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Press release
17 Sept 2026
|
Singapore, Singapore
Five leading entrepreneurs named winners of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2026 Singapore awards
Professional services organization EY today announced the five recipients of its 25th EY Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) 2026 Singapore awards:
- EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Financial Technology (Digital Financial Solutions)
Mr. Jefferson Chen, Co-founder, Group Chairman and CEO, Advance Intelligence Group - EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Consumer Products and Retail
Mr. Lim Hock Chee, CEO and Co-founder, Sheng Siong Group Ltd - EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Advanced Manufacturing
Dr. Byung Joon (BJ) Han, Co-founder, CEO and Board Director, Silicon Box Pte Ltd - EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Commodities and Agriculture
Mr. Praveen Kumar Jain, Chairman and Co-founder, Valency International Pte Ltd - EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Financial Technology (Payment Solutions)
Ms. Caecilia Chu, CEO and Co-founder, YouTrip
Please refer to Fact sheet A for profiles of the winners and their companies.
One of the winners will be named the overall EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Singapore, and represent Singapore at the annual EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ (WEOY) award in 2027 to compete with contenders from close to 50 countries and jurisdictions.
Singapore’s representative to the WEOY award will be announced at the EY EOY Awards Gala to be held on 25 November 2026. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade), Mr. Gan Kim Yong, will be the Guest-of-honor at the awards gala.
The five winners emerged from a pool of over 50 eligible nominations and were selected by an independent judging panel, based on their merits in fulfilling the four global criteria, namely entrepreneurial spirit, growth, purpose and impact.
Please refer to Fact sheet B for members of the judging panel..
The chairperson of the judging panel is Mr. Lee Chuan Teck, Executive Chairman of Enterprise Singapore. He says:
“Whether it is advancing frontier technologies, expanding access to financial services, strengthening supply chains or redefining everyday consumer experiences, the winners have impressed with their entrepreneurial spirit, growth, purpose and impact. They stand out not just for the scale of their achievements, but also for their clarity of purpose, vision for sustained growth, resilience in navigating challenges, and the positive impact they continue to create for industries, employees and communities. Importantly, they are building successful companies that help strengthen Singapore’s reputation as a hub for innovation and enterprise leadership.”
Mr. Liew Nam Soon, EY Asia East Deputy Regional Managing Partner, Asean Managing Partner and Singapore and Brunei Managing Partner, Ernst & Young Solutions LLP, adds:
“Over the 25 years that EY has run the Entrepreneur Of The Year program in Singapore, we have seen the far-reaching socioeconomic impact entrepreneurs can create. Beyond driving economic growth, they create quality jobs, build capabilities, develop talent and strengthen Singapore’s position in global markets. Leading entrepreneurs combine bold ambition with sound judgment, innovation with disciplined execution, and calculated risk-taking with the agility to learn and adapt. What sets them apart is their ability to look beyond immediate success and create enduring value.”
The winning entrepreneurs shared their thoughts on receiving the awards.
Mr. Jefferson Chen, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year - Financial Technology (Digital Financial Solutions), Co-founder, Group Chairman and CEO, Advance Intelligence Group, says:
“I'm deeply honored to receive this recognition. At Advance Intelligence Group, we've always believed that AI and technology can improve access to fair and inclusive financial services. I'm grateful to EY, to our investors and partners, and above all, to the incredible team of Advancers who make this mission a reality every day.”
Mr. Lim Hock Chee, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year - Consumer Products and Retail, CEO and Co-founder, Sheng Siong Group Ltd, says:
“I am honored and grateful to receive this recognition. For me, running a supermarket has always been about doing the basics well – serving customers, offering good-quality products and keeping prices reasonable so people feel they are getting good value. This honor is not mine alone. I am thankful to our customers, suppliers and especially our employees for their trust, support, hard work and dedication. Sheng Siong would not be where it is today without them.”
Dr. Byung Joon (BJ) Han, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year - Advanced Manufacturing, Co-founder, CEO and Board Director, Silicon Box Pte Ltd, says:
“I am humbled to receive this recognition. Entrepreneurship is never about one person; it is a shared vision with a team willing to tackle difficult problems to keep moving forward. This award is shared with my co-founders, the Silicon Box team, our customers, partners and investors who have believed in this mission from day one. Together, we are at the forefront of semiconductor innovation, translating ambitious ideas into scalable solutions to drive meaningful global impact.”
