Infobip’s Nikola Pavesic on unicorns, customer experience, and investing in the community [Q&A]
In a world where borders no longer pose a limit and growth is now determined by online presence, Croatia's first unicorn, Infobip, is looking to help grow the Asia Pacific (APAC) region's next unicorn by becoming an ideal partner to support the digitalization journey for startups. In partnership with VC fund 500 Southeast Asia, Infobip has launched the Startup Tribe APAC Program.
Like an…
Carsome and Public Bank sign MoU for car financing collaboration
Malaysian lender Public Bank said Friday the bank and Carsome has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for greater business collaborations.
With this MoU, the bank will be able to provide stock-financing and end-financing arrangement for the vehicles to its member Car Dealers and individual purchasers who have won the bids through Carsome online platform, as well as to extend…
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 in a statement the acquisition is an important move that further strengthens its market leadership in the region, and reinforces its commitment to drive ecosystem…
Rainforest’s Per-Ola Röst on innovating microbrands through centralized, seamless, cross-border fulfillment [Q&A]
E-commerce has been a driver of growth in this post-pandemic environment. In this TechNode Global Q&A with Per-Ola Röst, Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer at Rainforest, we learn how e-commerce aggregators are delivering consumer needs without the need to rebuild from scratch.
Amazon is a good example of this--continuing to see an increase in the number of third-party sellers joining…
Singapore’s ShipsKart raises $2.7M Series A funding led by TMV and Hermes Offshore
Shipskart, a Singapore-based supply chain e-commerce solution for maritime and offshore, said Wednesday it has closed an oversubscribed $2.7 million Series A to bring one of the maritime and offshore industry’s most analogue processes, the procurement of essential vessel supplies, online.
The round was led by TMV and Hermes Offshore, with strategic investments from the likes of Motion…
[Updated] Indonesia’s GoTo to raise $1.25B in local IPO – report
Editor's note: Updated with comments from Gojek's Co-Founder and CEO Kevin Aluwi
Indonesia's largest tech firm GoTo Group is looking to raise up to 17.992 trillion rupiah ($1.25 billion) through an initial public offering (IPO) this month, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
GoTo, a merger of ride-hailing giant Gojek and e-commerce firm Tokopedia, said it plans to sell up to 52 billion…
Malaysia Aviation Group partners with hoolah for travellers in Malaysia, SG, HK to pay for flights over time
Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), the parent company of Malaysia Airlines, announced Tuesday a regional partnership with hoolah, a Singpoare-based omnichannel Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) platform, to provide a seamless and convenient payment option for travellers.
Through this collaboration, travellers in Malaysia, Singapore and soon Hong Kong, can now book their getaway with MAG’s main airline,…
East Ventures becomes Indonesia’s first venture capital firm to sign UN Principles for Responsible Investment
East Ventures, a pioneering and leading sector-agnostic venture capital firm in Indonesia, said Monday it has officially become a UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI) signatory as part of its commitment to creating responsible and sustainable investment and ownership decisions.
East Ventures said in a statement it becomes Indonesia's first venture capital firm listed as a…
Clearer laws, better funding: A startup wishlist for Philippine regulators
TechNode Global’s series on the Philippines delves into why Filipino startups are attracting venture capital (VC) money in droves. In this fourth and final part, TechNode Global recaps recent government initiatives to spur the Philippine startup ecosystem, and get Philippine founders’ regulatory wishlists. Catch up here with Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
The Philippines venture landscape has long…
AirAsia Parent Capital A unable to get $120M govt-guaranteed loan
Capital A Bhd, which owns Malaysia's budget airline AirAsia, will not be proceeding with the club facility of up to MYR500 million ($119.38 million) under a so-called Danajamin Prihatin Guarantee Scheme (DPGS) as the company is unable to accept or fulfill certain conditions required.
The conditions include a joint and several guarantee from its founders Tony Fernandes and Kamarudin Meranun, as…