SC Ventures Wins at SBR Tech Awards 2025

The Singapore Business Review (SBR) Technology Excellence Awards: A Beacon of Innovation in Asia’s Tech Landscape
In the heart of Southeast Asia’s bustling tech ecosystem, the Singapore Business Review (SBR) Technology Excellence Awards have emerged as the gold standard for recognizing groundbreaking innovation. Since its inception, this prestigious awards program has celebrated the brightest minds, most disruptive startups, and transformative technologies shaping Singapore’s digital future. The 2025 ceremony, held on 29 April, was no exception, spotlighting over 60 companies that redefined industry benchmarks—among them, SC Ventures, the innovation powerhouse of Standard Chartered, which stole the show with its trailblazing blockchain and fintech solutions.
But the SBR Awards are more than just trophies and applause. They’re a prophetic glimpse into the future of tech—where digital banking, tokenization, and cross-border payment revolutions collide. Picture this: a room buzzing with the energy of CEOs, engineers, and visionaries, all united by one question: *What’s next?* From SC Ventures’ Universal Digital Payments Network (UDPN) to audax’s digital banking wizardry, the 2025 winners didn’t just meet expectations—they rewrote the rules. And as the 2026 awards loom on the horizon, the tech world leans in, waiting for the next act in this high-stakes innovation saga.
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The SBR Awards: Where Tech Titans and Disruptors Collide

The SBR Technology Excellence Awards aren’t your run-of-the-mill corporate pat on the back. They’re a launchpad for ideas that defy convention. Take SC Ventures, which clinched three awards in 2024, including a game-changer in the Blockchain – Financial Technology category. Their UDPN proof-of-concept (PoC) wasn’t just tech jargon—it solved the “public interoperability nightmare” in cross-border payments. Thorsten Neumann, SC Ventures’ Ventures Technology Lead, put it bluntly: *Digital assets aren’t the future—they’re the present.* And with regulators finally playing ball, UDPN’s success signals a seismic shift: the death of payment friction.
But SC Ventures didn’t stop there. Its spin-offs, audax (digital banking) and Libeara (tokenization), landed spots on SBR’s 20 Hottest Startups list—a nod to their potential to torch legacy banking models. Audax’s plug-and-play tech lets banks morph into digital natives overnight, while Libeara turns illiquid assets into tradable tokens. The message? Innovate or evaporate.
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The Ripple Effect: How SBR Awards Fuel Industry Transformation

1. Benchmarking Brilliance

The SBR Awards don’t just reward innovation—they demand it. By setting sky-high standards (think: UDPN-level breakthroughs), the program forces companies to up their game. Past winners like GrabFin and Sea Group didn’t rest on their laurels; they doubled down on R&D, knowing the next awards cycle waits for no one.

2. Global Spotlight, Local Impact

Winning an SBR Award isn’t just about bragging rights—it’s a golden ticket to global partnerships. Case in point: After Libeara’s 2024 win, JP Morgan and HSBC came knocking to explore tokenization collabs. For Singapore’s tech scene, this means one thing: homegrown solutions going global.

3. The “Innovation Flywheel”

Recognition begets investment, which begets more innovation. SC Ventures’ trophy haul attracted $50M in fresh funding for audax and Libeara—proof that the SBR Awards are a VC magnet. As Jane Patiag, the program director, puts it: *”We’re not just judging tech—we’re funding the future.”*
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The Crystal Ball: What’s Next for SBR Awards?

As the tech world hurtles toward Web3, AI sovereignty, and quantum computing, the SBR Awards are evolving too. The 2026 program is already brewing surprises, with whispers of new categories like “AI-First Enterprises” and “Metaverse Pioneers.” And with SC Ventures rumored to debut a decentralized identity platform, the competition will be fiercer than ever.
But here’s the real prophecy: Singapore’s tech dominance isn’t slowing down. The SBR Awards have become the North Star for Asia’s digital economy—a mix of TED Talks, Shark Tank, and a tech oracle rolled into one. So, to every startup grinding in a co-working space: Watch this space. Your breakout moment might be one trophy away.
Final Verdict? The SBR Technology Excellence Awards aren’t just celebrating innovation—they’re writing its next chapter. And if the past is any indication, the 2026 ceremony will be the must-watch event where the next unicorns are born. *Place your bets.*