The Singapore-based mobile wallet plans to expand its multi-currency across Southeast Asia

YouTrip, Singapore’s first multi-currency mobile wallet with a prepaid Mastercard®
that offers zero transaction fees across 150+ currencies at wholesale exchange rates, announced that it has raised US$25.5 million Pre-Series A funding. The round was participated by major Asian family offices and venture capital firm Insignia Venture Partners, founded by ex-Sequoia Partner Yinglan Tan.

The company said that it will use the funding to drive the development of YouTrip’s technical payment infrastructure, to launch of new product features, and proceed with its regional expansion plans in Southeast Asia.

YouTrip was launched in August 2018 as a multi-currency mobile wallet serving mostly travellers, allowing users to pay in over 150 currencies with no hidden fees and at wholesale exchange rates. The mobile app itself is designed to let users exchange and have a storage for 10 selected currencies in advance through the in-app exchange feature.

YouTrip mobile application works with a linked pre-paid Mastercard ® – issued by EZ-Link – and can be used to make payments at more than 30 million Mastercard-accepting merchants worldwide.

Southeast Asia’s population of over 650 million people makes for one of the largest and fastest growing outbound travellers market globally. Singapore is among the biggest contributor to this region, with Singaporeans being one of the most frequent travellers and biggest travel spenders globally.

Also Read: Europe is in the dark from an Asian startup point of view: Ubisoft’s Catherine Seys

“As a frequent traveller, I was surprised with how much banks mark up on overseas transactions – this was among the many reasons why I started YouTrip with Arthur Mak, who is also Chairman of YouTrip. YouTrip recognises the pain points of travellers and the opportunity to serve their financial needs,” said Caecilia Chu, co-founder, and CEO of YouTrip.

Bank-issued credit and debit cards typically carry an overseas transaction fee that can be as high as 3.5 per cent. Overseas purchases made with credit cards also usually entail a Dynamic Currency Conversion markup, sometimes going as high as 5 per cent or more.

YouTrip does not charge any overseas transaction fees nor markup on foreign exchange conversion.

“The fintech space in Southeast Asia is developing faster than ever and the travel industry represents an untapped market at the intersection of this growth. YouTrip’s success of the initial launch in Singapore provides a foundation to develop a roadmap for growing the multi-currency and cross-border payments ecosystem in Southeast Asia,” said Pachara Lawjindakul, Principal at Insignia Ventures Partners.

The company claims to have over 200,000 downloads and one million transactions with a team of 70 people in Singapore and Hong Kong 10 months since launch. Next, it’s set to developing localised solutions for the region’s travellers.

Also Read: Meet the 15 startups participating in Anthill Ventures’s A-Scale programme

By downloading its app from the App Store or Google Play, users may set up an account with no minimum account balance required and for free. Any credit or debit card can be used to top up the e-wallet, which has a maximum stored value of S$3,000 (US$2,192).

All registered users receive a physical prepaid Mastercard, free of charge.
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Trying to score that investor meeting for the longest of time? We have the answer to that at #Echelon2019!

Echelon Connect 2019 is only limited to Premium Ticket holders as well as TOP100 startups, want to get your Premium Ticket? Click here!

One of the coolest features of Echelon Asia Summit 2019 (23rd to 24th May) is our annual startup to investor in-attendance matchmaking programme, Echelon Connect.

Over the past years, 15 per cent of startups raised follow-on funding after Echelon Connect. This is your chance to score that 15 minutes 1-1 discussion with Southeast Asia’s most active and influential investors.

Here’s the complete list of investors who will be attending Echelon Connect 2019 (Alphabetical Order):

ACE Capital

ACE Capital was created as a tech focused venture capital firm, headquartered in Taiwan, primarily focused on investments into Seed and Early stage companies, mostly in North and Southeast Asia.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: Seed to Series A
• Industry/Vertical: All/Any

Past Investments include: REWork, SpaceX, Neuron, Ninjavan and many more

Agaeti Ventures

Agaeti Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm that focuses on Pre-Series A and Series A technology-enabled startups with a primary focus on Indonesia or with an expansion focus into Indonesia.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From:  Indonesia, expanding to Indonesia
• Stage: Pre Series A to Series A
• Industry/Vertical: Health, Education, Agriculture, Logistics, Travel & Leisure, e-Sports, Proptech, Fintech

Past investments include: CoHIVE, Warung Pintar, Pathao, BrideStory and many more

Aviva Ventures

Aviva Ventures is a corporate venture capital fund that invests in startups in the Insurtech space, Healthtech and Fintech that has opportunities that can shape the future of insurance.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From:  All/Any
• Stage: All/Any
• Industry/Vertical: Insurance, Health, Fintech

Past investments include: Swingvy, Acre, Owlstone Medical and many more

Asia Summit Capital

With more than 20 portfolios in South East Asia, Asia Summit Capital is a private equity & venture capital firm dedicated to investing in growth companies.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: Seed to Series A (at least MVP ready)
• Industry/Vertical: eSports & Gaming, Influencer-based MarTech, Artificial Intelligence, MedTech, Frontier Technologies

Find out more about Asia Summit Capital here.