Mr. Praveen Kumar Jain, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year - Commodities and Agriculture, Chairman and Co-founder, Valency International Pte Ltd, says:
“Valency was built on a simple belief: geography should never limit ambition. From Singapore, we set out to build a global business connecting farmers, markets and people across continents. The journey has taught us that when the road gets tough, our ambition must get bigger. We have faced uncertainty, set back and challenges – but never lost the courage to dream. This recognition belongs to our people and partners who believed in us. We did not build Valency just to create a business, but to create a legacy, and our journey has just begun.”
Ms. Caecilia Chu, EY Entrepreneur Of The Year - Financial Technology (Payment Solutions), CEO and Co-founder, YouTrip, says:
“I’m deeply honored to receive this incredible recognition. The belief that we have from day one at YouTrip is to create innovative financial technology solutions with people’s needs at the forefront. This award is a testament to the team behind YouTrip, and our shared commitment to democratizing access to financial services so more people can participate and thrive in the global economy.”
To mark the 25th year of the EOY program in Singapore, EY is also presenting the EY Impact Award of Excellence as a special recognition on board the EOY awards platform. This special mention award reflects the importance of how business excellence and social impact can go hand in hand. The National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) jointly serve as Impact Partners in this initiative to select the award recipient(s) from the pool of nominees this year, based on how well they excel in the two judging criteria of purpose and impact.
The award recipient(s) will be announced at the EY EOY Awards Gala. The recipient(s) does not compete for the overall EOY Singapore winner title (unless the individual is also a category award winner of the main awards).
Partners and sponsors
The Bank of Singapore, a wholly owned private banking subsidiary of OCBC, is the platinum sponsor of the EOY awards.
Mr. Jason Moo, Chief Executive Officer and Head of Private Banking, Singapore, Bank of Singapore, says:
“Bank of Singapore is proud to return as Platinum Sponsor of the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Singapore awards. Despite an increasingly complex geopolitical and business landscape, entrepreneurs continue to inspire through their resilience, agility and conviction in their ideas. Having worked closely with many clients who are entrepreneurs, I am always encouraged by their drive and am confident that they will continue building successful businesses that create lasting value for the wider community. We are honored to celebrate their achievements and contributions.”
SGX Group (Singapore Exchange) continues as a partner of the EOY awards for the seventh year.
Mr. Pol de Win, Head of Global Sales and Origination, SGX Group, says:
“Over the past 25 years, the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Singapore awards program has celebrated leaders who have transformed ideas into enterprises that create jobs, drive innovation and contribute to Singapore's economic progress. In today's increasingly complex and interconnected world, building a successful business requires both the ambition to pursue new opportunities and the discipline to create sustainable long-term value. As a partner of the program for the seventh consecutive year, SGX Group is proud to support the recognition of business leaders whose companies continue to strengthen industries, create opportunities and contribute to Singapore's future growth.”
The official media partners of the awards are The Business Times, The Edge Singapore and Portfolio magazine. The supporters are Action Community for Entrepreneurship, Enterprise Singapore and Singapore Business Federation.
The EY EOY awards program was launched in Singapore in 2002 to honor entrepreneurs who have created and sustained successful business ventures, as well as to coincide with the government’s focus on fostering entrepreneurship and grooming local entrepreneurs. Now in its 25th year, the program has evolved into a leading business award in Singapore with an international presence and footprint. For more information about the EY EOY program, please visit ey.com/sg/eoy.
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Notes to editors
About EY
EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society, and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.
Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.
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All in to shape the future with confidence.
EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data, and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young Solutions LLP, a member of the global EY organization.
About EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ is the only global program of its kind that supports entrepreneurs as they unlock their ambitions. Established in 1986, this flagship program operates across more than 60 countries and jurisdictions and boasts a global ecosystem of over 30,000 distinguished entrepreneurs. Program participants benefit from lifelong connections, learning resources and insights to help navigate their growth journey, and opportunities to raise the profile of their companies. Each program concludes with a competition and announcement of a winner who goes on to represent their country or region in the ultimate global competition and event for entrepreneurs: EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™.
About Bank of Singapore
Bank of Singapore is the dedicated private banking subsidiary of OCBC. Backed by OCBC’s strong credit ratings of Aa1 by Moody’s and AA- by both Fitch and S&P, it offers a unique value proposition as a safe Singapore-registered private bank.
