I came to the US in 2018 to pursue my undergraduate studies in Computer Science and everything was going great –until the COVID-19 pandemic came into play.

All of sudden, things started to tone down. Life just felt weirdly different and I felt like losing direction in life. Late 2020, I was interning as a Creative Director for social media influencer Alexis Ren’s Los Angeles-based startup, when I realised that I had to do something different to find myself again and my purpose.

So, I decided to pack my bags and leave the land of opportunity and fly back home, to the Philippines. Ever since I only had one thing in mind: to make the Philippines the new land of opportunity.

The pandemic and lockdown led more Filipinos to access information online. According to the global broadband speed monitoring system Ookla, the Philippines is at 83rd place in terms of mobile speed as of February 2021, thus providing ways for more Filipinos to gain access to the internet.

Increased iPhone devices adoption worldwide

In terms of mobile usage, Apple’s iOS has a significant share of 16.45 per cent in terms of mobile operating systems worldwide, according to StatCounter as of March 2021.

The AppStore economy is US$1.3 trillion and Apple created more than 1.5 million jobs in iOS alone and iOS developers are paid more by an average of US$85,000.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has the right stance regarding people’s privacy and security and because of this, the Apple ecosystem is attracting more users and developers. More people buy iPhones nowadays, and thus more demand for iOS development and engineering jobs.

The need to help Filipinos find opportunities in mobile software and product development led to my idea of bringing a piece of the Silicon Valley to the Philippines.

Also Read: How my entrepreneurial failures led me to rethink learning and upskilling

Creating an online school for aspiring software developers for Apple’s ecosystem

The future is mobile and we’ll see more people creating the Clubhouses or Snapchats of tomorrow.

By establishing an online coding school, more Filipinos would have access to learn more about iOS application development using cutting-edge learning methodologies built by Apple to prepare them for solving real-world problems through coding.

This led me to build Hikre School, along with my two US-based co-founders.

Hikre School offers a 16-week course of iOS software development, product design stack, and soft skills required by most tech companies locally and globally. We also provide one-on-one mentorship and career placement, so that students can get high-quality jobs here and abroad after they graduate.

Most students don’t want to pay hundreds of thousands of tuition just to end up being unemployed after graduation. So we give students an option to pay tuition fees until they are hired.

How it all began

I am the first Filipino alumni of Apple’s exclusive school, the Apple Developer Academy in Italy, where I’ve worked on more than five software projects with different groups of people for a year.

I learned iOS Development, human interface design, business marketing, and storytelling and I even had the chance to speak in front of Apple execs to present our project.

Then when I came to the US, I got the opportunity of working for a startup based out of Stanford University, which eventually gave me the push to visualise the idea of creating an American dream-as-a-service by packaging my skills and experiences and making them accessible to my fellow Filipinos.

Derick David and Lisa Jackson, Apple’s VP of Environmental and Social Initiatives

We envision our future students having access to amazing opportunities not only in Asia but in Europe and in the US. I want the Philippines to be the next Silicon Valley in terms of talent and mindset.

It is a community, culture, calling of people who want to change the world. We’re not calling themselves an e-learning company, but an education infrastructure company.

iOS development has barely scratched the surface in the Philippines, while top-tier universities such as Stanford University, the University of Toronto, and Harvard University already offer it as a course due of the rise in demand.

The Philippines is a country full of humble and hard-working people with limitless potential, and they can go far as much as they want, but they lack the necessary skills, resources, and mindset to make that happen. Skills such as software development, app design, storytelling, and copywriting are crucial to an ever-changing world. Hikre School is here to do that.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. This season we are seeking op-eds, analysis and articles on food tech and sustainability. Share your opinion and earn a byline by submitting a post.

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community or like the e27 Facebook page

Image Credit: Hikre School

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Impossible Foods’ products first appeared in Asian restaurants three years ago, but it is only recently that plant-based meats are available for customers at major grocery stores in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Their mission is to provide meat lovers with the most delicious plant-based meat, which in turn alleviates the negative environmental impact caused by the animal meat industry.

In a recent NewCampus Power Session, Laurent Stevenart, Country Manager for Singapore at Impossible, shared how the sustainable food company was able to successfully launch its products in the Asia Pacific region.

Here are some highlights (condensed and edited for clarity) from our conversation with Stevenart.

How did you guys localise your product for the Asia market?

We’re always trying to hyper-localise the product as much as possible, by staying away from being a so-called ‘100 per cent burger company’, and by finding new ways of incorporating our product in local dishes that resonate best with the local consumers and major influential chefs. This allows local consumers to cook up their favourite local dishes from the comfort of their homes.

