Since 2009, when the first bitcoin was created, the word “blockchain” has been widely used in connection with virtual currencies. Many industries, including public relations, are exploring its applications. With the use of blockchain technology, public relations professionals may track media coverage, provide fresh data points to research, and enhance metrics for campaign performance.

To verify whether or not a certain audience member has seen a promotional film or read an article about the brand, public relations teams can employ blockchain technology. The information is organised into “blocks” that can be viewed by anyone.

With this strategy, companies are able to track not just the scope of their headlines’ reach across the internet but also the context in which those headlines are displayed.

Blockchain technology: Future directions for PR

About the same time as blockchain became well-known as the underlying technology behind Bitcoin, the public relations industry emerged. Since then, blockchain technology has advanced to the point that it is now capable of revolutionising the way businesses interact with their suppliers, consumers, and other stakeholders.

It’s possible that some companies have an internal marketing team with experts in both digital and traditional marketing, while others don’t have any resources of this kind at all. At this point in time, there is a requirement for public relations (PR). When it comes to blockchain technology, public relations can be utilised in creative new ways to reach particular populations.

Also Read: PR’s unchanging essence: Human connections amidst AI and automation

Journalists are struggling to keep up with the influx of pitches they’re receiving from companies using blockchain technology as its popularity grows across several sectors. They are not likely to write about something they do not comprehend, and since most of them do not even know what blockchain is, this is not surprising.

Because of this, businesses that want to get their tales in front of journalists will need to get creative in order to offer their information in a way that will pique people’s interest and win their attention. Blockchain technology itself is not something that can simply be sold like other goods and services.

Even today, traditional media has a significant impact on how consumers perceive a brand and its offerings. In fact, studies have shown that people are more likely to believe print news articles than they are to trust social media advertisements. To keep journalists interested in writing about their company and spreading the word about their products, corporations must foster positive connections with the media.

Combating misinformation or ‘false news’

The use of blockchain technology has the potential to play a significant part in the fight against the spread of false information and the manipulation of the media, two problems that affect businesses of all sizes.

Blockchain technology is inherently transparent and traceable, which enables the real-time capability of tracing the origin of a piece of information and proving its legitimacy. Not only does it foster confidence between PR professionals and the clients they serve, but it also makes it possible to solve issues of crisis management in a timely manner.

Improving the quality control of public relations content

The benefits of using blockchain technology include not only authenticity but also traceability. It is ideally suited for tracking content rights and royalties, managing digital rights, authenticating news, substituting digital signatures, evaluating the accuracy of content, and managing digital rights.

It assists public relations professionals in ensuring that the information they generate for their customers is both secure from hacking and of an outstanding standard.

Final thoughts

Blockchain technology is transforming public relations by offering transparency, trust, and content control. It tracks media coverage, verifies engagement, and fights misinformation. It’s a valuable asset for PR professionals to enhance their practices and build trust with the media.

—

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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Ideas are easy, execution is everything.

— John Doerr.

Starting a business is tough. It has ups and downs, false starts, obstacles, and setbacks. But if you find a problem worth solving, you can weather the challenges and build something meaningful.

While it might seem impossible when you’re starting out, I’m here to say it’s not. This is the story of how Usetiful went from the seed of an idea to a G2 leader and high performer in digital adoption platforms and customer self-service.

Before we started Usetiful, JJ and I were colleagues. Over the years, we’d both built several in-house user onboarding solutions. However, once we tried to partner with an external vendor, we realised just how hostile the market is toward startups and small businesses. 

Winning market share, earning trust, and building loyalty are barriers for any business. Research suggests that about 90 per cent of new startups fail after a few years. Acquiring customers was one thing, but holding on to them was the difference between success and failure.

Digital adoption used to be a luxury. But now, it’s an absolute necessity if businesses want to compete within crowded digital markets. Our goal was to democratise Digital Adoption Platforms (DAPs) and make them available to smaller startups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Data privacy has always been a big part of our ethos. Usetiful was built with zero-knowledge design in mind and paranoid end-user privacy solutions. When the European Court of Justice declared the EU-US Privacy Shield invalid in 2020, Usetiful became the vendor of choice for European corporations.

We are a Camel startup. Unlike the modern Unicorns that dominate the headlines, we’re not interested in blitzscaling until we get acquired. We don’t operate with one eye on the exit door. What motivates us is that we’ve found a meaningful problem that we love solving. We want to do it over the long term.

Start with the problem

We have experience as a plucky startup breaking into the game. However, we’ve also spent a lot of time working with other startups and SMEs. As a result, we’ve gathered a diverse market experience on the problems facing software development businesses. 

It might sound simple, but if you want to build a sustainable business, you need a problem to solve. Too many companies start the wrong way around and create solutions in search of a problem. While many of these products are exciting and novel, they fail to ignite because people don’t really need them.

We knew the problem we wanted to solve: helping startups and SMEs retain their customers. It’s a clear and present issue that affects new ventures. We would address the problem by making user onboarding easier and more effective. 

What is user onboarding?

User onboarding involves helping new users learn and adopt a platform. Perhaps more pointedly, it’s about helping people realise the value of a product and how it can help them solve pain points or achieve goals and objectives.

