How well do you know Asia’s surging live streaming commerce market?
Asia is arguably leading the world when it comes to live selling or live streaming e-commerce. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this even clearer. During the lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of the pandemic, many have turned to selling things through live video streaming particularly via Facebook.
But why are businesses or individual entrepreneurs turning to live selling? Does it really help…
Tale of the (used car) tape: Putting Carsome and Carro head-to-head
Carsome vs Carro: Who wins Southeast Asia’s used car fight?
Carsome’s planned merger with iCarAsia makes it Malaysia’s first unicorn -- just a month after its closest competitor, Singapore’s Carro passed the $1 billion mark.
Both used car innovators share many similarities -- from the year they were founded (2015) to their geographic reach across Southeast Asia. But with Carsome now…
Top product managers in Southeast Asia share tips and best practices for budding PMs
Product experts share actionable insights from their years of product management. Find useful tips on different ways to structure a product team within an organization, communication amongst different stakeholders, and hiring PMs. Practical advice on beta testing and prioritization strategies will also be covered towards the end of this piece so do read to the end to absorb the learnings from top…
The future of decentralized finance is in ease of user experience, says Flurry Finance CEO Mike Ting [Q&A]
DeFi, or decentralized finance, is disrupting the FinTech industry as we know it. As of writing, the total value locked in US dollars on DeFi platforms is at $55.47 billion--a 2,058 percent year-on-year growth from $2.57 billion in July 2020, according to DeFi Pulse. This figure actually peaked in March this year at around $88.77 billion.
While that may be just a drop in the bucket in the…
Indonesia’s Desty raises $3.2M pre-Series A funding led by Xiaomi investor 5Y Capital
Indonesia-based social commerce startup Desty announced that it has secured $3.2 million in a pre-series A funding round.
The investment was led by 5Y Capital (formerly known as Morningside Venture Capital), a venture capital in China that has become the main backer of notable companies like Xiaomi and Kuaishou, according to a statement on Monday.
This move also marks 5Y Capital's first…
Philippines VC Gentree Fund allocates $40M for SEA startups looking to expand in the country
Gentree Fund, a Philippines-based sector-agnostic fund that focuses on investments into early-stage B2C and B2B companies, has just announced that it has earmarked an initial $40 million to invest in early and growth-stage Southeast Asian startups with plans of expanding into the Filipino market.
The venture capital firm was launched in July 2020. Gentree Fund is a private investment vehicle…
Malaysia online baby store Babydash raises $300K bridge round via equity crowdfunding
Malaysia-based digital baby store Babydash announced on Thursday that it has raised 1.27 million MYR ($300,000). This bridge funding round is a prelude to future fundraising rounds with institutional investors and prominent venture capitals, the company said in a statement. For the bridge, Babydash received strong community interest, the majority of whom are its users and parenting community.…
Malaysia PE firm Creador eyes tech sectors after raising $500M for first close of 5th fund
Malaysia-headquartered private equity firm Creador is scouting opportunities in the technology sector after announcing the first close of its fifth investment vehicle Creador V.
Creador Founder and Chief Executive Officer Brahmal Vasudevan said it is looking to invest in technology sectors.
“We are starting the deployment of the fifth fund now. We are also building a digital bank in…
Digital transformation has accelerated the warung ecosystem in Indonesia, says Warung Pintar’s Agung Bezharie Hadinegoro [Q&A]
The COVID pandemic has upended many industries around the globe. For one, restrictions in movements meant that many businesses lost profitability, especially those that relied on physical operations and foot traffic. The bigger picture is that there has been economic uncertainty and slowdown in many parts of the world.
Many economies are now beginning to bounce back, thanks to the advantages…
EU-funded Ontochain calls for internet innovators to co-develop software ecosystem
The European Commission-funded project Ontochain is calling internet innovators to apply for its second open call and co-develop a new software ecosystem for trusted, traceable, and transparent ontological knowledge management.
A total budget of 1.32 million euro is available to support the best proposals. Participants will get grants up to 145,000 euro (equity-free funding), free coaching,…