Betatron

Betatron is a network of Investors, Entrepreneurs, Startups and Mentors focused on empowering founders. Through this platform, they provide funding, hands-on support, and unprecedented network access to drive business outcomes.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: Seed to Pre Series A
• Industry/Vertical: All/Any
• Additional Criteria: Excludes hardware startups

Burda Principal Investments

Burda Principal Investments (BPI), a division of Hubert Burda Media, provides long term growth equity for fast growing digital technology and media companies.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: Series A and later
• Industry/Vertical: B2C

Past investments include: Zilingo, Carsome, Priceza and many more

C31 Ventures

C31 Ventures is CapitaLand’s corporate venture fund set up to build real estate of the future. It invests in technology startups that complement CapitaLand’s real estate business and provide the Group with new strategic capabilities.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: All/Any
• Industry/Vertical: Proptech, Retail Tech

Past investments include: Chope and many more

Captii Ventures

Captii Ventures is a multi-stage investor in Southeast Asian start-ups. They invest in marketplace enablers that deliver mobile/e-commerce innovation and ventures that build mobile-first media platforms. They have a preferred focus on cloud and handset-app delivered application, and also for start-ups that have better solutions for age-old enterprise problems.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From:  Southeast Asia
• Stage: Seed onwards
• Industry/Vertical: Fintech, B2B and Enterprise

Past investments include: AVANA, bfab, PouchNation and many more

Centicorn Ventures

We subscribe to the philosophy of “for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs”. With more than 30 years of experience as entrepreneurs across the partners, we look for and partner high impact founders who have a strong vision to be game changers in the future through their businesses.

Interested to meet/invest startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage:All/Any
• Industry/Vertical: Enterprise software/SAAS, F&B, Travel

Find out more about Centicorn Ventures:

Cerana Capital

Cerana Capital is an investment firm based in Singapore, with a focus on early-stage and Series A companies in the Southeast Asian region.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From:  Southeast Asia
• Stage: Early Stage and Series A
• Industry/Vertical: Agtech, Foodtech, Fintech, Real Estate

Past investments include: Agrome IQ and many more

Cradle Fund

An agency under the Ministry of Finance, Malaysia, Cradle Fund provides early stage funding to innovative and aspiring entrepreneurs

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Southeast Asia, primary focus on Malaysia
• Stage: Seed to Pre Series A
• Industry/Vertical: Digital, Hardware, Software

Past investments include: Dropee, WOBB, ParkEasy, TagLA and many more

Decacorn Capital

Decacorn Capital is a cross-border venture funding initiative, which invests in game changing start-ups enabled by innovative use of technology and led by high-caliber, passionate founders who are out there with the mission to either create a true delight or solve a real problem. The firm has an exit, by way of IPO of Snap Inc., and it has invested in other Silicon Valley tech unicorns.

Past investments include: Propine Capital, Affable and many more

elev8.vc

elev8.vc is a Singapore based VC Fund that looks at promising early-stage enterprise companies who develop incredible new technologies and have ambitious commercial goals.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Southeast Asia
• Stage: Early stage
• Industry/Vertical: Deep tech, B2B, Autonomous Vehicles, Communications, Medtech, IoT, AI

Everstone Capital

The Everstone Group is a leading private equity and real estate investment firm focused on supporting the growth aspirations of entrepreneurs, corporations and asset owners across India and Southeast Asia.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Southeast Asia
• Stage: All/Any
• Industry/Vertical: B2C, Healthcare, B2B
• Additional Criteria: Excludes Marketplaces, P2P Lending, Hardware

Fusion Capital Partners

Fusion Capital Partners is early-stage venture capital platform, combining a mix of financial & operational expertise, and a unique understanding of digital assets.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From:  All/Any
• Stage: All/Any
• Industry/Vertical: Fintech, 3D Manufacturing, Industry 4.0 tech

Gobi Partners

Founded in 2002, Gobi Partners is a venture capital firm with its headquarters and incubation center in Shanghai, additional offices in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Jakarta, Tokyo, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Tianjin, as well as Singapore. A leading investor in early stage digital media and technology companies in China, Gobi manages 12 funds with over US$1.1 billion under management. Since its establishment, Gobi has funded over 250 startups, ranging from early to traction stage companies to unicorns and continues to invest actively in the region.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: APAC to the Middle East 
• Stage: Seed, Early Stage and Later Stage
• Industry/Vertical: All/Any

Past Investments include: ViSenze, Edukasyon.ph, Maria Health, Eko and many more

Latest news: Gobi Partners-Core Capital JV invests in Filipino startups MariaHealth, Edukasyon

Golden Equator Capital

Golden Equator Capital is a Singapore-based fund management company that invests in innovative technology companies across Asia.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Southeast Asia
• Stage: Series A and above
• Industry/Vertical: All/Any

Past investments include: ohmyhome, Vault Dragon, Glints, Paktor and many more

Latest news: Golden Equator Group of Singapore raises US$18M led by Taizo Son

Golden Gate Ventures

Golden Gate Ventures is a seed fund investing in early stage internet startups in Southeast Asia. Their investment activities bring Silicon Valley best practices to startups in Southeast Asia.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam
• Stage: Seed to Series A
• Industry/Vertical: B2C, B2B2C, B2B

Past investments include: Carousell, Carro, MoneySmart, GRANA and many more

GREE Ventures

GREE Ventures is a venture capital firm that originally started as a new business for GREE, a driving force behind innovation in Japan’s mobile Internet services. It invests in Japan as well as emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and India to support entrepreneurs who seek to solve issues in the world through technology.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Singapore, Indonesia, India
• Stage: Seed
• Industry/Vertical: All/Any
• Additional criteria: Excluding startups in the gaming and biotech/medtech industry

