Global life sciences investment firm Novo Holdings is bringing its proven European biotech company-building playbook to Asia with the launch of its "Singapore Biotech Bridge" (SBB) strategy. Designed to identify promising regional technologies, establish newly formed corporate entities ("NewCos") in Singapore, and scale them globally, the initiative offers a structured pathway for commercializing Asian medical innovation.
Kim Png, a partner at Novo Holdings, presented the strategy on the 9th at the 2026 Global Open Innovation Week conference held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, declaring, “Singapore will not be the destination, but a bridge that connects.”
A Proven Track Record in Company Building
As the holding and investment company owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation—and controlling shareholder of Novo Nordisk and Novonesis—Novo Holdings manages 93 billion euros (approximately 144.6 trillion won) in total assets. Its investment portfolio includes more than 170 companies valued at 32 billion euros, with life sciences investments alone reaching 1.8 billion euros last year. Since 2017, startups incubated by its seed-investment arm have accounted for roughly 80% of all venture capital financings of $50 million or more in the Nordic region.
Over the past two decades, Novo Holdings has refined its incubation model by identifying early-stage drug assets, founding targeted NewCos, and scaling them alongside global management teams and capital.
Bridging Regional Innovation to Global Markets
Historically, Asian drug candidates were typically licensed to NewCos established in the United States or Europe to secure global leadership and investment. The SBB model presents an alternative route tailored specifically to Asia.
Novo Holdings selected Singapore for its deep access to international capital, supportive government co-investment programs, stable legal and intellectual property frameworks, and ability to attract executive talent. By forming leadership teams in Singapore while coordinating global regulatory and commercialization strategies, Novo Holdings creates flexible opportunities for international investment, cross-border licensing, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and initial public offerings (IPOs).
Crucially, the firm emphasizes that Singapore serves as a strategic bridge rather than an all-inclusive operational hub. While the Singapore NewCo coordinates corporate management, funding, and commercialization strategies, physical laboratory research, clinical trials, and manufacturing will remain anchored in the geographic regions offering the strongest scientific and operational capabilities.
Furthermore, unlike traditional Western licensing structures—which often minimize the ongoing role of founding scientists—the SBB framework allows original developers to remain actively involved in follow-on development if they choose. The objective is not simply to extract promising Asian technologies, but to connect them with global capital while preserving and building upon the regional scientific expertise that created them.
