Headquarters (HQ.xyz), a Singaporean startup providing a dashboard for Web3 teams to manage their financial operations and reporting, has secured US$5M in a pre-seed investment round. 

Crypto.com Capital, Forge Ventures and MassMutual Ventures co-led the strategic round, with participation from Saison Capital, Coinhako, Longhash Ventures, Ocular, Sky9 Capital and DWF Labs. 

Angel investors, such as Gnosis Safe’s Co-Founder Lukas Schor, Spenmo Co-Founder Mohandass Kalaichelvan, Fazz’s Co-Founder Liu Tianwei, and Web3 industry veterans, including Nansen’s CEO Alex Svanevik, Race Capital’s Chris McCann and Etherscan’s Founder Matthew Tan, also co-invested.

Also Read: Playground wants to be a bridge for the next billion users into Web3 entertainment

Headquarters will use the capital to accelerate its finance dashboard, called HQ teams. This includes bridging wallets with traditional FinOps tools spanning from accounting, invoicing, payroll, spend management and fiat ramps.

The rapid growth of Web3 companies and DAOs (decentralised autonomous organisations) are challenging the status quo of business operations, yet existing FinOps tools have not adapted.

FinOps in Web3 has specific hurdles, such as fragmented working capital, as teams commonly have finances spread across wallets that are both custodial and non-custodial. This makes Web3 bookkeeping subject to human error as managing payables and receivables typically involves spreadsheets and a highly manual process of copying and pasting transactions.

Headquarters aims to solve this problem. It replaces the arduous task of manually transferring tokens and making payments by giving Web3 teams the tools needed for better visibility and control over their internal finances. 

Its solution draws Web3 funds and insider angels who see an industry need for companies to better manage their working capital from custodial and non-custodial crypto wallets.

“Web3 teams are building industry-defining solutions but lack the same rigour when it comes to keeping their financial operations and reporting in order. We built HQ Teams to make finance best practices less exhausting by taking out the tedious manual work. Getting this right means teams can finally expect the same operational excellence for their internal financial workflows as they do with everything else in the sector,” said Sharon Paul, Headquarters Co-Founder and CEO.

Also Read: ‘Democratising ownership models is the most significant opportunity in Web3’: Infinity Ventures Crypto’s Brian Lu

HQ Teams has three critical features tailored for Web3 business FinOps:

1. Balance management tool for visibility across custodial and non-custodial wallets holding operational funds.
2. Executing payables and receivables to manage standard FinOps like payroll, invoicing and spend management.
3. Labelling and filtering crypto transactions to ensure records from custodial and non-custodial wallets are accounting-ready (i.e. traditional bookkeeping categorisations).

In addition to directly onboarding Web3 projects, Headquarters is also teaming up with Web3 corporate secretaries, accountants and incubators to utilise HQ Teams as the tool for their clients and portfolio companies. 

Headquarters’s Co-Founders are repeat founders with successful exits. Its CEO Sharon Paul was most recently the Head of Payments at Fazz.com and was part of StraitsX’s founding team. The CTO and Co-Founder Sunny Singh has spent nearly a decade leading engineering teams, including Traveloka, Grasshopper, a high-frequency trading firm, and most recently, building out teams for fintech firms under a consultancy Mission.Plus.

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Echelon 2022 aims to provide intimate and focused discussions on key topics and business matching services to facilitate business-driven connections during the two-day event. e27will curate and invite key stakeholders of startups, investors, corporates, and ecosystem enablers to drive towards fruitful business outcomes at Echelon.

The 2022 Echelon edition will be co-located with SWITCH at Resorts World Sentosa from 27 to 28 October 2022. Learn more here. 

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Koltiva, an Indonesia-based tech startup focused on agriculture supply chain, has raised an undisclosed investment from impact investor Silverstrand Capital, with participation from existing investor The Meloy Fund.

Planet Rise, Development Finance Asia and Blue7 also participated in the round.

The funding will allow Koltiva to develop its technology that creates traceability data and delivers agronomy advice to help smallholder farmers improve their agricultural practices and income. It generates traceability data through a marriage of technology with in-person engagement through its agronomist network. Koltiva’s agronomists provide capacity building and technical assistance to smallholder farmers.

