Singapore-based hospitality & travel-focused VC firm Velocity Ventures has invested an undisclosed amount in New Zealand’s enviro-tech company CarbonClick.

The startup will use the funds to boost its expansion into Asia, with a regional office in Singapore scheduled to open in 2023.

Founded in 2017, CarbonClick aims to make carbon offset simple for businesses and their customers. It provides the full details of the offset by ensuring a receipt is emailed to each customer, showing where and how their contributions have been used with a “track and trace” feature.

The startup has made inroads into the aviation, travel, and airport sectors and works with over 1,000 brands. The firm works with companies such as Etihad, Amadeus, and London Stansted Airport.

In Southeast Asia, CarbonClick currently supports Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve, a project in Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan which protects 65,000 hectares of peat swamp, avoiding more than 130 million tonnes of carbon emissions.

Also Read: Velocity Ventures to back distressed hospitality & travel startups with the new US$20M fund

“More consumers now demonstrate greater awareness around sustainability and choose airlines and travel providers that align with their environmental values. We are dedicated to ensuring our credits stand up to the highest level of scrutiny and have implemented a stringent framework to ensure that the offsets companies offer to their customers have a real, measurable impact on reducing climate change,” said Dave Rouse, CEO of CarbonClick.

Nicholas Cocks, Managing Partner of Velocity Ventures, added: “As travel rebounds, the travel and hospitality industry has many long-term assets such as aircraft and hotels where significant emissions reduction simply is not immediately possible. Carbon offsetting for such companies offers an immediate solution while transitioning to reach net zero goals. For example, airlines gradually replacing their existing fleet with more fuel-efficient aircraft can participate in voluntary carbon offsetting efforts to make a difference. Pricing the negative externality of carbon emissions and providing quality carbon offsets is vital to galvanize immediate action rather than prolong collective inertia.”

Velocity Ventures invests in growth-stage tech-enabled companies across five verticals: travel services, transportation, accommodation, F&B, and experiences. Its investments include Aigens, Food Market Hub, TableVibe, TripGuru, and Hyper Robotics.

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Hi, this is Wan Wei, CEO and Co-Founder of IKIGUIDE Metaverse Collective (IMC). Singapore Management University invited me to do a post specifically on my startup journey, so I am thankful to be able to take the time to reflect and share my journey here!

I am currently also a guest trainer at Singapore Management University Academy and lecturer at Aventis Graduate School, specialising in topics on Web3 and the metaverse. 

IMC counts NYSE-listed Nutanix, Philips, Hitachi, DBS, Crypto.com and non-profit alliance ChangemakersXchange as some of the key clients and partners in its portfolio.

As one of the leading media, education and Web3 collective in the Southeast Asian region, we work with corporations and governments to bridge knowledge and resource gaps in Asia’s metaverse industry so that they can integrate these solutions into their processes seamlessly.

Our story

Folks are sometimes curious why we chose to set up IKIGUIDE Metaverse Collective. IKIGUIDE was registered as a business entity since 2014, when I was in Finland doing my Masters in Public Relations, all the way in Finland.

Naturally, at that time, IKIGUIDE was focusing on startup consultancy and publicity. Eventually, we pivoted into metaverse and Web3-related consulting because we spotted a sweet spot we could bridge in the Asian metaverse spaces. 

Also Read: Web3 marketing: Building a cult-like community

Today, we focus on providing specialised market intelligence and education to corporations and governments related to the metaverse industry in Asia, which includes China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia. We also offer strategic consulting services spanning focus groups, partnership selection, Go-to-Market strategy, and customised data analysis.

We’re fully bootstrapped and incubated by Singapore Management University Business Innovations Generator (BIG) Programme. They are currently accepting applications now, so do remember to apply!

What problem do we solve?

According to JP Morgan, the metaverse industry will present a US$1 trillion industry by 2030. Goldman Sachs predicts that the metaverse has “as much as US$8 trillion opportunity on the revenue and monetisation side”. Morgan Stanley sees US$8 trillion metaverse market in China alone.

Extensive research projects that the global metaverse market will grow from US$61.8 billion in 2022 to US$426.9 billion in 2027, representing a compound annual growth rate of 47.2 per cent. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region for the metaverse market over the next five years, with an average annual growth rate of 49.6 per cent. 

Yet, it is important to note that the metaverse discourse is currently very Western-centric. Many of us have heard of Western Big Tech companies like Microsoft doing the US$69 billion of Activision Blizzard, Facebook rebranding to Meta and then doing Horizon Worlds, or Roblox and Fortnight. 

Yet, why haven’t we heard of China’s Xirang (by Baidu) or South Korea’s Zepeto’s collaboration with K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, which led to a worldwide social media frenzy? Those are huge! And aren’t the massive populations already highly engaged in esports/gaming worlds in the Asia Pacific, the very people who will lead the mass adoption of other metaverses?

The reason for the relative lack of information and discourse is mainly because the Asian region is still highly fragmented due to language, regulatory and cultural barriers. Having said that, this is also a huge opportunity, so we wanted to do IKIGUIDE as a leading metaverse collective for the region. The three-pronged verticals that build up our collective are:

• Education
• Media
• Consulting

Why a collective?

Our IKIGUIDE metaverse “collective” community, fuelled by the willingness of our progressive and competent community members to support one another, is what we enjoy the most. It also follows the Web3 ethos.

Our collective is in its infancy, and we aim to build it with and to over a hundred engaged firms and excellent founders in Asia. Consider this collective as having the backing of many of the top founders and thought leaders in Asia’s metaverse industry, who are all net-givers in our ecosystem.