Also Read: Diverse startups secure impressive funding this week

One of the best things about startup culture is the obsession with data. Teams leverage data to understand the factors that affect user retention. The churn rate is an excellent metric for helping teams understand how their business is performing. 

Frederick Reichheld, the inventor of the Net Promoter Score, showed how increasing customer retention rates by just five per cent can boost profits by between 25 per cent and 95 per cent. Customer churn is the enemy of growth. Usetiful helps businesses reduce attrition by ensuring they know how to get value from their product in the first place.

How do we solve user onboarding problems

Thanks to our past experience in the software development world, we had a firm grasp of the best practices that larger businesses use to engage new users. We also understood that there were other digital adoption platforms (DAP) on the market, although many of them didn’t offer value for money. 

We focused on helping smaller startups that didn’t have the time or budget to build bespoke user onboarding features. In particular, we considered the core features they needed to help activate and onboarding clients.

“Aha” moment

One of the most interesting things about working in the user onboarding space is that you learn a lot of tips and tricks that you can apply to your own product. We realised that when users engage with an application, they have a short window to make a good impression. So, everything needs to be funnelled towards helping prospective clients understand how they can get value from your product.

Users download an app because they have an objective or a particular pain point they want to solve. The app needs to minimise any friction involved in achieving its goal. As such, developers must create a user flow that leads to an “aha moment.” 

The “aha moment” is the point when everything clicks about your product. Or, more precisely, it’s when a customer realises how your product will help bring value into their lives. 

An “aha moment” doesn’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as realising that you can use Uber to order a cab when you’ve missed the night bus. The “aha moment” occurs when you are notified that the driver will arrive in three minutes. In short, the value and convenience of the product become apparent, and you know that you’ll use it again.

Different journeys

While guiding users to the “aha moment” is the end goal, we understood that each product has its own way of getting there. Sometimes, users just need small, barely visible nudges to help them realise how a product can impact their lives. Other products are more complex and feature-packed, so they need more extensive user onboarding flows.

Considering these differences, we knew that our product needed to be flexible. That involved empowering our clients to build user onboarding flows using a drag-and-drop interface. This decision opened up user onboarding to non-technical teams. What’s more, we included features like tooltips and hotspot beacons that could facilitate simpler onboarding requirements while offering product tours for more complex applications.

Also Read: VC deal-breakers: How anti-dilution clauses could sink your startup

Making our product universal was a big challenge because applications are very diverse in design and technology. We understood that our tool needed to fit around our client’s systems and not the other way around.

The importance of demos

Another valuable lesson we learned along the way was the importance of automated sales demos. While they are one of the less well-understood elements of a strong onboarding experience, they offer businesses a lot of good options.

For starters, they are highly automatable, which suits the trend for product-led growth. Customer acquisition is expensive, and not every team has a big sales and marketing budget. Automated sales demos help teams show the strengths of their product, which can help drive leads and sales. On top of it, they help you to operate outside of your time zones.

Perhaps more crucially, they help users understand what to expect from your product. Because new users know which problems you solve from the start, it ensures that the people who enter your sales funnel are relevant, which helps your churn rate drop dramatically. It’s also a competitive advantage – we have won some of the biggest accounts mainly because relevant competitors had closed offerings and clients preferred a more streamlined way forward.

Final thoughts

In 2023, we’ve finalised building the core of our engineering team. We will continue to invest in our platform to ensure its flexibility and stability. Each month, we add new features and make improvements to our product. Again, feedback is crucial to us, and we’re always taking on the needs and opinions of our users.

We have a strong presence and a loyal customer base in Europe. However, next year, we plan to help teams in Asia-Pacific and the Americas. Expanding into these territories is a big step, so we’re looking for local partners to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible.

—

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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The post Usetiful’s journey: Democratising digital adoption and solving real problems appeared first on e27.

Parlon, a B2B2C beauty & wellness and fintech platform in the Philippines, has raised over US$400,000 in a pre-seed funding round from WIP Global Ventures, A2D Ventures, and a group of angel investors.

The company, which recently expanded into Singapore, will use the capital to onboard new salon and wellness partners in the Philippines, investing in user growth campaigns, and developing a stronger technology platform with new and exciting features.

Also Read: How hyper-personal, AI tech can transform the US$1.5T wellness industry

Established by Kristine Claire Ongcangco and Miko Cornejo (co-founders of Concept Machine), Parlon provides a software solution to empower merchant clients to streamline operations, implement a CRM system, automate Viber and SMS reminders, and manage and accept bookings and payments (online and offline).

It has a vast network of salon and wellness centres, has onboarded over 500 salon and wellness brands, and has over a thousand branches in the Philippines.

A ‘She Loves Tech’ alum, Parlon has secured an Operator of Payment System license from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. It has forged strategic partnerships with GCash, Grab, Google, Globe, Sodexo, Shopback, and Sharetreats.

Also Read: Thai startup GoWabi aims to be the go-to platform for all health and wellness services in SEA

“The beauty and wellness industry has witnessed considerable transformation in recent times. The influx of novel products and services for consumers and the surge in user-generated content has instigated a change in demand dynamics and buying influences. Parlon is perfectly positioned amidst this change, aspiring to intertwine a traditionally oriented industry with technology via its platform, community, and alliances,” remarked Kei San Pablo-Mercado of WIP Global Ventures.

