TechNode Global Staff

Tencent co-leads $120M round of UK SaaS-based employment firm Omnipresent

Omnipresent has raised $120 million in its Series B funding round, led by Kinnevik, and Tencent. The amount includes a pre-Series B round in the second half of 2021 and follows seed and Series A rounds in April 2020 and December 2020. Uncorrelated Ventures, a San Francisco-based investor, also participated the round, rounding out an investor list from Asia,…

BIS Innovation Hub and central banks of Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa develop experimental multi-CBDC platform for international settlements

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub, the Reserve Bank of Australia, Bank Negara Malaysia, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and the South African Reserve Bank announced Tuesday the completion of prototypes for a common platform enabling international settlements using multiple central bank digital currencies (mCBDCs). Led by the…

Singapore’s Handprint raises $2.2M seed funding led by Thunes

Handprint has raised $2.2 million in seed funding led by leading payments network Thunes, with participation from other angel investors. The funding will be used to further build Handprint’s technology and expand its network of impact partners, helping to advance Handprint’s mission to transform the extractive economy into a regenerative economy - making it…

Singapore FinTech firm Validus acquires CitiBusiness loan portfolio in Singapore

Validus has entered into an agreement with Citi to acquire its CitiBusiness loan portfolio in Singapore, in a move that will bolster Validus’ top line revenue, customer base, and expand its growing loan book. This is the first time a FinTech in Southeast Asia is acquiring an established bank’s loan portfolio and customer base, and it underscores Validus’…

Blockchain Association Singapore partners SGTech to boost blockchain development in Singapore

Blockchain Association Singapore (BAS) and SGTech have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to form a strategic partnership to collaborate on blockchain-related issues in Singapore. Under the MOU, both parties will establish a deep partnership to bolster the local blockchain ecosystem through leveraging on each other’s networks on issues such as…

Malaysia’s Touch ‘n Go eWallet and Singapore’s Dotlines collaborate to include migrants into the cashless society

Touch ‘n Go eWallet announced Monday that it is collaborating with Singapore's Dotlines to provide digital solutions for migrants in Malaysia. A cashless society is now closer than before, and with this collaboration, the migrant community can fully embrace and be part of the cashless society.

Finch Asia, IndoGen Capital, and Tokocrypto execs launch Southeast Asia focused Web3 projects fund

Finch Asia and IndoGen Capital are forming a web3-focused investment fund, named Cydonia, onboarding seasoned profiles from the blockchain landscape as the partners, notably Teguh Kurniawan Harmanda and Chung Ying Lai, who are respectively the Co-Founder/Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer of Indonesia's largest crypto exchange, Tokocrypto,…

Indonesian e-grocery startup Sayurbox raises $120M Series C funding led by Alpha JWC, Northstar

Sayurbox announced Monday its oversubscribed Series C round of $120+ million led by Northstar and Alpha JWC Ventures, with participation from new investor International Finance Corporation (IFC). Existing investors Astra, Syngenta Group Ventures, and Global Brain as well as other prominent angel investors also participated in this fundraising round. The new…

Vickers Venture SPAC VCKA to merge with US biopharmaceutical firm Scilex

Vickers Venture Partners' Nasdaq-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Vickers Vantage Corp I is merging with Scilex Holding Company (Scilex), a majority-owned subsidiary of US pharma firm Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc and a commercial biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing non-opioid therapies for patients with acute…

Carsome and Public Bank sign MoU for car financing collaboration

Malaysian lender Public Bank said Friday the bank and Carsome has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for greater business collaborations. With this MoU, the bank will be able to provide stock-financing and end-financing arrangement for the vehicles to its member Car Dealers and individual purchasers who have won the bids through Carsome…