Global Mentorship Programme – The Amplifier 2025 – Unveils Three New Cohorts Supporting Breakthrough Solutions for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Asia
Published on 16/12/2025
Global Mentorship Programme – The Amplifier 2025 – Unveils Three New Cohorts Supporting Breakthrough Solutions for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Asia Singapore, 17 December 2025 — The Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP) and the Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA) have unveiled all three mentee cohorts for the 2025 edition of The Amplifier, a global mentorship programme designed to scale high-potential impact solutions across Asia Supported by over 70 cross-sector partners, The Amplifier provides catalytic capital, tailored mentorship, market insights, and structured capability-building to help early-stage organisations strengthen their operations and scale sustainably. The Amplifier 2025’s three thematic tracks include:
Each track addresses critical gaps in Asia’s sustainable development landscape, supporting impact-driven organisations with year-long, tailored guidance and catalytic capital from the programme’s partners. Dawn Chan, Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Impact Investing and Practices, said, “The selected mentees have demonstrated clear strategies and early impact in addressing Asia’s evolving needs — whether through job creation, sustainable alternatives for tourism and other industry supply chains, or innovative textile solutions. Real progress requires not only cross-sector collaboration, but also companies actively leaning in to implement and scale these solutions across operations and value chains. We are deeply grateful to all our partners who generously contribute their time, expertise, and support for the greater good, and who continue to stand behind the Amplifier.” “The mentees across all three tracks have demonstrated promising pathways to more inclusive and sustainable growth,” said Shaun Seow, Chief Executive Officer, Philanthropy Asia Alliance. “Through training, guidance, and mentorship, the Amplifier programme helps early-stage innovations refine their solutions and scale their impact. Partnerships remain at the heart of this effort. PAA values its collaboration with alliance members and with the many partners who make this journey possible.” Details on each of the selected mentee organisations can be found in the following sections. Track 1: Innovation and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain This track spotlights solutions addressing the impact of pre- and post-consumer textiles, keeping clothing in circulation and innovating with alternative and sustainable materials. Supported by Singapore Fashion Council (SFC) as Strategic Partner and SHEIN as Impact Innovation Partner, the cohort was unveiled at SFC’s Be the Change Summit. Four mentees were selected and will each receive expert mentorship, sectoral insights, and S$230,000 in catalytic capital supported by SHEIN. They include:
Leonard Lin, Global Head of Public Affairs and General Manager, Singapore, SHEIN, said: “The Innovation and Circularity track highlights the critical role early-stage innovators play in building a more circular textile ecosystem. However, the real challenge is scaling — turning great ideas into solutions that work in complex, global supply chains. Through the Amplifier programme, and with SHEIN’s support as Impact Innovation Partner, startups gain access to industry insight and real-world opportunities to refine their products, pricing, and scalability. We are pleased to work with The Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP) and the Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA) to help these innovators move from potential to measurable impact, and to accelerate the next generation of solutions driving sustainability across the global textiles industry.” The cohort was selected with strong involvement from industry partners, including ALBA Singapore, Circulate Capital, MAS Holdings, TAL Apparel, and The Mills Fabrica. Mentees will receive one year of tailored support through mentorship, workshops, and ecosystem access. Track 2: SME Supplier Sustainability Transformation in Tourism This track spotlights solutions that advance sustainable tourism and supplier resilience. It is supported by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth as Impact Innovation Partner. The three organisations selected for the Tourism track include:
