TechNode Global Staff

Singapore document AI startup Docsumo raises $3.5M in seed fund, eyes expansion in North American market

Docsumo has raised $3.5 million in seed capital led by Common Ocean. The round also saw the participation from Fifth Wall, Arbor Realty Trust, and existing investor Better Capital. The startup plans to utilize the fresh funds to expand its client base in the North American market and grow the team.

Capital A e-wallet unit BigPay launches first fully digital personal loan product

BigPay announced Thursday the launch of its fully digital loans as part of the wider suite of financial services offerings. This makes BigPay the first product to have a full digital personal lending product as part of its offering in Malaysia.

Singapore FoodTech firm Umami Meats secures $2.4M pre-seed funding to advance cultivated seafood

Umami Meats has secured pre-seed funding of $2.4 million.The pre-seed funding round was co-led by Better Bite Ventures and Genedant. Further participants in the round include CULT Food Science, Impact Venture, Katapult Ocean, Plug and Play Ventures, Prithvi Ventures, The Yield Lab Asia Pacific, and Venture for America.

Australia’s New Forests announces first close of SE Asia-focused fund at $120M

New Forests announced Thursday the first close of its Tropical Asia Forest Fund 2 (TAFF2) with $120 million of capital commitments. Investors in the first close include Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Australian Government, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (SuMi TRUST), Temasek and TotalEnergies. New Forests will continue to…

Australian FinTech firm Zeller doubles valuation to over $1B with $100M raise

Zeller has raised $100 million in Series B round at a valuation worth of $1 billion.The Series B, which saw Zeller more than double its valuation, was led by US-based Headline, with additional funds contributed by Australian industry superannuation fund Hostplus. Previous investors, including Square Peg, Addition, and Spark Capital, also returned to…

Saigon Asset Management invests in Vietnamese FinTech firm Anfin

Anfin Company Limited announced Thursday the signing of an investment and strategic partnership agreement with Saigon Asset Management (SAM), which will see SAM becoming an equity investor into Anfin as well as a strategic partner. Following this agreement, both firms will collaborate to leverage SAM’s diverse portfolio of investment funds to expand assets…

Singapore’s Funding Societies unveils virtual card Elevate, addressing 80 percent MSME corporate credit card gap

Funding Societies has launched Elevate, a virtual card solution for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Singapore. The card is available on a credit line on the FinTech platform’s website and mobile app, and entitles qualified MSMEs to interest free credit for a period of up to 55 days.

Philippines social commerce startup SariSuki bags $7.1M from regional and global investors

SariSuki has raised $7.1 million from regional and global investors, bringing its total funding to $10.7 million in 2021. Venture capital investors included Openspace, Susquehanna International Group (SIG), Global Founders Capital (GFC), Saison Capital, JG Digital Equity Ventures, and Foxmont Capital Partners are amongst those who participated in the round.…

ScaleUp Malaysia announces investments in 11 emerging startups

Growth stage accelerator ScaleUp Malaysia, in partnership with Quest Ventures, Indelible Ventures, and Mranti signalled the culmination of its third cohort with the unveiling of its selection of top startups. The companies selected by Quest Ventures for co-investment were GuruInnovtif, Open Academy, MadCash, SpareXHub, VireServe, and WaSushi. Indelible…

Australia’s Language Confidence raises $1.5M in seed funding from Wavemaker Partners and Investible

Language Confidence has raised $1.5 million seed round to automate the teaching and testing of spoken English. The capital raise was led by Wavemaker Partners with participation from Investible. The funding will enable the company to expand its product offering and grow it’s already global customer base.