Koltiva’s new technology modules will be commercialised using the funds.

The first module, KoltiPay, is a fintech platform that provides cashless payment transactions for small-scale farmers and offers them crop insurance and loans.

Also Read: Can agritech solve the world’s growing food security problem?

KoltiTrade, the second module, will enable farmers to purchase affordable agricultural inputs and provide direct access to premium markets for their crops, helping them improve their incomes.

Both will integrate into Koltiva’s end-to-end technology ecosystem, which includes its traceability and farm management software (KoltiTrace) and the training services arm (KoltiSkills).

“Sustainability and ethically-produced goods have become critical decision-making factors for consumers worldwide,” said Manfred Borer, CEO of Koltiva. “Agribusinesses and multinational companies that want to produce goods to meet that demand to understand where ingredients come from and the transparency and trustworthiness of the data. That is what we do. This new round of funding will help us accelerate our five-year goal of supporting five million farmers while ensuring goods are responsibly produced and free of deforestation, conversion, exploitation, human rights abuses, and child labour.”

Koltiva began its operations in Indonesia in cocoa production but has since expanded to 30 commodities, including coffee, palm oil, rubber, and speciality crops. The company recently moved into climate solutions and the ‘blue economy’, including seaweed and shrimp farming.

Koltiva now operates in 27 countries with a US$20 billion and growing addressable market opportunity.

“Koltiva supports more than 700,000 smallholder farmers globally, helping them increase average yields by 70 per cent and average prices by 48 per cent. We believe that the commercial launch of the new modules will significantly improve the company’s ability to increase farmers’ income while accelerating and diversifying Koltiva’s revenue growth,” said Peter Kennedy, Chief Investment Officer at The Meloy Fund.

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When Playfix Founder and CEO Tobias Abdon was around nine years old, he was surprised when his dad came home with a box that had a picture of a sewing machine on it. Little did he know that this moment would have a major impact on his life.

“He gave the box to my brothers and me and asked us to open it,” Abdon said. “Inside was the first Nintendo console! We wouldn’t be learning to sew after all.”

That Nintendo Entertainment System (known as the Family Computer or Famicom in Japan) would introduce Abdon to the magic of video games.

“Having eight siblings, it was hard to get time on that console. And we probably ended up breaking it pretty fast as we did with most things. But I definitely remember playing Mario and Duck Hunt,” he said.

These days, Abdon is very much a part of the gaming industry, helping game developers embrace blockchain gaming.

Making blockchain gaming mainstream

What is the Playfix vision for blockchain gaming?

“We see a future where blockchain features in games are no longer a novel concept. Rather, they are expected. To get there, Playfix will work hard to greatly expand the number of Web3 developers and games. We aim to make it super simple for every developer to build and launch Web3 games,” Abdon said.

Also Read: Exploring the creator economy in gaming

Abdon’s background in the technology industry, particularly in cloud computing, is proving valuable in helping realise the Playfix vision of becoming an all-in-one solution for developers to easily build, launch, and grow Web3 games and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

“I started off my career working in dark and dingy data centres in the Pacific Northwest. Then graduated from there to be one of the first salespeople at Amazon Web Services in 2008,” he said.

Abdon then spent more than a decade helping innovative cloud computing companies scale on the global stage.

“I got into crypto just in time for my first bear market experience this year,” he quipped.

From play-to-earn to Playfix

How did Abdon end up founding a blockchain startup like Playfix?

“I came up with the main idea around June or July of 2021. Axie Infinity was growing super fast and was all over the news,” Abdon said, referring to the blockchain game that helped popularise play-to-earn.

“I started to research how they built the game. Not only did they have to build the game, but they had to build a sidechain (Ronin), write smart contracts, and so on. I knew that most game studios wouldn’t be able to do all that work. And I also truly believed in the potential of blockchain gaming. I started daydreaming about an application programming interface (API) platform that would make building blockchain games much easier,” he said.

Lowering the barrier to entry

Abdon emphasised that the Playfix platform offers an end-to-end solution, citing three main ways the company makes it easier for developers to make the leap to blockchain gaming.

“First, we greatly lower the barrier to entry for developers. If you know how to use a REST (Representational State Transfer) API, then you can get started building web3 games with Playfix.