In essence, we work hard to establish open access to knowledge and resources that each of us wished existed when we started our Web3 and metaverse journeys, respectively. 

A collective is essential in a Web3 space because we are fundamentally all about collaboration, relationships and experiences, which is different from a typical Web2 closed organisation. We’re closer to running a movement over a business, where we work hard to curate members in our collective to ensure that members are community and contribution-minded.

Also Read: More than hype: 3 reasons why NFTs are here to stay 

This, however, does not mean that the entity is not bottom-line driven. It does, however, mean that the entity is the antithesis of transactional. True to the Japanese spirit of Omotenashi (表裏なし), we deeply care about the experience of each contributor and client in our collective and serve passionately as net-givers in the ecosystem.

So, a collective means that we all profit, serve each other wholeheartedly, and win together through Web3 tools like NFTs. By our ethos and design, the IKIGUIDE ecosystem is diverse, equitable and inclusive, and our core values are openness, growth mindset, and a sense of having fun together. In addition, community leaders need to have passion for their respective local communities, which is how we scale and embark on decentralisation. 

It is also important to clarify that our collective is not a cult. The key difference is that we encourage independent thinking and robust discussion within our IKIGUIDE collective, with succession and decentralisation actively planned within the design. A cult demands obedience to a single leader. 

1 + 1 > 2 in a collective due to how we leverage high-quality information and network because together we are very much stronger.

Where do we go from here?

At the moment, we are recruiting Web3 and metaverse evangelists to build our IKIGUIDE Metaverse media arm in the classic omotenashi style. So if you know any suitable candidates, please send them our way!

Personally, I am very excited about our future. If you want to be part of our movement, please feel free to join our LinkedIn Group on “Metaverse in Asia”, and our “Metaverse: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” Group. 

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Image credit: IKIGUIDE Metaverse Collective

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SG’s virtual clinic and healthcare startup Speedoc snags US$28M
The investors include Bertelsmann, Mars Growth, Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India; Speedoc’s services include home visits by doctors and nurses, video consultations, virtual hospital wards, and remote health monitoring.

Departures at HK’s Shopline after US$183M Joyy-led takeover
A LinkedIn search shows that most of the 80 exits took place in the first half of this year and that the firm’s top executives in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore had departed.

BRI Ventures hits final close of Sembrani fund at over US$25M
The CVC has also secured the first close of its Sembrano Kiqani fund; It is set to close its latest fund, the US$50M BVI-Fundnel Secondaries Fund in early 2023.

Founders of Kenangan, AyoConnect unveil new angel network in Indonesia
Kopital Network, which will focus on Indonesia, targets early-stage startups from all sectors, with investments as a group ranging from US$100,000 to US$1M per deal.

Meta to axe over 11,000 employees
CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company had significantly increased its spending in anticipation of a “permanent acceleration” in e-commerce growth and the number of people going online; However, this didn’t play out the way he expected.

Wavemaker Impact hits first close of its debut fund
The details are undisclosed; At the time of its launch in Oct 2021, it said it targeted raising US$25M for its first fund; The climate tech venture builder has launched four new companies so far.

Former Venturra exec raises US$8M for new VC firm
Ansible Ventures, an early-stage VC firm that Valerie Van Vu has founded in partnership with Alto Partners, will invest in 15 pre-seed and seed-stage startups focusing on Vietnam.

Jobs and recruitment platform FastCo raises US$7.4M Series A
The investors include OSK Ventures, Cento Ventures, and Kairous Capital; FastCo is the company behind the non-executive job portal FastJobs and the Singapore-focused flexi-work recruitment app FastGig.

Grab digibank head Reuben Lai to exit post
Before GXS was established, Lai was the head of financial services at Grab Financial; started out at Grab in 2015, serving as chief of staff to the group CEO’s Office.

DBS Indonesia lends US$6M to auto-financing firm Broom
Broom provides car dealers with access to short-term loans with their used-car inventory as collateral; It will use the debt facility to expand to more cities in Java before the year ends and gain 5K car dealers as its clients.

Razer Fintech launches carbon-neutral e-commerce checkout solution
With the feature, Razer can help e-commerce players estimate the carbon footprint that would occur in a specific transaction and provide a traceable carbon offset for that purchase.

AI-powered SEO content creation startup WriterZen bags US$1.35M
The lead investor is Wavemaker Partners; WriterZen provides tools to help digital content creators streamline their SEO workflow and produce content efficiently and competitively.

Animal-free dairy startup Phyx44 raises US$1.2M
The investors include Better Bite Ventures, Shiok Meats CEO Sandhya Sriram, Ahimsa VC, PeerCapital, and Spectrum Impact; Phyx44 has already made whey and casein proteins, which can be used in ice cream, cheese, and baked goods.

Filipino circular economy startup Humble Sustainability raises US$750K
The investors include iSeed Ventures, Ula’s Alan Wong, and Sagar Achanta, ex-Product Leader at Amazon; Humble was started with a vision to create a community where any item can be brought back into circularity.

Binance cancels deal to buy FTX
The crypto exchange major was looking to fully acquire its US-based peer FTX; However, that deal is now off following “latest news reports regarding mishandled customer funds and alleged US agency investigations”.

Hodlnaut assets hit by FTX debacle
The Singaporean crypto lender, which is under judicial protection after halting withdrawals on August 9, may face further losses due to solvency issues at FTX, where it had S$18.1M in assets as of October 27.

Indonesia plans to task OJK with crypto market regulation
The use of crypto assets as a means of payment is illegal in the country, but transactions for investments are allowed in the commodities market.