Past investments includes: Saleswhale, Vouch Insurtech, Healint and many more

Latest News: Innovation Factory, GREE Ventures launch SKALA accelerator programme in Indonesia

Incubate Fund

Incubate Fund is the largest and best known seed to early stage focused venture capital fund in Japan.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Southeast Asia, Japan, United States and India
• Stage: Seed
• Industry/Vertical: All/Any
• Additional criteria: Founder must be proficient in English

Past investments include: StayAbode, Hostel Hunting, Schoo and many more

Indonusa Dwitama

Indonusa Dwitama is an investment holding company that engages in organizing and developing a broad portfolio of investments in Indonesia.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam
• Stage: Seed and Series A
• Industry/Verticals: Adtech, e-Commerce and Human Resources tech (HR)

Past Investments include: Orori and Qontak

Latest News: Singapore cross-border payments startup Wallex raises Pre-Series A funding from BEENEXT

International Finance Corporation (IFC)

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a part of the World Bank Group focuses on private enterprises and infrastructure in emerging markets.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From:  All/Any
• Stage: All/Any
• Industry/Vertical: e-Logistics, Education, Healthcare, Enterprise Services

Past investments include: Coursera, Bizongo, RedDoorz and many more

JN Capital & Growth Advisory

JN Capital & Growth Advisory focuses on advisory and consulting services to help SMEs grow and scale their business in-country and cross-borders.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From:  All/Any
• Stage: All/Any
• Industry/Vertical: Education, Health, Media/Social, Lifestyle, Smart Mobility, Fintech
• Additional Criteria: Focusing on AR/VR, AI/ML, Data Analytics

Jungle Ventures

Jungle Ventures is a Singapore based Venture Capital Firm that invests in and helps build tech category leaders from Asia.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From:  Southeast Asia
• Stage: Pre Series A to B
• Industry/Vertical: Fintech, Cybersecurity, AI, Logistics, Data Management and Software oriented

Past investments include: RedDoorz, FinAccel, Tookitaki, smartkarma and iflix and many more

KK Fund

KK Fund is a venture capital fund to invest in seed stage internet and mobile startups across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Southeast Asia
• Stage: Seed and Pre Series A
• Industry/Vertical: Fintech, Logistics, Entertainment, Platforms

Past investments includes: ZmyHome, PolicyStreet, Hostel Hunting, GIZTIX and more. 

MassMutual Ventures

MassMutual Ventures helps companies navigate early growth and achieve significant enterprise value over time. They are a member of a large US-based financial service firm, MassMutual Life Insurance Company, one with broad and deep expertise in insurance, asset management, retirement, cybersecurity, data science, and IT infrastructure. They also help their portfolio companies’ access global expertise from their operating executive colleagues.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: All/Any
• Industry/Vertical: Fintech, Healthtech and Enterprise sectors

Past investments include: RedDoorz, FinAccel, Tookitaki, smartkarma and iflix and many more

Monk’s Hill Ventures

Monk’s Hill Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in technology startups that take advantage of the fast growing Asian markets.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Southeast Asia
• Stage: Seed, Series A and Series B
• Industry/Vertical: All/Any

Past Investments include: KKday, ELSA, Horangi Cybersecurity, Saleswhale and many more

Latest news: Healthtech company Jio Health raises US$5M Series A funding from Monk’s Hill Ventures

OOCTANE

OOCTANE is a venture capital firm by Cambodians for Cambodia. OOCTANE is looking to invest in technology startups focused on the logistics, e-commerce, real estate and financial-services verticals.

The fund is chaired by Oknha SEAR Rithy, Chairman of the WorldBridge Group.
Interested to meet/invest startups:

• Country: Companies who are looking to enter or expand into the Greater Mekong Subregion (e.g. Cambodia)
• Stage: Early (pre-seed/seed/Series A)
• Industry/Vertical: Logistics/mobility, ecommerce, fintech (esp. payments sector), propTech

Find out more about OOCTANE.

Protégé Ventures

New Singapore-based venture fund Protégé Ventures has two distinct characteristics: it is run by students and only invests in startups with at least one student co-founder.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: Early
• Industry/Vertical: All/Any
• Additional Criteria: Startup must be student run or have a co founder that has graduated in the last 5 years

Qualgro Venture Capital

Qualgro is an ASEAN-focused fund supported by large Asian conglomerates, that invests into internet and technology-based businesses, across Southeast Asia, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand
• Stage: Series A and B
• Industry/Vertical: B2B and B2B2C
• Additional Criteria: Preference for Medtech, SaaS, Data (Analytics, AI/ML) for SMEs and Enterprise

Past investments include: PatSnap, Appier, Wavecell and many more

Rekanext

Rekanext is a distinctive venture capital firm backed by strong partners with deep experiences in digital technology, enterprise solution, manufacturing, real estate, fund management and the financial industry who have resolved to mentor early stage startups through their growth phases.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia
• Stage: All/Any
• Industry/Vertical: Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Agritech, SAAS Platforms, Digitisation of Traditional Businesses, Automotive, IOT/ M2M, Video Analytics/ Computer Vision

Rhapsody Ventures

Rhapsody Ventures is a cross-border technology strategy and venture investor.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: Pre Seed to Series A
• Industry/Vertical: Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Mobility (AI/Autonomous Driving/Sensors/Software Stack), Recycling and Batteries

SC Ventures

Standard Chartered has established a new business unit, SC Ventures, to lead digital innovation across the Group, invest in fintechs and other start-up companies, promote rapid testing and implementation of new business models.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: Series B and above, with Series A by exception
• Industry/Vertical: Fintech

Skystar Capital

Skystar Capital is a fund that invests in technology startups in the Asia Pacific region, particularly Indonesia, at their early and growth stages.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Indonesia and startups looking to expand to Indonesia
• Stage: Seed to Series B
• Industry/Vertical: All/Any

Past investments include: Ekrut, Dekoruma, SweetEscape and many more

Latest News: Indonesian recruitment platform Ekrut raises pre-Series A funding round

Slava Orekhov (Angel Investor)

Slava can bring a lot of value to SaaS/Enterprise Software companies due to his background. He is also a passionate foodie who cares about the future of the planet and hence don’t hesitate to reach out to him if you’d like to talk about Agri or F&B ventures.

