With COVID-19 outbreak going rampant in countries such as China, Italy, and South Korea, followed by quarantine in the Philippines and recent lockdown in Malaysia, Indonesia’s clock is ticking in trying to contain the spread. So far, the archipelago has recorded 134 cases, with more expected to come in light.

President Joko Widodo has urged all Indonesians to comply with WHO-standardised prevention measures, which include the introduction of social distancing and immediate quarantine of vulnerable demographics, just like in any other countries. Any large gathering, including schools, are being put on hold for the next two weeks.

This is where tech companies, particularly those that provide online learning platforms, really shine.

In the past year, a great number of investments were pumped into the country’s edutech sector; it almost seems like the outbreak has given them an opportunity to prove their worth.

We received updates from three rising edutech startups in Indonesia about how they are enabling students, who are otherwise confined at home, to continue their learning process.

Quipper

With the endorsement of the Minister of Education and Culture of Indonesia Nadiem Makarim to move face-to-face, building-based learnings to e-learning from home for students, Quipper enables students to learn from videos on their platform.

Quipper seeks to provide education for all in Indonesia with services such as Quipper School, Quipper Video, Quipper Video Masterclass, and Quipper Campus, that aims to help students and empower educators.

Quipper joins other educational tech platforms in supporting students in the area where COVID-19 cases exist to help students and teachers keep up with the education system and continue to learn under the parents’ supervision.

Also Read: Online education startup Quipper School enters Indonesian market

The startup commits in giving free access to learning videos and e-exercise on its Learning Management Systems (LMS) platform Quipper School. Content Associate Manager of Quipper Indonesia, Hanani Faiza said, “LMS and free content in Quipper School is our support to the government in maintaining the country’s education system in the face of the emergency, so students aren’t deprived of effective learnings –even remotely.”

With a campaign called #BisaTetapBelajar or #CanKeepLearning, teachers and students are given access to 10,000 videos and 75,000 learning materials for the junior high level to senior high students. With its platform, teachers can also give homework, tests, or tryouts online.

To date, Quipper said it has been used by over six million students and 400,000 teachers across Indonesia.

Zenius

With the postponement of the National Examination (UN) due to the COVID-19 outbreak, edutech company Zenius Education has given free access to 80,000 of its online learning content without exception, in an effort to support the Independent Learning Policy.

This initiative, Zenius said, is meant to facilitate students’ independent study in preparation for the National Examination (UN).

Rohan Monga, Zenius Education Chief Executive Officer, said, “Apart from free access, the majority of our learning videos use the whiteboard format, which requires fewer data. This method is done to facilitate access for all students from grades 1 through 12, enabling them to study independently and prepare for the UN.”

According to the Acting Head of Research and Development at Ministry of Education and Culture, Totok Suprayitno, in Jakarta on Wednesday, March 11, there will be 8.3 million students from 105 education units who will be taking part in the exam this year.

Founded in 2004 by Sabda PS and Medy Suharta, Zenius Education is one of the pioneering edutech platforms in Indonesia. It focusses on helping students to understand concepts and implement scientific reasoning. Zenius’s goal is to produce a generation of Indonesians with an in-depth understanding of science, rather than a generation of memorisers, its official statement said.

Zenius’ offerings are accessible via zenius.net, which provides videos and worksheets for elementary and high school levels. Teachers can also share these learning contents with students and parents through various social media and messenger platforms, such as the WhatsApp group.

Also Read: Reaching out: These startups are educating Indonesia’s underprivilege

In addition to the free access of their platform, Zenius also prepares open online tryouts that will be held simultaneously on its website and application. The second tryout session will be online on March 26, after the first session was done on March 13.

Throughout 2019, zenius.net was accessed by more than 12.8 million users from rural and urban areas across Indonesia. Recently, Zenius launched the Zenius App, an application-based online learning platform on Google Play and the App Store.

In February, Zenius received US$20 million funding from Northstar Group, and welcomed gojek’s ex-COO Rohan Monga as its new Chief Executive.

Ruangguru

Perhaps one of the most celebrated edutech companies in Indonesia, Ruangguru has also given their bidding into the independent, e-learning initiative urged by the government. Working alongside state-owned mobile operator Telkomsel, Ruangguru offers an internet quota-free e-learning access.

All students, parents, and teachers that are Telkomsel’s data users can access any learning material in its application with 30 GB worth of free quota for 30 days.

Telkomsel President Director, Setyanto Hantoro, said: “As a digital telecommunication company, Telkomsel is the connectivity enabler. In this challenging situation, Telkomsel will strengthen the synergy and collaborate with people with authority to keep moving forward in ensuring connectivity for all and maintain productivity, including in the education sector.”

Ruangguru also launched a free online school programme that allows students to join the remote learning and live teaching session every school day. Starting on Monday, March 16, students can join the programme at 8AM to 12PM local time, choosing from 15 live channels that cover all subjects for the elementary level to the senior high level, led by Master Teachers of Ruangguru.

Then, the students can fill in the questions bank and join free online tryouts.