Japan’s NTT Docomo to set up US$4B Web3-focused firm
The development is not NTT Docomo’s first Web3 push; Earlier this year, the firm announced that it had opened up a unit dedicated to the metaverse; Qonoq was last said to have 200 staff.

Indonesia’s Stockbit rolls out crypto trading app
The company provides crypto trading services through Coinbit Digital Indonesia; The company said users can trade crypto without incurring platform fees on the app.

HashKey secures virtual asset trading license in Hong Kong
With the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong’s approval, the company said it has become the first firm to have virtual asset licenses to operate in HK and Japan, as well as a capital market services license in SG.

Listing via RTO is simpler than IPO: MoneySmart CEO
MoneySmart believes when the market is volatile, listing via reverse takeover presents an excellent opportunity for well-capitalised companies to pursue strategic acquisitions.

How climate tech startups can create an impact on green recovery
For climate tech startups, success in growing their business can begin by understanding the potential hurdles customers might face when accessing climate-friendly products and services.

Try to look at the world through a beginner’s eyes: Joey Alarilla of Playfix.io
Playfix.io’s Head of Content Joey Alarilla talks about how he is championing crypto for creators, blockchain for good, and Web3 for a better world.

Is traditional currency failing us?
Fiat money loses purchasing power over the years because goods and services get more expensive yearly, in other words, inflation; In addition, the supply of fiat currency is not fixed.

Why is the cryptocurrency market growth in Eastern Asia slowing down
While it remains the biggest cryptocurrency market in the region, China saw its cryptocurrency transaction volume fall by 31 per cent compared to the previous year-long period; even neighbours like Japan more than doubled. transaction volume.

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Dr Jeffrey Chi, CEO and Chairman, Vickers Vantage Corp. I

Vickers Vantage Corp. I, the first blank-cheque company (special purpose acquisition company or SPAC) of Singapore-based VC firm Vickers Venture Partners, has merged with Scilex Holding Company, a majority-owned subsidiary of US-based Sorrento Therapeutics.

Scilex is a revenue-generating company focused on acquiring, developing and commercialising non-opioid pain management products for treating acute and chronic pain.

Also Read: Why Vickers Venture Partners go with deep tech investments to solve world’s biggest problems

The combined entity will operate as Scilex Holding Company on November 11, 2022. Its shares of common stock and warrants are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the ticker symbols ‘SCLX’ and ‘SCLXW’, respectively.

Scilex Holding Company will ring the Nasdaq opening bell at 9:30 am ET on Friday.

“We believe Scilex is a company with excellent non-opioid pain management therapies. This deal is significant in the current landscape. However, we didn’t compromise the quality of a target company in a rush to merge, and kept to our philosophy of investing in deep tech companies that can create a better world,” said Dr Jeffrey Chi, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of VCKA and Vice Chairman of Vickers Venture Partners.

“Scilex is entering an exciting phase as the resources of the public capital markets will be available to enhance our business growth and enable us to continue to fulfil our mission to address patient pain management needs,” said Henry Ji, Executive Chairman of Scilex and Chairman and CEO of Sorrento.

Jaisim Shah, President and CEO of Scilex, commented: “As a public company, we aim to accelerate our mission to increase access to prescription non-opioid therapeutics by further commercialising our two FDA-authorised non-opioid pain management products, expanding public and private payer adoption, and advancing our pipeline of innovative opioid sparing products.”

Also Read: Can SPACs avoid another reverse merger crisis?

Scilex launched its first commercial product in October 2018, in-licensed a commercial product in June 2022, and is developing its late-stage pipeline, which includes a pivotal Phase 3 candidate and one Phase 2 and one Phase 1 candidate. It aims to become the global pain management leader committed to social, environmental, economic, and ethical principles to develop pharmaceutical products to maximise the quality of life responsibly.

In October this year, Singapore-based clinical-stage biotechnology company AUM Biosciences signed a merger agreement with Delaware-based publicly traded SPAC Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp. to go public in the US.

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At e27, we have kickstarted a new articles series called work-life balance to learn more about tech enablers and executives and their lives beyond working hours.

A passionate advocate of blockchain for good and using Web3 to build a better world, Joey Alarilla has helped champion the digital revolution in the Philippines and across Asia.

He is currently Head of Content of Playfix.io, the smartest blockchain game platform that provides an all-in-one solution for developers to build quickly, launch, and grow Web3 games and NFTs. He acts as its chief storyteller, community advocate, and product evangelist. By making it easier for game developers to embrace blockchain gaming, he believes that Playfix is empowering developers and helping change the lives of millions of gamers, especially in emerging economies.

He is a regular contributor of articles for e27 (you can read his thought leadership articles here). 

In this candid interview, Alarilla talks about his personal and professional life.

How would you explain what you do to a five-year-old?

Do you know how you love telling, listening to, and sharing stories with your family and friends? Well, that’s kind of like what I do.

As Head of Content, I create stories that make people aware of what my company does and how they will benefit. I also make it a point to listen to other people’s stories, befriend them, and make them part of our community.

Most importantly, I make sure that our company can help make their stories heard and that we’ll use their suggestions to improve our products and the community we are building with them.

What has been the biggest highlight/challenge of your career so far?

I’ve been a pioneer in most industries I’ve been part of, so I can honestly say that I’ve faced numerous challenges over the years.

Also Read: We can no longer adopt a cookie-cutter approach to marketing: Gunalan Ram of CINNOX

I would say the biggest challenge I overcame would still be when I became one of the pioneer editors that spun off the biggest Philippine print newspaper, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, into the biggest online news site, then known as INQ7.net, now INQUIRER.net.