Also, to maximise growth in a new market, we aim to continually expand our presence in the foodservice industry, starting with restaurants. As you might know, we’re working with Burger King in the US. Back home in Singapore, we’re already working with local favourites like Mos Burger, Srisun Express, Springleaf Prata and Swensens.

How do you differentiate yourself from competitors?
I don’t really like to compare ourselves to our competitors since at this stage we’re all wanting to achieve the same thing, which is to reduce the environmental impact of animal meats. Our real competition is the animal meat industry causing damage to the environment.

Also Read: ‘Global demand for plant-based meat products will be driven mostly by flexitarians: Next Gen COO Andre Menezes

Our main USP is heme, which makes meat taste like meat. Heme is an iron-containing molecule found in all living things, which we use as a catalyst to release the taste of meat. Impossible Foods is the only plant-based meat company that uses heme and it is why meat lovers like our product so much.

How did you narrow down your ideal consumers?
Our number one target audience is the meat-eaters that makeup at least 90 per cent of the world’s population, and there are two reasons for this.

First, from a sustainability perspective, vegetarians and vegans are already doing their part in helping the planet because they’re not eating animal meat at this stage. We’re going after the people that do actually eat meat from factory farms.

The second reason is more straightforward and comes from a business perspective—that we would prefer to influence 90 per cent of the population who are meat eaters rather than 10 per cent of vegetarians and vegans.

How do you influence people to shift to plant-based meats?
So the top reason why people would swing towards eating plant-based meat like ours is almost always because of taste. For nine out of 10 consumers, tasting is believing. Our team of scientists have been trying to understand what makes meat taste like meat, and we’re producing plant-based meat alternatives that give the same satisfaction to consumers.

Another thing we’ve noticed is that the younger generation is becoming increasingly aware of the environmental harms caused by producing animal meat the traditional way and that comes into play as well. Penetrating any market may prove to be a challenge due to regulatory approvals.

Nonetheless, once we enter a market we do realise today that price is probably the biggest barrier for everyday consumers. That’s why we’re constantly looking to decrease prices—we’ve since lowered our foodservice price by 30 per cent in the past 12 months. We’ll strive to reduce prices, but it’s also a question of scale.

As you may know, we can only reasonably reduce prices as we grow, right? The good news is that we are growing. So the more we grow, the more likely prices will decrease, making it easier for consumers to shift their diet towards plant-based meat.

NewCampus Power Sessions are a series of live talks and group mentoring sessions, featuring experienced industry leaders, influencers and game-changers. Gain unlimited access to Power Sessions and more when you sign up for a NewCampus membership here.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. This season we are seeking op-eds, analysis and articles on food tech and sustainability. Share your opinion and earn a byline by submitting a post.

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community or like the e27 Facebook page

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The world is facing major climate change problems, and one of the biggest factors is deforestation.

Southeast Asia in particular is home to thousands of diverse plant and animal species making up 20 per cent of the world’s tropical forests.

However, these forests today are being torn down aggressively for agriculture and urbanisation purposes.

According to Earth.org, if deforestation continues at this rate, it has the potential to wipe out over half of the Earth’s biodiversity in 2100.

But that’s not all, aggressive clearing of land has also shown to have a harsh effect on humans. For example, Malaria has long suspected to be a consequence of deforestation in Brazil.

As explained by National Geographic, ‘the virus is one of many infectious diseases generally confined to wildlife that has spilled over to people in areas undergoing rapid forest clearing’.

Some experts have even gone as far as to state the next pandemic could possibly emerge from the world’s forests.

While that is the current reality, there are also many companies now that are using tech to come up with sustainable solutions to tackle deforestation.

In honour of Earth Day on April 22, e27 has rounded up seven agritech startups that are aiming to directly or indirectly curb deforestation in Southeast Asia with their solutions.

The information in this article has been acquired from the e27 Startup Database and other platforms including Tracxn, Crunchbase, and Greenqueen.

Throughout our research, we discovered that deforestation remains an open opportunity for startups in SEA to seize. The number of startups in the region tackling deforestation is still relatively small, especially when compared to the magnitude of the problem.

We hope that this changes in the future as the world work together to fight climate change.

Here are the seven startups:

Bambooloo

Bambooloo is TNC’s (The Nurturing Co’s) flagship product that consists of a range of sustainable consumer products made from bamboo pulp. They include bamboo kitchen rolls, facial tissues, and natural fiber reusable masks, which are sourced from bamboo groves in China and made in ISO-certified factories.

