The robots reportedly can sing and rap while cleaning the often unreachable corners

LionsBot International, a Singapore-based company, has announced the launch of the local production of 300 autonomous cleaning robots at Gardens by the Bay.

Cleaning robots that can sing and rap while cleaning the city-state is soon to be deployed as part of a special agreement between LionsBot and six cleaning partners. The cleaning robots will be in operation by March 2020, the company said in a statement.

With this project, LionsBot claimed that it will be the world’s first company to offer cleaning robots on a subscription model. Companies looking to utilise cleaning robots will not need to invest in ownership and maintenance.

So far, the company has developed 13 different models of cleaning robots that are able to scrub, mop, vacuum, sweep, shine, and transport cleaning equipment for both indoors and outdoors usage.

One of its robot series is the LeoBots Family, with a width size of 63cm and the ability to navigate through doorways and tight corridor spaces. With a full turning radius of 1.2 metres, the LeoBot can make 180 degree turns which enable it to produce a cleaning path for more consistent cleaning results.

LionsBot is led by the husband-and-wife duo of Dylan Ng and Michelle Seow.

Also Read: Grab launches green e-scooter GrabWheels in Indonesia’s top university

“When it comes to robotics, cleaning is a complicated undertaking which involves finding the right balance between pressure, mechanical, and chemical action on different surfaces. This led us to dream about building our own cleaning robot workforce,” said Dylan Ng, Co-founder, LionsBot.

The team was then joined by Mohan Rajesh Elara, Assistant Professor with the Engineering Product Development Pillar at Singapore University of Technology & Design. Professor Mohan’s research in robotics contributes to the development of autonomous cleaning robots.

LionsBot technology includes the following features:

• High-speed and contextual mapping to capture a premise’s cleaning requirements
• Uses up to 70 per cent less water as compared to existing cleaning solutions
• Well-integrated precision sensors to avoid objects and detect human
• Safety bumpers that cause the robots to come to a stop if it ever comes into contact with an object
• Cleaning robots can work together as a team. Multiple cleaning robots are able to coordinate and clean a given area simultaneously, without the need for human programming.

For example, if VacPod and ScrubPod are deployed, they are able to take turns cleaning a space without the need for a human cleaner to push buttons to activate them.

Cleaning robots may take different cleaning routes each day as they are constantly learning and calculating the most efficient way to clean a given space.

By scanning a QR code on the robot, the public is able to interact with the robots by asking questions such as “what is your name?” or “what type of cleaning do you perform?”.

Moreover, LionsBot aims to contribute to the upskilling of the cleaning industry. The company has established LionsBot Training Academy which equips cleaners with a six-hour training programme on the use of the robots.

LionsBot has also developed a mobile application that rewards cleaners based on how well they operate and maintain the robots.

Also Read: US-based VoIP company 8×8 buys Singapore’s cloud startup Wavecell for US$125M

The company is manufacturing its robots in Singapore with a team of over 30 engineers. The team targets to produce four robots each day.

As of now, cleaning companies and building owners can rent any of LionsBot cleaning robots at monthly fees ranging from US$1,350 to US$2,150.
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RISE will help Singaporean startups to plug into Thailand’s ecosystem and work with local partners to contribute solutions to the market needs

RISE, Southeast Asia-based corporate innovation firm, has announced that it has expanded into Singapore with support from government agency Enterprise Singapore.

RISE is supported under the government agency’s Startup SG Accelerator programme providing mentorship and resources to support the growth of startups based in Singapore.

As a Startup SG Accelerator partner, RISE will help Singaporean startups to plug into Thailand’s ecosystem and work with local partners to contribute solutions to the market needs and globally utilising the latter’s own network of more than 200 corporate and governmental agencies worldwide.

The two-way relationship, will allow over 1,000 growth-stage startups in RISE Network to launch their business in Southeast Asia outside their home country with Singapore as the first country.

Through Startup SG Accelerator, the first official collaboration of RISE and Enterprise Singapore is “RISE.AI”, Southeast Asia’s first corporate AI Accelerator program that will bring in 30 AI startups from all over the world to the region. Startups will work intensively with the top corporates in Southeast Asia for nine weeks.