I was among the few who believed in online journalism at a time when even smart people, like Bill Gates, thought the internet was just a fad. 

Traditional journalists looked down on us. People looked at me like I was crazy when I started using a Nokia N90 to record video during press conferences. I later became the Multimedia Editor of INQUIRER.net, training the company’s first batch of multimedia journalists and launching our own blog, podcast, and video networks.

So while I’ve accomplished more things since, being part of this paradigm shift and persevering despite all the scepticism and adversity remains one of the highlights of my career.

It’s also why I shrug when people say blockchain is just a fad because first, it was the internet that was supposed to be a fad and later, social media.

My motto has always been: Nothing is impossible. And I don’t see any reason to change it.

How do you envision the next five years of your career?

That’s a hard question. Zen has always resonated with me, and during the pandemic, I embraced meditation and mindfulness even more. So I try to cultivate a beginner’s mind, always trying to look at the world through a beginner’s eyes. I’m living in the moment, going with the flow, one day at a time.

That’s also how I see my career now. Don’t get me wrong. I love working for Playfix.io. I believe in the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which means “reason for living”. And I’m happy to say that joining Playfix.io has played an important part in finding my Ikigai.

Ikigai is defined as the convergence of four areas of your life:

• What you love.
• What you are good at.
• What the world needs, and what you can be paid for.

Becoming Head of Content at Playfix.io has helped me tick all four boxes of what I’m looking for in my work.

My work — not my job. Because I firmly believe that our job is not our work. Our job is what we do to earn a living. Our work is what we do that makes life worth living.

So, I’m honestly not thinking of where I will be five years from now. But I know I have found my Ikigai championing crypto for creators, blockchain for good, and web3 for a better world.

What are some of your favourite work tools?

Google Docs, without a doubt. And Google Calendar. We also rely on messaging tools like WhatsApp and Telegram. Because we’re a blockchain gaming startup, Twitter and Discord are my work tools.

What’s something about you or your job that would surprise us?

I’m not a techie, I don’t code, and I don’t build computer rigs. But I have a passion for technology and a knack for explaining it in layperson’s terms.

My career has taken me across different industries. I’ve worked for companies such as Yahoo!, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, INQUIRER.net, Lazada, Tribal Worldwide Philippines, Manulife Asia, Bank of the Philippine Islands, and yes, even e27.

The common thread is that I was always a storyteller, a digital champion, and an advocate of technology for good. And I’m glad I still am at Playfix.io.

People might also be surprised that I have literary works. I won the Carlos Palanca Award, the most prestigious literary competition in the Philippines, for my essay about my daughter and fatherhood in the digital age.

I also have three short stories published by the Philippines Graphic magazine and an essay in ANI 32, the 32nd edition of the official literary journal of the Cultural Centre of the Philippines.

Do you prefer WFH or WFO, or hybrid?

WFH. I work from anywhere, which I’ve been doing since the late 90s and early 2000s. It included writing and sending my column piece on a bus ride back from the Taj Mahal in 2006.

What would you tell your younger self?

I’d tell him not to be too hard on himself but to have a beginner’s mind and relax more.

Also Read: Dream loud, dream big and dream now: Surbhi Agarwal of Yellow.ai

I would also thank him because he hung on and brought me to where I am now. Because everything that happens to us, whether good or bad, shapes who we are and our life.

Can you describe yourself in three words?

Dreamer. Believer. Catalyst.

What are you most likely to be doing if not working?

I love reading, whether it’s books or comic books. I also love watching movies and TV shows on Netflix, Disney+, HBO GO, and other streaming platforms. And I’m a huge fan of BLACKPINK, so most likely, I’m listening to their songs, even while working.

What are you currently reading/listening to/ watching?

I just finished the season finale of House of the Dragon. I’ve also enjoyed the K-dramas, Alchemy of Souls, which has become my favourite K-drama of all time, and Little Women.

I’m reading Matt Wagner’s Grendel Omnibus Volume 1: Hunter Rose.

And, of course listening to BLACKPINK’s album, Born Pink.

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Join the e27 contributor community of thought leaders and share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

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Flashback to Singapore more than 30 years ago, establishments such as incubator programmes are unheard of. Anyone who was an individual or part of a team with a conceivable idea had to embark on their entrepreneurial journey the hard way.

The 1990s rolled in, cue the comment from the late founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew who then said, when Singapore’s economic growth slowed down, “In this new phase, it is people with the imagination, drive, willingness to think big and take risks to bring their ideas into the commercial marketplace, who will make the economy grow, make themselves rich, and provide jobs for our people.”

From the 1990s, Singapore, on a mission to cultivate a vibrant and friendly startup ecosystem, started to accelerate the evolution of more founders in Singapore by building networks spanning across investments, regional market access, intellectual property protection, and research and development.

With strong support from the Singapore government, entrepreneurship programmes sprung from local universities, and today, university incubators such as the Business Innovations Generator (BIG), the flagship programme of the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Singapore Management University, are playing a key role in nurturing changemakers into future trendsetters and leaders.

Business Innovations Generator incubation programme

Started in 2009 by the Singapore Management University Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SMU IIE), BIG is an intensive four-month, equity-free programme offering early-stage startups and student founders the opportunity to validate their business plans, refine their products and prep for seed investments.

Also Read: NGC Ventures backs blockchain gaming incubator and launchpad Seedify

Founders get to tap into a plethora of support networks, knowledge, and resources, including grant opportunities, world-class mentors and advisors, masterclasses, corporate perks, and access to a conducive workspace located in the heart of SMU in downtown Singapore.

