High technology is a major focus for Temasek, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund.
Three case studies are brought to the attention here.
Recently it agreed with Ramot to invest a 21% stake (US$5 million) in the US$23.5 million Momentum Fund, a Ramot’s technology transfer fund. Temasek will be a lead investor in Ramot along with India’s Tata Industries. The target of Ramot, a Tel Aviv University’s (TAU) technology transfer company, is to convert TAU research into commercial products (earning back from the sale or licensing of intellectual property), and to invest in advanced technologies like cell therapy, sensor technology, nanotechnology, cleantech, and life sciences.
Another remarkable agreement for Temasek concerns FiscalNote, a start-up that predict, through data-mining software and artificial intelligence, the fate of the bills proposed by state legislatures and by Congress each year with 94 per cent accuracy. Temasek financed FiscalNote, together Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, with US$7 million. The investing was led by several investors, including Visionnaire Ventures, a joint fund between Taizo Son and Temasek, Jerry Yang (Yahoo co-founder), Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks owner) and Steve Case (former America Online chairman).
Third example of dedication by Temasek to the cause of high technology is represented by Temasek Life Sciences Ventures, an investment holding company whose mission is to commercialize life science technologies and intellectual property developed by Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL). TLL was established in August 2002 by the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Temasek Holdings to undertake cutting edge research in molecular biology and genetics in the broad field of life sciences.
DISCLAIMER: Any views or opinions presented here are solely those of the author and do not represent any official position of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The Hidden Truth 