Tanglin Trust School · Singapore
Exploring the ideas, people and capital behind tomorrow’s companies.
AI and technology are all around us. With a keen interest in both, and after our internship at a European venture firm, we decided to introduce Tanglin Trust School students to the venture capital community and the role it plays in building technology companies.
Through real conversations with investors and founders, shared reading and practical discussion, we explore how ideas become businesses—and how venture capital helps them grow.
Our aim is to encourage independent thinking and help students explore careers in venture capital and entrepreneurship.
Reading Reference
A starting point for understanding venture capital, entrepreneurship and the technology industry. We highly recommend exploring these materials before and alongside our in-person meetings.
47 resources in 6 categories. Some books and data services are paid; access labels show where.
The story of how venture capital went from a small experiment in the 1940s to the engine behind Apple, Google and Facebook. It explains the “power law”: a tiny number of investments make almost all the money. Start here if you read only one book.
Ever wondered what a term sheet, valuation or dilution actually means? This book explains the paperwork of a funding round in plain English. It’s written by two investors, so you see how investors approach the deal and what founders need to understand.
A look inside how a VC firm really works, from how funds raise money to how investors pick startups. The author helped build a16z as its managing partner, so it’s insider knowledge. Great for understanding the business of VC itself.
Thiel co-founded PayPal and was Facebook’s first outside investor. This book is built from notes from his Stanford class and asks one big question: how do you build something truly new, not just a copy? It’s a good way to see how VCs think about great ideas.
Most startup books make it sound easy. This one is about the tough parts: layoffs, near-bankruptcy, big decisions. Horowitz was a CEO before co-founding a16z, so he’s lived it.
These are free model contracts widely used for US venture funding rounds, including a term sheet. Reading them shows you what investors and founders actually sign. The NVCA is the US trade body for VC firms.
The annual data book on US venture capital: how much was invested, in what sectors, and how many startups exited. Use it to back up any claim about the industry with real numbers.
The big yearly report on Southeast Asia’s digital economy, published since 2016. The 2025 edition projected that the region’s digital economy would pass US$300 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2025. Think of GMV as the value of transactions, rather than company revenue or venture investment. It’s a useful starting point for understanding why SEA is such an exciting place for startups.
Read the report (opens in a new tab) Report series (opens in a new tab)
One of the world’s best-known accelerators, founded in 2005. It invests in startups and offers an intensive programme of coaching, and has helped companies like Airbnb, Stripe and Dropbox get started. Applying is a goal for many young founders.
Y Combinator shares its advice for free: video lessons, essays and guides on starting a company. You don’t have to be in YC to learn from it, and it’s great for beginners.
Explore the Library (opens in a new tab) Explore Startup School (opens in a new tab)
Antler started in Singapore in 2017 and now runs programmes around the world. Its twist is that you can join before you have a team or even an idea. It brings aspiring founders together to find co-founders and build.
Founded in 2006, Techstars runs accelerator programmes in cities across the globe. It’s known for its mentor-heavy approach, where experienced founders and investors coach each team. A good comparison to Y Combinator.
Started in 2010 as 500 Startups, it invests in early-stage founders worldwide, with a strong presence in Southeast Asia. It’s a good example of an investor that backs lots of companies, not just a few.
Founded in London in 2011, it backs talented people before they have a business idea or co-founder. It’s a different way to think about what makes someone a good founder.
Singapore’s government initiative for young companies, run by Enterprise Singapore. It offers access to grants, mentors and connections to investors. It shows how a whole country can support startups.
Explore some of the investors behind technology companies, from early-stage venture firms to larger institutional investors. This is a learning shortlist, not a ranking.
Founded in 1972, Sequoia was an early backer of Apple and Google. It’s one of the best-known names in venture capital. Look at its portfolio to see how great companies get built.
Founded in 2009 by Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, it grew fast by offering startups hands-on help as well as money. It has backed companies like Facebook and Airbnb. Its blog and podcasts are great free learning.
Founded in 1983, Accel made an early big bet on Facebook and has backed Spotify and Slack. It has offices in the US, Europe and India. A good example of a firm that works across continents.
Co-founded by Peter Thiel, it has a reputation for backing bold, sometimes controversial ideas like SpaceX and Palantir. Its approach is to bet on founders who want to change the world.
A famously small firm, founded in 1995, with a handful of partners and a record of big hits like eBay, Twitter and Uber. It shows you don’t need to be huge to be influential.
Founded in 1972, it backed Amazon and Google very early. It’s one of the original Silicon Valley firms, so its history is a window into how the whole industry began.
Founded in 2000, Lightspeed backs startups around the world, from the US to India and Southeast Asia. It was an early investor in Snap. Check it out for a global view of tech investing.
