Turning Great Ideas Into FundedCompanies.
The Million Ideas Innovation Fund supports exceptional early-stage founders through a unique pathway that combines structured investment preparation, institutional review and access to non-dilutive innovation capital.
Companies achieving an A Rating through the independent review process automatically qualify for a US$50,000 Innovation Grant, paid directly to the company.
Selected companies may also be invited into investment consideration for funding between US$250,000 and US$1,000,000.
A Different Approach To Early-Stage Funding
Most founders struggle to access capital because they are not investment-ready.
The Million Ideas Innovation Fund was created to recognise exceptional companies once they have completed a structured institutional review process.
Rather than asking founders to compete through pitch competitions or lengthy grant applications, companies are assessed using a consistent investment framework before being independently reviewed for grant and funding opportunities.
ABOUT THE FUND
Investing in the Companies Shaping Tomorrow
The Million Ideas Innovation Fund is supported through five regional investment programmes focused on identifying outstanding Pre-Seed and Seed businesses.
INVESTMENT TEAM
The People Behind Every Review
Every company is reviewed by experienced professionals with backgrounds in venture capital, private equity, investment banking, entrepreneurship and commercial growth. While our technology helps organise and analyse information, every recommendation, review and investment decision is made by people.
Our team works closely with founders throughout the process, providing independent assessment, commercial insight and structured feedback to help every business present its strongest investment opportunity.
Cheryl Lim - Investment Operations Manager
Coordinates application reviews, due diligence workflows and founder communications.
Chris Seaborne - Investment Director
Leads commercial due diligence, founder engagement and transaction evaluation.
Daniel Tan - Managing Partner
Leads investment strategy, oversees investment decisions and chairs the Investment Committee.
Jo Norscot - Senior Investment Analyst
Conducts financial analysis, market research and investment assessments.
Joshua Smart - Venture Partner
Provides sector expertise, strategic guidance and founder mentoring throughout the review process.
Cornerstone Investors
The Million Ideas Innovation Fund has been established with support from cornerstone institutional investors.
Cornerstone Investor : Mubadala
Cornerstone Investor : BBB
Fund Leadership
General Partners
The Million Ideas Innovation Fund is led by an experienced investment and venture leadership team responsible for investment strategy, portfolio management and capital allocation.
Managing Partner : Daniel Tan
General Partner : Jill Godden
General Partner : Marcus Weiss
THE A RATING
Every A-Rated Company Automatically Qualifies
Unlike many grant programmes where founders compete against each other, companies receiving an A Rating through the independent review process automatically qualify for the US$50,000 Innovation Grant.
Benefits:
Paid directly to the company
Non-dilutive
Cash funding
Requirements/limitations:
Not a credit note
Not repayable
Can be used to accelerate business growth
IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION
Independent Organisations
Any partner or accelerators we may work with and the Million Ideas Innovation Fund perform different roles.
Partners:
prepares founders
validates information
completes institutional reports
conducts IC Review
submits eligible companies
Million Ideas Innovation Fund:
independently reviews applications
awards grants
makes investment decisions
Preferred Investment Instrument
Investing Through the STACK Note
The Million Ideas Innovation Fund generally prefers to invest using the STACK Note™ (Structured Venture Note).
The STACK Note is a modern early-stage investment instrument designed specifically for Pre-Seed and Seed companies. It combines the speed and simplicity of a convertible instrument with greater transparency around investor rights, governance and future funding events.
Unlike many traditional early-stage investment agreements, the STACK Note aims to reduce negotiation time while creating a clear framework for both founders and investors.
Why We Prefer the STACK Note
✓ Faster to complete than traditional equity financing
✓ Founder-friendly structure
✓ Standardised investment documentation
✓ Supports future priced funding rounds
✓ Designed for international venture investing
✓ Reduces legal complexity and transaction costs
✓ Provides clear governance and investor protections
✓ Flexible enough for both lead and follow-on investors
How It Works
The investment is made through a STACK Note.
The company receives funding immediately after closing.
The note remains outstanding until a qualifying future event.
During a future financing round, the STACK Note converts into equity according to its agreed terms.
This allows founders to raise capital today without immediately negotiating a full priced equity round while giving investors a transparent path into future ownership.
Built For Venture Capital
The STACK Note has been designed specifically for institutional early-stage investing and can be used for:
• Pre-Seed rounds
• Seed rounds
• Bridge financing
• Extension rounds
• Follow-on investments
• Syndicated investments
• Cross-border transactions
Important Information
Although the Million Ideas Innovation Fund generally prefers to invest using the STACK Note, investment structure may vary depending on the transaction, jurisdiction and co-investor requirements.
The final investment instrument is determined during the investment process.