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…
Indonesia’s GoTo to complete $2B funding round, eyes IPO in 2022 – report
Indonesia's largest tech group GoTo is set to wrap up a pre-IPO funding exercise to raise up to $2 billion in the next few weeks, Reuters reported.
Quoting sources, the report said regulatory delays threaten to push its listing plans to early next year.
The delay comes as Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK) considers new listing guidelines for tech companies to offer dual-class…
Southeast Asia market opportunities uncovered
Southeast Asia's rapid rise of technology companies has continued. The imminent public listings of several ventures will start a new wave of investment opportunities and innovation. Adrian Li, AC Ventures’ Co-founder & Managing Partner shared his views and predictions at SuperReturn Emerging Markets 2021, “SEA Market Opportunities Uncovered" earlier this year.
The Indonesia market…
AirAsia’s logistics arm Teleport to acquire food delivery platform Delivereat for $9.8M
Malaysia's low-cost airline AirAsia Group Bhd's logistics arm Teleport has signed an agreement to acquire Malaysian online food delivery platform Delivereat in a deal valued at $9.8 million.
The deal values Teleport at $300 million and welcomes investors, including Kuala Lumpur and Shanghai-based venture capital firm Gobi Partners onboard, AirAsia said in a statement on Wednesday.
As part…
Does Axiata-RHB consortium have what it takes to win a digital bank license in Malaysia? [Q&A]
Editor’s note: This interview is part of a Q&A series with some of the contenders vying for a digital banking license in Malaysia.
Axiata-RHB consortium is often seen as one of the forerunners to win a digital banking license in Malaysia as the consortium has brought together one of the largest telecommunications groups in the region and the country’s fourth-largest banking group.…
Singapore’s Sea Q2 revenue jumps 159% on-year; raises full year 2021 guidance
Singapore-headquartered e-commerce and gaming group Sea Ltd reported a 158.6 percent jump in revenue to $2.3 billion in the second quarter of 2021, mainly driven by growth in the e-commerce business and its digital entertainment business.
The New York Stock Exchange-listed tech giant saw its net loss widen to $433.67 million in the second quarter from $393.54 million a year ago, mainly due to…
Singapore financing startup Jenfi raises $6.3M Series A led by Monk’s Hill Ventures
Singapore-based revenue-based financing company Jenfi said Tuesday it has raised $6.3 million in Series A funding led by Monk’s Hill Ventures.
Other investors include Golden Equator Ventures and Korea Investment Partners (via the GEC-KIP Fund), 8VC, ICU Ventures, and Taurus Ventures.
The Series A funding will be used for product development, customer acquisition, and expansion in Southeast…
Challenges and opportunities: How digital tools help increase customer retention rate and yield for traditional businesses like automotive service
When car owners rely on digital diagnostic reports, traditional stores can no longer retain them through the current customer retention methods.
At present, the Xi'an automotive aftermarket is very lively under the competition between the "cat (Tmall AutoCare) and tiger (Tuhu)." Although their market share is not very high, e-commerce franchises are coming aggressively and pushing the market…