On location

Indian logistics management firm Shipsy to set up regional HQ in Indonesia

Shipsy will be setting up its regional headquarters (HQ) in Indonesia to strengthen its presence in Southeast Asia (SEA). The regional HQ will enable the organization to provide faster, better and localized support to existing customers and drive new business growth in Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Better Bite Ventures launches $15M fund for alternative protein startups in Asia Pacific

Better Bite Ventures launches Tuesday with a $15 million fund, including an initial portfolio of 10 Asia Pacific (APAC) startups, harnessing plant-based and cellular agriculture technologies to create climate-friendly meat, dairy, egg and seafood alternatives that are better for people, animals and planet. The fund, first of its kind dedicated entirely to…

Singapore metaverse startup BuzzAR gets $3.8M from F50 Elevate and others

BuzzAR has raised $3.8 million seed funding to create an inclusive metaverse. The round is oversubscribed with participation from F50 Elevate in Texas, USA, regional venture capitals (VCs), angels including former Marina Bay Sands executive Ian Wilson, IP & Brand Protection expert Peter Hlavnicka. BuzzAR will use the seed funding to hire, set up a…

Malaysian PropTech firm Urbanmetry bags $2M Pre-Series A led by Monk’s Hill Ventures

Urbanmetry has closed a Pre-Series A round of $2 million led by Monk’s Hill Ventures. The funding will be used for developing its intelligent data products and platforms to serve end consumers in the property and mortgage markets; and for building out its product, technology, data, and business development teams.

Singapore’s Aera VC raises $30M for climate breakthroughs

Aera VC announced Monday a $30 million first close of its new fund investing in startups accelerating the planet toward a sustainable future. The new climate-focused fund is launching with a portfolio of global climate stars including Houston-based chemical decarbonisation firm Solugen, as well as Shiok Meats (Singapore), Carbon Chain (London), Noya and…

Temasek leads Amber Group’s $200M Series B+ round, valuing the company at $3B

Amber Group announced Tuesday a $200 million Series B+ round led by investment company Temasek, with participation from existing shareholders including Sequoia China, Pantera Capital, Tiger Global Management, Tru Arrow Partners, and Coinbase Ventures among others. A significant follow-up to Amber Group's 2021 $100 million Series B round, this Series B+…

Carsome plans to build more used car refurbishment centers in Malaysia, Indonesia & Thailand

Carsome has on Tuesday launched the so-called Carsome Certified Lab in Malaysia, which claimed to be Southeast Asia’s largest car refurbishment facility.

Singapore FinTech firm M-DAQ acquires payment firm Wallex to expand its cross-border ecosystem

M-DAQ has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Wallex. The acquisition is the first of a series for M-DAQ, as it embarks on a global growth plan to capture market opportunities and expand its downstream reach in the value chain. In addition to the amount paid for the full acquisition, M-DAQ will also be injecting fresh working capital to…

Singapore “Create2Earn” metaverse Chillchat closes $1.85M seed equity funding round led by Solana Ventures

Chillchat has raised $1.85 million in seed equity funding led by Solana Ventures. Bringing Chillchat’s equity valuation to US$10 million, the seed equity round included participation from key blockchain-gaming and Web3 leaders: FTX Ventures, Animoca Brands, Griffin Gaming Partners, A&T Capital, YGGSEA; plus Infinity Ventures Crypto, Diamond Hands…

Finding a niche in the Philippines’ Iron Triangle

In this third part, we explore how much Covid-accelerated digitization boosted the country’s ‘Iron Triangle’ – e-commerce, logistics, and fintech – startups, and how the startup Davids are battling the Goliath super apps to carve out their own niches.