“7,000 trees are cut down every day just to make toilet paper. This number is said to triple by 2050 according to the World Wildlife Fund. Not only does that lead to a huge level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but it also destroys the natural habitat for many magnificent animals. Bamboo, which is the fastest-growing material in the world, stores carbon in its root, not its bark-like trees do and thus cutting it down does not release the level of carbon dioxide that trees do. Bamboo is also grass not a tree and regenerative, unlike a tree after being cut. A roll of Bambooloo TP requires 90 per cent less water (9.8L) to produce and 70 per cent less carbon (132g),” said Bambooloo co-founder David Ward.

Country of Origin: Singapore

Total funding: Undisclosed

Investors: Razer

CocoPallet

In Asia, 170 million trees are cut down annually to produce 1.7 billion one-time use wooden pallets, which are mainly used for furniture.

To solve this problem, CocoPallet came up with a solution to use discarded coconut as a material that can fully replicate wooden pallets. The company utilises the natural glue present in coconut husks called the lingin to bind the material to create a sturdy, lightweight, and fire-resistant product.

Country of Origin: The Philippines, The Netherlands

Total funding: Undisclosed

Investors: Undisclosed

Farm-In-A-Box

Farm-In-A-Box is a startup that addresses challenges faced by novice growers by providing them starter planting kits, which can be progressively updated as they learn more.

It offers selected 3 best no-maintenance plants; the first is ready to eat in 5 days, the other gives good luck and the final one purifies the air.

Country of Origin: Malaysia, India

Total funding: Not announced

Investors: Self funded

iGrow

iGrow is a platform that allows ordinary people to earn money by funding local farmers. Similar to the popular mobile game Farmville, users need to decide how much to invest in on which plant, and wait for the crop to bear fruit on the iGrow website.

Its unique model promotes micro-farming, thus preventing the need for vast areas of land.

Country of Origin: Indonesia

Total funding: US$175,000

Investors: Rekanext, Google Launchpad Accelerator

Impact Terra

Impact Terra is an agritech startup that provides governments and smallholder farmers with climate analytics tools. It also provides actionable insights to smallholder farmers that can improve their crops. The company operates through its Golden Paddy application which provides farmers with alerts, chat, product, and financing options.

Also Read: Need of the hour: How agritech platforms can protect farmers from climate change

Focused on reducing climate risk, the company aims to be productive and have a sustainable environmental impact.

Country of Origin: Myanmar

Total funding: US$3 million

Investors: Geodata for Agriculture and Water

Poptani Asia

Poptani Asia offers infrastructures for indoor farming online. Its products help in setting up soil-based gardens to soil-less gardens for small-scale indoor farms and big urban spaces.

By providing companies with indoor farming materials, the agritech company indirectly contributes towards lower exploitation of land.

Country of Origin: Indonesia

Total funding: Undisclosed

Investors: Qeerad

RiTX

An Android-based application, RiTX Bertani focuses on the records of farming activities to help farmers apply Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), a proper cultivation practice with traceability principle that helps guarantee the safety of the produces, starting from the preparation all the way to the post-harvest products management. The records allow farmers to get recommendations on a more precise farming activity.

By using precision agriculture methods the startup increases yield in a smaller space, thereby reducing the need for more trees to be cut.

Country of Origin: Indonesia

Total funding: Undisclosed

Investors: Undisclosed

Sustenir Group

Sustenir Group is an indoor farm that uses methods such as controlled environment agriculture, vertical farming, and hydroponics to grow plants. While the majority of farmers use pesticides, Sustenir Group doesn’t use any making its products healthier.

By growing its plants indoors the company not only reduces carbon footprint but also diffuses spatial distribution, therefore drastically decreasing deforestation.

Country of Origin: Singapore

Total funding: Undisclosed

Investors: Temasek Holdings

Tunas Farm

Another indoor vertical farming company that produces and supplies organic microgreens. Its product offering includes kailan, kankung, red spinach, green romaine, Lolla Rossa, and more. What makes the company unique is that it offers people IoT farming tools kits with integrated automation and online monitoring to grow greens in their homes.

Also Read: The alarming environmental impact of Bitcoin mining

The company not just avoids the use of extensive land to farm but also encourages people to start growing their own greens.

Country of Origin: Indonesia

Total funding: US$1 million

Investors: Gayo Capital

Other notable agtech companies tackling deforestation

Ecosia

The only search engine in the world that uses ad revenue to plant trees. So far the company claims to have planted over 80 million trees in Ethiopia, Brazil, Indonesia, Spain, and other countries. Ecosia is also now an official search engine option alongside Google Search, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and Yahoo!

