On location

Eric Cheng, CEO of Carsome Group

Carsome partners Catcha to create SEA’s largest digital automotive marketplace via $200M acquisition of iCar Asia

Catcha Group will become a shareholder of the Carsome Group in exchange for the sale of its shares in iCar Asia to Carsome.

Without legacy infrastructure, cloud-native digital banks are faster & more innovative than traditional banks, says UNObank CEO Manish Bhai [Q&A]

Singapore-based FinTech UNObank was granted the first new digital banking license under the Digital Banking License framework of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Manish Bhai shares insights on how digital-native banks can provide faster and more innovative services to address the needs of the underbanked and unbanked.

Gender diversity gap is ‘definitely stark’ in VC industry, says Quest Ventures’ Goh Yiping [ORIGIN Innovation Awards Q&A]

Goh said she enjoys setting an example that a female VC can be as logical, as non-emotional, as strong in dealmaking, as battle-tested, if not more than her male counterparts.

Singapore BioTech startup Allozymes secures $5M Seed fund led by deeptech VC investor Xora Innovation

Allozymes plans to use its seed fund to establish its roots in Singapore and establish its manufacturing and business infrastructure in order to meet its projected demand in the APAC region.

Jakarta-based EdTech platform GREDU secures $4M Series A for local expansion and product development

Since its launch in September 2016, GREDU has grown its platform, which is currently being used by over 400 schools, bringing its total user base to roughly 400,000. The startup provides its users (students, parents, teachers, and administrators) with a single platform to communicate with each other and keep track of any important details.

Val Yap, Founder & CEO, PolicyPal

InsurTech startup PolicyPal addresses pain points faced by policyholders [ORIGIN Innovation Awards Q&A]

PolicyPal Founder and CEO Val Yap shares her story of how personal challenges led her to start a company that digitalizes insurance comparison and management. She also offers advice to fellow female entrepreneurs on the importance of mentorship and finding the right support groups.

Pickupp to expand presence in Malaysia after completing Series A and A+ funding co-led by PChome, Cornerstone Ventures

Pickupp Malaysia plans to expand coverage of more territories in Malaysia, grow its workforce of delivery agents, and continue investing in technology to further improve its offerings in the market.

MiRXES secures $77M Series C funding to accelerate multi-cancer early detection pipeline

Led by CR-CP Life Science Fund, this new capital will support MiRXES’s growth as a global leader in cancer early detection tests and preventive healthcare.

Singapore end-to-end e-commerce logistics firm Janio raises $8M from Choco Up to accelerate regional expansion

Choco Up's investment is part of a wider closed round bridge investment, which also includes funding from Singapore-based Innoven Capital and Janio’s existing shareholders.