Also Read: This 4-month-old Y Combinator startup wants to be the Stripe for the Philippines

RISE.AI will focus on delivering tangible business results to the corporates rather than incubating early-stage startups. For the Singapore leg, lasting three months from July to September, 10 startups will fly to the city-state to work on the pilot program.

Jonathan Lim, Enterprise Singapore’s Director for Global Innovation Network, said: “Many startups fail not because they lack great ideas but because they lack product-market fit. Product development should be driven by a market need and customer validation from potential users. Enterprise Singapore is happy to partner with RISE in its inaugural AI program to enable startups to work closely with regional corporates.”

Following the RISE. AI Accelerator Program, RISE hopes to explore future initiatives with Enterprise Singapore in other sectors like healthcare and energy.

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The suspension will have no effect on full time employees at Honestbee Malaysia

Honestbee to suspend food and grocery delivery services in Malaysia from July 22 [The Star]

Honestbee has announced that it will be temporarily suspending both its food and grocery delivery services in Malaysia from July 22 onward, stating that no delivery slots will be available from then until further notice.

“After a strategic review of our company’s businesses, our headquarters in Singapore has made a firm decision to temporarily suspend our operations in Malaysia. This is to ensure we can meet our financial commitments to our merchants, partners and suppliers as we carefully review the future of our operations,” Honestbee Malaysia said in a press statement to The Star.

The suspension will have no effect on full time employees at Honestbee Malaysia, while riders and shopper Bees “currently working with us will have the option to pursue other career paths when the opportunity arises, but most certainly be welcomed to rejoin the course of our business when we restore operations”, the company stated.

Indonesia’s Astra launches JV with Go-Jek to revive languishing car sales [DealStreetAsia]

Astra International, Indonesia’s largest automobile distributor, on Thursday launched a joint venture with Go-Jek to provide cars to the ride-hailing firm.

The move, which comes on the heels of an overall US$250 million investment in Go-Jek, is aimed at boosting Astra’s already-strong market dominance, despite a dismal full-year outlook for countrywide car sales.

“The outlook for the country’s overall car sales is between 1.05 million and 1.1 million units for 2019,” Astra President and Director Prijono Sugiarto told reporters, a dive from 1.5 million units sold in 2018.

EBay picks up over 5% stake in Paytm Mall [The Economic Times]

Ebay has picked up a 5.5 per cent stake in Paytm Mall, as the San Jose-based online marketplace makes another attempt to get a slice of the Indian e-commerce market.

Ebay said its global inventory will be available to over 130 million active users on Paytm Mall and Paytm’s app ecosystem as part of the deal.

The companies did not disclose the investment amount, but sources close to the transaction said the financing round is about US$150 million.

Japan to lead development of SWIFT network for cryptocurrency: source [Reuters]

Japan’s government is leading a global push to set up an international network for cryptocurrency payments, similar to the SWIFT network used by banks, in an effort to fight money laundering, a person familiar with the plan said on Thursday.

Tokyo aims to have the network in place in the next few years, the person said, declining to be identified because the information has not been made public.

A team related to the inter-governmental Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will monitor its development and Japan will cooperate with other countries, the source said.

Hong-Kong based adtech startup OneOneDay launches in India [press release]

OneOneDay, a Hong Kong-based adtech startup, has recently launched the Oodies app in India. This app allows users to earn cash rewards and donate part of it to social causes by watching advertisements of their choice.

The app is available in India for Android users nation-wide.

On Oodies, users choose the ads they want to watch, and get rewarded in cash for their time and attention.

Every time an ad is watched, a portion of the advertising revenue goes to fund a social cause. For its launch in India, Oodies has chosen to tackle the issue of women’s safety by providing safe last-mile rides to women in Delhi.

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The FIT plans on solidifying its position as the wellness ecosystem leader with the acquisition

The FIT Company, Indonesia-based startup that focusses on an active and healthy lifestyle, announced that it has acquired three local startups to further develop the wellness ecosystem in the country. The three startups are Slim Gourmet, Wellnez Indonesia, and FITCO.