Being founder-centric, BIG supports coachable individuals from within and outside of SMU who are interested in entrepreneurship and is committed to developing the SMU and overall Singapore’s start-up ecosystem. Designed to nurture entrepreneurs through knowledge transfer and a strong support infrastructure, BIG offers the following:

• Financial support: Application for government grants and co-funding opportunities such as the IIE Acceleration Grant and BIG Startup Support Grant
• Strong knowledge and support network: Strategic mentoring by IIE’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence and a pool of world-class industry experts who are successful entrepreneurs, VCs, angels, corporate and government agencies
• Community events: Office Hours, where startups can consult and seek advice from invited experts, Founders’ Updates, which provides startups with the opportunity to hone their pitching skills and exchange knowledge with peer founders, and Sharing Sessions, where successful entrepreneurs recount their journey and inspire current and aspiring founders
• Masterclasses: Curriculum and pedagogy designed to empower the founders with knowledge on Founder Equity, Fundraising, Founders Ethics, and Ready for Market
• Co-working space: Access to The Greenhouse, a 700sqm workspace located in SMU, in the heart of downtown Singapore
• Corporate perks: Credits from corporate partners to offset the bills when the start-ups engage the services of participating corporates, and more

As a testimony of the BIG programme’s success and reputation, the August 2022 cohort boasts 37 startups from the United Kingdom to India, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. The BIG programme’s industry-agnostic belief is also personified through the diverse nature of the latest cohort – from community and networking, healthtech, edutech, F&B, and blockchain, with sustainability as the dominating theme it makes up more than 18 per cent of the contingent.

Also Read: Entrepreneur First to discontinue Singapore programme; to focus on Europe, N America, India

Since the programme’s inception, close to 400 early-stage start-ups have been successfully incubated and collectively raised approximately S$391 million worth of funding, affirming the success that the BIG programme brings to aspiring entrepreneurs.

“The support rendered by the mentors from the BIG programme has proved invaluable in helping me take my start-up to the global stage. BIG has opened doors to new investors, paved the way for collaborative success, and fostered a wholly unique community spirit amongst its members,” says Fengru Lin, Founder and CEO of TurtleTree, a biotech company dedicated to producing a new generation of nutrition. The company, a biotech start-up producing cell-based milk and milk products, raised US$30 million in a Series A round in November 2021 to scale up its expansion, research and production plans. TurtleTree has now raised about US$40 million to date.

Another incubated startup, Workstream, the mobile-first hiring and onboarding platform for the deskless workforce, recently raised an additional US$60 million for their Series B round, bringing the total Series B financing to US$108 million.

After exiting the BIG programme in 2019, the startup maintained strong ties with SMU IIE, becoming a global partner for the Global Innovation Immersion, an overseas summer internship programme that SMU IIE runs, recruiting young talents from Singapore Management University as interns to provide them with first-hand experience in the bustling start-up world and even, the opportunity to join the company after the internship.

“We received so much assistance from BIG, from connecting to a community of like-minded people and to mentors who could help us plug specific gaps in knowledge and know-how. Workstream is fortunate to have experienced several breakthroughs, and no doubt BIG has been one of the catalysts that got us to where we are today,” says Desmond Lim, Co-Founder and CEO of Workstream.

The call for applications for BIG’s first intake for 2023 is open until 2 Dec 2023. Interested parties may apply here.

–

Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

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

Image credit: Canva Pro

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Left to right: David Cheng (CFO), Julian Tan (CEO & Founder), Lim Huishan (General Manager FastJobs Singapore & Philippines), Lee Pin-Ju (Head of FastGig Singapore)

Jobs and recruitment platform FastCo today announced that it had raised S$10.5 million (US$7.4 million) in its Series A funding round.

In the extended Series A round, Malaysia-based investment firm OSK Ventures International led the funding that raised a total investment of S$4.7million (US$3.3 million) into FastCo with participation from existing investor Cento Ventures and new investor Kairous Capital.

Cento, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology startups in Southeast Asia, participated with S$5.8 million (US$4.1 million) of funds during the initial Series A round in December 2021.

It participated in the Founder and management-led buy-out of FastCo from then SGX-listed Singapore Press Holdings.

FastCo will use the funding to support its regional expansion plan, focusing on marketing initiatives. It will also grow its sales and product development teams.

Also Read: How HackerNoon uses customer-centric approach to build meaningful new features on their platform

“We are excited to welcome OSKVI and Kairous onboard as FastCo embarks on a journey of accelerated growth. OSKVI is an established investor with seasoned experience investing in the HR tech business. Their investment is a validation of our progress since we spun off. Both OSKVI and Kairous are strategic partners who will strengthen our expansion efforts in Malaysia, where we aim to double down on the underserved B40 market,” said Julian Tan, Founder & CEO of FastCo.

FastCo is the company behind the non-executive job portal FastJobs and the Singapore-focused flexi-work recruitment app FastGig.

The company aims to improve the livelihoods of underserved and informal job seekers and deliver a data-driven unified experience for employers through its proprietary employment matching platform, catering to job markets in Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Since the completion of the buy-out exercise in 2021, FastCo said that it had experienced steady growth with a registered 4.4 million jobseekers across all operating markets, with an average of 500,000 monthly active users.

The company also said that its Singapore operations yield a positive cash flow and are buoyed by positive prospects from recovering job markets. It expects to break even within the next two years.

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Image Credit: FastCo

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Thanks to advanced cloud computing, related technologies, and improved data storage capability, digital transaction management is now able to facilitate document-based transactions. This helps accelerate numerous administrative reform and digital transformation processes.