Also Read: Indonesian edutech startup Ruangguru receives grant from MIT SOLVE programme

Ruangguru also addresses teachers’ need to improve their teaching skills through its online trainings for teachers via its app, accessible for the next one month. Teachers can get their hands on 25o videos and training modules that give basic competency materials in pedagogy and professional field that include class management skills, study plan development, project-based learning implementation, and more.

Ruangguru’s offer in this current situation includes the adjusted price of one month-subscription for only US$3.32 using a discount code.

Back in December last year, Ruangguru confirmed that it has raised a US$150 million Series C funding round led by growth equity company Global Atlantic and venture capital firm GGV Capital.

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Image Credit: Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash

The post These Indonesian edutech startups are helping students cope and thrive during the COVID-19 crisis appeared first on e27.

Finance

Indian space-tech startup Agnikul raises US$3.16M pre-series A round of funding led by pi Ventures

Indian space-tech company Agnikul has secured INR 23.4cr (US$3.16 million) in a pre-series A round of funding led by deep-tech-focused early-stage venture fund pi Ventures. 

Also participating in the round are Hari Kumar of LionRock Capital, Artha Ventures, LetsVenture, Globevestor, CIIE, and existing investor Speciale Invest.

Based in Chennai (south India), Agnikul is currently developing a satellite launch vehicle for a payload capacity of up to 100 kgs. The vehicle is configurable and can support a payload range of 30-100 kgs without impacting the economics.

Since the engine is fully 3D-printed, the manufacturing complexity found in traditional rocket engines is now focussed to the design in Agnikul’s case — making the fabrication process cheap that will be able to deliver launch vehicles within a few weeks on demand.

Agnikul will use the funds for ground testing, fabrication, and team expansion.

Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder and CEO, Agnikul, said, “We started Agnikul with the dream of bringing space within everyone’s reach. We are doing this by building nimble, reliable and modular rockets that can put small satellites in space on-demand.”

Malaysia’s waste management firm Borneo closes crowdfunding campaign on Ata Plus

Malaysia-based waste management platform Borneo Waste Industries (BWI)has surpassed its crowdfunding target by 44.4 per cent on Ata Plus.

According to the company, the campaign also saw Malaysia’s single-largest overseas investment into an ECF campaign to date from a strategic investor from Germany.

Also Read: Malaysia’s fresh food e-tailer Fresh At Heart secures US$275K in crowdfunding via Ata Plus

With the newly-raised capital, the company plans to expand by channelling resources towards site preparation and other pre-operating expenses above all else.

Based in Sabah with offices in Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur, BWI has been in operations since November 2012. It has a 30-year concession agreement with Dewan Bandaraya Kota Kinabalu (Kota Kinabalu City Hall) and has been given the rights to develop and operate an Integrated Waste Management Processing Plant (IWMPP) at the Kayu Madang Sanitary Landfill (KMSL) in Telipok, Sabah from April 2018 to April 2048.

People

Blockchain payment solution Ripple names Kelvin Lee to head ASEAN operation

Ripple, the enterprise blockchain solution for global payments, has appointed Kelvin Lee as Head of Southeast Asia. 

Based in Singapore, Lee will oversee the expansion of Ripple across the region and spearhead efforts to drive the growth of Ripple’s customer base.

“We want to enable money to flow across borders as quickly as data does by empowering players in the remittance and money transfer market,” said Lee.

Previously, Lee held senior executive positions in companies, including Mastercard, Visa, and FIS. With over 18 years of leadership across the Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Lee brings knowledge in financial payments (B2B, B2C, C2B, P2P, and national payment networks), fraud & risk management, data solutions, and online mobile banking solutions.

Business

Marketing tech company AnyMind Group acquires India mobile video ads platform POKKT

AnyMind Group, a marketing technology, entertainment technology and HR technology company in Singapore, has announced the full acquisition of India-based mobile video advertising platform, POKKT Mobile Ads (POKKT).

Founded in 2012, POKKT has operations in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. POKKT Mobile Ads is an in-app smartphone ad platform that is integrated with over 1,000 app publishers with key offerings including in-app video ads, rich media innovations, and app performance marketing.

On the acquisition, Kosuke Sogo, CEO and Co-founder of AnyMind, said: “There is a strong and immediate synergy between both companies, including product and offering fit, geographies covered, and management teams. Both advertisers and publishers across Asia and globally can only benefit from this deal taking place, as we look to scale our combined offerings and open up new value for our customers.”

Also Read: I lost 18 years working for corporates: Pokkt Founder Rohit Sharma

AnyMind Group will integrate POKKT’s in-app advertising tech stack into the AdAsia Digital Platform, which currently allows marketers to activate, manage, and track media buys across desktop and mobile web display and video advertising, and digital-out-of-home.

The acquisition of POKKT also provides AnyMind Group with an extended set of bases in the region: three offices in India and an office in the UAE. 

POKKT Co-founder and CEO Rohit Sharma and COO Vaibhav Odhekar have been appointed as COO and MD (India and the Middle East) for AnyMind Group, respectively.

The post News Roundup: AnyMind Group acquires Indian mobile ads startup POKKT appeared first on e27.

