Latest news and trends about tech
ORIGIN: With fast cashbacks, community impact, and livestreaming, here’s how e-commerce is reshaping the way we buy and sell
In this TechNode Global feature on the winners of the ORIGIN Innovation Awards -- Startup Awards in e-Commerce, we find out how cashbacks, social impact, and livestreaming are making a big difference in how we buy, sell, and build relationships based on digital commerce.
Indie game dev platform Jambox secures $1.1M Seed funding to foster next-gen competitive game publishing in India and SEA
The Seed fund will be used to fuel the startup’s next-generation competitive game publishing platform for indie game developers specifically in India and Southeast Asia. Jambox plans to launch the platform and establish roots in Vietnam, India, and Indonesia before moving towards launching in Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Indonesia e-commerce unicorn Bukalapak receives backing from state-owned banks in a $234M venture round
The company plans to use its fresh capital to increase its user base of warungs (mom and pop stores), micro, and small businesses in Indonesia. The company’s strategic partnerships with both state-owned banks will also give its user base access to more products and services that the banks offer.
Philippines ‘buy now, pay later’ platform Plentina raises $2.2M in Seed funding round to accelerate credit access to the underbanked
The FinTech startup plans to use its fresh capital to grow its data science, business development, and customer operations teams.
Pakistan logistics tech startup Truck It In raises $1.5M in pre-Seed funding round
The startup plans to use its fresh capital to continue solving complex supply chain issues and to bring Pakistan’s road freight industry to the digital age. Truck It In is also looking to onboard skilled talents within the MENAP region to continue fulfilling its mission. Its platform is currently being used in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Faisalabad.
The NFT boom: The popularity behind non-fungible tokens and why they are worth millions
The growing popularity of NFTs shows the increasing appeal and expanding applications of blockchain technology. It also evidences the growing appetite for digital decentralized investments as well as innovative ways to store value and generate gains or revenues from digital assets.
Grab inks SPAC deal with Altimeter Growth as it readies US IPO at $39.6B valuation
It is expected to be the largest-ever US equity offering by a Southeast Asian company as the deal values the leading Southeast Asian super app at approximately $39.6 billion. The company is expected to be traded on NASDAQ under ticker “GRAB” as it goes public.
The secret to building a digital health unicorn in Southeast Asia
The secret to success in digital health in Southeast Asia is to take a harder, non-consensus view. But that alone is not enough; you need to continue to believe you’re right despite peer pressure and smart people telling you otherwise.
Vietnam’s Touchstone Partners announces first close of inaugural $50M VC fund to invest in local startups
Touchstone Partners has announced the first close of its inaugural $50 million venture capital fund. The fund is backed by New York-based Pavilion Capital, Vulcan Capital, and several other investors and family offices.
