the Yellow Card to secure, interoperable digital health wallets using cryptographic verification via WHO's Global Digital Health Certification Network.
• Net Zero Challenge Climate innovation competition organized by Touchstone Partners and Temasek Foundation to pilot and scale climate-tech solutions in Vietnam, targeting sustainable agriculture, circular economy, waste management, and energy investments.
• UniVentures Regional innovation programme in Vietnam partnered with Temasek Foundation, providing mentorship, investment training, and market access to university startups. Each selected team receives $25,000 and joins a three-month incubation program.
• Temasek Foundation Scholarships and Study Awards Scholarships and study awards for individuals demonstrating academic excellence and service to community, particularly from lower income backgrounds.
• Asia Leaders Connect Flagship platform connecting influential leaders from public, private, and philanthropy sectors across Asia for dialogue and collaboration on current and emerging challenges.
• Asia Journalism Fellowship Three-month program in Singapore bringing journalists from across Asia to learn, exchange ideas, and develop journalism skills.
• Dengue & Zika Genomic Surveillance Network Ten-country genomic surveillance program for dengue and Zika viruses with a real-time dashboard integrating climate and mosquito vector factors for public health responses.
• Champions for Peace Programme Three-year programme in partnership with Kofi Annan Foundation and KRIS, engaging young people across Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand as peace builders and harmony advocates through seed grants and regional workshops.
• NextGen Para Talent Programme A four-year programme launched with the Singapore Disability Sports Council, providing structured support for 80 young persons with disabilities in para sports, aligned with Sport Singapore's Sport Excellence Carding framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.4 million lives touched across Singapore and Asia
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