Over the years, we have shed the light on Southeast Asia’s startups and have been witness and supporters of the region’s journey to realise its potential of becoming a global innovation powerhouse. We have worked with different organisations to give you events, programmes, and platforms to aid in your business growth.

Because of this we find ourselves in a position that allows us to engage with the different members of the community and understand what problems they are facing that hinder their success.

That’s why we’re bringing you e27 Pro.

e27 Pro is a membership programme that is designed to give you actionable insights, exclusive business-building programmes, and tools that enable your company’s success.

But this is not an article that would tell you what e27 Pro is. This is an article that tells you WHY it is something we need to do.

Also read: Early bird catches the worm: How these startups are warming up VC action in Pakistan

Opportunities should be borderless

Empowering entrepreneurs with the tools to build and grow their companies is both mission and ethos. Everything we do, whether online or offline, goes back to this.

We’re already setting the stage to provide optimal opportunities for our participants two days a year during Echelon, and rallying together our communities in different cities to help foster collaboration during roadshows.

We’re breaking out of geographical limitations and finding ways to support companies wherever they may be.

We believe every company deserves a fair chance to succeed.

We want to go above and beyond just providing information. To more than just inspire. More than just a platform that helps companies grow, we want to be a platform that helps companies do well.

Our mission is what drives us to look deeper and to address the challenges that the ecosystem faces, as they are facing them. With e27 Pro, we built a platform that companies who want to succeed can turn to, helping them answer these oft-overlooked but very important questions: where and how to begin.

Also read: Dealing with fundraising problems? These three startups may have the answer

Be it fresh insights on relevant news to aid in informed business decisions, visibility of their fundraising efforts, or tools to connect with a vast network of potential partners, we aim to provide companies with everything they need to accelerate their growth.

For a community to thrive, no one should get left behind.

For the region to thrive, each member should also thrive. One exceptional person does not change the world. A strong community of founders, innovators, and enablers, on the other hand, have the power to break new ground.

We believe that if we want to elevate the whole ecosystem, we have to address the issues that hinder the success of its parts. We have to minimise – even break down – the barriers that impedes it.

For us, this means offering similar opportunities for growth and success to companies who – whether due to geography, resources, or age – weren’t able to previously enjoy them by making it easier for a lot more people to access and optimise.

At the end of the day, we believe that everyone of us should endeavour to help the ecosystem grow as a whole. e27 Pro is one way we’re doing it.

—
Be a member of e27 Pro. Learn more here.

The post Why e27 Pro is enabling companies’ success appeared first on e27.

gojek reportedly lays off employees: report 

gojek has reportedly laid off employees in the mid to lower level positions, as the Indonesian ride-hailing giant continues to focus on efficiency and profitability, according to to DealStreetAsia.

People familiar with the development told the publication that the latest round of job cuts was done last month.

“Good businesses like ours will always attract investment, but as the economic slowdown takes hold, the availability of that investment will be reduced, so we should focus every dollar where we think it will make the most impact and not take our resources for granted,” reads the memo which was sent by the company CEO.

Also Read: Morning News Roundup: Mandiri Capital to invest up to US$5M in Indonesian startups; OKCoin expands to Singapore

India’s unicorn Oyo adds US$807M Series F after announcing restructuring plans

Even after increased losses of the company, Indian hospitality company Oyo has raised US$807 million in Series F funding from SVF India Holdings and RA Hospitality, according to Inc42.

Prior to this, founder Ritesh Agarwal had expressed plans for global restructuring, which had led to a mass layoff of 10,000 employees over two months across 80 countries. 

Since 2012, OYO has expanded to 800 cities in 80 countries, including the US, the UK, and the Middle East, and some European countries. 

Meanwhile, in Asia, it has expanded its operations to China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan.

Revolut launches Apple Pay for Singaporean users

Revolut announced today that it will allow customers to make quick and convenient purchases in stores, in apps and on websites via Apple Pay.

The fintech company has been rapidly launching a variety of features and enhancements since entering Singaporean waters. 

Also Read: Meet the VC: Stephanie Strunk of Amadeus Ventures on why women should support women

“Our goal is to provide users with a single financial-management platform and the ability to make payments quickly, conveniently and securely. Our customers have been requesting Apple Pay for a long time. We are proud to integrate Revolut with Apple Pay in Singapore,” said Eddie Lee, APAC Regional Director of Operations at Revolut.

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Image Credit: Deva Darshan

The post Afternoon News Roundup: gojek reportedly lays off employees, Oyo raises US$807M funding appeared first on e27.

Dear Founders,

Given the recent developments in the global spread of coronavirus diesease (COVID-19), the World Health Organisation (WHO) had announced that the spread of the virus is now considered a global pandemic.

In accordance with this, it is important for all countries, communities, and individuals to do what they can to help prevent the further spread of the virus.

The purpose of this communication is to summarise some key steps you can take to protect your teams and prevent further spread of the virus. Below you will find some practices that you can do for your business.

The action you can take

In preparing your workplace to prevent the spread of the virus, we propose the adoption and implementation of the following practices as adapted from WHO’s guideline.

1. Implement social distancing
The most effective means of reducing the spread of the virus is with social distancing –keeping individuals at home for as much as possible, as long as possible, until the spread recedes.