—

Image Credit: Parlon.

The post Philippine wellness tech startup Parlon raises US$400K funding appeared first on e27.

East Ventures, a leading venture capital firm in Southeast Asia, has made a strategic move by launching its first Indonesia-focused healthcare fund, worth US$30 million.

The VC firm’s decision to focus on the healthcare sector is timely, given the increasing importance of healthtech, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm’s existing portfolio of 30 healthcare companies and its investments in genomics startups demonstrate its dedication to the sector.

The firm’s active role in supporting the Indonesian healthcare system during the pandemic through initiatives like “Indonesia PASTI Bisa” highlights its commitment to positively impacting public health.

This follows East Ventures’s recent collaboration with Seoul-based SV Investment to launch a US$100 million fund to foster synergy between the Southeast Asian and Korean venture ecosystems.

These moves signify East Ventures’s ability to adapt to evolving market trends and its commitment to fostering innovation, which can positively impact both the healthcare sector in Indonesia and the broader Southeast Asian and Korean venture ecosystems.

Seeing the developments that emerge from these strategic investments will be exciting.

Sainul,
Editor.

==========

Foodpanda replaces CEO after he allegedly leaked details of Grab deal talks
Rebekah Rankine, a person who had dated the outgoing CEO Jakob Angele, alleged that he was forced to leave for leaking details about the ongoing and confidential talks regarding Grab buying Delivery Hero’s Southeast Asian business.

Aussie group DCG acquires Lamudi’s Indonesia, Philippine businesses
The deal follows DCG’s acquisition of the leading Bangladeshi portal, Bproperty, in January 2023; DCG now operates real estate portals in five markets: Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Papua New Guinea.

East Ventures launches US$30M fund to back Indonesian startups
East Ventures is already an active investor in healthcare, with 30 companies in its portfolio, including Mesh Bio, AMILI, and Aevice Health; It has also invested in genomics startups, such as NalaGenetics and Nusantics.

Employment Hero rakes in US$167M to accelerate global expansion
The investors are TCV, Insight Partners, AirTree, Seek, and OneVentures; Employment Hero has expanded to New Zealand, the UK, Malaysia, and Singapore; The firm claims to serve over 300K SMEs and 2M employees globally.

Stilt Studios raises US$10M for its sustainable, modular homes
Christian Hymer, former owner of German motor homes firm Hymer, is an investor; Stilt Studios aims to upgrade its customer-facing platform, which includes embedding AI into the customer experience; The startup will use the capital for international expansion.

IDN Media acquires Indonesian festival organiser Boss Creator
The move reflects IDN Media’s efforts to grow its revenue streams across the entertainment and live streaming sectors; Boss Creator has hosted various festivals such as Pestapora, a major music event, across Indonesia.

SEEDS Capital backs Singapore’s manufacturing-tech startup Factorem
The funds will also boost Factorem’s supply chain capacity and capabilities in Malaysia and Vietnam; Factorem is a cloud platform providing end-to-end fulfilment services tailored for on-demand, low volume, and no minimum order quantity parts.

GoTo, Bank Jago team up for new bank account offering
Called GoPay Tabungan by Jago, the service integrates GoPay’s e-money service with banking offerings; With the new account, users can make payments at all merchants that accept GoPay such as the Gojek and Tokopedia platforms and QRIS payments.

Philippine wellness tech startup Parlon raises US$400K funding
The investors are WIP Global Ventures, A2D Ventures, and angels; Parlon, which recently expanded into Singapore, has onboarded over 500 salon and wellness brands and has 1000+ branches in the Philippines.

Amasia introduces impact assessment framework for climate tech companies
At the core of the framework is a concept called Impact Screen, which is used to evaluate a potential investee company’s impact potential; It looks into five qualities of impact: positivity, intentionality, scale, depth, and additionality.

Meet the 8 startups graduating from Innovate UK in Singapore
Eight startups showcased their solutions and technologies spread across additive manufacturing, industrial IoT, advanced sensors, digital transformation, robotics, AI, and VR; They are currently seeking local partnerships.

When your employer is quietly quitting you: The untold perspective
The employment landscape operates as a two-way street; employers seek dynamic talent, just as employees might seek greener pastures.

How Singapore’s Ento Industries is pioneering sustainable food from waste
Since its inception in 2020, Ento Industries has grown to become one of Singapore’s leading providers of food waste management solutions using black soldier flies; It has since upcycled more than 500 tonnes of food waste.

Growth tailwinds poised to unlock the region’s startup potential
Janice Leow, Baring Private Equity Asia (BPEA) EQT partner and head of Southeast Asia, weighs in on the future of startups from SEA.

The end of just-replace-it mindset is here
By moving away from a just-replace-it mentality, consumers would demand better quality and cost-effective products in future.

How can we maximise the full spectrum of tech talent in the digital age?
By diversifying your recruitment efforts and exploring various channels, you can access a broader range of talent.

How can biofuel reduce India’s dependence on oil imports?
Domestically produced biofuels in India are immune to forex fluctuations affecting import-dependent fossil fuels.