Interested to meet/invest startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: All/Any
• Industry/Vertical: SaaS/Enterprise Software, Agritech, F&B Ventures

Find out more about Slava Orekhov:

Supply Chain Angels

Supply Chain Angels (SCAngels) is the corporate venture arm of YCH Group, Asia Pacific’s leading integrated end-to-end supply chain management and solutions provider, supported by Y3 Technologies, a leading supply chain management information technology and services company.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From:  All/Any
• Stage: Post Seed to Series A
• Industry/Vertical: Logistics, Fintech, AI, Machine Learning

Past investments include: Tookotaki, Spaceship and many more

Teko Ventures

Teko Ventures is a Vietnam-based investment fund that invests across all investment stages in Southeast Asia.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Vietnam and planning to expand to Vietnam
• Stage: Seed and Series A
• Industry/Vertical: All/Any

Past Investments include: Tripi, POS365, VNPay, Umbala and many more

TH Capital

TH Capital is a Malaysian based venture capital firm with strong Southeast Asian connections.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:
From: Southeast Asia
Stage: Series A
Industry/Vertical: Insurtech, Fintech

Find out more about TH Capital here.

TRIVE Ventures

TRIVE Ventures focuses on specific strategies for go-to-market and branding to help Singapore-based startups help a global positioning and to embrace expansion to the regional markets.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: Seed to Series A
• Industry/Vertical: Deep Tech
• Additional Criteria: Focusing on AI, Applied Blockchain, Science backed tech

Past investments include: Refash, NeuroTrend, Park N Parcel and many more

tryb Group

Tryb Group is a Singapore-based organization focused on fintech services in Southeast Asia. They operate like an umbrella company by taking stakes in promising businesses and buying up others via acquisitions.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: All/Any
• Stage: Up to Series A
• Industry/Vertical: Fintech
• Additional Criteria: Focusing on AI, Applied Blockchain, Science backed tech

Venturra Discovery

Venturra Discovery is the seed investment arm of Venturra, a Southeast Asia focused VC firm investing in early stage high-growth businesses.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From:  Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines
• Stage: Seed to Pre Series A
• Industry/Vertical: Fintech (supporting wallet/payments), Proptech, Insurance, Edutech, Healthtech

Quest Ventures

Quest Ventures is a leading venture fund for technology companies that have scalability and replicability in large internet communities.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar
• Stage: Seed to Early Stage
• Industry/Vertical: All/Any

Past Investments include: Carro, Hapz, Ubersnap, Carousell and many more

Walden International

Walden International is the leading firm focused on cross-border investments – their integrated team is dedicated to helping you build the next industry leading companies.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Singapore
• Stage: Series A
• Industry/Vertical: AI, Fintech, Big Data, e-Commerce, Mobile and Internet

Past investments include: Swingvy, Credolab, uCare, Dexcure, Ematic Solutions and many more

Wavemaker Partners

Wavemaker Partners invest in a broad range of technology-driven companies in the US and Southeast Asia.

Interested to meet/invest in startups:

• From: Indonesia, Vietnam
• Stage: Seed to Pre Series A
• Industry/Vertical: Deep Tech, Enterprise (B2B), SaaS, Proptech, Fintech, Agriculture, Commerce Space

Past investments include: Saleswhale, ZUZU, igloohome and eFishery and many more.

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Echelon Connect 2019 is only limited to Premium Ticket holders as well as TOP100 startups, want to get your Premium Ticket? Click here!

There is only 300 meeting slots available and registration starts 8th May when we send over the registration form to all current Premium Ticket holders and TOP100 startups!

Photo by Bethany Legg on Unsplash

The post 44 fantastic investors that might be your next match at #Echelon2019 appeared first on e27.

The answer to this riddle is something we are always seeking more of

Echelon is just 9 days away! If you don’t want to miss out on all the fun, make sure to register here.

To give your brain a little workout, we are giving away free tickets if you can answer this riddle correctly.

Also Read: 44 fantastic investors that might be your next match at #Echelon2019

The answer to this riddle is one word so you will have to fill in the blank space with the answer. Visit the registration page and enter the answer into the promotional code box. The format is e27-XXXX. Please use all-caps for the word. More details below.

Riddle me this

Question: For some I go fast for others I’m slow. To most people I am an obsession; relying on me is a well-practiced lesson.

Answer: _________

How do I answer?

Here are the steps to redeem the tickets (assuming you know the answer ) .

1. Visit the registration page.
2. Under the first bar towards the left, underneath the date, you should see a “Promotional Code” box.
3. Enter the answer
4. NOTE: The answer is one word and it must be entered in ALL CAPS. Also, follow the format e27-XXXX.
5. Limited Starter tickets will appear for free.
6. After that simply click the ‘Buy Ticket’ button and follow through the registration process.
7. Attend Echelon!!

