'Singaporean Startup Wins $1 Million in Initial Funding Following Victory in Nobel Prize Competition for Students'

In a historic victory, the Singapore-based education technology startup, Stick 'Em, has clinched the top award at the Hult Prize Foundation's global finals held at the Tate Modern in London. The Hult Prize, often referred to as the "Nobel Prize for students," invited for-profit student entrepreneurs to create businesses aimed at tackling pressing shared challenges.

Stick 'Em, co-founded by Adam Huh Dam (SUTD alumnus), Chong Ing Kai (Singapore Polytechnic graduate), and Tew Jing An (NUS student), beat out seven other global finalists to win the coveted prize. Their innovative approach to STEAM education, providing affordable kits and an online learning platform for teachers, impressed a panel of global leaders in venture capital, sustainability, and entrepreneurship.

The victory marks the first time a Singapore team has won the global finals of the Hult Prize. The prize money of US$1 million (S$1.28 million) will be used to make STEAM education more affordable and accessible to schools worldwide.

The 2025 edition of the Hult Prize saw more than 200,000 participants from 130 countries and nearly 2,000 universities, generating 15,000 startup ideas. The business models of the other finalists varied, with some focusing on recycling sugarcane waste into biodegradable packaging and others on AI-powered solutions for speech difficulties in children.

Lori van Dam, CEO of the Hult Prize, expressed her excitement about Stick 'Em's win and their potential for global growth. She also noted that the private sector has a critical opportunity to be part of the solution to the world's increasingly complex challenges. Van Dam also emphasised that non-profits alone cannot fill the gaps left by the public sector.

Piers Linney, a former investor on BBC's Dragons' Den reality TV programme, was part of the panel that selected Stick 'Em as the winner. Despite the lack of available information about the members of the Hult Prize jury for the 2025 global finals, it is clear that Stick 'Em's innovative approach to education technology impressed them greatly.

The Hult Prize is funded by the Hult family, who also own EF Education First - the world's largest private education company. Lori van Dam stated that the private sector has a critical opportunity to be part of the solution to the world's increasingly complex challenges. With Stick 'Em's win, it is clear that the future of education technology is in good hands.