Ransomware wake-up call: Why Indonesian businesses need more than just antivirus
In today’s digital age, an antivirus alone is no longer sufficient; it’s time to bolster our defences and prioritise cybersecurity.

Stablecoins are the best way to onboard next billion crypto users: Account Labs CEO
Lixin Liu of Account Labs also said Grab’s recent wallet launch is an excellent example of how Web3 can align with existing marketing programmes in the Web2 world.

Merchants selling via TikTok could be harming Indonesian economy: AC Ventures
Adrian Li also said TikTok’s suspension of online shopping service will unlikely harm the Indonesian e-commerce market; Indonesia is home to 125M TikTok users and is the app’s second-largest market in the world.

How Literatu uses AI to help students in Singapore improve their English writing skills
Literatu is working to integrate its AI-based writing solution into the country’s national online learning portal, Student Learning Space.

Ampverse Web3 lead: Web3 integration in gaming is inevitable, yet challenges persist
When asked about the future of Web3 in gaming, Jochum believes in the possibility of all games having Web3 integration in the future.

Sunway’s Matt shares insights on corporate innovation, partnership with MY startups
Leeuwen discusses corporate innovation, fostering intrapreneurship, and collaborating with startups to drive innovation culture in Malaysia’s conglomerate landscape.

How LiquidX aims to help Web3 founders make their visions come true
LiquidX is currently in talks to acquire an additional two or three seed-stage investments by the end of the year.

How the pandemic inspires Natural Trace to create a food supply chain traceability solution
What Natural Trace is offering is believed to be a better solution because it is also tamper-proof in addition to being food-grade.

How Graas aims to help brands evolve their e-commerce strategy
Graas helps brands solve their growth in three different ways. Co-Founder Prem Bhatia explains the details in this interview.

The post Ecosystem Roundup: DCG acquires Lamudi ID, PH units; East Ventures launches US$30M healthcare fund appeared first on e27.

In a week marked by promising advancements in the Southeast Asian startup scene, companies spanning diverse sectors have successfully raised significant capital.

From Stilt Studios’s innovative approach to sustainable housing to Vulcan Augmetics’s affordable prosthetics, these startups are making waves in the region.

This article delves into the funding rounds and notable investors behind their impressive growth.

Stilt Studios (Indonesia)

Founded in 2019 by German serial entrepreneur Florian Holm, Stilt Studios makes it possible to configure a variety of cabins, studios, and multi-storey family homes out of standard components; it’s comparable to stacking Lego bricks. High-quality teak and bengkirai wood are used as the main building material.

Also Read: Aussie group DCG acquires Lamudi’s Indonesia, Philippine businesses

The system reduces installation time to one to two months per house instead of a year or longer for conventional buildings.

The houses have an embedded carbon footprint (total carbon emissions from materials and the building process) — at least 50 per cent smaller than a comparable conventional building. Due to the elevated design, ground sealing is reduced by at least 90 per cent.

Capital raised: US$10 million
Round: Debt and equity
Investors: Christian Hymer, the former owner of Hymer, Germany’s market leader in motor homes.

Factorem (Singapore)

Established in 2020, Factorem is a cloud platform providing end-to-end fulfilment services tailored for on-demand, low volume, and no minimum order quantity parts. The platform offers access to various manufacturing technologies, including CNC Machining, 3D printing, sheet metal fabrication, and surface treatment.

Its core mission is to offer a seamless and hassle-free experience for businesses seeking bespoke and complex custom parts across various industries, such as industrial automation, robotics, biotechnology, and telecommunications.

Capital raised: Undisclosed
Round: Seed funding
Investor: Blue InCube Ventures.

AMODA (Indonesia)

Founded in October 2021 by Yovianto and Agusti Salman Farizi, AMODA is a construction tech startup aiming to enhance the process of construction, “making it 2x faster, cheaper, and more transparent”. It uses cloud manufacturing and prefabrication technology to build solutions for individuals and businesses in Indonesia, from SMEs and high-growth firms to large enterprises.

AMODA provides a dashboard with thorough and transparent pricing, construction, and leasing information.

Also Read: Merchants selling via TikTok could be harming Indonesian economy: AC Ventures

Since its inception, AMODA claims to have recorded at least 4x revenue growth year over year. The company has a portfolio of over 200 construction assets, collaborating with over 50 contractor partners nationwide and engaging with more than 30 landowners.

Capital raised: Undisclosed
Round: Unknown
Investors: East Ventures and Living Lab Ventures.

Vulcan Augmetics (Vietnam)

Vulcan is a Vietnamese developer of biometric sensors and customisable modular robotic prosthetics. Operating through proprietary Machine Learning software, Vulcan Augmetics aims to provide affordable sensor technology that digitises the prosthetics process, making them accessible to underserved amputees in the developing world.

The startup makes wearable biosignal sensors and software that digitise the fitting and rehabilitation process for assistive devices (starting with prosthetics). According to the firm, this enables people to use them in under two minutes (compared to six to 18 hours industry standard) and cuts fitting times by over 60 per cent.

Vulcan Augmetics envisions broadening its scope beyond prosthetics to encompass the full suite of wearable technologies, from diagnostic and health devices such as Fitbit to AR and VR control systems.