Founded in 2000, it has backed companies like Stripe and Airbnb. It’s known for investing across different stages and sectors, including health and AI.
With European roots and teams on both sides of the Atlantic, Index has backed Dropbox, Skype and Revolut. It’s a strong example of a European-rooted firm competing with Silicon Valley.
Launched in 2017 by Masayoshi Son, the first Vision Fund raised around US$100 billion. It showed what happens when technology investing goes massive, with both big wins and big losses. Good for debating whether bigger is better.
It used to be Sequoia’s India and Southeast Asia arm before separating and taking its new name in 2023. It backs startups across India and SEA. Follow it to see where the next big Asian companies come from.
Formerly Sequoia China, it became independent and took a new name. It’s a leading investor in Chinese technology. It shows how venture capital works in the world’s second-largest economy.
A Singapore government-owned investment company, founded in 1974. It invests in companies of all sizes around the world and is a big backer of Southeast Asian tech. It’s also a co-author of the e-Conomy SEA report above.
Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, founded in 1981, which manages the country’s reserves. It’s not a traditional VC firm, but it invests in companies and funds across private markets. It helps you see who provides the money behind VC.
A network of venture firms linked through Singapore-based Vertex Holdings, part of the Temasek family of companies. It invests in startups across markets including Southeast Asia, India, China and the US. A good example of a regional network with global links.
A Southeast Asia-focused investor based in Singapore, now operating as Openspace Capital. It backs founders building for the region’s fast-growing digital economy. Useful for seeing how local investors think.
An Indonesia-focused firm and one of the earliest backers of Tokopedia. It shows how early investors can help create regional giants.
A Singapore-based firm that invests in startups across Southeast Asia and India. Worth browsing for examples of companies growing across borders.
A Singapore-based early-stage fund known for backing Southeast Asian founders. Good for seeing what startups look like at their very beginning.
An early-stage fund based in Singapore and active since 2011. It has invested in many young Southeast Asian companies. A nice case study of a home-grown VC.
Started in Malaysia in 2012 by Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling, now headquartered in Singapore. It grew from a taxi-booking app into a “super app” for rides, food and payments, and listed on Nasdaq in 2021. A must-read for how SEA startups can compete with global giants.
Founded by Forrest Li as the gaming company Garena in 2009. It now owns Shopee, one of Southeast Asia’s biggest online marketplaces, and is listed on the NYSE. A great example of building a regional empire from Singapore.
Created when Indonesia’s Gojek and Tokopedia merged in 2021. Gojek began as a motorbike-taxi call centre in 2010 and grew into a super app. It shows how startups can transform everyday life, and how mergers happen.
A gaming hardware brand co-founded by Min-Liang Tan, with headquarters in Singapore and California. It listed in Hong Kong in 2017 and was taken private in 2022. Interesting for seeing the full cycle: start, IPO and going private.
A Singapore marketplace for buying and selling second-hand things, started in 2012 by three university friends. It’s a great example of a student-founded idea going regional. Think of it as a local answer to eBay.
Founded in Indonesia in 2012 by Ferry Unardi and his co-founders. It began by helping people book flights and grew into hotels, activities and financial services. A great example of a startup built for the region’s travellers.
A Singapore logistics startup founded in 2014 that delivers parcels across Southeast Asia. It grew with the boom in online shopping. A good reminder that behind every e-commerce giant is a delivery network.
News and analysis on startups across Asia. It’s a great place to find out what’s happening in Singapore, Indonesia and beyond.
A Singapore-founded platform covering Southeast Asian startups, with news, founder stories and events. Good for a local, community-focused view.
Tracks funding rounds, acquisitions and investors across Asia. Useful for checking who invested in what, and how much.
A database of startups, investors and funding rounds worldwide. Look up a company to explore its investors and funding history; some features require a subscription.
A professional data platform on VC and private markets, used by investors and analysts. Much of it is paid, but its free reports and articles are great for facts and trends.
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The club was founded by Matvey Fedorov and Artem Fedorov, students in Year 13 and Year 12 respectively at Tanglin Trust School.
Having studied in both the UK and Singapore, the founders bring a global perspective to the club and welcome all students at Tanglin Trust School to join. Internships at Salmon Bank (opens in a new tab) and Grishin Robotics (opens in a new tab) were the early triggers of the founders’ interest in the technology and venture capital industries, inspiring them to establish the Venture Capital Club at school in 2026.
Venture Capital Club
Join us for our first meeting to discover the club, explore venture capital and help shape the conversations ahead.
Be the first to hear about club meetings, guest speakers and new reading recommendations!