Ken Chew
Dec 31, 2025
CEO Ken Chew speaks to Lianhe Zaobao about AI M&A, Singapore’s tech ecosystem, and structural strategies for international expansion
IWC Management, a MAS-licensed fund and cross-border growth platform, announces commentary by its CEO Ken Chew on the recent Meta acquisition of Singapore-based AI startup Manus, and outlines how global trends, risks and opportunities are shaping cross-border expansion. Chew’s views were featured in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Singapore’s largest Chinese newspaper.
Meta-Manus Deal Highlights Singapore’s Role in AI Innovation
In late December 2025, Meta announced its acquisition of Manus, an AI company founded by a Chinese team and headquartered in Singapore, in a deal reportedly valued at over USD 2 billion. Manus will continue operations in Singapore post-transaction.
In the interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Ken Chew noted that the acquisition reflects growing interest in Asia-based AI innovation and signals Singapore’s evolving role as a technology and capital hub in the region. Chew also emphasised that while headline valuations attract attention, deeper structural factors — such as talent mobility, ecosystem depth, and regulatory alignment — will determine long-term competitiveness as global capital flows shift.
Global Trends: Risks and Opportunities
Chew highlighted several key structural trends influencing cross-border growth:
Geopolitical fragmentation — including U.S.–China tensions — is shifting investment, supply chains and R&D strategies globally.
Regional hubs like Singapore are increasingly viewed as neutral, rule-based bases that can attract capital, innovation talent, and cross-border deal flow.
AI and deep tech sectors are entering a phase where strategic scale, regulatory compliance, and platform integration matter as much as pure technology breakthroughs.
“Deals like Manus underscore that Singapore can be a staging ground for ambitious tech ventures,” Chew said. “But real competitiveness comes from building structural strength targeting global markets — including governance, compliance, market access and capital readiness — not just from headline valuations.”
Introducing Chimeiras: A Cross-Border Growth Accelerator
IWC Management’s Chimeiras Ecosystem is designed to help companies navigate exactly these kinds of complex growth environments.
Chimeiras is an eight-module framework that integrates:
Transformation Strategy
Market Access & Localisation
Cultural and Operational Integration
Supply Chain & IP Management
Capital Strategy and Investor Networks
Regulatory and Compliance Infrastructure
Brand and Go-to-Market Positioning
Unlike traditional investment vehicles that focus primarily on capital deployment, Chimeiras embeds operational transformation with strategic capital planning — giving founders and investors a cohesive roadmap for sustainable global growth.
A recent Chimeiras-supported engagement enabled a U.S. med-tech company to establish a Singapore regional base, navigate regulatory complexities, and secure investment from a sovereign wealth fund — illustrating how structural readiness can translate into capital success.
Singapore and the Future of Cross-Border Innovation
Ken Chew concluded that Singapore’s legal infrastructure, neutrality, and global connectivity position it well as a nexus for international tech expansion. However, he cautioned that headline M&A momentum should not obscure the deeper work required to build enduring cross-border businesses.
“Structural transformation — not just capital flow — is the key differentiator as emerging tech sectors scale internationally,” Chew said.
About IWC Management
IWC Management Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore-based, MAS-licensed fund management and cross-border growth platform. Through its Chimeira Ecosystem, IWC supports high-growth technology and industrial companies in scaling globally by aligning capital, compliance, and operational execution. The firm is recognised under Singapore’s Tech@SG and EntrePass programmes.