Capital raised: Undisclosed
Round: Unknwon
Investor: Quest Ventures

Employment Hero (Australia, Singapore, Malaysia)

Founded by Ben Thompson and Dave Tong, Employment Hero has built an all-in-one platform to recruit, onboard, pay and manage talent. Its super-app Swag is a real-time control centre, empowering employees to manage their work and financial lives. Since its inception in 2014, it has expanded to New Zealand, the UK, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The firm claims to serve over 300,000 SMEs and 2 million employees globally.

Capital raised: US$167 million
Round: Series F
Investors: TCV, Insight Partners, AirTree, Seek, and OneVentures.

Parlon (Philippines)

Parlon is a B2B2C beauty & wellness and fintech platform in the Philippines. Established by Kristine Claire Ongcangco and Miko Cornejo (co-founders of Concept Machine), Parlon provides a software solution to empower merchant clients to streamline operations, implement a CRM system, automate Viber and SMS reminders, and manage and accept bookings and payments (online and offline).

Also Read: Stablecoins are the best way to onboard next billion crypto users: Account Labs CEO

It has a vast network of salon and wellness centres, has onboarded over 500 salon and wellness brands, and has over a thousand branches in the Philippines.

Capital raised: US$400K
Round: Pre-seed
Investors: WIP Global Ventures, A2D Ventures, and angels.

The post Innovations in prosthetics, custom parts, property construction: Startups that hit the headlines this week appeared first on e27.

Food waste is a serious issue around the world, and Singapore is no exception. Driven by factors like climate change and geopolitical developments that pose threats to food production on a global scale, the need for a sustainable global food system has intensified over the years.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, global food systems are exerting significant pressure on both human and planetary health. They consume 70 per cent of the Earth’s water, contribute up to one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions produced by humans, and, through agriculture, pose a threat to over 86 per cent of the 28,000 endangered species in the world. 

In Singapore, the impact of climatic shifts and supply disruptions can be distinctly felt by the city-state, which imports more than 90 per cent of its food. To address this, the Singapore Food Agency has committed to gaining greater food resilience by setting a “30 by 30” goal, with the aim of producing 30 per cent of local nutritional needs by 2030.

However, with less than one per cent of land designated for farming, Singapore must produce more with fewer resources. Faced with these challenges, the nation needs to reduce food waste while increasing food production in a sustainable way. 

Where social consciousness meets food waste management

Driven by a strong sense of social consciousness, 33-year-old Singaporean entrepreneur Nathaniel Phua founded Ento Industries in 2020. Ento Industries is a yellow biotechnology firm and a subsidiary of local food waste management firm Tiong Lam Supplies.

Phua’s inspiration stemmed from witnessing the stark contrast between the significant food waste produced in Singapore and the persistent issue of global hunger, as highlighted by a United Nations report which projected that 300 million people worldwide may face food shortages by 2050. 

“I worry that my children may grow up in a world shaped by decisions made today. While I can’t revamp the food industry, I believe that I can play a role in making a difference,” said Phua.

In Singapore, food producers generally find it difficult to manage food waste due to the high cost of implementing waste management solutions. As a result, the city-state produced an estimated 813,000 tonnes of food waste, accounting for 12 per cent of the total waste produced, while as many as 783 million people worldwide faced hunger in 2022.  

Also Read: Hydroleap revolutionises wastewater treatment, leading industries into a sustainable future

However, picture a world where food waste is no longer a liability but a valuable asset for food production. To bring this vision to reality, Phua developed a method to valorise food waste using black soldier flies, an effective and affordable process which converts food waste and its byproducts into higher-value products that contribute to the food supply chain, such as feedstock for fish farms.  

Additionally, although the number of local food farms in Singapore has increased with government funding, the supporting industries such as feed and fertiliser production companies have not kept pace. The shortage of these supporting industries could significantly hinder Singapore’s pursuit of food security.

Fortunately, Ento Industries’ food waste management solution can help to address this challenge by enabling local food producers to reduce their reliance on imported animal feed and compost, strengthening Singapore’s food resilience. 

Using insects to save the world

For context, black soldier flies are capable of consuming a large amount of waste without producing any harmful emissions. In their larval stage, they can eat almost any organic matter, up to four times their body weight per day.

The nutrient-rich excrement produced by black soldier fly larvae can be used as fertiliser in agriculture to improve soil quality and crop yields, while the larvae itself can be harvested as a high-value animal feed. This makes black soldier flies a valuable tool for reducing food waste, improving food security, and creating a more sustainable food system in Singapore. 

Here are the steps involved in Ento Industries’ food waste management process: 

• Food waste is collected from restaurants, supermarkets, and other businesses. 
• The wastes are first treated and formulated into an optimal feed for black soldier flies.  
• These wastes are then fed to multiple batches of black soldier flies.  
• The black soldier flies break down the food wastes into a nutrient-rich liquid fertiliser. 
• The larvae of these black soldier flies are harvested and processed into a high-protein feed ingredient for pets and farm animals. 

Leading the way in food waste management, one step at a time

When Ento Industries first began, Phua had a clear understanding of the direction he wanted the company to take. As his team progressed, more ideas poured in, each sounding more attractive than the last.