Country of Origin: Germany

Total funding: US$15,000

Investors: Tim Schumacher

Dendra Systems

A tech company that uses AI and custom-built drones to plant trees for large-scale ecosystem restoration. Dendra Systems works on behalf of global natural resources companies to restore land all over the world. According to the company, an upgrade to its technology will accelerate the rate at which it can regain natural woodland terrain for land that has lost all the flora and fauna.

Country of Origin: UK

Total funding: US$21.2M

Investors: SYSTEMIQ, Lionheart Ventures, Airbus Ventures, VentureSouq, At One Ventures, Future Positive Capital

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Image Credit: Matt Howard

The post Green for good: 9 agritech startups in Southeast Asia fighting deforestation appeared first on e27.

Milan Reinartz, CEO at iVS

While I still feel like a young man (on most days), I’m old enough to remember the emergence of the public internet as we know it, and with it the emergence of it, the search engines. I was a kid in Germany and still remember using Altavista and Yahoo! Search in the early days, and this new strange thing called the internet my father was talking about.

Then Google came.

Everyone started to search with Google and got Gmail accounts. I kept my Yahoo! email and it haunts me to this day with security issues and spoof mails, pretending to be me, marketing health supplements to my friends and colleagues.

But it just feels too hard to change it, so I’ve kept my Yahoo handle to this day. Largely, it does what it should for me and it’s free.

Fast forward two decades, I’ve now been working in the Internet industry for over 10 years. The landscape has developed immensely. A key issue of recent times, US and European anti-trust laws are looking to take apart major business units of Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Google (a space to watch).

Much closer to home, Australia has in February passed the News Media Bargaining Code – legislation that forces Google and Facebook to negotiate rates with news companies and pay them for content.

Or failing to come to terms, platforms could be forced to have a price set by independent arbitrators. And ripples are starting to be felt across the world all the way to the US, who might follow suit.

This was a world-first move by a federal government to protect the revenues of independent news organisations via legislation, which aims to force tech giants to pay up for what comes up in their search feeds. Will the trend of platform-based distribution prevail nonetheless, and are a few million dollars in “news fees” in one market or the other no more than the water of a duck’s back?

Or is the challenge Australia is putting to Google and Facebook on a legislative level a sentiment that is here to stay and may even meet us in Southeast Asia sooner or later?

Also Read: Ecosystem Roundup: Will Ovo complicate a gojek-Tokopedia merger?; Singapore faces talent crunch as tech giants scale up

Two sides of a coin

What felt like a very short time after the first time using Yahoo! Search, I started using Google products almost every day. For looking up facts, searching news on stocks and industries, using G-Suite for work and not to forget – Google Maps (which I’m personally a huge fan of).

Admittedly, like most people, I don’t use any other search engine than Chrome. And it serves me well. Working in the media industry, mostly with independent publishers, I have at worst considered Google as a frenemy for publishers.

Their ads suite, lead by AdSense/AdX and GAM (Google Ads Manager), have become almost irreplaceable tools for publishers’ advertising monetisation. Facebook is another story, but it also enabled a lot of publishers, i.e. gaming companies, content plays and more.

Until recently I have not given much thought to what search and social mean for media publishers and how heavy their dependence is on them.

Since listening to Pivot, a podcast by Kara Swisher and Professor Scott Gallaway, that has changed. My understanding of the role search and social plays for independent publishers, has deepened. And most importantly I’ve learned that publishers they’re not very independent at all.

In the world of media, the duopoly of Google and Facebook is not just a story of incredible success, but also a notorious one. Ultimately marketers have always used the most efficient tools available to them to reach their desired audiences at scale.

While historically, this was only achievable through a mix of TV, outdoor, newspapers and magazines – the internet and with it social media and search, engines have provided a platform to reach audiences much more efficiently.

And with eyeballs shifting heavily towards platforms, it’s only natural that independent publishers have followed to make use of the platforms to get their content in front of people.

The platforms’ arguments boiled down, are that they are simply facilitating the intention of the open internet, and as such, the consequences for news companies are a natural progression to be accepted. Vague and self-serving, yet still somewhat logical at face value.

Naturally, large independent news publishing companies may not share the same view, and with their PR and lobbying machines in play, have started to rethink their positions. This topic has long been a prominent one in Europe and the US.

Also Read: Who will benefit from America’s attacks on Chinese tech giants?