“Second, we have all the APIs you’ll need to build your game, from tokens to NFTs, to wallets. You won’t need to piece together multiple services.

Also Read: What does blockchain gaming need to succeed in the long haul?

“Third, we have a team who will work with developers to succeed. There are a lot of important decisions to make, from which blockchain to use to designing how the game interacts with the blockchain elements. We are here to provide that expertise,” he said.

3 pillars of blockchain gaming

According to Abdon, Playfix was founded on believing that the intersection of blockchain technology and gaming will elevate both industries to new heights.

“We like to think about the ‘pillars of blockchain gaming’. The first pillar is digital asset ownership. Players and others involved in the gaming ecosystem will be more involved in the creation and transformation of digital assets that get used in games.

“The second pillar is economic inclusion. Right now, game developers reap most of the rewards of their games. However, players contribute a lot of value to games and should be included in the rewards. This opens up some really exciting opportunities for both game developers and players.

“The third pillar is innovation. Blockchain gaming is just getting started. We need creative teams to think of new concepts to build,” Abdon said.

Blockchain gaming is here to stay. With the help of Playfix, more game developers can get ready for the future and have what it takes to win.

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In this episode, we are excited to welcome Joanna Harries, Senior Vice President of Global Expansion at Endeavor, the world’s leading organisation working with high-impact entrepreneurs. Prior, Harries held other growth executive roles at the organisation and was a brand manager at Unilever.

In our conversation, Harries offers great insights about taking a decentralised approach to localising for new markets but having the playbooks and structures, how to foster an owner’s mentality and create a community of trust, and how to develop local-to-local knowledge sharing (not always requiring HQ) and building a global mindset within your family.

Also Read: Venturing into China: The challenges and key success factors of localisation

Get your copy of our #2 Wall Street Journal Bestselling book, Global Class, a playbook on how to build a successful global business here.

This episode is sponsored by our partner, ZEDRA. Learn more about how the ZEDRA team can support you in expanding to new markets here.

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The content was first published by Global Class.

Image Credit: Global Class

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Studies reveal that internet usage among the under-aged (below 18) accounts for 40 per cent of daily traffic globally.

They use the internet for education, entertainment and socialisation. However, the dangers lurking behind this growing number are worrisome, with a Zoomer’s Insights study finding that parents across Asia Pacific are most concerned about content safety for their children. Inappropriate content in gaming is one of the top worries.

While many firms are already tapping into this segment, brand safety and compliance have made it daunting to connect with the young audience, especially if the brands are not equipped with the right expertise and technology.

“We understand the importance and dangers of this,” says Will Anstee, Co-Founder and CEO of TotallyAwesome. “So we create brand-funded games that help children’s confidence, help their socialisation, help educate a child in a fun way through STEM-based modules. This way, we keep youths safe on the internet.”

Headquartered in Singapore, TotallyAwesome is an advanced digital advertising network for kids, teens, and families. It is a purpose-built media and content business, with one foot in media and engagement and the other in cyber safety.

“From a media perspective, we ensure brands engage kids and teens responsibly, acting like a youth safety insurance policy for brands,” Anstee tells e27. “We counsel brands on how to move beyond an advertising play to one of utility and meaning. Our role is to help marketers plan and execute the most successful campaigns possible for their brands, offering an experience of positivity for the end user and additional utility for the brand.”

Also Read: Preparing kids for the future of work by asking founders the skills they hire for

According to a UN study of 2018, 175,000 kids come online for the first time every day. There is a need for proprietary and contextual data-graph to which the advertising industry can reply. “Under-18s increasingly look to digital platforms via mobile phones for entertainment, playing games, hanging out and discovering new brands,” says Anstee. “Advertisers need to target audience at the right time, in the right environment and with a compelling/creative message. However, they often deprioritise marketing to U18s due to a lack of clear profiling information and regulation.”

And under-18s going online are typically highly problematic, as the internet brings a dark side. Big tech firms such as Instagram and TikTok were recently fined for mishandling and failing to protect children’s data. Some others, such as Microsoft, have complex terms and conditions that can take a trained lawyer up to an hour to read!

“What chance do under-18s have in these situations, then?” asks Anstee. “This is why TotallyAwesome was born. We allow brands to engage with their target audiences across various media formats (apps & sites, YouTube, creators) to achieve improved utility and a positive outcome.”

