Facebook, IMDA to launch startup accelerator in Singapore in February

FACEBOOK on Tuesday unveiled Startup Station, Singapore, a startup accelerator programme for data-driven startups based in South-east Asia.

The programme is created in partnership with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), and is set to kick off in February 2019.

It will empower startups to accelerate their businesses in "new and cutting-edge ways", while continuing to "keep people's trust, transparency and control over their data", said Facebook and the IMDA.

Startup Station, Singapore will provide startups with co-working space; mentorship by industry leaders; connections to investors; and access to the Regulatory Sandbox, which, facilitated by the IMDA, allows startups to develop new ideas through the use of data in a live environment.

This marks Facebook's first data innovation startup programme in Asia, and second in the world, after France. Startups should be in their growth stage and data driven, and have an established business model and data sets.

On Tuesday, Facebook also celebrated its move to a new expanded office space at Marina One, West Tower. It will house Facebook's Singapore and regional teams, and occupies about 200,000 square feet of space across four floors.

The new office is also home to Facebook's first partner centre in Asia, where partners can immerse themselves in Facebook's company mission and culture, and explore new growth opportunities for their business.