Accommodate practices for working from home in your organisation, through adoption of technology that effectively facilitates remote work. You can start by preparing your team for remote work, getting the tools and guidelines, and implementing strategies for it.

Avoid hosting or facilitating of in-person meetings. Instead, use online conferencing, email, or phone where possible.

Postpone or cancel non-essential meetings, gatherings, workshops, and training sessions.

Also Read: These Indonesian edutech startups are helping students cope and thrive during the COVID-19 crisis

Eliminate unnecessary local and international travels –utilise the aforementioned tools instead.

Limit congregation of individuals in work rooms, pantries, copy rooms, or other areas where people socialise.

If possible, encourage individuals to avoid public transportation, or avoid rush-hour crowding.

Encourage individuals to limit recreational or other leisure activities, or other activities where close contact is likely.

2. If an in-person meeting is necessary, ensure effective preventive measures are taken
Provide information and briefing on COVID-19, both orally and in writing, and the measures that the organisers are taking to make this event safe for participants.

Avoid making physical contact such as shaking hands when greeting.

Display dispensers of alcohol-based hand rub prominently around the venue.

If possible, arrange seats so that they are at least one meter apart.

Open windows and doors whenever possible to ensure that the venue is well-ventilated.

If anyone starts to feel unwell, follow your immediate response plan.

Retain the names and contact details of all participants for at least one month. This will help public health authorities trace people who may have been exposed to COVID-19 if there are participant(s) who become ill after the event.

3. Promote thorough and regular personal hygiene

Place hand sanitisers dispensers in prominent places in the workplace. Ensure they are regularly refilled.

Ensure that all personnel have access to places where they can wash their hands with soap and water.

Circulate messaging to promote regular handwashing and sanitising, along with guideline for appropriate technique.

Limit the number of times you touched your face.

Supply tissue and provide the bin to dispose of them in.

Encourage individuals to cover their face with the bend of their elbow or tissue if they cough or sneeze.

Also Read: Is COVID-19 curbing startup exits in Southeast Asia?

4. Promote regular and thorough hygiene of physical surfaces and objects

Surfaces (desks, tables) and objects (telephones, computers) need to be wiped with disinfectant regularly.

Wear disposable gloves when cleaning surfaces and objects. Dispose of gloves immediately after use.

If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned with soap and water before disinfection.

For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70 per cent alcohol. Most common household disinfectants should be enough.

For soft, porous surfaces such as carpeted floor or drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners for use on these surfaces.

5. Promote good respiratory hygiene
Ensure that face masks and tissues are available in your workplace for those who develop runny nose or cough, with closed bins for proper, hygienic disposal.

Ensure individuals are informed on how and when to use face masks.

6. Promote early medical care and attention for at-risk individuals
Individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms (fever, cough, and dificulty breathing) must seek immediate medical attentions and share travel history with medical care providers.

Individuals experiencing mild cough or low-grade fever (37.3 C or more) are advised to stay at home.

Individuals taking simple medications (paracetamol/acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin) which may mask symptoms are advised to stay at home.

Keep promoting the message that individuals with any symptoms of COVID-19 must stay at home.

Consider how to identify and support individuals who are at risk without inviting stigma and discrimination in the workplace.

7. Stay informed with news and updates from trusted sources
Given the speed of developments, it is crucial to stay up-to-date. Ensure that response plans are in-line with these changes.

Consider sharing and regularly updating summary facts and their implications to avoid the spread of misinfomrations.

Employ an iterative, empirical approach to understanding what is going on and what to do –albeit one guided by experts.

Also Read: How Metro Manila’s COVID-19 community quarantine is affecting the local startup community

8. Communicate with all stakeholders effectively
Define internal chain of command in key areas such as decision-making and response to enquiries.

Communication should be early, often, and include the following:

• That your organisation is aware of the situation and makes contingency plans to limit the disruption to business
• Reference to information about precautionary measures that are being taken
• Links to unbiased, fact-based resources
• Contact information of the personnel activating the response plan

Check out these examples of internal communication for businesses.

Identify channels to communicate to external stakeholders –newsletters and social media are best.

The purpose of external communications is to ensure clients, partners, and investors that you are aware of the severity of the situation and have a contingency plan in store.

Communications with external stakeholders should include:

• Statement about how you prioritise employee and client safety and will continue to monitor the situation
• Succinct statement about preventive measures that are underway within your organisation
• Link to reference or contact person

The following are examples of format for external communications:

• Email signature: Note: Kindly be advised that COMPANY NAME has adopted a job rotational shift (segregated teams) system in light of DORSCON level-Orange. Hence, we seek your understanding that our professionals and staff might be working from home at certain days of the week. Should you have any clarifications, please feel free to email us and we will respond the soonest possible.
• Example of detailed Q&A page by Expedia
• Example of external communication A
• Example of external communication B

9. Prepare an immediate response plan for identified cases 

Identify a room where someone who is feeling unwell can be safely isolated.

Limit the number of people having contact with said person.

Have a plan to have them safely transferred to a healthcare facility. Agree the plan in advance with your healthcare provider.

