Singapore automotive startup Motorist raises $891K seed funding led by JobsCentral co-founder

Funds will be deployed to explore growth opportunities in Singapore and Malaysia, and kickstart its expansion into Thailand.

Tackling the speed bumps on the road to electrification this World EV Day

With EVs now seen as a catalyst for sustainability, world governments have announced ambitious targets for EV adoption. An increasing number of automobile manufacturers are also…

Malaysia SPAC AEI CapForce II Investment plans to raise $100M from IPO

At the proposed deal size, AEI CapForce II Investment would command a market value of $129 million.

For Kickstart Ventures, investment strategies revolve around the digital ‘new consumer’ [Q&A with Minette Navarrete]

Our investment strategy revolves around today’s new customer, who might be the digital consumer or the digital company. They might be digital natives, or they could be newly…

PayPal to acquire Japan BNPL unicorn Paidy for $2.7B

The acquisition will expand PayPal's capabilities, distribution and relevance in the domestic payments market in Japan, complementing the company's existing cross-border ecommerce…

Unicorns-in-the-making: The underrated, untapped, and unknown of Malaysia’s tech ecosystem

Malaysia’s tech ecosystem is finally coming of age, and this is the moment to unlock Malaysia’s Underrated, Untapped and Unknown Unicorns-in-making. 

‘Indonesia-only’ VC firm Intudo Ventures closes $115M Fund III

Intudo Ventures Fund III will seek out opportunities in agriculture, B2B & enterprise, education, finance & insurance, healthcare, logistics, and new retail & entertainment,…

Singapore e-commerce startup Rainforest raises $20M pre-Series A funding round led by Monk’s Hill Ventures

Funds will be used to drive Rainforest’s growth strategy, including expanding its portfolio of e-commerce brands in the home goods, mother & kids, personal care and pet categories…

Pakistan logistics startup Truck It In extends pre-seed round to $4.5M

The extended round was again led by Global Founders Capital and Fatima Gobi Ventures. They have been joined by early-stage technology investment firm Picus Capital and Zayn…

Artificial Intelligence

AI is the language shaping the future of learning and digital livelihoods

Technology has been at the center of these changes and one technology, AI has emerged as a critical enabler and opportunity for education providers but also for students as the…

[Updated] Indonesia unicorn Traveloka said to halt talks with Bridgetown SPAC – report

The Southeast Asian online travel company will likely explore going public via a traditional initial public offering (IPO) in the US market, according to the report.

The future of MSME financing will be collaborative, says IFS Capital’s Renchun Zeng [Q&A]

The future of SME financing will be increasingly tech-driven, inclusive, and accessible. Innovative financial solutions by traditional financial institutions and fintech firms…

Southeast Asia’s top 50 rising women in tech 2021 [Updated]

More and more venture capital (VC) firms and angel investors are wising up to the opportunity in investing in the region’s female founders. Despite the largely virtual deal-making…