Its open-architecture product platform backed by strong investment advisory capabilities provides clients with first-class private banking and bespoke wealth planning solutions. It is also able to leverage OCBC’s capabilities to extend its clients a broad array of services across the OCBC’s regional and international network.
Bank of Singapore serves high net worth individuals and wealthy families in its key markets of Asia, Greater China, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and other international markets.
Headquartered in Singapore, Bank of Singapore and its subsidiaries have offices in the Dubai International Financial Centre, Hong Kong, London, Malaysia and Manila. Its strong performance has won it numerous industry recognitions. Bank of Singapore was named Singapore’s Best for CIO and Singapore’s Best for High-Net-Worth by Euromoney in 2026, and Best Private Bank for Intermediaries by Asian Private Banker and Citywire in 2025.
About SGX Group (Singapore Exchange)
SGX Group is one of the world’s most trusted international marketplaces, known for its stability and openness. Anchored in Singapore, we enable price discovery, capital formation and risk management across asset classes, supported by resilient infrastructure and robust clearing. We convene issuers, investors and intermediaries to create and grow markets that stand the test of time. Find out more at www.sgxgroup.com.
Fact sheet A: EY Entrepreneur Of The Year winner and company profiles
(Information provided by winners’ companies)
a) EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Financial Technology (Digital Financial Solutions)
Mr. Jefferson Chen
Co-founder, Group Chairman and CEO
Advance Intelligence Group
About Mr. Jefferson Chen
Jefferson Chen is Co-founder, Group Chairman and CEO of Advance Intelligence Group, a Singapore-headquartered FinTech and AI company that operates globally. Advance Intelligence has raised from top-tier global investors including SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Warburg Pincus, Ares, Vision Plus Capital and Singapore-based global investor, Economic Development Board Investments (EDBI), among others.
Since founding the company, he has led its transformation into a global AI FinTech unicorn, building scalable credit and risk management infrastructure across emerging markets and positioning the Group at the forefront of digital identity verification, risk management and responsible access to credit and financial services.
Jefferson is also a Managing Partner at GSR Ventures, a leading global venture capital firm in Asia and the US. Prior to starting Advance Intelligence Group, Jefferson was head of private investing for Greater China at Farallon Capital, a leading alternative asset management firm. He previously also worked at Goldman Sachs where he worked on the IPO and M&A transactions for numerous Asian companies.
Jefferson received a Bachelor of Computer Science from Tsinghua University with first class honors and an MBA from Stanford University.
About Advance Intelligence Group
Founded in 2016, Advance Intelligence Group is an artificial intelligence (AI)- native financial and data platform, enabling easy and fair access to financial products and services. The Group's enterprise business, ADVANCE.AI, is a leading provider of digital identity verification, know your customer (KYC) or know your business (KYB), risk management and credit information services in the region.
The Group's consumer business, Atome Financial, is Southeast Asia’s leading digital finance platform and is backed by leading institutional funding partners including Standard Chartered, HSBC, DBS Bank, SMBC, BlackRock, Evolution X Capital, InnoVen Capital and many others.
Headquartered in Singapore, Advance Intelligence Group is backed by top-tier investors, including SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Warburg Pincus, Ares, Vision Plus Capital and Singapore-based global investor, Economic Development Board Investments.
b) EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Consumer Products and Retail
Mr. Lim Hock Chee
CEO and Co-founder
Sheng Siong Group Ltd
About Mr. Lim Hock Chee
Lim Hock Chee exemplifies the highest standards of integrity, transparency and disciplined business conduct. As Group CEO and Co-founder of Sheng Siong, he has grown the business from a single store in 1983 to 87 stores in 2025, generating over S$1.5b in annual revenue. Since its listing on the Singapore Exchange in 2011, the Group has delivered consistent performance underpinned by strong governance and financial discipline.
His commitment to transparency and leadership excellence continues to be strongly recognized. At the Singapore Investors Association Singapore (SIAS) Investors’ Choice Awards 2024, Sheng Siong Group Ltd was named Most Transparent Company (Consumer Staples), marking its second consecutive win, the fourth “Winner” title since listing and seventh overall recognition in the category.
Hock Chee was also conferred the Outstanding CEO award in the same year by SIAS. He was earlier named Businessman of the Year at the Singapore Business Awards (2019) and Best CEO at the Singapore Corporate Awards (2012), reflecting sustained leadership and contribution to the industry.