As a result, they became somewhat hazy about their initial intentions and started working on multiple projects at the same time. The team soon realised that even though the company seemed to be picking up traction, it was losing capital. Phua felt that this experience helped him learn to remain laser-focused on his main goals and be more discerning when developing the business and bringing in new projects.  

Phua also believes that humility is the key to success in entrepreneurship and sets aside time to engage with his team regularly. 

“As business owners, we tend to think that we know what is best for the company – which may not always be the case. Keeping an open mind always helps me to look at my business from a different perspective and spot issues that I never knew were present.”

As a company that engages in both yellow biotechnology and waste management, it was difficult to recruit qualified manpower due to the stigma that existed in the industry. Hence, Phua worked with the various Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to have their students join them as interns. This helped to break the stigma of working in the yellow biotechnology industry, as many interns extended their term with the company, and some even expressed their interest in becoming full-time staff.  

To further mitigate the issue of manpower crunch, Phua adopted various project management and business automation tools such as human resource and finance software to streamline operations.  

“It can be a tough and arduous journey, but I think for me, it was the support from my peers and family that helped to keep me going. I have also been privileged enough to have had mentors to guide me at each stage of my journey, of whom the most notable was my late father-in-law, who taught me the importance of building lasting relationships in business,” said Phua.

Phua also recommends that aspiring entrepreneurs and young leaders surround themselves with people who are in the same space or on a similar journey as them. It is important to seek out a mentor who is willing to guide them along their journey, and the insights gleaned from someone who has had a similar experience can prove to be invaluable, he explained. 

Building trust and support

Ento Industries’ impressive contributions to food waste management in Singapore have been recognised, and the company has received funding support from private investors in 2023, including undisclosed funds from ESG-focused private investors Tak Wai Chung and Te-Ling Nai.

Chung is a Co-Founder of Xcelerate Group, a regional platform investing in and operating businesses in the governance, risk, and compliance sector, including sustainability, while Nai is experienced in growing and managing business operations both in startup environments and multinational organisations. 

The company has also obtained other notable grants to support its development of new products and services. These grants include: 

• EnterpriseSG Enterprise Development Grant in 2021: A government grant that provides funding for businesses to develop new products or services, expand their operations, or improve their productivity. Ento Industries received this grant in 2021 to help develop new products using black soldier flies. 

• DBS Foundation Social Enterprise Grant in 2020: A grant that is awarded to social enterprises working to address social or environmental challenges. Ento Industries received this grant in 2020 to help kickstart its pilot facility and increase capabilities. 

Collectively, the funding support from both government and private investors enabled Ento Industries to expand its operations and develop new technologies to further its mission of reducing food waste and enhancing food resiliency in Singapore, aligning with the city-state’s 30 by 30 goal.  

Also Read: Everything you should know about the future of futuristic food technology

The future of Ento Industries 

“I am excited about the potential of insect farming to help us solve some of the world’s most pressing problems, such as food waste and climate change. I believe that black soldier flies are a sustainable and scalable solution to these problems. I am committed to working with others to make insect farming a reality,” remarked Phua.

Since its inception in 2020, Ento Industries has grown to become one of Singapore’s leading providers of food waste management solutions using black soldier flies. It has since upcycled more than 500 tonnes of food waste.

Phua believes that the food waste management industry is still in its early stages and that interest in sustainable businesses and nature-based solutions is growing. He is confident that competition will increase and more businesses will enter the field. 

Building on its success, Ento Industries is expanding its operations to meet the growing demand for sustainable food waste management solutions. The company recently rolled out its food waste transformation initiatives to key partners in the food manufacturing and food and beverage sectors.

Phua envisions increasing its capacity to service and partner with a larger number of clients in Singapore in the future. Additionally, Ento Industries is working with IHLs like Republic Polytechnic to explore the use of insect-derived feed ingredients as a sustainable replacement for the current ingredients in fish feed for aquaculture farming. 

“I believe that the best anyone can do is to keep ourselves updated on the developments in the industry while fostering strong collaborations with key industry partners,” concluded Phua.

This is a multi-part business profile series by IndSights Research featuring accomplished business leaders from different industries in Singapore. Through this initiative, we hope to encourage business leaders to implement best practices in their companies to promote growth and development.

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Image credit: Ento Industries

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We often hear about people deciding to leave their jobs. But did you know that sometimes it’s the bosses who start pulling away first? And they might do it so quietly you don’t even notice until it’s too late.

It’s not always about the employee’s decision

When we hear stories of people leaving their jobs, it’s often portrayed as a unilateral decision – an act of empowerment or a bid for a better opportunity elsewhere. Yet, this is just one side of the coin.

On the flip side, many employers are also slowly ‘letting go’ of their employees, even if there isn’t an official notification that the employee’s position has been eliminated or that the employee’s services are no longer required.

What are those signs?