Also Read: What your business can and should learn from Arya Stark

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Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

The post Here is another riddle to help you attend #Echelon2019! appeared first on e27.

With this, Ubisoft will be able to support and reach out to more entrepreneurs around the world in the entertainment sector

French video games company Ubisoft has announced the launch of the fourth season of its startup programme at Station F, one of the world’s biggest startup campuses, in Paris.

Called Ubisoft Entrepreneurs Lab, the programme has now been expanded to Singapore. With this, Ubisoft will be able to support and reach out to more entrepreneurs around the world working on innovative technologies in the entertainment sector.

In collaboration with Ubisoft’s Singapore studio, the programme will host the selected startups at PIXEL, an innovation space managed by the government agency Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA), for the entire duration of six months. Startups wishing to stay longer are free to do so.

All selected startups, in both campuses, will undergo a six-month personalised programme, which will enable them to interact with Ubisoft experts as well as partners across its international network. The mentor of this new season is Serge Hascoet, Chief Creative Officer at Ubisoft.

The fourth season offering two tracks, both available in the Paris and Singapore campuses, will focus on two themes — one, the exploration of the links between blockchain technology and entertainment, in the continuity of the previous seasons; and two, extended entertainment: innovative services with the goal of improving entertainment experiences before, during and after gaming sessions.

Also Read: An ex-French Minister’s VC firm strives to bridge Asian and European startup ecosystems

The programme will take place from September 1, 2019 to March 1, 2020, and the application process will close on June 30 2019.

Candidates can apply here.

“We are now heading into our fourth season of our startup programme at Station F in Paris, and are very happy to extend the Ubisoft Entrepreneurs Lab to Singapore,” said Catherine Seys, Startup Program Director at the Strategic Innovation Lab. “Ubisoft Singapore has been established for more than 10 years, and from what we already know of the region, we are confident that its vibrant local tech ecosystem and strong talent pool are key ingredients for budding startups.”

Howie Lau, Chief Industry Development Officer, IMDA, added: “PIXEL, located in the One-North innovation district with a vibrant tech and media community, is well positioned to play the role of the Asian node of Ubisoft’s Entrepreneurs Lab. This collaboration will enable participating startups in Singapore and the region to access IMDA PIXEL’s facilities and local programmes, as well as to access Ubisoft’s global resources and mentorship to develop innovative solutions for the entertainment sector.”

Ubisoft is a creator, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and services, with a portfolio of known brands such as Assassin’s Creed, Just Dance, Tom Clancy’s video game series, Rayman, Far Cry and Watch Dogs.

 

The post French video games company Ubisoft expands its startup programme to Singapore appeared first on e27.

Did you know 38 per cent of all corporate venture deals happened in Asia?

My company, MDI Ventures, is a US$140 million corporate venture capital (CVC) firm backed by Indonesia’s largest state-owned telecoms conglomerate Telkom Group.

The firm, which has been around since 2015, refers to its fund as ‘evergreen,’ meaning each year Telkom Group may replenish or increase the size of the fund depending on market conditions. To date, we are the largest such fund for startups in the archipelago.

Today, I aim to update a variety of public misconceptions about corporate venture capital that have for years permeated the global market.

Recent data shows that 2018 saw a bona fide surge in CVC activity worldwide. The second quarter alone clocked a record 757 CVC deals and US$14.1 billion in funding. For the whole year, there were 2,740 deals on record, while roughly US$53 billion was disclosed in CVC funding for tech startups. This is a staggering increase from US$36.1 billion the year before.

Asia attracted 38 per cent of all CVC deals in 2018, up from 31 per cent in 2017. In the third quarter, Asia overtook North American deal share for the first time. CVC accounted for 38 per cent of all disclosed funding for tech startups in Asia.

Yet despite CVC playing an increasingly important role in tech ecosystems around the world, some stakeholders feel that there exist a slew of erroneous perceptions about the model itself. Here are just a few.

Myth 1: CVC firms are slow, bureaucratic, and lack autonomy

“A lot of startups and investors in Asia think that we are controlled by Telkom Group, and therefore must do its bidding, but this is not true,” explains MDI Ventures’ CEO Nicko Widjaja. He adds that our firm is an independent entity with a fully autonomous team and decision-making processes.

Also Read: Here is another riddle to help you attend #Echelon2019!

Widjaja says, “We actually offer startups the best of both worlds. Founders get capital injected promptly after raising a funding round from us. CVC firms like ours have the cash on hand to make these moves quickly after term sheets are signed. Founders also get a real bridge and network in the corporate world, a place they must go for clients and partnerships if they hope to achieve meaningful scale and success. Both of these are things that most other local VCs cannot claim truthfully.”

Myth 2: CVC funds are off-limits to new investors

Our head of investor relations and capital raising Kenneth Li echoes Widjaja’s sentiment. According to him, Telkom does not dictate who the firm hires or which startups it invests in. Telkom Group is also not the only institution that can put its faith and capital in our hands.

“One key point that we want to get across is that our fund is actually open for other local and global investors to come in as limited partners,” explains Li.

“These are often institutions that seek to invest and participate in Southeast Asia’s tech boom and we help them capitalize. MDI Ventures is not just set up to invest on behalf of one corporate. We’re open to co-investing with other VCs and we’re actively welcoming other strategic backers to the fund.”