About Sheng Siong Group Ltd
Sheng Siong Group Ltd is one of Singapore's leading supermarket retailers, operating 90 stores across the island. Since the Group’s inception in 1985, Sheng Siong has remained committed to its offering of quality products, good service, and a value-for-money proposition to the local community. Supported by a wide assortment of live, fresh and chilled produce, alongside packaged, frozen and household essentials, Sheng Siong’s supermarkets offer customers a comprehensive range of necessities and provide a "wet and dry market" shopping experience.
In addition, the Group’s portfolio of house brands comprises more than 2,035 products across 28 house brands, offering customers quality alternatives to national brands with substantial savings.
c) EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Advanced Manufacturing
Dr. Byung Joon Han
Co-founder, CEO and Board Director
Silicon Box Pte Ltd
About Dr. Byung Joon (BJ) Han
Dr. BJ Han is a seminal figure in semiconductor manufacturing, possessing 300+ global patents. Over his 40-year career, he delivered industry leading execution for global customers, and invented semiconductor packaging technologies most widely used today. BJ has won numerous accolades in celebration of these achievements.
Beginning his career at IBM, then as Member of Technical Staff at AT&T Bell Labs, BJ has collaborated and trained with Nobel laureates. He led R&D at Amkor Technology, then the world’s top outsourced semiconductor assembly and test (OSAT) organization. In 1999, BJ joined Singapore-based STATS as Chief Technology Officer, then CEO/Chairman, taking it from US$100m to over US$4b in annual revenue, and the world’s third-largest OSAT.
BJ co-founded Silicon Box in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, with partners Sehat Sutardja and Weili Dai. Defying expectations, he built its flagship factory in 11 months. Silicon Box is the fastest growing, independent semiconductor manufacturing company to date, demonstrating industry leading yields in mass production (2025), and achieving a US$1.7b valuation (2026).
Soon after opening the Singapore factory, BJ committed US$3.7b to establish Europe’s first-of-its-kind packaging plant in Italy, winning a US$1.5b grant from the European Commission. Despite widespread cynicism, BJ expressed optimism in Italy and Europe, promising a new European Renaissance in semiconductor manufacturing, winning the Leonardo International Prize in 2025 for his contributions.
As an external consultant for Bain, BJ advised on key deals defining the chip industry. He is a board member of numerous initiatives and semiconductor companies. BJ received his PhD from Columbia University and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.
About Silicon Box Pte Ltd
Silicon Box drives the future of chip innovation via advanced semiconductor packaging technology. As global demand for more powerful, efficient chips grows, Silicon Box delivers breakthrough capability and capacity required to support sustainable, scalable development for many cutting-edge applications, including AI, data centers, space programs, robotics, electric vehicles and communications.
Founded on a mission to enable chiplets: a revolutionary way of designing systems chips through a modular, building-block approach, Silicon Box’s advanced packaging features the shortest lengths for interconnection of chiplets, currently essential for AI chips.
Silicon Box deploys its proprietary know-how at panel scale with proven yield in mass production. The ability to execute advanced packaging at panel scale versus traditional wafer scale allows Silicon Box to support the boundless ambitions of chiplet designers and unlock critical manufacturing capacity to address bottlenecks in advanced packaging capacity.
Silicon Box supports global customers, heavily concentrated in the US and Europe.
d) EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Commodities and Agriculture
Mr. Praveen Kumar Jain
Chairman and Co-founder
Valency International Pte Ltd
About Mr. Praveen Kumar Jain
Praveen Kumar Jain, Chairman and Co-founder of Valency International, is a Chartered Accountant and first-generation entrepreneur. He began his career in Singapore in 1994 as a finance professional in a trading company. His role soon expanded beyond accounting into business control, legal matters, shipping contracts, fundraising and commercial decision-making, giving him direct exposure to the risks and opportunities across the full trading ecosystem.
This formative experience shaped his entrepreneurial judgment. While working in an established trading environment, Praveen saw the limits of a model centered mainly on commodity trading margins. He believed that the future source of competitive advantage would lie in building deeper origin capabilities, closer supplier relationships, processing infrastructure, quality control, risk management and local market knowledge. That conviction became the foundation for Valency.
In 2007, Praveen co-founded Valency with another co-founder, starting with a capital base of US$1m. His ambition was not merely to create another trading business, but to build a trusted and resilient agri-core institution that could connect emerging-market producers with global customers while creating long-term value for all stakeholders.