Considering the ingrained and overwhelming usage of paper-based processes in all organisations as well as the growing need for workflow and process automation, the potential market for digital transaction management is massive. According to a report by Grand View Research Inc., the market value for global digital transactions is poised to reach over $61 billion by the year 2030 with a compound average growth rate of around 25.5% throughout 2022 – 2030.

Regardless, organisations still face numerous challenges when transitioning to paperless processing due to heightened security, privacy concerns and threats of cyberattacks. A recent report showed that a total of 108.9 million accounts were breached in the third quarter of 2022, which represented a 70% rise in data breaches globally. And third-party IT service providers are responsible for at least two-thirds of data breaches. 

The rise of Dedoco and its ambition to be the ‘Trust Engine for Documents’

Established in 2020, Dedoco now has offices and teams across Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Hong Kong and US. After close to 3 years serving some of the major customers including from the government, real estate, banking and financial services sector, the company has also evolved from digital signature workflows to  a broader trust engine that powers a much bigger set of enterprise apps and APIs that include main apps suite including: dSign, dVideoSign, dForm, dCert, and dCreds. And what does it mean to be a Dedoco-issued record? It means that the digital record can be trusted, traceable and verifiable even by a 3rd-party. 

Also read: Redefining customers’ online experience with HubSpot

Extending this Trust Engine proposition is Dedoco’s key value proposition for ‘high-trust’ sectors like public sector, finance and healthcare. When working with these key sectors (the biggest targets for data breaches) and large organisations that require high-trust handling, Dedoco’s technology ensures that the documents reside securely with their clients, while protecting the integrity of their records on-chain. In short, Dedoco helps their largest clients comply 100% on document residency and regulatory requirements, all while still delivering the respective productivity and efficiencies to these organisations via their suite of enterprise apps.

Recently, it also underwent a brand refresh as they continue to expand aggressively into new markets and verticals and understood that the Dedoco brand, website and client experiences should be revolutionised to keep up with the changing pace. Their updated logo, i.e. the three “Dedoco Blocks” in their symbol represents their belief that there are three key building blocks to Next-Gen Enterprise Trust — one where you can Trust, Trace and Verify your important documents and records.

The journey from corporate banker to tech entrepreneur

Daphne Ng, Co-Founder & CEO of Dedoco

Founded by Daphne Ng, Co-Founder & CEO of Dedoco, a former corporate banker, and her co-founder Dr Ernie Teo, Co-Founder and leading their new blockchain division (DeLab), Dedoco has set its eyes set on becoming the number one Web3-based document infrastructure platform with high security and freedom for customers to take full ownership of their documents.

“Prior to the startup space, I was a corporate banker for over 8 years with a major part in the global trade finance space where I was also involved in the early digitisation initiative for e-trade documents and processes. Trade is a vertical synonymous with the need for compliance, heavy documentation, and concerns around incomplete title transfers and fraudulent transactions. Coming from a banking and financial services background, I know that data and document handling is an important part of the risk and compliance handling. While digitalisation is key to transforming the sector, digital documents still need to prove that they can be trusted, and that their chain of custody are traceable and managed securely to comply with data laws,” explained CEO Daphne Ng.

Also read: Helping businesses leverage open-source tech with Aiven

“Losses as a result of erroneous and fraudulent documents are a $42 billion pain point, according to a recent PWC study. So, we focus on how our Trust Engine can be leveraged to solve the issue of trust in records and transactions across all sectors”, Ng added.  

For Daphne Ng, the journey to launch Dedoco was both challenging and pleasant, full of all the usual ups and downs, enabling her to become the best version of herself and experience extreme pride and joy. Surprisingly, the first product built by the company was actually dCreds, which is for employer-issued credentials that can be used for digital identification and verification, but was relatively overshadowed with the outstanding success of its other enterprise apps including dSign, dForm, dCert and most recently, dVideoSign.

An innovation by Dedoco, dVideoSign is a signing solution with enabled video components. It enhances electronic digital signatures by authenticating and verifying the identity of each participant in a virtual meeting and can be done in real-time.

“For dSign — our DMaaS (document management-as-a-service) app — the learnings were a combination of technical delivery, user design, experience, and use case adoption. I would say that it was both a victory and challenge that our first few customers and partners were large corporations from key sectors including government and banks, which meant that we had the opportunity to iterate and build products that are of enterprise and security grade from the beginning. We are also ISO-certified and government-accredited. In terms of user design and experience, and new product innovation, it is an ongoing exercise for us”, explained Ng. 

An instant hit

With the team’s hard work and dedication, the response Dedoco gained up till today has been highly positive. “Our first customers were from the banking, professional services, and real estate sectors where, during the 2020 COVID lockdown, there was a need to conduct remote transactions and the use of digital tools like ours accelerated as a result. These include workflows for customer KYC and loan agreements, audit, and accounting reports, and real estate transactions,” Ng recounted.

Dedoco has made remarkable achievements in just 2 years, working with over 4300 enterprise users, registering double-digits M-O-M growth; and will end the year with about 60-staff strong. With its proven track record, Dedoco has raised a total of US$7.5m seed/pre-A funding so far including from Vertex Ventures and True Global Ventures and is on track to reach more milestones. “Our brand equity and credibility definitely grew in the last few months. In a little over 2 years, our initial growth was mainly through direct sales and word of mouth. The plan from Q4 this year is to grow through investments in brand awareness and new markets,” commented Ng on Dedoco’s growth. 