Myth 3: They only hire from the corporate world

On the HR front, the firm’s VP of Investments Joshua Agusta says that the team also recruits members on a “pro hire” basis.

“This means that we prefer to work with folks who have real experience and culture fit with startup investing and a proven track record in the region,” says Agusta. “They are not usually people from unrelated sectors in the corporate world.”

Also Read: A look at the future of social commerce

He adds that in our case, the current core team members do not come from corporate backgrounds. The company has a distinct culture and prudence in building its investment thesis and strategic direction.

Myth 4: CVC money does not perform well

While many CVC funds in Southeast Asia have tried and failed to bridge the gap between corporates and startups, MDI Ventures can claim it is the only one to have succeeded so far. Through the tech companies it has invested in, the firm has been able to cut costs (in one case by as much as 80%) and create close to US$100 million in new revenue streams for Telkom Group, while also providing key market access to the startups.

The CVC firm has seen two of its portfolio investments exit via IPO and M&A in the span of three years, with multiple more exits expected in 2019. The team says one of its portfolio companies has the potential to become a ‘unicorn’ (reaching a US$1 billion valuation or higher).

Widjaja adds, “This notion in the market that corporate venture capital is slow, bureaucratic, and unwise money is a stereotype that we really hope to dispel today. In our case, it couldn’t be  further from the truth.”

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Photo by Samson Creative. on Unsplash

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What parents and educators can do to help our children use tech more effectively in their education

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Today’s children are facing a more unique challenge compared to their parents and educators’ generation. As life gets more digitised, digital skills become more crucial to acquire through education process.

But how to best prepare our children for their future? What role can tech play in this endeavour? As tech becomes a more integral part of children’s daily lives today, should there be a limitation to their involvement?

On the first day of Echelon Asia Summit 2019, we are going to see a panel discussion featuring these astonishing speakers on the role of tech in children’s education.

Moderator

Angela Noronha, Entrepreneur Selection & Growth, Endeavor Philippines

At Endeavor, Noronha is supporting high impact entrepreneurs around Asia Pacific with access to Endeavor’s global network of capital, talent, and mentors.

She spent the last four years at an edutech startup, leading partnerships, and building the customer success department from the ground up.

Noronha also spent a few months interviewing VCs and founders for e27 in Thailand, enabling her to acquire basic knowledge and fluency in the tech startup space.

Prior to that, she had worked in strategy, analytics, and programme management with social enterprises, startups, and FMCG.

Also Read: 44 fantastic investors that might be your next match at #Echelon2019

Panelists

John Tan, CEO, Saturday Kids

In addition to being the CEO of Saturday Kids, Tan is a founding partner of Found8 and a partner at two micro venture capital funds. He has been investing in technology startups since 2011. Some of the more recognisable names in his portfolio include Redmart, Chope, and Ninja Van.

He spends most of his time on Saturday Kids, a curiosity school for children and young adults with the mission to make kids curious, self-directed learners.

Tan is passionate about entrepreneurship and equipping young people with the skills to thrive in a tech driven world. A father of five, his hobbies and interests include yoga, film, and music.

Janine Teo, CEO, Solve Education!
Solve Education! is an education technology not-for-profit with the mission of delivering quality education to everyone, focussing on the BOP (Bottom of Pyramid) demographic. The platform does this through its educational game app: DawnOfCivilization.net.

As CEO, Teo is particularly passionate about leveraging technology to solve social problems in a systemic, scalable and sustainable way.

She was also the first Asian to receive the International Intellectual Benefits to Society Award 2018 by Mensa International. In addition to that, she was also a fellow of University of Pennsylvania – Global Social Impact House, 2019.

Other recognitions that Teo has received included “51 Most Impactful Social Innovators” 2019 by World CSR Day, Women Super Achievers Award 2019 by World HRD Congress, and Education Leader award 2017 by the World Education Congress.

She was also a serial entrepreneur and had experiences in the corporate world.

Also Read: Here are all the awesome #Echelon2019 Premier ticket perks

Lim Ee Ling, CEO, Smarter Me

Smarter Me is an online-to-offline education platform which equips children with the skillset, mindset, and heartset to define their own success and happiness in the future. Based on a unique framework that imparts digital literacy skills and 21st century skills through coding, robotics, entrepreneurship, and design thinking education, Smarter Me aims to empower kids and teens not only with the tools of today and the future, but with a deeper sense of self-understanding that will help them overcome any changes in the future.

Prior to starting up Smarter Me, Ee Ling spent almost a decade as an Investment Banker at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and CIMB, executing billion-dollar transactions in M&A, equity and debt capital markets. She also specialised in Consumer, Retail, and Technology.

Ee Ling has been featured in and spoken on The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao, Money FM, 938 Now, AsianMoneyGuide, etcetera. She was also invited to share her story and conduct coding workshops at DBS and Standard Chartered.

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Image Credit: Jerry Wang on Unsplash

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Mobile is king in Singapore, so who was leading the e-commerce industry as of Q1 2019?

When it comes to smartphones, Singapore is ranked as one of the highest globally for smartphone penetration. Various mobile app continued to rise in popularity – with the usage and need of shopping online that have become ubiquitous.

We can’t deny how essential mobile phone to be used for almost every aspect of our lives. In fact, a report stated that Singaporeans downloaded 245.4 million apps in 2018 spending approximately US$399.3 million on apps alone.

Although mobile apps today play an important role, a number of Singaporeans still prefers to browse for product and conduct purchases on desktops. This was evident in our previous study on theState of E-commerce.