“This expansion is our way to continue our vision to have a wellness ecosystem in Indonesia, to create a healthier public,” said Jeff Budiman, CEO dan Co-founder The FIT Company.

Slim Gourmet is a healthy catering service by five different chefs with different specialties, advised by professional dietitian and based on factors such as allergies, medical history, and dietary needs of each customer. It was acquired in April 2019.

The second acquisition done is Wellnez Indonesia, a company that has 50 database coaches across the country. The FIT Company hopes to spark further collaboration with Wellnez Indonesia to create a more positive ecosystem for coaches and members alike.

The third company acquired is FITCO, an app that gives incentives to streetwalkers. The service is designed to record numbers of steps and achievements of each user to reward them as appreciation and motivation to walk more.

Also Read: Thai corporate innovation firm RISE expands AI accelerator program to Singapore

The acquisition of FITCO will see the platforms integrated with one another, making FITCO’s features available in The FIT.

There are several wellness arms that The FIT carries, from sports, nutritious food, to daily products.

In the third quarter this year, The FIT Company said that it plans to launch an integrated wellness service under one application. Through the application, users can choose coaches as well as choosing healthy menu according to their needs.
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Image Credit: The FIT Company

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Agritech startups in the country offer services that range from IoT to crowdfunding platforms

As it is widely known, the agriculture sector plays a crucial role in the Philippine economy. According to data by FAO, the sector involves about 40 per cent of Filipino workers, as it contributes to an average of 20 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

However, the report also pointed out that in the last two decades, the sector has been pacing several challenges that include a decrease in productivity and high production costs.

Just like in Singapore and Indonesia, startups in the Philippines are also looking for ways to innovate in the sector. The services that they offer range from building a crowdfunding platform to help farmers fund their harvest, to creating an IoT platform that can directly help to improve yield.

The following is a list of agritech startups in the Philippines as taken from the e27 startup database.

While our data does not record the funding rounds that these startups have completed, it can give us a big picture of what is going on the field. Pun intended.

Also Read: Indonesian agritech startup TaniGroup raises US$10M in Series A funding round

CloudFarm Innovations

 

CloudFarm Innovations, Inc is an agritech startup that builds sustainable farm solutions using IoT and big data analytics. It aims to help farmers maximise crop yields and improve food security in the region.

Their first product is a Heat Stress Analyzer, an IOT farming technology that protects agricultural crops against Crop Heat Stress. The platform also provides data analysis for improved harvest.

Cropital

 

Cropital is a crowdfunding platform that aims to help farmers raise funds to support their harvest.

Founder and CTO Rachel De Villa was featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2016 for the Finance & Venture Capital category.

 

DELTHA

 

Founded in 2018, DELTHA (Decentralized Ecosystem for Long-term Transformation via Human Action) is a social impact startup supporting sustainable agriculture innovations using blockchain technology, particularly Ethereum.

Each member in the DELTHA communities will be given digital identities and be trained about entrepreneurship by the startup and our key partners.

The company has a special focus on the country’s rural areas.

Also Read: Meet the 10 agritech, foodtech startups pitching for Future Food Asia’s US$100K grand prize

e-Magsasaka

 

e-Magsasaka is an agri-trading company that aims to shorten the fresh fruits and vegetable supply chain by forecasting the harvest of farmers on a weekly basis and marketing their product prior to picking.

The company is currently working with farmer groups to test out the prototype of its offline platform.

FarmOn

 

Just like Cropital, FarmOn.ph is a crowdfunding platform for users to help farmers with their financial needs, while gaining rewards for their contributions at the same time.

The platform was developed by Manila-based web publishing company Sproads.

FarmOn.ph owns 96 hectares of farmland property that is managed by its partners and local farmers in Isabela and Quirino Province.

 

Tagani.ph

 

Tagani.ph is an agribusiness e-commerce platform that aims to connect businesses to farmers directly through direct bulk transactions and contract farming. The name Tagani itself means “harvest time” in Tagalog.

Founded in August 2018, the startup had also qualified for TOP100 at Echelon Asia Summit 2019 in Singapore.

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e27 calls upon Southeast Asian startups to update their profile on our startup database.

Image Credit: Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash

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