Also read: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Enterprise SG join forces for SWITCH & SLINGSHOT2022

“Dedoco’s DNA is Web3. I believe that Dedoco can lead the way for enterprise Web3 adoption via our suite of enterprise products and solutions. Most importantly, our business is all about trust and how we can help our customers and partners alike build this same trust for their own brands,” shared Ng on what drives her and her team every day to create impact for their customers and partners.

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This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by Dedoco

We can share your story at e27, too. Engage the Southeast Asian tech ecosystem by bringing your story to the world. Visit us at e27.co/advertise to get started.

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Inflation is a hot-button issue that has been getting almost unprecedented attention this year. With prices of consumer goods soaring as much as 9.1 per cent annually, it’s no wonder inflation has kept us awake at night. In fact, an Ipsos survey released in October 2022 revealed that inflation is the number one concern globally.

Apart from day-to-day concerns about whether the cost of living will spiral out of control, the recent inflation fears have also sowed deeper doubts. Investors increasingly feel uncertain about traditional fiat currency, a system that has served us so well until it didn’t.

Fiat currency, after all, is money issued by the government’s central bank. But are today’s governments’ goals in line with ours? What effect do central bank decisions have on our wealth? Ultimately, can fiat still serve us in the longer term?

We’ll look at the state of fiat currency today and highlight trends that suggest people are turning away from fiat towards digital assets like Bitcoin.

US purchasing power, then and now

Fiat currency is a complex topic. However, we can begin to understand it by looking at the United States, hitherto the dominant player in the world economy.

Also Read: How technology has revolutionised operational efficiency in consumer finance

Like most first-world economies, the US has suffered a decline in purchasing power over the past decades. A visualisation of this phenomenon shows us that the US dollar has declined a lot since 1913, the year the Federal Reserve System (or Fed) was created.

Source: HowMuch.net, a financial literacy website

Fiat money loses purchasing power over the years because goods and services get more expensive yearly, in other words, inflation.

We may not feel the pinch from year to year, but these small differences compound dramatically over time. If you had US$100 in 1913, for example, it would only be enough to purchase US$3.87 of consumer goods today!

In addition, the supply of fiat currency is not fixed. Since it is not linked to any physical or digital asset, fiat can be issued by governments to steer economies to desired outcomes, such as stimulating sluggish consumer spending.

If this manipulation is not carefully managed, the total supply of money could exceed actual economic growth, which is how sustained inflation happens.

Today’s currency situation outside the US

Central banks, like Singapore’s MAS and the UK’s Bank of England, take their cues from the US Fed’s moves. For example, when the US Fed raised interest rates aggressively in 2022, thereby tightening the supply of money, many countries followed suit.

Countries that do not follow this protocol may pay a hefty price since economies are very much interlinked in today’s globalised world.

Take, for instance, Japan, whose central bank kept interest rates defiantly low, a decision that sent the yen into free fall. As an intervention, Japan’s government bought yen on the foreign exchange market, raising an estimated ¥2.84 trillion.

However, following the Fed’s protocol isn’t a recipe for success, as the UK’s recent upheaval shows. After its new government announced widespread tax cuts, choosing to fund its spending by taking on high-interest debt instead, the pound plummeted rapidly.

Such crises expose the weaknesses of the global fiat currency system, such as the counterparty risks implicit in the UK example and the very real problems it could cause.

But let’s not forget that these crises affect real people daily, too. For ordinary British and Japanese citizens, who had to watch their savings and purchasing power plunge in value almost overnight, they must have been living nightmares.

Nations turn to Bitcoin amid crisis

Despite its relatively short history compared to fiat, Bitcoin has been embraced as an alternative to government-issued currency.

It is a lifeline for countries with persistent political and economic crises, such as El Salvador, Venezuela, and Iran.

For Venezuela and Iran, protracted hyperinflation drove citizens to abandon their failing national currencies for Bitcoin. And El Salvador, of course, is the first country to make Bitcoin legal tender in a bid to become independent from the US dollar, its dominant currency.

More recently, Ukrainians are turning to Bitcoin amid the ongoing Russo-Ukraine War. As long as their banking and financial ecosystem remain under siege by Russia, Ukrainians cannot depend on fiat currency and thus turn to crypto assets.

Also Read: Does investing in Bitcoin still make sense?

Today, people around the globe are experiencing disconcertingly rapid plunges in purchasing power, with inflation triggered by a seemingly endless string of factors, including the war in Ukraine and government monetary policies. So, the question is: is it time for us to turn towards Bitcoin, too?

A recent report by asset manager Fidelity suggests that Bitcoin has several key advantages over fiat that are particularly relevant today. In “stark contrast” to fiat, Bitcoin does not correspond to another person’s liability, has no counterparty risk, and has a supply schedule that cannot be changed,” concluded the report.

Meanwhile, industry insiders like Bitcoin strategist Greg Foss opined that Bitcoin could be a future hedge to monetary inflation”, adding that there appear to be no other solutions.

He clarified, however, that Bitcoin fights monetary inflation (caused by manipulation of the money supply) but not Consumer Price Index inflation (rising cost of living due to other factors).

Bitcoin reigns as the alternative to currency

Fiat currency has never looked as bad as it does today. The Russo-Ukraine War, as well as political upheaval in global leaders like the UK and the US, have truly exposed the cracks in a system that people have taken for granted for decades.

Amid global turmoil, it is increasingly difficult to trust central governments to protect citizens from serious problems like inflation and the erosion of our wealth.

Bitcoin appears increasingly attractive as a longer-term investment despite being an emerging asset class. New tokens are released according to a politically indifferent algorithmic logic, while the overall supply of Bitcoin is subject to a hard cap and cannot be manipulated by any authority.

