Thailand hobby-focused commerce startup Mercular extends Series A fundraise, ropes in Thai retail conglomerate Central Retail
Thailand-based hobby lifestyle community commerce platform Mercular announced on Monday it has raised and completed its series A fundraising exercise, raising a total of $4 million.
The same round is further participated by Thailand retail conglomerate Central Retail, Mercular said in a statement.
The initial investors include regional and local investment firms such as Kairous Capital,…
Singapore’s Sea aims to raise $6.3B in share & convertible bond sale
Singapore-headquartered e-commerce and gaming firm Sea Ltd plans to raise $6.3 billion in a share and convertible bond sale, the company announced on Thursday.
The US-listed tech company will sell 11 million American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), with the option of offering 1.65 million more, part of a greenshoe option, according to a statement.
Based on its closing share price on Wednesday…
Tackling the speed bumps on the road to electrification this World EV Day
World EV Day today (September 9) marks the celebration of EV ownership worldwide, as we collectively work towards a zero-emission future. Asia, as one of the fastest-growing regions where greenhouse gas emissions are rising rapidly, will have a critical role to play in the next decade ahead.
Yet, for many of us, September 9 is about a much-anticipated online shopping festival, which will see…
Malaysia SPAC AEI CapForce II Investment plans to raise $100M from IPO
Malaysia-based AEI CapForce II Investment Corp, a blank check company targeting opportunities in Greater China or Southeast Asia, has filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Tuesday to raise up to $100 million.
The company plans to raise $100 million by offering 10 million units at $10 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Each unit consists of one share of common stock and…
For Kickstart Ventures, investment strategies revolve around the digital ‘new consumer’ [Q&A with Minette Navarrete]
The pandemic situation has become a catalyst for accelerating digital transformation across industries. This is not only from the perspective of businesses but also users, as well. With reduced mobility to limit the spread of the virus, both consumers and businesses found themselves having to adjust their business operations and strategies toward digital.
This is proving to be beneficial to…
PayPal to acquire Japan BNPL unicorn Paidy for $2.7B
US payment giant PayPal Holdings, Inc announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to acquire Paidy, a two-sided payments platform and provider of buy now, pay later solutions in Japan, for 300 billion yen or approximately $2.7 billion, principally in cash.
The acquisition will expand PayPal's capabilities, distribution, and relevance in the domestic payments market in Japan, the third-largest…
Unicorns-in-the-making: The underrated, untapped, and unknown of Malaysia’s tech ecosystem
So much has been said and written about the vast potential of the Malaysian tech ecosystem--and for all the right reasons.
Within ASEAN, Malaysia was one of the first countries to invest in the Digital Economy with the establishment of multiple government agencies, seeding policies, industry blueprints, and development acceleration programs. Coupled with its multicultural society, ease of…
‘Indonesia-only’ VC firm Intudo Ventures closes $115M Fund III
Intudo Ventures, an “Indonesia-only” venture capital firm, announced on Wednesday the closing of Intudo Ventures Fund III, a $115 million venture fund dedicated to investing in Indonesian homegrown companies capitalizing on the rapid growth of private consumption and rising middle class in the country.
The fund was oversubscribed and raised in less than three months, Intudo Ventures said in a…
Pakistan logistics startup Truck It In extends pre-seed round to $4.5M
Pakistan-based road freight tech platform Truck It In announced on Tuesday a $3 million extension to its pre-seed round, taking the cumulative raise to over $4.5 million in just over four months.
The extension will power the national expansion of Truck It In as it is poised to become the largest trucking platform in Pakistan, the company said in a statement.
The extended round was again led…
Global SWF: Temasek becomes Singapore ‘super-incubator’ with a suite of in-house startups
Singapore's state investor Temasek is establishing a suite of its own in-house startups that are bolstering the city state’s tech ecosystem and point to a new strategy that will be keenly studied by other state-owned investors (SOIs), according to data platform Global SWF.
In August, the Singaporean investor has launched Aicadium, an AI tech and solutions operation based in Singapore and San…