Alternative protein investor Lever VC announces $80M final close of Lever VC Fund I

Lever VC is also actively speaking with investors interested in Lever VC Fund II, which will begin raising early next year.

Malaysia-listed payment firm GHL teams up with BNPL startup Atome to expand across ASEAN

In Malaysia and Singapore, merchants who opted for Atome’s BNPL experienced an average 17 percent increase in their ticket order size.

Amid range and charging anxiety, the EV ecosystem will benefit from extreme fast charging

To be clear, multiple hurdles remain to be overcome, from building the requisite charging infrastructure to support EVs, improving battery technology to make them safer and hold…

Malaysian government entities MaGIC & Penjana Kapital collaborate to offer seed stage startups better funding access

By bridging the funding gap, MaGIC and Penjana Kapital aspire to reorient private capital for innovative start-ups, attract global and regional VCs into Malaysia, as well as…

How Carsome became Malaysia’s largest tech unicorn – with a little help from a friend

Gobi Partners’ continued faith and multiple investments into Carsome paved the way for the e-commerce platform to dominate Southeast Asia’s used car scene, en route to becoming…

Funding, talent & decision-making are the biggest challenges for innovators, says SoftBank Ventures Asia’s JP Lee [Q&A]

In this TechNode Global Q&A with JP Lee, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of SBVA, he discusses the trends shaping innovation in the region, as well as the challenges…

EY: Asia-Pacific M&A hit highest value on record, fuelled by technological innovation & ESG agendas

M&A targeting technology companies hit a record high in Asia-Pacific with tech, advanced manufacturing and mobility sectors topped regional deal activity.

Singapore’s Broctagon Fintech Group launches WorldBook, a global crypto liquidity movement

The WorldBook combines the orderbooks of all connected exchanges to create a unified orderbook that enables multilateral liquidity flow.

Indonesia wealth tech firm Pluang raises $55M round led by Square Peg

With the fresh capital, the company will continue to democratize access for Indonesian retail investors to grow their wealth via its digital savings and investing products.

[Updated] Catcha Group’s Patrick Grove considers SPAC-listing in Singapore

The development came after Singapore unveiled new rules for blank-cheque vehicles.

Carsome

Carsome spots a gap in auto-financing for graduates, aims to introduce similar product in Indonesia, Thailand after Malaysia

Carsome plans to introduce auto-financing for graduates in Indonesia and Thailand, as it targets a loan size of at least MYR 100M ($24.17M) for its auto-financing business in…

Thailand hobby-focused commerce startup Mercular extends Series A fundraise, ropes in Thai retail conglomerate Central Retail

The funding will be deployed to create an all-encompassing community-like shopping experience for the hobbyists.

Pioneering Thailand’s AgTech startup ecosystem towards agriculture transformation

Thailand's National Innovation Agency, in association with Maejo University, has issued the first-ever Thailand AgTech Startup Ecosystem Development White Paper based on research…