Ensure all individuals are aware of this response plan.

Also Read: How COVID-19 is changing traditional retail and e-commerce in SEA

10. Develop a contingency and business continuity plan
Consider a plan in the context of the communities and geographies where your business operates as well as the geographic segment of your supply chains and sales markets.

It should address how to keep your business running even if a significant number of employees, contractors, and suppliers cannot come to your place or business due to illness or travel restrictions.

Conduct a focussed discussion or exercise of your plan to identify gaps or problems to be corrected ahead of time.

The plan should communicate human resource policies, workplace and leave possibilities, and available pay and benefits.

Further guidance can be found here.

Be aware of potential myths.

Important updates on travelling within Indonesia and overseas

When planning overseas travel, always check with Safe Travels –Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs platform for updated travel recommendations for each country. For updates on major travel destinations, please refer to links below:

Singapore

The US

India

Italy

Australia

Before travelling, please consider the following as per WHO’s travel guide:

• Asses benefits and risks related to travel
• Avoid sending high-risk individuals to areas where COVID-19 is spreading
• Ensure all travelling individuals are briefed by qualified professionals
• Consider issuing small bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitiser for travelling employees

Also Read: How COVID-19 is changing traditional retail and e-commerce in SEA

Formal reporting for Indonesia

The following are a number of resources for those living and working in Indonesia:

Official information about COVID-19 in DKI Jakarta

Latest information on COVID-19 in Indonesia

Reported cases of COVID-19 in Indonesia

Additional useful resources

Questions to guide company reflections and formulation of COVID-19 responses.

Workplace practices in China as a roadmap.

Excel model to predict when to implement work-from-home policy.

Online training resources by WHO.

Comments on the impact on global financial market.

Official remarks by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, delivered on March 12.

Information about what scientists know about how the COVID-19 affect the body.

Information on groups identified as being high-risk and how it impact different groups.

Infographic on key statistics.

SEA awareness campaigns.

Database for more useful links.

BCG on navigating the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

What this mean for global economy.

How to prepare for self-quarantine.

Advice on how to be effective (and mentally well!) when working from home.

In containing and reducing the spread of the virus, China took eight weeks to achieve it –with highly restrictive precautionary measures. Other countries may take the same amount of time, if not more. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to be prepared.

Thank you all and please be safe.

—

Image Credit: Adrian Pranata on Unsplash

The post An Indonesian VC firm’s call for action against COVID-19 appeared first on e27.

For those who like to work from home (WFH), Covid-19 is a “blessing in disguise”. They can now wear minimal clothing during the work, have a short power nap in the midst of work, cook own food, login and log out anytime they want — all staying off the surveillance radar of their boss. Not to mention the huge amounts of money and time being saved by not travelling to work.

The list of the benefits of WFH is endless. As Covid-19 spreads rapidly, we at e27 have also been forced to prepare for a scenario where we need to be a fully remote team until the pandemic is checked forever. But we already have a few employees working from home for quite a few years.

Here in this article, e27‘s ‘work-from-home pioneers’ share their experience and give you tips on how to do WFH effectively.

Nina Palad, Accounts Manager

Allocate a dedicated workspace to yourself that has good ventilation, and keep a routine. What we do with the Business Development team is that we have a list of our weekly focus aligned to our tasks and OKRs, so we don’t lose track

Team discussions on Asana are open and tagged to relevant people, for decks, deals, weekly challenges, etc. Good music in the background helps too, when not in a call with clients.

Anisa Menur, Editor

Have a proper support system. If you have family/friends/landlords, communicate and make sure they understand that just because you’re at home, it doesn’t mean you’re available for chit-chats. You’re still working; you’re in that productive head-space and can’t be distracted.

Also Read: Why remote working is the future for startups

Prepare a work corner. A space in your home that is all about work, everything you need to be productive should be there. When the time comes to rest/take break/”go home”, get out of that space.

Get some sun. Seriously. It affects your mood.

Do not deny yourself some bits of fun. I always work with music/Netflix/Youtube playing in the background. Helps prevents boredom/loneliness.

Be clear, sufficient, and straightforward while communicating with the team members. Let them know if you’ll be away from desk.

Shower and wear “outside” clothes. This is weird but it helps you to get in productive mode

Lyra Reyes, Marketing Manager

Stick to a schedule. Generally, I wake up at 6 am, do my morning routine, reading and finish household chores before 10 am.

Speaking of the morning routine, I prepare as if I’m going out. Shower, a bit of makeup, things like that. It helps me mentally get ready to work.

I have a designated workspace. Never work in bed because it’s very very easy to just lean back and fall asleep.

For me, checklists are my friends. At 9:45 am, I sit down and write on a notebook my priority for the day and a checklist of things I need to do and what time I will do them. It helps with prioritising and scheduling. You can also do this digitally, it’s just that handwritten works best for me.

I set up an hourly alarm to remind me to stand up and stretch my legs. Walk around some.

Allot time throughout the day to check and respond to messages. For deeper work, muting the notifications can help.

If you don’t live alone, let people know your work hours so they know not to disturb you.

