TechNode Global Staff

Boost, a regional fintech leader, and its consortium partner, RHB Banking Group (RHB), have received official approval from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF) to commence operations as a digital bank, with effect from January 15, 2024.

Metalpha Technology Holding Limited (Metalpha), a global crypto-based wealth management company, has invested in NextGen Digital Venture Limited (NextGen), strengthening the existing business partnership that provides institutional investors compliant investment channels for exposure to digital assets.

AirAsia Aviation Group has announced two key leadership appointments - Chester Voo as Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer (Airline Operations) and Farouk Kamal as Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer (Corporate).

Semaai, an Indonesian agritech startup, has raised $4.7 million in a mix of equity and debt financing. CyberAgent Capital led this investment round with participation from new investors, namely Sumitomo Corporation Equity Asia, Ruvento, MyAsiaVC and Heracles Ventures.

OneDegree Group, a Hong Kong-based insurtech, has made two key appointments on January 1, 2024. Michelle Ip has been appointed Chief Executive officer of OneDegree Global, the group’s technology arm. Meanwhile, Robin Scott has been named General Manager of OneDegree Middle East, the newly established division facilitating the group’s strategic expansion…

VinFast, Vietnam’s leading electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, has signed an agreement to build an integrated electric vehicle facility in Tamil Nadu, India. The duo will work toward a total investment of up to $2 billion, with an intended commitment of $500 million for the first phase of the project, spanning five years from the commencement date.

Asean initial public offering (IPO) proceeds down 20 percent year on year to $5.6 billion in 2023, EY said Friday. According to the firm's EY Global IPO Trends 2023, ASEAN IPO market remained robust in 2023, with a total of 157 deals, up 3 percent from 152 deals in 2022.

A slower final quarter ended a lackluster year for global startup funding as venture capital investors continued to hold back in 2023, Crunchbase data showed Thursday. Global startup investment in 2023 reached $285 billion — marking a 38 percent decline year over year, down from the $462 billion invested in 2022.

The healthcare sector continued to be a hub of private equity (PE) deal activity in 2023, reaching $60 billion in announced deal value, despite higher global interest rates, inflationary pressures, and broader geopolitical uncertainty, Bain & Company said Wednesday.