Passengers wait in line at the counters of Singapore Airlines at Hangzhou International Airport. [Photo by Tan Shenjie/Tide News]

Singapore companies are increasing investment in Hangzhou, with recent moves targeting cutting-edge sectors such as embodied AI, robotics and integrated energy.

The momentum comes alongside stronger relations between the two cities. Singapore Airlines launched a daily direct route between Hangzhou and Singapore this June, with passenger traffic between the two destinations ranking it among the top international routes at Hangzhou International Airport.

By the end of 2025, Singapore companies had invested in 642 projects in Hangzhou, with total investment reaching $12.82 billion, making Singapore the city's third-largest source of foreign investment.

Recent examples include Singapore security services group Certis, which established a subsidiary in Hangzhou's Xihu district with plans to build an AI and robotics R&D center, and Singapore Energy Group, a Temasek subsidiary, which set up its China headquarters for integrated energy in Xiaoshan district.

Singapore investors have also backed Hangzhou tech companies at earlier stages, including Rokid, Unitree Robotics and energy technology firms, recognizing their potential in AI, robotics and next-generation energy.

As Hangzhou's emerging tech companies gain global attention, the city is increasingly being recognized not only as a digital economy hub but also as a global destination for hard-tech innovation and international capital.

A robot dog developed by Hangzhou-based Deep Robotics patrols an industrial park of Certis. [Photo/Deep Robotics]