When employers decide that an employee no longer aligns with the company’s vision, they might not always communicate this directly. Instead, they might:

• Reduced responsibilities: Perhaps you’ve begun to notice a diminishing workload. Those crucial projects, once entrusted to you, are now allocated elsewhere. Even coveted new initiatives don’t seem to have your name on them.
• Stagnant career path: If there’s a blurred vision of your future trajectory within the company, it’s cause for reflection. Feeling that there’s a ceiling to your growth or lacking opportunities to lead or innovate should be red flags.
• Diminished learning opportunities: An organisation’s investment in training is a reflection of its belief in the potential returns from its talent. If you’re not being asked to join training sessions or workshops anymore, it’s a hint. It’s like being left out of the school field trip. Plus, if they give you tools or apps to learn and you’re not using them, they’ll think you don’t want to learn new stuff.

Also Read: How to support startups to survive the ‘tech-winter’

• Avoidance by immediate superiors: When your immediate boss begins avoiding eye contact, shies away from direct communication, or starts routing messages through another colleague, it’s a subtle yet clear sign. Scenario: You start your day expecting the customary morning salutation. Instead, your manager seems constantly distracted, entrusting project discussions to junior managers who relay messages back to you.
• Feedback vacuum: A sudden drop in feedback – neither positive nor negative – can also be a signal. Employers invested in your growth will provide constructive feedback. Scenario: Previously, after wrapping up a project, there would be a debrief session discussing what went well and areas of improvement. These sessions have now stopped or have vanished altogether.

Things change, and that’s okay

Change is the lifeblood of business. As markets transform and technologies redefine landscapes, adaptability becomes crucial. The ideal employee is one who can seamlessly adapt, evolving as the context demands. Employers don’t just seek a readiness to change; they value the agility and nimbleness to do so.

At times, the disconnect emerges when an employee becomes rigid, resisting evolving corporate cultures or technological shifts. Here, the issue isn’t merely skill-based; it’s about fitting into the evolving immune system of the company.

What can you do about it?

Instead of waiting for glaring signs, it’s beneficial for employees to stay proactive. Regular self-reflection can help you align with your company’s evolving goals. Seeking feedback, upskilling, and demonstrating adaptability can bridge the potential gap.

In conclusion, the world of employment is a two-way street. Just as employees might seek greener pastures, employers continually seek dynamic talent capable of infusing fresh vitality into the corporate landscape. Being aware, adaptable, and proactive can ensure that you’re not just growing but thriving, no matter where you are.

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Southeast Asia’s leading venture capital firm, East Ventures, has launched its first Indonesia-focused healthcare fund worth US$30 million.

East Ventures Healthcare Fund aims to empower and support promising startups that address the unique challenges and opportunities in the country’s healthcare landscape.

Also Read: East Ventures, SV Investment launch US$100M fund to bridge SEA, Korea startup ecosystems

“Indonesia is one of Southeast Asia’s most dynamic healthcare markets with enormous potential for innovation and growth. With our extensive experience in investing across sectors and stages, we believe this healthcare fund will play a pivotal role in fostering and catalysing healthcare innovation in Indonesia,” said Willson Cuaca, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at East Ventures.

The VC firm is already an active investor in healthcare, with 30 companies in its portfolio, including Mesh Bio, AMILI, Aevice Health, Etana, and Diri Care. It has also invested in genomics startups, such as NalaGenetics and Nusantics.

During the COVID-19 crisis, the VC firm launched initiatives to strengthen the healthcare system in the archipelago. It includes the Indonesia PASTI Bisa (IDPB), a platform to support the government and private sector’s efforts in mitigating the negative impacts of COVID-19 in the nation.

East Ventures has also taken part in supporting the journey of genomics development in Indonesia. Started with the donation to the Biomedical & Genome Science Initiative (BGSi), an initiative of Indonesia’s Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) to provide precision medicine services for the community in August 2022 and provide sequencing needs in the form of reagents and consumables worth more than IDR 1 billion.

Also Read: East Ventures’s new multi-stage fund hits final close at US$550M

Early this month, East Ventures and Seoul-based SV Investment launched a new US$100 million fund. The East Ventures South Korea will open the investment corridor between the Southeast Asian and Korean venture ecosystems, including capital investment, knowledge transfer, and network sharing. The fund will invest in companies across biotech, healthcare, future mobility, green technology, and media & content.

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Australia-based employment management company Employment Hero has secured SGD229 million (~US$167 million) in a Series F growth round of financing for global expansion.

Led by global growth fund TCV, the round also saw participation from existing backers Insight Partners, AirTree, Seek, and OneVentures.

Also Read: When your employer is quietly quitting you: The untold perspective

The deal follows the company’s 2022 Series E of US$130 million and takes the total capital to over SGD572 million (US$416 million).

Founded by Ben Thompson and Dave Tong, Employment Hero has built an all-in-one platform to recruit, onboard, pay and manage talent. Its super-app Swag is a real-time control centre, empowering employees to manage their work and financial lives.

Since its inception in 2014, it has expanded to New Zealand, the UK, Malaysia, and Singapore.

The firm claims to serve over 300,000 SMEs and 2 million employees globally.

Also Read: Gen Z is saying no to climbing corporate ladders. Here’s what it means for Singapore’s startup ecosystem

Founded and CEO Thompson said: “Within 12 months, Employment Hero will transcend the traditional confines of HR and Payroll. We will open doors to a world where talent flows like water through a pipe, right to your doorstep. That’s the future we’re building. Businesses can seamlessly plug into our unparalleled reservoir of talent, with automatic compliance and compensation mechanisms. No more time or hassle growing your business.”

