Asia Startup Network Launches Singapore’s First-of-Its-Kind F&B Bootcamp for Working Professionals Looking to Start or Acquire a Food Business

SINGAPORE – 15 July 2025 – Asia Startup Network (ASN) has launched a pioneering F&B edition of its Prefounder Catalyst Bootcamp — a first-of-its-kind workshop in Singapore designed specifically for working professionals who aspire to start, acquire, or scale a food and beverage (F&B) business.

Amidst growing interest in entrepreneurship in home based F&B businesses and the rising number of corporate professionals eyeing the F&B sector, ASN’s latest initiative bridges the gap between passion and preparation. In Singapore, operating a F&B business profitably is extremely difficult.

The half-day workshop, happening on 19 July 2025, brings together seasoned F&B entrepreneurs, investors, and operators to share real-world experiences, financial realities, and step-by-step playbooks for launching a successful F&B venture. Speakers include Ee Chien Chua, former owner of Jekyll and Hyde bar, Fu Yong Hong, cofounder of Greendot and Lotus Vegetarian, Jacinta Lee who built and sold Wrap & Roll, Bobby Yeoh who founded Excelerate- a community for F&B entrepreneurs and more. 

“Many professionals dream of opening a café or restaurant, but too few understand the operational complexity and razor-thin margins in F&B,” said Elise Tan, 39, Co-founder of Asia Startup Network. “This bootcamp gives them an honest, grounded start before they risk significant capital or time.”

The idea for the bootcamp was first pitched by Ee Chien Chua, former owner of award-winning cocktail bar Jekyll & Hyde.

“After selling my F&B business, I noticed a growing number of people asking for advice on how to get started. I wanted to build something practical and experience-led,” said Ee Chien. “ASN has organised seven successful bootcamps and is the perfect partner to bring this idea to life.”

The workshop features a behind-the-scenes coffee factory tour by Santino Coffee Specialists, as well as three interactive panel sessions covering:

• How to start or acquire an F&B business

• Choosing the right business model and best route to market (existing entrepreneurship programs may not go into the detailed level of discussing the go to market for F-n businesses)

• Understanding the financial numbers that make or break a business (it is hard to run a business but it is possible to increase the margins if they understand the numbers and framework better)

  
  

“Our mission is to demystify entrepreneurship for experienced professionals and reduce avoidable failure,” said Andrew Tan, 39, co-founder of ASN. “This F&B edition is particularly timely, given the upheaval this industry is facing on all fronts such as talent supply, cost pressures, digital transformation, Chinese brands influx, and sustainability of heritage businesses. We believe that our session will be impactful if we serve the right ingredients to support the next generation of F&B entrepreneurs..”

One of the key speakers, Bobby Yeoh, founder of Excelerate and known for running bootcamps for “hawkerpreneurs”, will also be sharing at the event.

“It’s great to see a workshop that addresses F&B in such a practical and founder-friendly way,” said Bobby. “We’re excited to partner ASN to groom the next generation of food entrepreneurs.”

Joining the speaker lineup is Fu Yong Hong, CEO of plant-based food chain Greendot, and a former portfolio founder of Elise at NUS Enterprise.

“I know how hard it is to build a food business from scratch,” said Fu Yong Hong. “I’m happy to give back by supporting and mentoring the next wave of F&B founders.”

The ASN F&B Prefounder Catalyst Bootcamp is open to aspiring entrepreneurs, career switchers, and acquisition-minded professionals. Current participants include existing F&B small business owners such as cafes looking to learn how to scale and network as well as working professionals from large corporates who want to acquire tips and avoid pitfalls before starting their own in the future.

After the workshop, participants become members of the Asia Startup Network community where they can ask questions along their entrepreneurship journey online, hire talents and learn from and network with thousands of seasoned entrepreneurs, investors and industry professionals in the network. 

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, 19 July 2025

Time: 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM

Venue: Santino Coffee Specialists, 911 Bt Timah Road

Register at: lu.ma/asn-fnb

About Asia Startup NetworkFounded in 2020, Asia Startup Network is a venture builder and entrepreneurship platform supporting over 5,000 founders, investors, and partners across Asia. ASN runs training bootcamps, community gatherings, and go-to-market support to help aspiring entrepreneurs transition confidently into business ownership.

For media enquiries, contact:

Elise Tan

📩 marketing@asiastartupnetwork.com