When you communicate with people, make sure you’re communicating clearly. It’s very easy to confuse other people by beginning a conversation that you’re already halfway through in your head.

Also Read: There are some dark sides to working from home (but I do not care)

Play music while you work but it depends on your distraction level. I have specific playlists for specific types of work. I also sometimes play documentaries in the background. Just not during calls or meetings.

Wencis Jude Acosta, Quality Analyst

I have a dedicated space to work. If you have children, let them understand and respect your workspace.

Invest in a comfortable chair, table and equipment, it helps you work faster.

Let everyone know if you are going to be late or if you need to be out for a while, but always make up for the lost time.

Always have measurable targets for the day, it helps you to feel good.

Do not wear pyjamas, it will get you in the mood to sleep.

Hung Nguyen, Business & Innovation Development Consultant

Communication is very important, not just about work, but sometimes, chitchat with my teammates once in a while can keep the spirit up.

Celebrate wins (small or big) because the feeling of it keeps us going.

Stand up, walk around, or even go outside of the house and take a short break once in a while. I will go crazy if I sit down in a one spot in a room by myself for too long

Snacks are important, it keeps me awake and focused. So does music.

I have a digital clock in front of me to tell me time is running out so I better complete my stuff.

I don’t eat too much for lunch when food coma hits me, and I’m at home, it’s bad, and it might affect the rest of my afternoon.

Prisca Akhaya, Writer

Sync your phone with your laptop, so you can work around your demanding kids/family. Since you’re home all day, kids tend to forget that you are working because you don’t look like you’re.

I agree with sticking to the routine. I just get my kid ready first for breakfast and the day kicks off for me.

The Pomodoro method if you’re super easily distracted (block time to work and reward afterwards for 10 mins winding down).

Mili, Writer

A book and a pencil to jot down tasks and often doodle can be handy.

Second the power of a morning ritual: get up and dress up!

I take small breaks and reward them with a snack or a song or social media checks after every big task strikes out on my to-do list.

Keep the right notifications on. You don’t want all app notifications but surely some.

Zoom, Google Hangouts and Slack for the phone are pretty handy. I prefer to walk around while on calls, to give the muscles a break

Shagun Karki, Writer

Having a good wakeup routine gives me a fresh mind (it’s meditation for me, it can be pilates, cardio for someone else).

When I was working from Singapore, I had a routine — I wake up, take a shower, prepare for the day and commute. But when I work remotely, there’s a temptation to skip that entire process and simply wake up and open my laptop and start working.

I feel that a sense of discipline is important while remote- working.

I like to stick to my everyday schedule, regardless of where I work from, and that helps me with starting the day on a good note and having a fresh mind when I start the day

Having the right mindset is important. If you think working from home will affect your productivity, then it will. But if you see it as an opportunity to be creative, many things can happen.

Infographics: Advantages and disadvantages of remote working

Also, remote work encourages focus on personal well being, and work together. It can’t get better than that.

Different people will experience different things that will work/not work for them. Try different things and experiment.

Sainul Abudheen, Editor

I have been working from home for seven-plus years. Unlike my colleagues, I want my kids around while working. They pump in energy and keep me motivated. (While I am writing this, my two kids and nephew are watching a Tami super hit song from the 2000s in full volume, and I don’t get distracted).

I wake up at around 05:30 am, go to morning prayers, come back, and at 6:30, I head to the football ground on my two-wheeler, which is eight km away from the home. After an hour’s play, I come back, take a shower and log in.

I check my mails. If there any urgent work, I finish them. And then take a 30-minute power nap. Most days, I log out after 8 pm.

I don’t have a dedicated/designated workspace. I can work in my bedroom, dining hall, or even courtyard. If I travel, I carry my laptop along and can even work inside a cab.

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Image Credit: 123rf Stock Photos

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Indonesian ride-hailing giant gojek has raised US$1.2 billion, taking the total secured in its current funding round to “just under” US$3 billion, according to a Bloomberg report.

Citing an internal memo, the report stated that the new funding was finalised “just over the past week” at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak around the world. It did not mention the identities of the investors involved in this round.

“We’re not stopping there as we are still seeing strong demand among the investment community to partner with us … There are a number of exciting ongoing conversations that we will be able to update you on very soon,” wrote gojek Co-CEO Andre Soelistyo and Kevin Aluwi in the memo.

Also Read: Afternoon News Roundup: JD.id becomes Indonesia’s 6th unicorn after funding from gojek

The funding round came just after gojek had been reported to be considering a merger with rival Grab — a report that gojek has denied.

The report stressed that this latest funding round will enable gojek to “negotiate from a position of strength” if they do decide to follow on with the merger, especially since both companies have been known burn money in realising its expansion plan.

However, reports of the merger have been met with opposition from competition watchbody in various Southeast Asian markets.

The post Bloomberg: gojek raises US$1.2B to support competition against Grab appeared first on e27.

Grab-IMDA partnership aims to help Singaporean startups expand overseas

Ride-hailing giant Grab today announced a partnership with Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to pilot an accelerator programme for Singapore-based startups to help them grow overseas, according to a press statement.