The pushback comes in many forms: lobbying government bodies, launching subscriptions and paywalls (a topic that deserves a separate article), in-housing video delivery tools (moving away from YouTube) and in some cases even boycotting Google’s ad infrastructure almost completely by working only with independent ad servers and ad tech platforms.

(I say “almost” as in the world of ad tech, it is indeed difficult to completely cut out Google as there are many layers in the buying process and Google plays a major part in each.)

Axel Springer of Germany is an example of a leading publisher that’s been cutting down on its dependence on walled gardens for quite some time.

The “grey-zones”

Let’s consider how we get our news in the first place? There are numerous studies that show that over two-thirds of the US population get their news from social, undoubtedly with Facebook and Instagram leading the charge.

How much of the remainder would be driven by Google Search is almost academic. So in terms of Search, I find this poses an interesting question – where will this go?

Facebook and Google benefit from platform users using their channels for news curation, by being able to show ads at various stages in the process. But so do the publishers, at least when the user clicks through to their pages via a web browser, AMP (accelerated mobile pages) and FBIA (Facebook Instant Articles). The devil, as usual, is in the details, so let’s go a little more micro here:

How much preview content other than headlines and images should the platforms be able to show, and at what point should they be asked to pay for showing news content? And let’s not confuse “should” with “will”. Beyond what’s perceived to be right or wrong, I believe the answer lies in assessing the leverage.

Platforms provide huge leverage for publishers and the same is true vice versa. The question is if the effort/benefit calculation can still make sense, and to what extent governments will play the role of the equaliser. Let’s not forget that Facebook and Google do not produce news, they merely act as aggregators and curation platforms, and in some cases enablers for political agendas, as we’ve seen with the Cambridge Analytica scandal that made headlines in 2018.

Such events may strengthen the argument to call for governments to intervene and protect independent journalism at its core.

Also Read: Today’s top tech news, March 22: Tech giants express concern over Singapore plan to fight fake news

So where to next …

Consumers will go where they can access their content most easily, or simply continue to do what they’re used to. Most will continue to get their news via Social or Search. However just as I’m still using my Yahoo! email handle, there are still people reading newspapers (physical or via publishers’ apps or quick links).

Undoubtedly, platforms will continue to play a major role in content distribution. And with the rise of podcasts, CTV and new platforms such as Substack, we will continue to see changes in where and how we choose to consume content.

One thing’s for sure though: quality independent news content is here to stay. And when and where publishers suffer enough financially and realise they may have recourse, they will likely push back – and government bodies will rally behind them to the extent that they can continue to exist and tell the stories of today.

Personally I find it reassuring to see awareness around this topic growing around the world. And as someone who has lived in New Zealand for over 10 years, I can comfortably give credit to the Australian government for making a bold first move.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. This season we are seeking op-eds, analysis and articles on food tech and sustainability. Share your opinion and earn a byline by submitting a post.

Join our e27 Telegram group, FB community or like the e27 Facebook page

Image Credit: Milan Reinartz

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Oyika CEO Jinsi Lee

With 250 million motorbikes, Southeast Asia has the highest density of motorbikes globally. Of these, half are in Indonesia and a quarter in Vietnam, the third and forth largest markets in the world.

Motorcycles also constitute 85 per cent of vehicle population in the region and a significant contributor to pollution.

The advent of electric motorbikes has started changing things for the better. However, they account for just 0.1 per cent of the total two-wheeler population in the region.

Mass production/usage of e-motorbikes is still years away, thanks to their higher costs than internal combustion engine (ICE) bikes. Plus, the region lacks the infrastructure such as charging stations to support e-vehicles.

Three years ago, Jinsi Lee and his team sniffed an opportunity here and came up with a unique idea. In May 2018, they launched a startup, called Oyika, out of Singapore to provide a power subscription plan bundled with e-motorbike.

“Our mission is to lower the barriers to e-vehicle adoption in developing countries,” Lee said in an interview with e27.

Also Read: ‘Singapore isn’t ready for mass adoption of EVs yet; hybrid may be better for the present’

The brains behind Oyika are the ones who built Postkid, an online education startup of the early 2000s, which was sold it to Mainboard-listed Horizon Education and Technologies. Lee previously worked for the Sunseap Group and championed a 10-megawatt solar farm in Cambodia and a 140-megawatt solar farm in India.

The grand plan

As for its power subscription plan, Oyika works with existing e-motorbike/scooter manufacturers and transforms their ICE models into smart bikes by bundling them with its portable swap batteries, network of swap stations and mobile app.

