Told in a narrative, story-telling style, this book tells the story of how NUS Overseas Colleges (NOC) was founded, and the critical role played by the NOC in the development of Singapore's startup ecosystem. It chronicles how the founders overcame various challenges to launch the first NOC run in 2002. Featuring the experiences of many individuals whose lives have been touched by the programme, the book captures the early days of NOC startup entrepreneurs who are now household names in the Singapore startup scene. It is a must-read for readers interested in entrepreneurship and how it can be nurtured, and those who are keen to understand the history of Singapore's startup ecosystem.

Contents:

• THE NOC FOUNDERS:
  • Our Inspiration
  • Turbulent Beginnings
  • Building a Start-up Ecosystem
• THE BENEFICIARIES:
  • The Unicorns: PatSnap: All About IP Intelligence
  • The Unicorns: Carousell: Mobile First Marketplace
  • The E-commerce Leader: Chris Feng
  • The Influencers I: Serial Entrepreneur Darius Cheung
  • The Influencers II: Start-up Trailblazer Goh Yi Ping
  • The Influencers III: The Aljunied Brothers and Mohan Belani
  • The Women Entrepreneurs
  • Waving the Flag Overseas: Chean Yujun and Mai Nguyen
• THE NEXT 20 YEARS:
  • Covid-19 Upheavals
  • Success of NOC Emboldens NUS

Readership: Readers interested in entrepreneurship and the history of Singapore's local startup scene.