“Grab is committed to helping more Singapore startups, and micro SMEs build strong digital capabilities, and capture opportunities in the digital economy through leveraging our expansive reach across the region, assets and capabilities and partnerships… The effort is also aligned to Singapore’s interest to become the global-Asian node for tech, innovation and enterprise,” said Chris Yeo, Head of Grab Ventures.

Grab Ventures Ignite (GVI) will be a 14-week programme, held alongside GVI Vietnam programme, to help each other learn and share ideas.

Two startups will be selected for GVI, and the other three will be joining a 3-day bootcamp hosted by Grab, IMDA PIXEL and Digital Industry Singapore (DISG).

foodpanda launches contactless delivery amid Malaysia border close

As companies continue to be hit by the outbreak of coronavirus, the Malaysian government has recently announced a partial lockdown of the region. On that note, food delivery company foodpanda has decided to continue its services and opted for “contactless delivery” in a company statement.

Also Read: Morning News Roundup: Y Combinator accelerator plans to run next cohort completely remote

Customers can place their order online and inform the rider via the chat function to opt for a contactless delivery. Food will be placed at the designated drop-off spot at the customers’ home or office, maintaining a 1-meter distance at all times.

foodpanda has also urged customers to switch to online payments in a plea to reduce human interactions to a minimum.

“We value the safety of everyone in our community. Our rider hubs provide hand sanitizer and masks free of charge to all our riders, who are instructed to wash their hands every two hours and after each time they handle a delivery,” said Sayantan Das, Managing Director, foodpanda Malaysia.

Indian microlending startup SmartCoin raises US$7M Series A

The Bangalore-based startup announced today that it has raised US$7M in Series A financing from LGT LightstoneAspada and existing investors Unicorn India Ventures and Accion Venture Lab.

Also Read: e27s remote staffers sharing their work-from-home experience

The fresh funds will be used to primarily to grow the company’s loan book, expand its data science team, launch new products and grow the user base.

The company touted its success in re-engineering the complete loan cycle to make it entirely automated, fast, convenient and personalised for the customer.

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Image Credit: KiwininSaigon

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In a televised address, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said today Malaysia will be closing its borders to overseas travellers for two weeks to check the spread of Covid-19. With this, Malaysia becomes the second country in Southeast Asia to go for a partial lockdown.

On the other hand, Malaysian residents, who re-enter the country from overseas, will have to undergo health check-ups and self-quarantine for 14 days. 

Foreigners will not be allowed to enter the country at all during the said period.

Earlier this week, Italy, one of the hardest-hit countries, also imposed nationwide lockdown, with confirmed Covid-19 cases crossing the 12,000-mark as of yesterday. Several other countries have also implemented quarantine measures and more countries are expected to follow suit.

Of course, this does not subject startups to wait around and react to the situation, as many companies have already started implementing necessary precautions, forcing founders to rethink and revise their 2020 goals/strategies.

On this note, e27 spoke to travel and delivery companies on how they are coping with the situation.

Malaysia-based tour company Tourplus, which eases travel planning by connecting customers to local tour guides; food delivery companies foodpanda, and dahmakan express how they are coping with the situation.

A disaster for all travel-related business

Tourplus told e27 that they’ve seen a major decline in bookings, coupled with increased requests for cancellation and refund from customers, who have booked for April and May. The firm expects further drops as government-initiated partial lockdown prevents international travellers from entering Malaysia.

Food delivery services, however, are not as affected as travel companies are. Restaurants will not be open for dine-in but food delivery services will continue to operate, which means Grab Food, Foodpanda and Dahmakan will continue daily operations.

Also Read: Morning News Roundup: Y Combinator accelerator plans to run next cohort completely remote

The ban does not restrict grocery stores and shops that provide daily necessities either.

Dahmakan CEO Jonathan Weins has also pointed out that supply uncertainty from ingredient suppliers is a major problem. 

Switching strategies

In times of crisis, planning is valuable and just as valuable is switching strategies while being ethical and taking necessary precautions.

Even though Tourplus’s expansion to China has to be called off, the company is offering masks and hand sanitizers to its customers during trips. It is also running a free mask campaign to help tourists with free masks in Malaysia and offering free airport transfer. 

“For our internal business operation, we can start working remotely using Zoom or Slack to communicate, and our direction for the team is to focus on internal development and preparation for a return after three to six months’ recovery,” said Goh as he plans for a bounce back.

foodpanda has also started a contactless delivery service where customers can place their order online and inform the rider via the chat function to opt for a contactless delivery. Food will be placed at the designated drop-off spot at the customers’ home or office, maintaining a 1-meter distance at all times.

Also Read: Why Korean investors are getting attracted to Southeast Asia

“We value the safety of everyone in our community. Our rider hubs provide hand sanitizer and masks free of charge to all our riders, who are instructed to wash their hands every two hours and after each time they handle a delivery,” said Sayantan Das, Managing Director, foodpanda Malaysia.

Dahmakan is also practising ethical strategies and has implemented remote working, social distancing, correct hand washing, among others.

More content will be added to the article as responses continue to flow.

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Image Credit: Macau Photo Agency

The post As Malaysia closes borders, travel and delivery startups share responses to the current crisis appeared first on e27.

