SEA

Consortiums partnering banks, e-wallets have an upper hand to bag Malaysia digital bank licenses

Consortiums partnering with financial institutions and e-wallet operators will have an upper hand in securing a digital banking license in Malaysia, according to analysts.

FinTech continues to be a hot sector in Southeast Asia after a booming 2021

FinTech will continue to be one of the hottest sectors in Southeast Asia after investors pumped record amounts into the region’s FinTech firms last year.

Indonesia planning to relax foreign investment policies for local tech startups

Indonesia readying tough new curbs for online platforms – report

Indonesia is one of the world top-10 markets by the number of users for social media firms including Youtube, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Whatsapp. Indonesia is also the world's fourth most populous country.

Malaysia’s iPrice Group raises $5M from Itochu Corporation and KDDI Corporation

iPrice Group, Malaysia-based price comparison platform, announced Wednesday that it has raised $5 million of additional funding led by Japan-based firms Itochu Corporation and the KDDI Open Innovation Fund III (operated by Global Brain Corporation). The additional funding will bolster iPrice’s role in finding shoppers the best deals as Southeast Asia’s…

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,…

Malaysia’s Carsome acquires majority stake in Singapore integrated automotive firm CarTimes Automobile

Malaysia-based integrated car e-commerce platform Carsome Group Pte Ltd (Carsome) announced Thursday the acquisition of 51 percent stake in Singapore integrated automotive firm CarTimes Automobile Pte Ltd (CarTimes). Carsome said the acquisition is an important move that further strengthens its market leadership in the region, and reinforces its commitment…

Starbucks partners with Grab to enhance Starbucks experience for customers in Southeast Asia

Starbucks announced Wednesday an integrated partnership with Grab across six markets, including the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The partnership will provide customers across Southeast Asia with a seamless Starbucks Experience, allowing them to earn Starbucks Rewards benefits on purchases through Grab, have more ways…

Malaysia’s drone tech hub ambition: Opportunities & Challenges [Part 2]

In Part 2, we focus on the challenges faced by drone tech startups, the Malaysia government’s initiatives to support the industry and some suggestions from drone tech companies.

Singapore’s PropertyGuru to debut on NYSE on Friday

The merger proposal was passed on Tuesday (March 15) at the extraordinary general meeting of Bridgetown 2.

Malaysia’s Carsome buys 51% stake in Singapore used car dealer CarTimes for $60M – report

The news comes as Carsome is said to be preparing for an initial public offering in the US later of the year.