We conducted astudyto portray who were the mobile e-commerce shopping apps with the highest monthly active users in Southeast Asia in Q1 2019 with the help of App Annie Intelligence.

This data comprises combined iPhone and Android phone averaged monthly active users, Q1 2019 in selected countries – Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.

We also analysed the top most visited e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia in Q1 2019 obtained through SimilarWeb. The companies selected for this study were amongst the top 50 most visited platforms – on desktop and mobile web – in Singapore.

Lazada

Lazada juxtaposed its annual anniversary event to offer a varied range of products and prices that took place from 21 to 27 March 2019. The platform received a tremendous amount of trafficover week-long celebration that came to its peak with a 24-hour shopping extravaganza on 27th March.

Through the app itself, on average shoppers would log on as often as six times a day to play in-app games. On top of that, Lazada live streamed performances artistes on its app to attract consumers.

More importantly, Lazada has strengthened its position as a key e-commerce player in Singapore asRedmartwas integrated into Lazada’s app and website on 15 March 2019. Customers now are able to browse to more than 400,000 retailers in Lazada’s ecosystem – within the same app as what users have been using and at redmart.lazada.sg.

Nonetheless, Lazada requires a series of app updates over the next few months as well as launching the Redmart features and functionalities which is hoped will be ready by end-June 2019. These include; order amend, delivery slot incentives, my list features, search functionality, delivery slot reservation, and order rescheduling.

Furthermore,Chinese New Year 2019that fell on February 4th to 5th – coincides with the February new moon and the year of the pig – was celebrated by people in Southeast Asia countries as a time to honor deities and to be with family.

In conjunction with this Lunar New Year, Lazada Singapore celebrated its CNY campaign with huge promotions, such as 888 flash deals, up to 88 per cent off, and up to $88 vouchers.

It is a celebration sale period as consumers will actively go through the Internet and e-commerce to find what they need for the preparation of the occasion.

Qoo10

Qoo10 remains as a strong competitor in Singapore with the 2nd highest in monthly active users on its mobile app in Singapore in Q1 2019. The Singaporean-based e-commerce company in 2018 stated that the company will continue to focus its progress on the city-state and remains as a strong competitor in the mobile shopping app arena.

Among the possible drivers of its performance in Q1 2019 could be the introduction of its partnership with Grab Pay that provides consumers the option to pay later for rides, food delivery, and for shopping on Qoo10.

Ku Young Bae, the CEO of Qoo10 is optimistic of its company’s future as there is much room for improvements such as in its diverse product selection, more cross-border merchant sources, a predominantly domestic vendor base, self-owned cross-border shipping network, and price competitiveness to drive further growth in Singapore.

Shopee

Shopee – as the third most actively used app – is amongst the fastest growing e-commerce apps as compared to others in the list of the most active users in Singapore.

Shopee was founded in 2015 where the trend in Southeast Asia had a tendency towards users were to purchase through their smartphones. Founded since 2015, the e-commerce company has considered itself as a mobile-first platform, prioritising its developments on the mobile app, which has made them amongst the most actively used apps in Singapore.

In terms of its overall ranking, Shopee’s mobile app was ranked at 2nd place amongst other apps.

Also Read: Our company spent a year pushing for diversity, here is what we learned

In its past months, prioritised a ‘hyper-localised’ user experience approach by having a different app for each country. This was part of their strategy to focus on taking a highly localised approach to each market. Sea – the parent company of Shopee – in March 2019 stated it aims to raiseUS$1.5B in an effort to drive further growth for Shopee.

It also has become the most visited e-commerce platform (on desktop & mobile web) in Southeast Asia during the quarter, which garnered a total traffic increased by 5% from website and app combined as compared in Q4 2018 to 184.4 million visits.

Taobao

As the fourth most actively used app in Singapore in particular, TaoBao seemed to be performing well in countries where there were more consumers proficient in Mandarin.

As such, Taobao although usable in other countries in Southeast Asia, was most actively used in Singapore and Malaysia. Taobao was actively used in Singapore as most sellers would provide delivery services to Singapore as well as attractive deals and products that are sometimes not available in the country.

Beyond its mobile app, Taobao products are also available to Singaporeans via a Taobao agent or third-party platforms such as EZBuy, SGShop, Peeka, and Oops.

Nevertheless, if users are to prefer Lazada as their platform to shop through Taobao, it is still feasible to purchase the items from there asLazada recently excelled cross-border business across Southeast Asia.

The Most Visited E-commerce Platforms on Desktop & Mobile Web in Singapore and Southeast Asia

Qoo10 remains as the most visited e-commerce platform in Singapore, garnering an average of 7.9 million visits on desktop and mobile web in Q1 2019. Subsequently, Lazada was the second most visited at 7.4 million visitors and Shopee at 2.5 million visitors in the same period.

Totaling the overall traffic garnered in Q1 2019 across Southeast Asia, Shopee is the most visited e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia (six countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, & Singapore) in Q1 2019 with a total average of 184.8 million visitors.

In terms of ranking, Lazada remains as the most visited platform (on desktop and mobile web) in Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. Overall, Lazada obtained 179.7 million visitors in Q1 2019 (six countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore).

Also Read: VIISA names 4 startups into the fifth batch of its accelerator programme

Please click on one of the links below to view the data in detail for each country. More findings in the overall Map of E-commerce Report for Q1 2019.