32 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Eco-BusinesscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 May 2026Eco-Business organizes The Liveability Challenge, Asia's largest crowdsourcing platform for climate solutions, presented by Temasek Foundation. Since 2018, the competition has deployed S$18M+ in catalytic funding to 56 startups.
• The Rockefeller FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026The Rockefeller Foundation and Temasek Trust announced the Global Coalition for Nuclear Philanthropy (GCNP) at the Philanthropy Asia Summit in Singapore. The coalition addresses a significant funding gap with only 0.1-0.2% of climate philanthropy supporting nuclear energy.
• Philanthropy Asia AllianceflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Philanthropy Asia Alliance released its 2026 Impact Report showing $615 million mobilized to support 300+ projects across climate action, healthcare, and inclusive development in Asia. Temasek Foundation is a key participant in this collaborative initiative.
• UNICEFflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026UNICEF Femtech Ventures is a five-year catalytic investment platform backed by the Government of Sweden and Temasek Foundation, supporting frontier tech founders from Africa and Asia building solutions for women's sexual and reproductive health and rights.
• Singapore Disability Sports CouncilflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 April 2026Singapore Disability Sports Council launched the NextGen Para Talent Programme in partnership with Temasek Foundation, providing structured support for young persons with disabilities in para sports over four years targeting 80 athletes.
• East VenturescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 April 2026East Ventures, a pioneering sector-agnostic venture capital firm, co-presents the Climate Impact Innovations Challenge (CIIC) with Temasek Foundation. CIIC is Indonesia's largest climate tech innovations competition with prize pool of Rp15 billion. Since 2023, CIIC has received over 1,300 applications from 60+ countries.
• TencentcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 April 2026Tencent joined as a new presenting partner for CIIC 2026, bringing global technology expertise to advance climate innovation and scale high-potential solutions across markets.
• World Health Organization (WHO)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026WHO and Temasek Foundation launched a three-year initiative to help ASEAN nations transition from paper-based health records to secure, interoperable digital health wallets using cryptographic verification via WHO's Global Digital Health Certification Network.
• Touchstone PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 December 2025Touchstone Partners launched a $10M Green Transition Fund in collaboration with Temasek Foundation, targeting sustainable agriculture, circular economy, waste management, and energy investments across Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
• BLOCK71 VietnamcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 6 November 2025UniVentures is a regional innovation programme led by BLOCK71 Vietnam in partnership with Temasek Foundation, nurturing university founders in Vietnam with mentorship, investment training, and market access. Attracted nearly 1,500 applications with $250,000 prize pool from Golden Gate Ventures.
• HMGICS (Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025HMGICS formalized a Memorandum of Understanding with Temasek Foundation in September 2025, partnering on the fifth annual Go Green Hackathon at Temasek Shophouse focused on community heat resilience and smart mobility.
• Kofi Annan FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2024Champions for Peace is a three-year programme in partnership with Kofi Annan Foundation and KRIS, engaging young people across Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The programme develops peace builders and harmony advocates through seed grants and regional workshops.
• Alliance for Health Policy and Systems ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO's Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research co-launched the digital health wallets initiative with Temasek Foundation and WHO to replace paper tools like the Yellow Card with digital wallets across ASEAN.
• KK Women's and Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGenomics for Kids in ASEAN is a joint effort by Temasek Foundation and KKH Maternal and Child Health Research Institute, providing genetic testing to 510 families across Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam with 52% diagnostic success rate.
• Centre for Healthcare InnovationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHealthcare InnoMatch is managed by the Centre for Healthcare Innovation (CHI), connecting health-tech innovators to real-world test-beds within Singapore's public healthcare clusters with S$5.5M funding from Temasek Foundation.
• Ministry of Health SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry of Health Singapore collaborates with Temasek Foundation on Healthcare InnoMatch from 2024, supporting the adoption of emerging health technologies across Singapore's three public healthcare clusters.
• Vietnam National Innovation CentrecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVietnam's National Innovation Centre partners with BLOCK71 and Temasek Foundation on UniVentures to connect innovation ecosystems of Singapore and Vietnam through mentorship and market access for university-founded startups.
• AC BiodeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAC Biode, a Japan-Luxembourg startup developing the world's first standalone AC battery, is building its first hydrogen demonstration plant in Indonesia with partners PLN and Temasek Foundation.
• National University of Singapore (NUS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNUS participates in roundtable discussions on cooling solutions and innovation funding gaps, contributing to The Liveability Challenge ecosystem for sustainability innovations.
• Breakthrough Energy FellowscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBreakthrough Energy Fellows participate in panel discussions on funding gaps for cooling innovations and represent the network of climate tech innovators supported by Bill Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy.
• PLNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPLN (Indonesia's state electricity company) is among strategic partners including Sinarmas and Triputra Agro Persada helping strengthen the CIIC climate tech ecosystem.
• SinarmascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSinarmas collaborates as a strategic partner in the CIIC ecosystem, contributing to advancing innovation and deployment of sustainable solutions in Indonesia.
• KRISflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKRIS (Kris for Peace) co-founded by Arizza Nocum, partners with Kofi Annan Foundation and Temasek Foundation on Champions for Peace programme developing 650 young leaders across five ASEAN countries as peace builders.
• Nagulendran Philanthropy AllianceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNagulendran Philanthropy Alliance harnesses strategic value of private philanthropy to support the next generation of peacemakers as a partner of the Champions for Peace programme.
• Blue Horizons FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Horizons Foundation is a Strategic Partner in the Global Coalition for Nuclear Philanthropy (GCNP), mobilizing philanthropic capital to support nuclear energy as a clean energy driver.
• CleanEconcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCleanEcon is a Strategic Partner in the Global Coalition for Nuclear Philanthropy, contributing to the initiative addressing the funding gap where less than $2 of every $1,000 in climate philanthropy supports nuclear energy.
• Founders PledgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounders Pledge is a Strategic Partner in the Global Coalition for Nuclear Philanthropy, working to mobilize philanthropic funding for nuclear energy integration.
• Rodel FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRodel Foundation is a Strategic Partner in the Global Coalition for Nuclear Philanthropy, supporting efforts to help more countries integrate nuclear into their energy mix.
• Oppenheimer ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOppenheimer Project is a Strategic Partner in the Global Coalition for Nuclear Philanthropy, contributing to the 5-10 year goal of supporting countries in nuclear energy integration.
• Selex MotorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelex Motors is a Touchstone Partners portfolio company that has expanded into China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand, supported by catalytic funding from Temasek Foundation partnerships.
• EnfarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnfarm, a Touchstone Partners portfolio company, is one of several startups that have expanded regionally with catalytic funding support through Temasek Foundation partnerships.
• Sport SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSport Singapore's Sport Excellence Carding framework aligns with the NextGen Para Talent Programme, supporting athletes toward national and international representation.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF): Climate- and child-health-focused philanthropy deploying catalytic capital at venture-style ticket sizes into breakthrough solutions. Comparable in its emphasis on measurable outcomes, climate-tech innovation, and venture-style grant competitions.
• Wellcome Trust: Major UK-based philanthropy funding global health and climate-related research with endowment scale comparable to Temasek's philanthropic arm. Comparable in its science-and-innovation orientation and Asia-relevant portfolio investments.
• Omidyar Network: Pierre Omidyar's philanthropic impact-investing network funding governance, education, and digital inclusion across Asia and globally. Comparable in its venture-style deployment and Asia focus, with overlapping themes in inclusive growth and digital health.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Global philanthropy with leading climate (Beyond Carbon), health (Tobacco-Free Kids, public health), and inclusive growth portfolios. Operates challenge-style grant competitions at global scale, closely mirroring Temasek Foundation's Liveability Challenge model.
• The Rockefeller Foundation: Global philanthropic foundation with deep climate, health, and equity portfolios; co-founded the Global Coalition for Nuclear Philanthropy with Temasek. Highly comparable mission (resilient systems, climate, health) and similar programme scale across multiple regions.

Emerging players

• IDEO Foundation: Adjacent design-led innovation ecosystem supporting early-stage social and climate solutions globally. Comparable as a partner-type organization supporting challenge-driven innovation pipelines rather than a direct grant competitor.
• Acumen: Impact-investing nonprofit combining philanthropic capital with patient venture investment across South and Southeast Asia, with focus on energy, health, and agriculture. Comparable to Temasek Foundation's livability/agronomy investments (e.g., Qarbotech, Polybee) though more reliant on debt/equity mechanisms.

Broad incumbents

• Temasek Trust: Direct parent of Temasek Foundation, Temasek Trust is the larger philanthropic umbrella managing endowed, impact-focused, and sustainability programmes across Singapore and Asia. Strongly comparable as the immediate holding entity with overlapping themes of climate, healthcare, and inclusive growth.
• Gates Foundation: Largest philanthropic foundation globally, with dominant global health and climate portfolios including catalytic grant pools for breakthrough technologies. Comparable in mission scale and challenge-funding design, though vastly larger capital base.

Others

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Strategic Investment Fund): Programme-related investment vehicle of the Gates Foundation mobilising catalytic capital into climate and health innovations. Comparable as a co-funder type within challenge-platform ecosystems where Temasek Foundation also operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/temasekfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments11 records

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Frequently asked questions about Temasek Foundation