Singapore is bringing its Block 71 startup ecosystem to San Francisco

Some of the greatest public-private coalition achievements in the world can be found in Singapore, such as Block 71, which is a public co-working space that acts a central startup ecosystem for the city-state and houses somewhere around 250 startups. Now that model is being brought over to San Francisco, the startup capital of the world, in an attempt to strengthen ties between startups in the US and Singapore.  

Singapore’s Block 71 is well-known globally as an example of how the government can foster and bring together a startup ecosystem under one roof. Housing about 250 startups – the new expansion will double its capacity to 500 companies – the model is now being transplanted halfway across the world to the mecca of tech startups, San Francisco. The new co-working space, which will be called Block 71 San Francisco, was the result of joint efforts by Infocomm Investments (IIPL), NUS Enterprise, and SingTel Innov8. According to an official statement, the initiative aims to “strengthen ties between startup ecosystems in Singapore and the US,” allowing tech companies from both countries to better know their respective markets and hence explore business opportunities and build networks there.