The Employment Hero team
Employment Hero bags US$35M to bring integrated HR platform into SEA
Investors: Led by returning investor SEEK. Others are OneVentures and AirTree Ventures, Salesforce Ventures.
What will the funding be used for: To support Employment Hero’s continued growth in its local Australian market and facilitate an expansion of its business across Southeast Asia, starting with Singapore and Malaysia.
Also Read: When is the right time for a startup to hire an HR person?
About Employment Hero: The Australian company has created an HR platform that offers an integrated suite of people, payroll and benefits solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The company claims its core platform reduces time spent on administrative processes by up to 80 per cent. Employment Hero has over 6,000 paying businesses, collectively managing over 250,000 employees.
Apna raises US$12.5M to expand vertical professional networking platform for India’s working class
Investors: Sequoia Capital India and Greenoaks Capital (both co-lead), and existing investors Lightspeed India and Rocketship.vc.
What will the funding be used for: To strengthen its presence in existing cities, expand into new geographies, invest in exceptional talent, and improve engineering and product capabilities.
About Apna: Founded in 2019, the company helps grey and blue-collar workers unlock professional, networking and skilling opportunities. The app comprises vertical communities for skilled professionals like carpenters, painters, field sales agents and others. Users in the app can get access to local job opportunities, network with peers, and practice interviews together.
Apna claims it has more than six million users and 80,000 recruiters on its platform. It has grown over 50x in the last eight months alone and currently serves users in seven cities in India, with plans to expand into new metros and tier two cities in India this year.
Drone specialist ideaForge snags US$2M
Investors: The fresh funds came from Blacksoil, an India-based venture debt firm.
What will the funding be used for: To expand its team for it to service its increasing order book.
About ideaForge: The Indian startup provides drones for homeland and security agencies in the country. The company revealed it recently received a US$20 million order from the Indian Army. It has applied for more than 20 patents in India and abroad for its drone technology and has deployed more than 1,000 drones.
Quest Ventures, ScaleUp Malaysia to invest in 11 Malaysian startups
Amount invested: The duo disbursed a total amount of MYR 2.8 million (US$680,000) in investments for their second cohort. These companies will receive an investment of MYR250,000 (US$61,000) each to grow their business regionally.
The 11 startups are:
ERTH (e-Waste Recycling Through Heroes): A social enterprise that specialises in collecting and recycling e-waste from household and businesses.
Fefifo: Pioneering digitalised, standardised farming in ready-to-farm modern farm spaces, to bring sustainable and profitable smallholder farming into Southeast Asia.
Hatio: Specialising in supply chain and logistics. Its services span warehouse automation, smart logistics, robotics, artificial intelligence and the internet of things.
Hauz: A data-driven enterprise solution that manages and monitors mobile workforce operations in the service industry.
Homa2u: An O2O firm building materials and interior finishes marketplace for house projects.
Kiddocare: An online platform that connects parents with trained Malaysian baby sitters and early childhood education providers for personalised, on-demand services.
Load2Go: An on-demand logistics platform for booking trucks for large freight, construction and manufacturing industries.
MMC: A food-based company that operates several different businesses, including a central kitchen, food mart, cafe and vending machines.
MyBump: A car wrap advertising company that matches brands with drivers for data-backed creative execution outdoor advertising.
Pomen: A SaaS automotive maintenance platform that specialises in connecting fleet companies and vehicle owners with workshops and service providers.
Quadby: The Nextdoor for universities. Quadby is a community app for students to find and chat with peers on campus.
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Image Credit: Employment Hero
The post In brief: Quest Ventures, Scale-up Malaysia back 11 startups; Employment Hero raises US$35M for SEA expansion appeared first on e27.