Backed by science but human by design

TotallyAwesome is science-backed but human by design, says Anstee, who refers to himself as the ‘anti-CEO’, leading a people-first hearts-based business. The startup curates multiple content and inventory through the lens of an under18. This is achieved through the deployment of bespoke technology explicitly designed to offer youths contextual and customised content through age-appropriate engagement.

“We have technological advances in semantic and contextual targeting, which lets a brand’s value resonate in the most appropriate emotional context, driving hyper-relevancy and meaning. TotallyAwesome also relies on an army of people to apply a ‘human value judgement’ to all content, ensuring a brand is laser-focused and never compromised,” he explains.

Anstee, who co-founded TotallyAwesome with Marcus Herrmann and Daniel Nguyen, says all its placements are enriched with proprietary data and a standardised structure, ensuring a compliant outcome for brands. Its philosophy and investment in contextual targeting combine machine and people best practices. This provides brands with a unique, safe and scalable channel to their high-value audiences, driving superior media return on investment (ROI).

The firm provides brands with products with purpose across a range of media formats —

• Apps & sites: video/animated video, display, rich media;
• YouTube: TrueView/animated video/360, 15s non-skippable, 6s bumper;
• Creators: YouTube Video, Facebook, Instagram video/post, TikTok video;
• TotallyPlay: In-game ads, custom integrations, e-sports sponsorships.

TotallyAwesome undertakes a three-step process to guarantee a brand’s media effectiveness and efficiency:

Audience first:

a) A bespoke inventory ‘discovery’ process capturing a high-quality audience marketplace where brands can engage an audience with confidence and accuracy via leveraging,

b) Analytics of behavioural patterns and paths to purchase across content, interests and mindsets,

c) Real-time consumer insights on media habits and content consumption
Resident psychologist providing behavioural insights at each life stage by market,

d) AI-driven algorithms matching similar content.

Curation (to ensure a brand is shown on content that is safe for the audience and the brand):

a) Moderation by a specialists team, by market, of kids, teens and family experts,

b) Over 2 million hours of combined kids, teens and family expertise in working with brands and content owners

c) Audience safe content only – KidSAFE Certification logo

Enrichment (human by design):

a) Consistent categorisation by humans who understand content, language, age, gender and life stage – not algorithms,

b) Content is categorised by psychologists and family/educational experts,

c) Safety is guaranteed by humans, not an ever-changing algorithm.

The AI startup has teenage moderators (all 18+) on teenage content. They moderates every piece of its diverse marketing channels/marketplace and categorises it in its proprietary curation and moderation platform.

Besides, it has a resident practising psychologist advising on what is age-appropriate, consequently helping shape its products and develop bespoke research solutions. This science-backed approach is combined with local language human moderators to ensure brand safety and emphasise human interpretation over AI-based solutions.

Also Read: Unlikely mentors: What kids can teach you about entrepreneurship

“Our bespoke approach has discovered, curated and moderated over 7,000 ‘KidSafe/TeenSafe’ apps, websites, games and YouTube channels across Asia Pacific, enabling us to reach over 500 million monthly active users,” shares Anstee. “Our products are 100 per cent COPPA (The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act- and Children’s Data and Parental Consent (GDPR-k)-compliant.”

TotallyAwesome, which operates in Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and APAC, recently raised US$10 million (debt and equity) seed funding from San Francisco-based Partners For Growth and Singapore-based Yefira Group. “We will invest in product development to evolve our enterprise advertising platform, ramp up hiring across its sales, data science and machine learning teams and explore strategic M&As,” he notes. 

“We will use the money to solidify our position in the market while expanding our footprint across key strategic markets such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and Australia,” Anstee concludes.

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Echelon 2022 aims to provide intimate and focused discussions on key topics and business matching services to facilitate business-driven connections during the two-day event. e27will curate and invite key stakeholders of startups, investors, corporates, and ecosystem enablers to drive towards fruitful business outcomes at Echelon.

The 2022 Echelon edition will be co-located with SWITCH at Resorts World Sentosa from 27 to 28 October 2022. Learn more here. 

The post How TotallyAwesome helps brands engage kids and teens in a meaningful way appeared first on e27.