Investors, therefore, think of Bitcoin as a future store of value and a safe haven amid inflation, akin to gold.

A safe and secure alternative to investing on risky crypto exchanges and platforms, Fintonia’s Bitcoin Physical Fund is managed by Fintonia Group, a regulated fund manager licensed in Singapore and with a provisional virtual assets license in Dubai.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

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The core tenet of customer service is that the customer is always right. In other words, “the customer is king”.

I like to take a more pragmatic view.

Whatever field you’re in, some of your customers are going to have unreasonable demands. Some will need a different product than the one you’re offering., With that in mind, the customer always needs to be heard.

All feedback is important if you can filter and interpret it correctly. And if you’re diligent in collecting information from your customers and clients, you can address most of their frustrations before they reach a boiling point.

This is a proactive, data-led approach to customer feedback. It builds lasting relationships. Some churn is an inevitable fact of life – but you can greatly reduce it if you pay attention to frustrations.

What are some common pain points?

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to preventing and addressing customer frustrations. You need to be active in gauging your customer’s needs and priorities.

Nonetheless, there are a few issues that show up in every industry:

Complicated systems

It’s easy to lose sight of how an average person might experience your product or service. You and your team live and breathe your product, so everything about it seems self-explanatory after a while. The average customer might get overwhelmed or stuck in ways you can’t predict.

Commitment and pricing issues

Since the pandemic and the subsequent economic uncertainty, people and businesses have become more hesitant to enter long-term financial commitments of any kind.

Slow response times

Like it or not, customers expect immediate solutions. They don’t appreciate being “left on read”.

Lack of personal touch

This one might be even worse than customers feeling ignored. If they receive a response that seems generic and doesn’t address the crux of their issue, your customers will conclude that there’s no point in bringing up future problems with you. You alienate a loyal customer by being too inflexible, and you also lose out on a crucial data source.

What can you do to address these problems?

I work in customer feedback management. My company, Simplesat, is a survey tool that helps clients understand what their customers expect of them.

Also Read: 5 customer experience (CX) trends to consider in 2022

I’d like to share the main lessons my team, and I have learned across industries. To reduce frustration, you need to:

Be responsive 

In customer service, delays not only cause frustration but also cost time and money.

By being responsive to your customers’ needs, you show that you value them. This improves satisfaction and creates trust.

For example, my company employs an online fast-response system and a 24/7 human customer support team. We also keep updating our helpdesk with solutions to any new customer concerns we encounter.

But again, it’s not enough to just hear our customers out: we have to show that their input made a difference.

If a customer’s problem doesn’t have a clear solution (yet), do your best to find workarounds.  Consider keeping the customer’s information on file and email them as soon as you’re done implementing any relevant change to their concern.

Ask the right questions

You can’t improve your system unless you know what the problem is. But your customers aren’t always able to pinpoint all their issues in a way that’s convenient for you.

Put in the work necessary to improve communications.

Use customer surveys often and across different channels. Ask follow-up questions and open-ended questions to improve your understanding of customer frustrations. 

But don’t overwhelm them with an interrogation! Keep the focus on the issue at hand, and try to make the interaction fun, easy, and encouraging.

Keep things simple and offer choices

Minimising customer stress is key to reducing churn and building your reputation. With that in mind, it’s best to offer a few options to choose from.

For example, here’s how Simplesat addresses pricing concerns:

• We offer a flat rate, with a single price per tier of service
• There are no contracts or tie-ins to worry about
• It’s easy to move from one tier to another, and we’re upfront about the benefits of each
• Customers can leave any time they want with no penalty
• We only ask them to complete a form that explains why they’re leaving

Taking a straightforward approach makes it easier to predict churn rates and revenue growth.

But more importantly, your customers will appreciate having clear choices with no secret gotchas to worry about. Fostering integrity and transparency leads to great word-of-mouth referrals — and it helps you sleep at night!

Build on what customers already know

In the world of SaaS, in particular, customers want to work with tools they’re familiar with. 

Their goal is to keep their workflow simple. They don’t want to have to make decisions they don’t understand fully. Sometimes, their frustration comes from the fact that your tool is creating more questions than it solves.

Also Read: How to reduce churn: 5 essential customer retention strategies

Always remember that the customers might have a different experience than you and your team. They don’t understand the inner workings of your product, they just want a solution to their issue. Their convenience should be a priority at all times.

And most importantly

The best way to handle customer frustrations is to prevent them. 

You want to know what’s bothering your customers, and you need that information before the snag develops into a full-blown grievance. But discovering these issues takes some finesse.

Semi-satisfied customers don’t always give great feedback. They want to avoid rocking the boat, or they simply can’t be bothered to file a report. 

So, what can you do to get the information you need?

In my experience, quarterly NPS surveys are the best way to identify potential points of dissatisfaction. As these surveys describe a general user experience, your clients will be more willing to be objective (for example, they can complain about customer service without feeling like they’re getting someone in trouble). 

Remember: you can’t afford to rely only on information from closed tickets (surveys sent out after a problem has been identified). Keep a close eye on your customers’ heartbeats even when everything seems fine. With good enough surveys, you won’t have to worry about any secret frustrations.

Your company’s future depends on getting this right (no pressure!)

When customers think they’re not being heard, it creates a sense of disappointment and helplessness.

What do they do next? Well, they complain about it on Twitter.

Ignoring customer frustrations negatively affects your brand image and online persona. This leads to a cascading effect of increased churn, decreased interest, and damaged professional relationships.

Your future customers buy into real-time customer reviews and feedback. Make sure to show them that you care.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing views from the community. Share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic

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

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