“Our subscription plan is akin to a telecom plan in Singapore. You get a data plan that comes with a mobile phone — you can’t have a mobile phone without a data plan, or a data plan without a mobile phone,” he explained.

As per this, a rider with a pay-per-use,  prepaid weekly, or postpaid monthly plan can swap his/her depleted battery for a fully-charged one at an Oyika swap station within a minute.

“The process is faster than the conventional charging of an e-motorbike via a home power outlet, which could take up to eight hours to fully charge,” claims Lee.

The battery is brand-agnostic and works with most e-motorbike brands and models in Southeast Asia. The battery is Internet of Things-enabled, so it can be monitored remotely for optimal performance and safety. A stolen e-motorbike can be tracked and remotely switched off, effectively making it theft proof.

The system is entirely operated through Oyika’s mobile app that enables riders to locate a nearby swap station to exchange their depleted battery for a fully charged one.

Lee said that the company is in talks with seven major motorcycle brands in Indonesia to launch its subscription service. However, he didn’t share the names.

Oyika has successfully trialled its battery-swap service in Cambodia and Indonesia via flexible power subscription plans bundled with an e-motorbike.

In Indonesia, the company has installed 16 swap stations so far, and plans to set up another 1,000 by the end of the year.

“In Indonesia, we work with the likes of Grab riders and gojek riders. In this market, most riders own their own bikes and they are contracted on a part time basis to run for these delivery companies. It is a massive opportunity,” he noted.

The startup also has plans to broaden its customer base to include students, office workers and corporate customers, he shared. “In the meanwhile, we need to fulfil our order book of 30,000 power subscription plans, including for union members from the Indonesian cooperative, Friends of the Indonesian Police.”

A rider in Indonesia recharges his e-bike battery at an Oyika swap station

The subscription plans start at US$72 per month, which Lee says is a cheaper alternative to the traditional bank instalment plans. “Oyika’s innovative business model and power subscription plans allow it to be price- competitive even in Indonesia where petrol prices are subsidised.

Also Read: Scooterson launches light-weight foldable smart e-scooter

Plus, each ICE motorbike on the road replaced by an e-motorbike saves about one tonne of CO2e a year, equivalent to planting 16.5 trees over 10 years, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency,” he said.

Energy-share service for rural Indonesia

In Indonesia, the company is also innovating another energy-share service in rural communities. This is aimed at bringing electricity to households that do not have access to the national grid. These households lack the very basics — such as lights, fans, fridges, or the ability to charge a mobile phone.

“Providing electricity isn’t just about making people’s lives more comfortable. It’s economically transformative in assisting off-grid communities to run small businesses that require electricity to operate, for example, a sewing machine or a sugar cane juicer,” Lee elucidated.

The startup is conducting trials in remote Indonesia where the same portable batteries provide electricity to off-grid households. Under this plan, getting electricity at home will simply involve placing the battery into an Oyika home docking system and connecting electrical appliances to it.

There are 30 million people with no access to electricity in Southeast Asia, according to the World Bank.

“It’s an exciting proposition to have the same battery lighting up homes as well as powering transportation. It has taken many years for battery prices to fall to a point where they can electrify rural communities and improve millions of people’s lives. And this is just the beginning,” Lee pointed out.

Vietnam expansion

Oyika’s other plans include expanding in Vietnam later this year. It also plans to bid for a contract to build and install charging stations for e-vehicles in Singapore, which plans to phase out cars that run on petrol by 2040.

The cleantech company is backed by Sunseap co- founders — CEO Frank Phuan, and President Lawrence Wu. Phuan invested in his personal capacity, while Lawrence invested through TRIREC, an investment firm with a focus on renewable energy and clean technology projects.

Oyika is currently in talks to raise US$100 million, which will be used to roll out the battery-swap service in Indonesia.

“It is very difficult for a rider to secure bank loans for e-motorbikes. So the money we raise will be used to provide financing services to riders. We are talking to several VCs and corporate investors, some of whom are in the oil & gas sector, who desperately want to do something in the clean space or offset the carbon,” he concluded.

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Image Credit: Oyika

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Unbox Robotics bags US$1.2M pre-Series A funding

Investors: Beenext, Karthik Bhat (Founder of Ubiquity), WEH Ventures, and Redstart Labs participated in the round alongside existing backers Arali Ventures, SOSV (and its accelerator HAX), and Entrepreneur First.

About Unbox Robotics: Unbox Robotics offers “software-defined” robotics solutions that help logistics players automate and improve their on-demand operations. The India-based company plans to use the fresh funds to help onboard new clients and develop its platform.