In recognition of his achievements, Praveen was honored with the Inspirational Leaders of Asian Entrepreneur Award 2011. Under his leadership, Valency has also received recognition from platforms such as the Enterprise 50 (E50) Awards and Small Medium Enterprise (SME) 100 Awards.
Beyond business, he has contributed to community leadership in Singapore, including through his roles as an advisory board member of Marwari Mitra Mandal in Singapore, Chairperson of Jain International Trade Organization (JITO) Singapore and Executive member of Rajasthan Foundation Singapore, reflecting his commitment to service, community welfare and nation-building.
About Valency International Pte Ltd
Valency International Pte Ltd is a Singapore-headquartered agri-core business with a growing presence across emerging markets. Since its inception in 2007, it has evolved from a commodity trading business into a diversified platform operating across agriculture, agri-inputs, industrials and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), with capabilities spanning sourcing, origination, processing, distribution and value-added solutions.
Today, Valency has offices and operations in 25 countries, with over 4,000 direct and indirect employees and a portfolio across 27 product categories.
Valency’s operating model is anchored in its ability to work close to origin markets, build direct relationships with farmers and suppliers, and deliver quality agri-products to customers globally. Its value chain is built around sourcing, processing and branding, with a stated commitment to sustainability, ethical business practices, responsible sourcing, employee safety and community welfare. The company’s story is therefore not simply one of trading scale, but of building a more integrated and resilient agri-core platform connecting Asia and Africa.
e) EY Entrepreneur Of The Year - Financial Technology (Payment Solutions)
Ms. Caecilia Chu
CEO and Co-founder
YouTrip
About Ms. Caecilia Chu
Caecilia is the Co-founder and CEO of YouTrip, a leading financial technology company dedicated to creating the next-generation digital banking experience across Asia-Pacific. Prior to founding YouTrip, Caecilia worked at Citi, where she managed growth investments in the technology and consumer sectors, and at McKinsey, where she advised global financial institutions on product innovation and growth strategies.
Caecilia was named to the global list of Top 50 Financial Technology CEOs in 2021. She was recognized as one of the Top 10 Fintech Leaders by the Monetary Authority of Singapore in 2020 and 2021. She was also awarded Tech Leader of the Year by the Singapore Computer Society in 2022 and Her World Young Achiever of the Year in 2023. Caecilia serves on the Board of Directors of iFAST Corporation Ltd (SGX: AIY), the Wharton Undergraduate Executive Board, the Management Board of the National University of Singapore’s Institute of Systems Science, and the Board of Governors of YouthTechSG.
Caecilia holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in finance, summa cum laude, from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
About YouTrip
YouTrip is the leading and fastest-growing multi-currency payment platform in Asia-Pacific. In 2018, it pioneered the region's first multi-currency digital wallet. Now, YouTrip is the #1 multi-currency digital wallet trusted by millions across the region, processing over US$15b in total payment value annually.
Its consumer and business propositions – YouTrip and YouBiz – empower individuals and businesses with inclusive, accessible, and affordable financial solutions. YouTrip has raised over US$110m to date, including its recent Series B round led by global venture capital firm Lightspeed Venture Partners – underscoring strong investor confidence in its mission to transform digital financial services across the Asia-Pacific.
Recognized as World Economic Forum’s Global Innovator 2025, CNBC’s World’s Top Fintech Companies (2026, 2025, 2024), and LinkedIn’s Top Startup (2025, 2024, 2023), YouTrip is dedicated to creating the next generation of digital finance services for consumers and businesses.
Fact sheet B: EY Entrepreneur Of The Year judging panel
Judging panel
Mr. Lee Chuan Teck (chairperson of judging panel)
Executive Chairman
Enterprise Singapore
Mr. Saurav Bhattacharyya
Chairman
Action Community for Entrepreneurship
Dr. Ng Gim Choo
Founder and Chairwoman
EtonHouse International Education Group
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 – Education
Mr. David Low
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Futuristic Store Fixtures Pte. Ltd.
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2016 Singapore
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2016 – Manufacturing Supply Chain
Kong Wan Sing
Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
JustCo
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 – Workspace Solutions
Prof. Jun Yang
Dean and Professor, College of Business (Nanyang Business School)
President's Chair in Finance
Nanyang Technological University
Mr. Saurabh N. Agarwal
Managing Director; Partner
Head of Southeast Asia Private Equity
Warburg Pincus Singapore Pte. Ltd.