Each mentee will receive S$100,000 in catalytic capital from the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and one year of tailored mentorship, market insights, and cross-sector support. Subhashini Chandran, Senior Vice President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, said: “At the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, we believe sustainable tourism isn’t just about protecting destinations, it’s about supporting the small businesses and suppliers who form the backbone of the sector. Through the Amplifier 2025 Tourism track, we’re proud to help innovative MSEs across Southeast Asia bring environmental sustainability into their operations and supply chains, enabling access to new market segments. By combining catalytic funding, mentorship and partnerships across sectors, we can transform the tourism sector, making growth sustainable, inclusive and resilient for communities across the region.” The announcement was made ahead of the ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit, hosted by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, in Kuala Lumpur earlier this year. Mentees were selected through workshops and extensive industry engagement across Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, involving more than 110 stakeholders and partners, including Artotel Group, Banyan Group, CapitaLand Investment, Eastin Hotel Penang, Marina Bay Sands, Marriott International, The Ascott Limited, and UOB. Track 3: Unlocking Opportunities and Breaking Down Barriers to Employment This track supports ventures expanding equitable employment and workforce development for underrepresented communities. It is supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation as Impact Innovation Partner, alongside Strategic Partners NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute (e2i) and Generation Hong Kong. The 2025 mentee cohort comprises:
Supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation, each mentee will receive up to S$100,000 in catalytic capital, along with year-long mentorship from partners including NTUC’s e2i, Generation Hong Kong, and Macquarie Group. “Congratulations to the three Employment Track mentees. The cohort was selected for their innovative thinking and early successes, demonstrating the power of tailored, impactful ventures to drive lasting change. Through our funding, together with support from Macquarie Group employees, we look forward to supporting these initiatives and helping the mentee organisations expand their reach and impact,” said Susan Clear, Global Head, Social Impact Investing, Macquarie Group Foundation. Mentees were selected through a rigorous, multi-stakeholder process supported by partners such as Dalberg, Deloitte Singapore, NTUC’s e2i, Generation Hong Kong, OCTAVE Capital, SG Enable, Social Ventures Hong Kong, Temasek Foundation, and Tri-Sector Associates. The cohort was launched as part of the Global Impact Chapter (GIC) 2025, themed Risking Boldly, Building Bravely: Catalysing a Borderless Asian Impact Economy. GIC is an annual regional gathering that brings together changemakers from across Asia to exchange ideas, explore partnerships, and discuss the future of impact-driven innovation. This year’s edition was co-organised by CIIP, MYSC, JLIN LLC, and Extra-mile Ventures Singapore. For more information on the Amplifier, please visit: https://philanthropyasiaalliance.org/our-impact/the-amplifier/2025. You can also reach out to the Amplifier team at [email protected].
APPENDIX A) Amplifier 2025 Mentee Cohorts Track 1: Innovation and Circularity in the Textile Value Chain Baytech Baytech is a developer of sustainable, high-performance denim washing alternatives that reduce environmental impact while maintaining quality. Its flagship innovation, Hand Made Stone (HMS), is a patented, sludge-free alternative to pumice that delivers authentic stonewash effects without waste, excessive resource use, or toxic chemicals. By replacing pumice stones, HMS eliminates sludge waste and enables measurable reductions in water, energy, and chemical use across denim finishing operations. Already adopted by factories worldwide, HMS enables brands and manufacturers to achieve sustainability goals without costly new machinery. Haelixa Haelixa is a Swiss traceability company that helps brands and manufacturers prove the true origin and authenticity of materials using unique DNA markers. A spin-off from ETH Zurich, it applies patented, natural DNA tracers to raw materials like organic cotton, cashmere, recycled fibres, and precious metals, which remain intact throughout production for reliable, forensic verification. Trusted by global brands, Haelixa traced over 30 million garments in 2024. Haelixa helps businesses mitigate risks, comply with leading certifications and regulations, and build trust through verified sustainability claims. Novoloop, Inc. Novoloop is a circular innovation company transforming hard-to-recycle plastics with its proprietary Lifecycling™ technology. By chemically upcycling post-consumer polyethylene into high-performance, low-carbon polyols and polyurethanes, Novoloop enables sustainable materials for footwear, apparel, automotive, and more. Founded in 2015 in California, Novoloop has raised over $50 million, holds 50 patents across 18 regions, debuted its Lifecycled™ TPU in On’s Cloudprime sneaker in 2022, and was named one of TIME’s World’s Top Greentech Companies in 2025. unspun unspun is a fashion‐tech B‐Corp on a mission to reduce global carbon emissions by 1% through automated, localised, on‐demand production. Unspun’s Vega platform 3D‐weaves garments directly from yarn in minutes, helping brands and manufacturers cut production and inventory waste, shorten supply chains, and make garments closer to where people live. unspun has raised over $60M from top-tier investors such as DCVC and Lowercarbon, and has multiple offtake agreements with various retail and sports companies. Track 2: SME Supplier Sustainability