Also Read: Teleoperation: It’s here to revolutionise the logistics and supply chain industry

“Currently, we are closely working with six e-commerce and logistics enterprises in India, Southeast Asia, and the US to deploy our solution in the next twelve months and earn seven-figure revenue figures,” said Pramod Ghadge, CEO of Unbox Robotics.

AfterShip snags US$66M in Series B funding led by Tiger Global

Investors: Hillhouse Capital’s venture arm GL Ventures joined Tiger Global in the fundraise.

About AfterShip: The Hong Kong-based company offers a suite of automation tools to help businesses with sales, marketing, order management, and shipment tracking. AfterShip said it will channel the fresh funds to expanding its team, develop new e-commerce products, and continue its expansion into the US market.

Currencycloud sets up APAC headquarters in Singapore

The story: Located in downtown Raffles Quay, the new office will serve as a hub to drive the London-based fintech’s expansion throughout the wider region. Currencycloud also expects to hire a “double-digit” number of employees by the end of 2021 and is applying for a license with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

About Currencycloud: The company provides B2B embedded cross-border solutions and currently works with fintech companies including NIUM and Wallex. Currencycloud claims it processes over US$3 billion in international payments each month.

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Mercular, a Thailand-based e-commerce company targeting hobbyists, has raised US$3 million in Series A funding led by Kairous Capital.

Cyber Agent, 500 Startups, N-Vest Venture and Premier Advisory Group also participated in the round.

As per a press note, the fresh funds will go towards improving its platform and expanding the products and categories carried, starting with gaming gear.

Mercular claims it is the first Thai e-commerce startup to receive funding from foreign investors.

Based out of Bangkok, Mercular specifically targets those who are into hobby lifestyles. Having started out selling audio gadgets, the company has since expanded its product line to include sporting goods, cameras and collectable figures, among others.

Also Read: 3 top trends to impact e-commerce startups in ASEAN in 2021

The e-commerce startup noted it distinguishes itself from other platforms by providing pre and post-sales services for sellers — from providing content reviews to handling customer claims.

“The demand for hobbies products are rising rapidly since the millennials and younger generations are looking for alternatives in their recreation. While the typical e-commerce platform in SEA regions focus mainly on price competition,” noted Woragun, founder and CEO of Mercular.

“The pandemic has expedited the consumer’s habits of purchasing online by several years. While we believe that e-commerce market places will continue to be the mainstream players, we also see consumers turning sophisticated and demanding more by transacting via vertical e-commerce and social commerce platform,” commented Joseph Lee, Managing Partner at Kairous Capital.

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Image Credit: Mercular

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Austrianova, a Singapore-based biotech company, has signed an agreement with Luxumbourg-based private alternative investment group GEM Global Yield to provide it with a share subscription facility of up to US$100 million for a 36-month term, following a public listing.

The deal will allow Austrianova to draw down funds by issuing shares of common stock to GEM.

Austrianova will control the timing and the maximum size of such drawdowns.

With the new funding, Austrianova aims to increase the growth of its production capacity to meet the demand for its cell encapsulation technology.

Founded in 2001, Austrianova develops cell therapy to protect, shield, and extend the life of living cells. Its two main flagship products are Cell-In-A-Box and Bac-In-A-Box.

As per the company website, Cell-In-A-Box is a means to protect, isolate, store and transport human and animal cells to provide increased immuno-protection. 

Also Read: Ageing gracefully: Why GERO is optimistic about its chance in the race for anti-ageing drug

On the other hand, Bac-In-A-Box is a Bac-In-A-Box is a means to protect, isolate, store and transport living bacteria and yeast for stomach acid protection.

“We believe that this is the largest share subscription facility to date for an Asian-based biotech company,” said co-founder of Austrianova, Brian Salmons.

“With the certainty of capital upon listing on a national public stock exchange, Austrianova is now well-positioned as the company enters its next stage of development. We believe that this is the largest share subscription facility for an Asian-based biotech company,” Salmons added.

“This agreement with GEM helps secure funding for continued growth and development of Austrianova as we continue to expand the number of partners using our Cell-in-a-Box and Bac-in-a-Box technologies,” shared Walter H Gunzburg, Chairman of Austrianova.

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Image Credit:  National Cancer Institute

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Uploan, a Philippines-based fintech company providing payroll financial services, has raised a senior secured loan of up to US$15 million from debt financer Lendable.

As per a press note, US$6 million will be available for immediate usage to support Uploan’s “fast-growing” demand.