The post Here are Singapore’s top e-commerce apps for mobile shopping appeared first on e27.

Financial literacy content provider Hive Up and wealth service platform Wealth in Asia will now be called WealthUp moving forward

Seeking to provide a more accessible financial literacy content for audiences in Southeast Asia, Hive Up and Wealth in Asia announced their merger into WealthUp. They hope it becomes a one-stop financial literacy platform.

The merger brings the content provider and the wealth management service together with the mission to support individuals and enterprises in Asia.

WealthUp will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Privé Technologies, a wealth management technology company in Asia and Europe that has acquired Hive Up and Wealth In Asia.

“Until now, the right tools to lead Asian-based individuals and enterprises to financial freedom has been reserved for high-net-worths. Our vision with WealthUp is to democratise this for all by tapping into Hive Up’s financial literacy resources and Wealth In Asia’s digital platform to efficiently find and connect investors with the right wealth service providers,” said Qiuyan Tian, the Head of WealthUp.

Users will be given access to financial content, advisory matching wealth services and a new line of financial literacy workshops and webinars. The latter can also be optimised for compliance training and continuing education purposes for enterprise clients and their employees.

Tian added that the challenges in financial and wealth management sector remain the heavy and unrelatable jargons in the existing content online.

“We want to bring in an accessible, comprehensive, and easy-to-understand resources to each person to be with them on the wealth-improvement journey,” said Tian.

Also Read: VIISA names 4 startups into the fifth batch of its accelerator programme

The workshop and webinar schedule will include topics such as Investing 101, Fundamental Analysis, Bonds, and Options that will serve a community of over 7,000 individuals.

It will continue to utilise Wealth In Asia’s proprietary technology that connects people to an investment advisor based on their individual needs. It will also feature the latest investment news, wealth management ideas, and information, as well as expert insights for consumers to continue to grow their wealth.-

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The Philippine-based insurtech aims to “meet the health insurance needs of millions of Filipinos”

tryb Group announced that it has invested an undisclosed amount of seed funding into Phiippine-based insurtech MariaHealth. tryb Group is said to be joining investors like Gobi Partners, Wavemaker, Hustle Fund, and Grand Metro Holdings.

In its statement, Maria Health said it will use the additional funding to scale in the Philippines and to increase their advantage, claiming to be the first-mover in the market.

Maria Health is the digital platform for distribution of health insurance products that aggregate SME, individual, and family health plans. It also provides education and comparison shopping from twenty of the top health insurance providers, primary care clinics, and ambulatory service providers in the Philippines.

The company claims that their digital approach enables sales and account management to scale, which in return helps SMEs and individuals make the right choice in coverage.

On the decision to invest in Maria Health, tryb shared that health expenditures in the Philippines  has grown at almost 12 per cent compound-annual-growth-rate over the last ten years. It expects the trend to accelerate as wellness becomes a more important part of daily life in the Philippines.

Also Read: Row over rental payments leads to fallout between Marvelstone and Hong Leong

“Maria is a great addition to the tryb portfolio. The investment aligns with our thesis that financial services in Southeast Asia need to catch up with technology adoption, digital commerce, and mobile penetration,” said Jason Strimpel, Principal at tryb.

Philippines’ government also reportedly has created a universal insurance plan with the goal of covering all Filipinos. Maria Health is coming in with the hopes to fill this gap in education and access that are still lacking.

“Filipino SMEs are excited to offer group health insurance coverage to their employees. The process to do so is cumbersome, to say the least,” said Vincent Lau, Maria Health Co-founder, and CEO. “Our mission is to provide simple, easy to access health insurance online for the Philippines. Our platform offers the right mix of education and convenience, backed by technology.”
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The legal charges against Joe Cho Seunghyun were filed by Chun Yong Beom, who had invested US$183K in his firm Marvelstone Partners in 2015

Joe Cho Seunghyun, Chairman of Singapore-based Marvelstone Group and Founder of now-defunct fintech hub Lattice80, is facing legal suit in his home country South Korea for allegedly failing to pay promised returns to investors, says a The Business Times report.

The legal charge were filed by South Korean investor Chun Yong Beom, who had invested S$250,000 (US$183,000) in Marvelstone Partners in 2015. As per the documents reviewed by BT, Marvelstone Partners had guaranteed a 33 per cent interest per annum on the capital, with the funds meant to go into another project that was later listed. The contract further guaranteed a profit on exit.

According to Beom, this guaranteed return due end-March 2018 never arrived, and he questioned fund redemptions from Marvelstone Partners since 2017. Boem had also filed a police report against Seunghyun in South Korea in 2018.

Also Read: 6 Echelon Asia Summit 2019 exclusives the investor community can look forward to

The case has however been temporarily put on hold, with Beom saying that it is because Seunghyun has not filed a counterclaim with the South Korean court.

The Business Times claims that it reviewed the documents filed in South Korea and Singapore relating to the Marvelstone Group.

Marvelstone Group have told BT that the claims are “untrue”.

Seunghyun, who is a Singapore permanent resident, is also involved in a legal dispute with Hong Leong Holdings over the breach of a licence agreement. The property group accuses that Seunghyun and Lattice80 failed to deposit revenue receipts that should have gone into designated bank accounts.

In November 2017, e27 reported that Marvelstone neglected to pay Hong Leong the utility bills, internet services and other rental fees, leading to a major fallout between the two firms. Following this, Seunghyun had been dropped as a brand ambassador for the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) ‘Passion Made Possible’ campaign.

 

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