Transformation in Tourism Alterpacks Alterpacks is a Singapore-based advanced materials start-up pioneering circular economy innovation across Asia. Its vision is to reshape the global materials economy by transforming agricultural waste into high-performance, compostable alternatives — redefining waste as a valuable resource and reducing reliance on plastics, aluminium, and virgin materials. Using proprietary technology, Alterpacks upcycles food by-products and agricultural waste into scalable, 100% plant-based materials that replace single-use plastics across tourism, hospitality, food service and healthcare. To date, its materials have reached over two million people, avoided 260 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, and upcycled around 140 tonnes of agricultural by-products. By 2030, Alterpacks aims to eliminate one billion single-use plastic items, upcycle over 19,000 tonnes of agricultural waste, and abate nearly 37,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions—creating measurable environmental and economic value while redefining how industries design, produce, and consume materials. Green Rebel Green Rebel is a Southeast Asian food tech startup that makes wholesome plant proteins and dairy-free cheese. Its mission is to democratise sustainable protein with delicious, healthy, and accessible products. It has an ambition to win 1% of the protein market share in Southeast Asia by 2029 by empowering food services and consumers to conveniently shift to healthy & sustainable options while also reducing their food costs. It provides flavours consumers love, made from sustainable ingredients, at affordable prices. Green Rebel is now available throughout Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Through Green Rebel, the team aims to create high-quality, nutritious, affordable alternatives that are good for people, planet, and animals. N&E Innovation N&E tackles the large problem of global food waste through upcycled food waste technologies. Its products include antibacterial food packaging – which has been adopted by supermarkets and hospitality players in Singapore and regionally – and agriculture post-harvest coating solutions – which are being trialled by growers across ASEAN, including the Philippines, Myanmar and Malaysia, enabling food to last up to 3x longer compared to conventional approaches. Its flagship product, ViKANG, is a 100% natural antibacterial agent made entirely from upcycled food waste. Certified to eliminate harmful particles, bacteria, and viruses, including the coronavirus, ViKANG is a safe, versatile, and eco-friendly solution that advances a circular, sustainable future. Track 3: Unlocking Opportunities and Breaking Down Barriers to Employment BagoSphere BagoSphere is a school for frontline workers and leaders. It builds human capability ecosystems across Southeast Asia — helping people grow from jobseekers to leaders. Starting with a community of 42,000 jobseekers and alumni, the organisation creates employability pathways that connect young people to meaningful roles in sectors such as microfinance, education, retail, hospitality, and transport. Beyond entry-level employability, BagoSphere focuses on career growth — supporting workers as they build the confidence, adaptability, and leadership needed to advance in their roles. Its programs have supported employers such as Grab, Alorica and Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation. BagoSphere aims to deepen its regional capabilities and partnerships to bring its human capability school to one million frontline workers across Southeast Asia. DeafTawk DeafTawk is a tech-based social enterprise dedicated to empowering the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community through innovation, inclusion, and employment. By leveraging advanced communication technology, DeafTawk bridges the gap between the hearing and non-hearing worlds — ensuring that accessibility and opportunity are within reach for all. DeafTawk’s mission is to empower millions of people by providing real-time interpretation services, accessibility tools, and digital skill development that open pathways to employment and financial independence. It believes that through employment comes financial empowerment, and through financial empowerment comes the amplification of all other forms of empowerment. Founded by individuals with disabilities who understand the challenges of communication barriers firsthand, DeafTawk is more than a company — it’s a movement toward a prosperous, equitable, and inclusive society.
Inclus Inclus is a leading social enterprise headquartered in Singapore dedicated to advancing disability inclusion through training, employment, and lifelong learning opportunities for persons with disabilities (PWDs). Since its founding, Inclus has worked closely with corporations, schools, and community partners to create inclusive pathways that empower individuals with disabilities to achieve meaningful employment and independence. B) Partners supporting the Amplifier 2025 Impact Innovation Partner
Strategic Partner (Textiles)
Strategic Partner (Employability)
Programme Partners
Industry Partners
Advisory Partners
Network Partners
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