Tokopedia may sell its OVO stake to Grab to speed up merger with gojek; The fate of OVO, currently part-owned by Grab, has been a major sticking point in the merger talks; Bank Indonesia’s rules bar an entity from holding a controlling stake in more than one digital wallet in the country.
Singapore biotech firm secures US$100mn via share subscription facility deal; For this, Austrianova has signed an agreement with European alternative investment group Global Emerging Markets (GEM) Global Yield; The deal allows Austrianova to draw down funds from the facility by issuing shares of common stock to GEM.
How Oyika helps tackle global warming through its power subscription plan bundled with e-motorbike; Oyika works with existing e-motorbike/scooter manufacturers and transforms their ICE models into smart bikes by bundling them with its portable swap batteries, network of swap stations and mobile app; It’s currently in talks to raise US$100mn.
Mercular raises US$3mn Series A to expand its hobby e-commerce platform in Thailand; Investors are Kairous Capital (lead), Cyber Agent, 500 Startups, N-Vest Venture and Premier Advisory Group; Mercular sells audio gadgets, sporting goods, cameras and collectable figures, among others.
Razer makes first green investment in plastic-free daily essentials brand Bambooloo; The money came from Razer’s US$50mn Green Fund; Bambooloo plans to expand to the UK and the US; Bambooloo provides healthier daily essentials that help reduce water usage, carbon impact, and slow deforestation; Aside from Singapore and Malaysia, its products are also available in New Zealand.
Singapore crypto copy-trading platform Alpha Impact raises US$3.1mn ahead of launch; Investors include LuneX Ventures, Genesis Block Ventures and SMO Capital; Alpha Impact allows users to mimic the trades of more experienced traders; Users will be able to choose the trader to follow based on their risk profile.
Green for good: 9 agritech startups in Southeast Asia fighting deforestation; They are Bambooloo, CocoPallet, Farm-In-A-Box, iGrow, Impact Terra, Poptani Asia, RiTX, Sustenir Group, Tunas Farm, Ecosia, and Dendra Systems; In honour of Earth Day on April 22, e27 has rounded up these agritech startups that are aiming to directly or indirectly curb deforestation in SEA.
Beenext, SOSV, Entrepreneur First invest in Indian startup Unbox Robotics; The company has built using a proprietary plug-and-play swarm robotics system that automates and improves package sorting as well as the order consolidation process while using optimum floor space and capital; It is closely working with 6 e-commerce and logistics enterprises in India, SEA and the US.
Malaysia consolidates 2 tech-related gov agencies TPM, MaGIC; TMP is only the 4th generation tech park in Malaysia with physical incubators and tech infra, while MaGIC has played an important role in cultivating tech startups and innovation ecosystem; A new joint task force comprising both TPM and MaGIC will be set up to oversee the establishment of the new agency.
Chinese greentech firm launches smart charging robot for EVs; Called Mochi, the device connects and manages over 200 gigawatts of renewable energy assets globally; The device can charge EVs in two hours for a cruising range of up to 600 kilometers and is compatible with most mainstream EVs on the market.
The news wars: Will tech giants soon be coughing up big bucks for media content?; Facebook and Google benefit from platform users using their channels for news curation by being able to show ads at various stages in the process; But so do the publishers, at least when the user clicks through to their pages via a web browser, AMP (accelerated mobile pages) and FBIA (Facebook Instant Articles).
Why I left a budding career in the US to help aspiring developers in the Philippines; The Philippines is a country full of humble and hard-working people with limitless potential, and they can go far as much as they want, but they lack the necessary skills, resources, and mindset to make that happen. Skills such as software development, app design, storytelling, and copywriting are crucial to an ever-changing world. Hikre School is here to do that.
The current state of e-commerce in manufacturing; B2B buyers, similar to their B2C counterparts, have advanced online-first expectations. And even although more and more international sales interactions take place through online channels, customers are still doomed to navigate the complex B2B buying process.
Firms at a loss when it comes to attracting digital talent: survey; To support their digital transformation initiatives as a result of the pandemic, 86% of respondents in Singapore expected that they would need to upskill employees with digital skills; 89% said they needed to strengthen digital infrastructure, and 71% said they need to recruit digital talent.
HWGG Capital partners Fintech Bank in digital financial services; Both parties would further leverage the HWGCash App for clients to open both personal or business banking accounts allowing digital asset settlements to proceed directly to their bank accounts; HWGG Capital has been offering digital asset management services through its HWGCash App platform.
7 ways to build a team with little or no money; If you can’t offer them money yet, offer them equity in your company; If you have great work to offer and time to mentor and guide another, hiring interns is an alternative to paid team members; If you can’t afford a full-time team members’ salary, you can use contractors, part-time employees or students instead.
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Image Credit: OVO
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