Five women. Sixteen travel tech startups. One mission.

That is how I would sum up my conversation with Community and Investment Manager at Amadeus Ventures in the Asia Pacific, Stephanie Strunk.

Cited as one of the women to watch in the startup industry in APAC, she was the best person to talk about women in VCs, startups, and travel tech.

Strunk first joined Amadeus Asia Pacific in 2012 and has primarily held roles in Corporate Strategy and Business Development. She has been working with the travel tech startup scene in APAC since 2015, supporting seed stage companies with tech building, expert advice, market access, and funding referrals.

Amadeus has been honing its craft to support the travel business for over 30 years now; they launched Amadeus Next five years ago to help travel tech startups with funding and support. Today, it has extended as Amadeus Ventures with “more skin in the game”.

As an early stage investor for startups sitting at the crossroads of technology and travel, it provides funding, industry expertise, technology, and customer reach to its portfolio companies, executing business ideas that will, directly and indirectly, improve the experiences of travellers.

Also Read: Amadeus Ventures to invest in high potential early-stage startups across APAC

While traditional VCs focus on ROI, Amadeus Ventures –led by five women across the globe– is looking beyond the financial value and seek strategic value to help the parent company fill gaps in their tech offering in the B2B travel space.

More power to women

Strunk is the entry point for travel tech startups in APAC. In her journey so far she says, “finding a female founder in travel tech has been very rare.” Startups with at least one female founder tend to raise more in venture capital funding in later stage rounds (third and fourth), than companies with all-male teams (21 per cent more), she adds.

Gender diversity in the travel workforce is not so skewed as 50 per cent of the global workforce is female. But it is balanced only at the entry-level and thins out as one goes up the ladder, says Strunk.

“If you don’t have a diverse representation of both the genders how will you address the needs of your customers?” she exclaims.

While at Amadeus, about 75 per cent of the business units are led by women, there is scope for improvement in the VC world overall. And she believes in addition to the historic gender imbalance, lack of confidence in women is to be blamed for this disparity.

Women in the workforce need some support to feel confident and this she believes can come from both men and women in the workforce. It could, in fact, be as simple as providing comfort, praise, feedback, etcetera. “But it is definitely important to know what you are good at to start with,” says Strunk.

Also Read: Women in tech: Carman Chan’s Click Ventures is one of the most consistent VC funds globally

She emphasises that external view on how we are is important, but so is internal and we can do so by “getting comfortable with the uncomfortable”.

Working in the startup space is all about the brand, networking and finding opportunities to grow. “It’s all about the personal brand” she adds.

The ratio of women at tech conferences is 4:1, Strunk says. She notes that speaking opportunities have helped her grow and gain exposure. It was Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In that led her to seek more speaking opportunities.

The Amadeus Women’s Network’s event in Bangkok

In addition to working on oneself, it is fruitful to have programmes and initiatives to help women build social and business credibility. It should be a collaborative effort and we should have “more women to support women.”

She was quick to note about the Amadeus Women’s Network, an employee-led support group has helped them share best practices at Amadeus. The network also led to the development of a powerful mentoring tool.

APAC focussed

The all-women team at Amadeus Ventures is working with 16 travel tech startups from across the globe, including BookingPal, FLYR, Betterez, Avuxi, Crowdvision, Situm, Volantio, Dawex, Pana, Refundit; and Strunk is leading the pack in APAC.

Five years ago, travel tech in Asia was in its infancy and since then has made lots of progress. Increasing purchasing power and budget flights have contributed to the travel boom in Southeast Asia (SEA). With India and China becoming rich inbound markets from smaller and more tourism-dependent countries in SEA such as Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines; travel tech startups emerged rapidly.

According to Google’s e-Conomy SEA 2019 report, more than US$37 billion of capital has flowed into the internet economy over the last four years.

Also Read: Amadeus is expanding Amadeus Ventures across APAC to support travel startups

While the majority has gone to e-commerce and ride-hailing unicorns, over US$7 billion in investment funding went to more than 3,000 internet economy startups in the last four years in Southeast Asia. China is also driving ahead of Silicon Valley and the rest of the United States on venture capital dollars invested into startups.

Travelution, a report released by Vynn Capital recently, says that 2019 saw an all-time high of 159 acquisitions and funding activity in the travel tech space while Asia led the number of capital raising with 54 per cent.

Recognising this potential, Amadeus is expanding Amadeus Ventures across APAC in Q1 of 2020. Strunk adds, “APAC is the region for growth and we see a lot of opportunities. The market is diverse and we are paying close attention to Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia.”

“We initially wanted to build a community to support travel tech in Asia which was not as evolved as North America or Europe. There are a lot of pain points in the travel industry in Asia which we want to solve and a copy-paste solution won’t cut it,” says Strunk.

Also Read: Amadeus Ventures to invest in high potential early-stage startups across APAC

She emphasises on the need for greater localisation in Asia and adapting to local market needs as a recipe for success in the APAC region.

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Image Credit: Amadeus Ventures

The post Meet the VC: Stephanie Strunk of Amadeus Ventures on why women should support women appeared first on e27.