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Image Credit: Employment Hero

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Flux Series: Marketing Leaders is happening at the St. Regis in Jakarta, Indonesia, on 15 November 2023. Are you working in the field of marketing? Don’t miss out on this focused and curated event designed especially for marketing professionals!

Visit Flux Series: Marketing Leaders for more information! Read on to get discounted tickets.

Partnerships are the cornerstone of success in any venture, and the forthcoming Flux Series: Marketing Leaders event exemplifies this principle. The Flux Series offers an exclusive platform for industry trailblazers to engage in immersive learning sessions, granting access to industry knowledge and actionable strategies that can fuel sustainable growth and profitability for your brand.

Set against the elegant backdrop of the St. Regis in Jakarta, Indonesia, on November 15, 2023, the inaugural edition of the Flux Series promises to bring together influential marketing leaders. Their mission: to deliberate, brainstorm, and formulate actionable strategies for optimising marketing endeavors through AI-driven innovations and cutting-edge technology, all with the goal of achieving fresh marketing milestones for your company.

Within Flux Series: Marketing Leaders, attendees can anticipate enlightening keynote speeches, dynamic panel discussions, and hands-on workshops covering an array of topics surrounding the complex world of marketing. These sessions will delve into harnessing artificial intelligence to fortify marketing initiatives, cultivate deeper connections with customers, and explore the latest trends in technology.

Partners that are committed to our mission

Sponsors hold a pivotal role in the triumph of Flux Series: Marketing Leaders on multiple fronts. Firstly, they extend diverse forms of support and coverage for the various facets that make the event an enriching and exhilarating experience for participants.

Furthermore, sponsors contribute their wealth of expertise and insights, affording attendees exclusive benefits. Through their extensive networks and marketing channels, sponsors extend the reach of the event, offering valuable insights to a broader demographic.

Also read: Growth tailwinds poised to unlock the region’s startup potential

Equally significant is the presence of sponsors at the event. This creates invaluable networking opportunities for attendees to acquaint themselves with the products and services on offer. This facet aligns seamlessly with the core purpose of the Flux Series — to serve as a curated gathering for marketing leaders, fostering connections between all stakeholders. By championing Flux Series: Marketing Leaders, participants can engage with fellow marketing professionals, gaining access to industry best practices and actionable wisdom, ultimately forging novel partnerships and collaborations poised to propel business growth and triumph.

Meet CleverTap at Flux Series: Marketing Leaders

CleverTap is the all-in-one customer engagement platform that helps brands personalize and optimize all consumer touch points to improve user engagement, retention, and lifetime value. It’s the only solution built to address the needs of retention and growth teams, with audience analytics, deep segmentation, multi-channel engagement, product recommendations, and automation in one unified product.

The platform is powered by TesseractDB — the world’s first purpose-built database for customer engagement, offering both speed and economies of scale.

Get discounted tickets today!

CleverTap is trusted by 2000 customers, including Electronic Arts, TiltingPoint, Gamebasics, Big Fish, MobilityWare, TED, English Premier League, TD Bank, Carousell, AirAsia, Papa John’s, and Tesco.

Also read: Diverse range of startups make it to X-PITCH 2023 TOP100

Backed by leading investors such as Peak XV Partners, Tiger Global, Accel, and CDPQ the company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with presence in San Francisco, New York, São Paulo, Bogota, London, Amsterdam, Sofia, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, and Jakarta.

Apart from the dedicated keynote where a representative from the organisation will impart key insights on marketing in the time of AI, CleverTap’s presence at the Flux Series: Marketing Leaders is driven by two goals: to increase brand awareness and to generate a sales pipeline. With the Flux Series operating as a curated convergence of top marketing leaders from across the region, CleverTap is strategically positioned to help enable and empower a stronger customer journey among participating marketers.

Join Flux Series: Marketing Leaders

Flux Series: Marketing Leaders goes beyond conventional learning environments by providing a curated selection of growth-oriented content stages. These stages serve as dynamic platforms where attendees gain invaluable knowledge on how to leverage disruptive technologies and harness the power of AI to supercharge their marketing efforts. Here, participants get to immerse in active knowledge-sharing guided by industry trailblazers who will be lending their expertise and experiences. From decoding AI-powered tools to unveiling transformative marketing strategies, these content stages are designed to equip marketers with actionable insights that can be seamlessly integrated into their business strategies.

Also read: How PriyoShop is revolutionising the B2B procurement process

For marketing leaders aiming to elevate their company’s marketing goals, Flux Series: Marketing Leaders is a must-attend event. Join us in Jakarta on November 15, 2023, for a day of insightful discussions, interactive workshops, and unparalleled networking opportunities that will reshape the way you approach marketing in the digital age.

Join the Flux Series or become our partner and be a driving force in the AI-powered marketing revolution. To learn more about the event, you may visit the official Flux Series: Marketing Leaders page.

Get ready to embark on a journey that will not only deepen your understanding of AI-driven marketing but also equip you with the actionable insights needed to thrive in the dynamic world of modern marketing.

Join Flux Series: Marketing Leaders with discounted tickets here.

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