# Grace Chia

> Grace Chia is the Singapore-based CEO and co-founder of BeeX, which designs, builds and operates autonomous underwater drones for infrastructure inspections and defence applications. A National University of Singapore mechanical engineering graduate and founder of its Bumblebee robotics club, she moved from subsea business development into commercialising autonomous systems with co-founder Goh Eng Wei.

- **Role:** CEO and Co-Founder at BeeX
- **Organizations:** BeeX, National University of Singapore, Bumblebee
- **Education:** Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore, NUS Overseas Colleges, Beijing
- **Known for:** Founded the NUS Bumblebee robotics club., Bumblebee won Best New Entry at RoboSub 2013., Led BeeX to win PIER71 Smart Port Challenge 2020.

## Career timeline

- **2011-2012** — Participated in NUS Overseas Colleges in Beijing.
- **2013** — Her Bumblebee team won the Best New Entry award at RoboSub in the United States.
- **2014** — Graduated from NUS in mechanical engineering; subsequently worked in subsea business development selling remotely operated vehicles.
- **2018** — Co-founded BeeX with Goh Eng Wei, with Chia as CEO and Goh as CTO.
- **2020** — Led BeeX to first place in PIER71 Smart Port Challenge; received the award on 17 November.
- **2022** — According to Chia, anticipated vehicle sales did not materialise, while inspection services began generating revenue.
- **2024** — Publicly repositioned BeeX as a technology company offering inspection services.
- **2026** — BeeX closed a US$7.7 million Series A on 29 June; Chia received Tatler’s Front & Female Innovation Award in 2026.

## Achievements

- Founded the NUS Bumblebee robotics club.
- Bumblebee won Best New Entry at RoboSub 2013.
- Led BeeX to win PIER71 Smart Port Challenge 2020.
- Co-led BeeX through its US$7.7 million Series A, announced 29 June 2026 and led by Monk’s Hill Ventures.
- Received the 2026 Tatler Front & Female Innovation Award in Singapore.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — BeeX announced a US$7.7 million Series A led by Monk’s Hill Ventures on 29 June, to expand its fleet and operations.
- **2026-06** — NUSX reports that BeeX launched BETTA in June 2026 and plans to expand its fleet to 21 drones within a year.

## Links

- Website: https://www.beex.sg/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gracechia/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/grace-chia
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21