How Mighty Networks pulled in 10,000 highly engaged customers
Serial entrepreneur Gina Bianchini, CEO of Mighty Networks, shares a variety of marketing gems as she recounts the journey from zero to 10,000 customers.
In recent years, the ‘passion economy’ has gained substantial ground. Across platforms, indie content creators are building their own niche communities and serving up multimedia that resonates with highly focused audiences--all while…
Indonesia’s Ayoconnect raises $10M in Pre-Series B funding round
Indonesia’s financial Application Programming Interface (API) platform Ayoconnect has closed its $10 million Pre-Series B funding round from strategic investors.
New investors in Ayoconnect include Mandiri Capital Indonesia (the corporate venture arm of the country's largest financial institution, Bank Mandiri) and Patamar Capital (Southeast Asia’s impact venture capital that invests in…
Malaysia’s Carsome raises $200M in financing round, valuation hits $1.3B
Southeast Asian used car trading platform Carsome Group announced on Wednesday the close of its $170 million Series D2 round of funding, bringing the company’s valuation to $1.3 billion and cementing its position as Malaysia’s largest tech unicorn.
This is complemented by new credit facilities of $30 million, bringing total funds raised to $200 million, Carsome said in a statement.
The…
Alibaba’s Lazada rebrands logistics arm, introduces multi-channel logistics services
Southeast Asia’s e-commerce platform Lazada announced on Wednesday the rebranding of its logistics arm to Lazada Logistics, which was previously known as Lazada eLogistics (LEL) and Lazada Express (LEX) separately.
LEL managed the fulfillment and logistics with third-party logistics (3PL) providers, while LEX handled the parcel delivery to customers.
“This rebranding reflects the…
Malaysia-based SPAC Kairous Acquisition files for a $50 million IPO on NASDAQ
Kairous Acquisition Corp Ltd, an Asia-focused blank check company led by the founder of Malaysia-based Kairous Capital, has filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to raise up to $50 million in an initial public offering (IPO).
The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) which plans to raise $50 million, is offering 5 million units at $10 each. Each unit consists of one…
Meaningful cloud transformation requires measuring value, costs, and consumption, says Apptio’s Sunny Gupta [Q&A]
Emerging technologies are driving cloud adoption, and there is no question about the growth of the industry. For 2021, Gartner forecasts the market to reach $332.3 billion, up from $270 billion in 2020--or a 23.1 percent year-on-year growth. For 2022, cloud will be a $397.5 billion industry, a 19.6 percent growth. The study cites that pandemic as being a driver for increased cloud adoption, as “…
Singapore’s Omnilytics to acquire Malaysia’s Supahands in $20M deal
Omnilytics, a fashion analytics and insights software in Singapore, announced on Wednesday its intention to acquire and partner with data labeling platform, Supahands, in a deal valued at $20 million.
Omnilytics will be embarking on an ongoing strategic acquisition drive to bolster its core functions and technological capabilities to supercharge its long-term growth, the company said in a…
Malaysia’s AirAsia launches e-hailing services; eyes more acquisitions as it builds Super App
Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia Group has launched e-hailing services, AirAsia Ride in the capital city Kuala Lumpur to take on prominent regional ride-hailing giant Grab with more competitive fares for customers and lower commission on drivers.
AirAsia Ride was officially launched during an online event on Tuesday. Services are currently available in the Klang Valley, with expansion to more…
A look into how cloud kitchens are driving growth for Taiwan’s billion-dollar food delivery industry
Online food delivery has been around as an option in Taiwan for some time. Ordering from our favorite restaurants for delivery or takeaway is easy with service from a number of mobile apps. It is so easy and convenient that it has fundamentally changed consumer behavior and the regular habits of people.
Two decades ago, there were only a couple of types of food being delivered in Taiwan. The…
A closer look at 4 Vietnamese startups that made the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list
2021 was a year of turbulence but also of resilience for Vietnam’s startup landscape. Right amid the crisis, Vietnam has seen the birth of its second unicorn--the digital payment firm VNPay.
Also, the recent fundraising success of many homegrown startups such as Loship, Kamereo, and Nano Technologies should send a signal to investors worldwide that Vietnam’s startup ecosystem is well on its…