Sydney incubator Pollenizer expands to Singapore, excited by “vibrant start-up ecosystems”

Sydney tech start-up incubator Pollenizer has branched out to Singapore, launching a new hub in the city state and launching its first start-up there.

Pollenizer says it is currently based out of the Innov8 offices in Singapore but plans to launch a facility similar to the ‘hive’ it operates in Sydney.

The first business launched by the incubator in Singapore is Tiwala, an app which provides “trusted payments for consumers without credit cards.”

Isaac Souweine, previously head of mobile products for Yahoo!’s Asia Pacific region, has been hired to become general manager of the new Singapore office.

Pollenizer says that it is looking for product managers and engineers for its new hub, as it looks to expand its model across the south-east Asia region.

In a blog post, Pollenizer co-founder Phil Morle says that the incubator was “deeply committed” to Australia but was keen to get involved in the “vibrant start-up ecosystems” in Singapore, Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta.

“We started spending quality time in Singapore when our Dealised business was established there early last year,” Morle says.

“It was immediately clear that we were missing out on an inspiring world. Whilst Australian corporates have long used Singapore as a gateway to the Asia Pacific region, Australian start-ups are more focused on local markets.”

“When we do look outside of Australia, our attention typically goes east to Silicon Valley. Our visits to Singapore exposed us to an impressive group of founders, investors and ecosystem builders and opened our eyes to the amazing growth opportunities in the greater south-east Asia region.

“Start-ups in Singapore are solving different problems for different users. It’s an exciting process, and something that we are eager to become part of.”