one-north

The cluster

one-north covers about 200 hectares and has eight precincts, among them Biopolis, Fusionopolis and Mediapolis.

Bringing your people

Founders can look at the EntrePass, which has no minimum salary. It requires a private limited company in which the holder has at least 30 per cent, a venture-backed or innovative technology business and a further criterion such as a single funding round of S$100,000. The Tech.Pass asks for a last fixed salary of S$22,500 a month and five years’ leadership experience, and it will be replaced from 28 January 2027 by the ONE Pass (AI and Tech). That pass requires S$30,000 in total monthly pay, at least S$22,500 of it fixed, and five years’ experience. The general ONE Pass requires S$30,000 fixed a month for 12 months, or outstanding achievements.

Tax in the first years

A new company may qualify for the start-up exemption in its first three years of assessment, which exempts 75 per cent of the first S$100,000 of income and 50 per cent of the next S$100,000, up to S$125,000. Investment holding and property development companies are excluded. Corporate income tax on the remainder is 17 per cent.

Practical points

A company that works with crypto-assets has a further step, which is to check the licensing perimeter before it starts. The book Digital Assets Law in Singapore and Switzerland also describes the venture and talent community. The articles below cover residence and work passes first, followed by that book.