Uploan is Lendable’s first client in the Philippines. The long-term facility will allow Uploan to grow its loan book, redeploy Lendable’s capital and hold more exposure on-balance sheet.

The transaction’s security structure, complying with new regulations adopted in 2020, also establishes a secured debt infrastructure that paves the way for the fintech company to expand its institutional debt into the future.

Founded in 2017, Uploan offers loans, salary advances and insurance products — with the goal of improving the financial well-being of working Filipinos.

The company claims it currently partners with over 100 corporates in the Philippines.

Also Read: Gimo secures seed funding to provide transparent payroll services to Vietnam’s underbanked workers

Uploan admitted that it faced its fair share of headwinds during the pandemic. As the country imposed a lockdown and its GDP plunged by 10 per cent, two debt repayment moratoriums froze Uploan’s revenue for an extended period.

Despite that, the company claims it grew its customer base to more than 300,000 employees serviced while avoiding a spike in non-performing loans

“Filipinos are facing unprecedented financial distress and many don’t have enough money to make ends meet despite being in employment. The debt facility we have closed with Lendable will be catalytic in enabling us to better meet the needs of our fast-growing employee pool. Working with progressive employers, we are committed to helping millions of Filipinos move out of financial distress over the coming years,” said Liam Grealish, CEO of Uploan.

“We are excited to close this facility with Uploan and expand our reach to new markets in Southeast Asia. The team has navigated the exceptionally difficult operating and macroeconomic environment in the Philippines during covid. Through the diligence process, we have seen Uploan evolve and emerge as a stronger firm,” noted Aaron Collett, Head of Asia Origination at Lendable

“The company is poised to scale further at a time when the broader financial sector is pulling back, a high-impact opportunity to provide financing when people face extreme economic conditions and need financial access the most. Uploan’s prudent business model, digitization of processes and team expertise has allowed them to successfully underwrite risk in difficult times,” he added.

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Image Credit: Uploan

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SEEDS Capital, others invest in B2B fintech firm TurnKey Lender

About TurnKey Lender: A SaaS company, it designs and develops software solutions that automate the entire lending process with market-leading time-to-market.

Other Investors: DEG (lead), Vertex Ventures, OSK Ventures International, and Majuven.

What the new funding will be used for: Scaling, expansion of its R&D and business development facilities, and strengthening of market positions.

More about the story: Turnkey’s software is used by traditional, alternative, and embedded lenders in over 50 countries.

During the post-COVID outbreak, the company claims to have tripled its ARR year-over-year and increased its core customer base.

“As we continue to experience rapid growth, this capital injection will help us firmly establish our SaaS-based digital lending platform as the leading solution to address today’s economic needs for smart and turn-key financing automation and will allow TurnKey Lender to further accelerate our international expansion,” Dmitry Voronenko, co-founder of TurnKey Lender, said.

Ryde to launch new premium private car service

About RydeLUXE: Ryde, a mobility app company based in Singapore, has launched RydeLUXE, which caters to the ultra-luxury market of business executives, tourists, and premium customers who like to travel in comfort with professional drivers in spacious six-seaters vehicles.

Business owners, restaurants, and hotels can provide this service to guests looking for a premium ride via a partnership with Ryde.

More about the story: RydeLUXE beta trials are ongoing at the moment. The premium service will be officially launched in Singapore on 29th April 2021.

Also Read: Ryde plans for IPO on SGX, aims to capture 30 per cent of Singapore’s ride-sharing market

“The launch of RydeLUXE reflects our belief and commitment to introduce innovative features for the ride-hailing market. It also marks a significant milestone for us, as we enter the ultra-luxury market and cater to a different clientele,” Terence Zou, founder of Ryde Technologies, said.

Malaysian fintech startup Finology reaches final five of Seedstars World Competition

About Finology: A fintech startup that enables seamless access to financial products and services.

Its technology has been deployed in 4 countries, and its APIs are used by various large companies that include GHL, iProperty, and Tropicana.

About Seedstars World Competition:  Seedstars World Competition aims to find the most promising early-stage startups in emerging markets.

Qumulo expands to Asia Pacific

The objective: The expansion to APAC builds on the increasing demand for the American data storage company’s Qumulo File Data Platform in APAC across major verticals, including healthcare, industrial manufacturing, automotive manufacturing, government, media and entertainment, and research computing.

Also Read: Malaysian insurtech startup PolicyStreet wins Seedstars Kuala Lumpur

About Qumulo: A file data platform for multi-cloud environments, providing freedom, control, and real-time visibility for file data.

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Image Credit: Unsplash

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