J. Angelo Racoma

Social entertainment startup Kumu to scale operations and roll out new features with Series B fundraise led by SIG and Openspace Ventures

Kumu will use the new infusion to scale its current operations, which has seen significant growth over the past year. To date, an estimated 11.2 million registered users around the world watch live streams up to 60 million times per month, with over 100,000 active streamers commanding about one hour of average daily usage for its mostly Gen-Z & Millennial…

NFT-powered wellness app launched by Health Hero and Enjin, delivering gamified integrations for Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Salesforce users

The result of the collaboration will be Go! By Health Hero, a new health monitoring and engagement app that introduces the concept of W-NFTs. The Go! app collects activity and wellness data through an integration with health tracking devices and apps like Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit. Based on this data, the app generates unique W-NFTs with a set of…

With Flash Express entering Unicorn status, will we see more Southeast Asia Unicorns emerge?

The logistics startup plans to use the fresh funding to expand into more communities, introduce payments services, and support online merchants through loans. Earlier this year, the company launched in Laos, and it also plans to enter Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. 

Indonesia HealthTech startup Alodokter secures fresh capital from MDI Ventures and Samsung Ventures

The investment from MDI Ventures and Samsung Ventures will be directed to further improve Alodokter's ecosystem ... Key focus areas going forward include technology innovation, increasing the talent pool, and adding new features and functionalities.

Singapore-based FinTech UNObank is first new licensee under Philippines’ new Digital Banking License framework

A fintech headquartered in Singapore has been granted a license to operate a digital bank in the Philippines. UNObank aims to bridge the financial inclusion gap to help pave the way for all Filipinos to have access to basic financial services.

FoodTech VC firm Good Startup announces first close of $25M fund to invest in sustainable food

Good Protein Fund I aims to invest in startups that are focused on alternative protein solutions to build a sustainable food ecosystem. 

Magorium aims to solve the world’s plastic waste problem by engineering it into construction materials [ORIGIN Innovation Awards Q&A]

We effectively recycle contaminated plastic waste into NEWBitumen to replace traditional crude-derived bitumen for road construction. In doing so, we not only create a truly circular economy but enable the building of eco-roads to power a more sustainable construction industry, spearheading the movement to generate green jobs and economic stimulation.

Singaporean VC iGlobe set to invest in FinTech, BioTech, and smart cities with new $100M fund

iGlobe Platinum Fund III will focus on startups geared towards synthetic biology, FinTech, and developing new and innovative tech for smart cities.

ORIGIN: Internet solutions are helping reimagine how industries deal with the challenges of the pandemic

Much has been written about how the pandemic has changed industries for the worse. A better perspective, however, would be how it is prompting industries to evolve and innovate to deal with the new normal of things.

Avant Meats on optimizing the process and customizing for the market for cultured seafood products [ORIGIN Innovation Awards Q&A]

Based in Hong Kong and with plans to set up operations in Singapore, Avant Meats cultivates and customizes premium fish products using an efficient process that optimizes production-to-delivery to ensure zero wastage. With Avant Meat's process, there is no need to continuously catch, grow, or slaughter fish, thus ensuring sustainability without sacrificing…