Vietnam’s music games publisher Amanotes has invested in the pre-Series A funding round of Swedish startup Reactional Music.

Other investors in the round are Butterfly Ventures and angels, including Kelly Sumner, a former chairman of Mediatonic, CEO of Red Octane, and CEO of Take 2 Interactive.

This round follows a number of seed rounds at the Stockholm headquartered Reactional.

Reactional Music lets gamers personalise their personas and gameplay with their favourite music. It is a rules-based music engine and delivery platform that connects the music and games industries commercially and creatively.

Also Read: ‘Play long-term games and do not optimise for the short term’: Vaibhav Aggarwal of Coinbase

Reactional is working on several pilot projects. The Reactional Engine is also used in a commercially available game for PS5 and PS VR2. The platform will be live in 2023.

It also completed multiple music rights agreements with commercial and production rights holders, including Hipgnosis Song Management.

Founded by two passionate music and tech lovers Bill Vo and Silver Nguyen, Amanotes is a mobile music games publisher with over 2.8 billion downloads and 100+ million monthly active users. Since 2014, 30+ music games and mobile apps were published under its name.

The games market is expected to surpass US$200 billion in revenue in 2023. In-game purchases accounted for 74 per cent of all games revenue in 2021, around US$129 billion.

Currently, in-game music revenues account for less than 0.001 per cent of the total market. In 2023 the total number of global gamers is expected to pass three billion.

—

The post Vietnamese music games publisher Amanotes invests in Swedish startup Reactional Music appeared first on e27.

MindX, an online coding school in Vietnam, has secured US$15M a Series B financing round, led by Kaizenvest.

Aksorn, Mynavi Corporation, and Wavemaker Partners also joined the round.

The edutech startup will use the money to grow its platform, expand its reach into smaller cities and rural areas, as well as to create more educational content.

Established in 2015, MindX prepares users for technology careers by providing access to virtual or in-person classes. It claims to have trained 35,000-plus students of different ages.

Also Read: The future of edutech: Personalising learning for all

According to the firm, it has tripled its geographical footprint to over 32 campuses in Vietnam since the Series A investment round in 2021.

Additionally, MindX has expanded its offerings to include blockchain, data analytics, and UI/UX design courses.

The edutech company now aims to connect Vietnamese tech workers with employers worldwide. It has partnered with over 200 companies in countries, including Thailand, Singapore, and Australia, to provide global access to Vietnam’s digital workforce.

—

The post Vietnamese online coding school MindX nets US$15M Series B financing appeared first on e27.

e27’s Regional MeetUp 2023 seeks to gather regional disruptors and innovators and bring the latest insights on the regional tech startup ecosystem straight into their respective homes — and we’re heading next to Vietnam.

It’s happening at the WeWork E. Town Central, Ho Chi Minh on Thursday, 13 April. What to expect, you might ask?

The e27 MeetUp in Vietnam features a fireside chat with the topic “Southeast Growth Series: How can Vietnam’s tech ecosystem grow sustainably and where are future growth drivers”, with speaker Linh Thai, Founder and CEO of Skills Bridge and Shark Tank Vietnam investor; and moderator Thaddeus Koh, co-founder at e27.

Also read: Meet these 10 startups that are saving lives

This event is an excellent opportunity to connect with the local tech startup community at Ho Chi Minh, share insights with experts and your peers, and potentially get free tickets to the Echelon Asia Summit happening on June 14-15 in Singapore.

The e27 MeetUp is also a great opportunity to explore how you can work with the e27 community – and e27 – to help you achieve your goals.

This is an invite-only event. If you would like to be a part of it, leave us your details in this form.

This event is brought to you by e27, in partnership with WeWork and WebEngage.

The post Why you should go to WeWork and MeetUp with us at Ho CHi Minh appeared first on e27.

The Edgeof, a newly formed ecosystem builder and VC firm, has agreed to acquire SoftBank Ventures Asia Corp. (SBVA), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group.

The strategic initiative aims to enhance support, development, and expansion of startups poised to transform the world, spanning from Singapore to the greater pan-Asian market.

The transaction details remain undisclosed.

The acquisition is contingent upon regulatory approval and is expected to be completed this year.

Following the deal, a fresh brand identity will be unveiled.

“Through this acquisition, we aspire to build an ecosystem that enables visionary entrepreneurs and their startups to effect significant, positive societal change,” The Edgeof Co-Founder and Chairman Atsushi Taira said.

The Edgeof Founder Taizo Son added: “We are confident that our collective strengths and resources will ignite a new era of revolutionary technologies and solutions, establishing us as a prominent influence in developing and expanding αStartups worldwide.”

Also Read: Rethinking venture capital: 5 ways it goes beyond investing

The Edgeof was created last month by Son and Taira. Son is the CEO of the Japanese VC firm Mistletoe and the youngest brother of Softbank Group Founder Masayoshi Son. Taira is the MD of Mistletoe Singapore.

The new entity aims to create a sustainable and better world by tackling pressing global challenges, such as climate change and sustainability, through innovative initiatives.

It aims to be Asia’s leading VC and ecosystem builder, helping alpha startups (αStartups) expand across borders and grow exponentially. αStartups are distinguished by their radical innovation, positive impact, and potential to scale globally. It will trigger fundamental changes in energy, water, agriculture, food, sustainability, AI/robot-driven changes in societies, healthcare, learning, and all things essential for the next generations.

SBVA will identify and invest in promising αStartups based in Asia or those with a global presence interested in the Asian market. To support the full lifecycle of these startups, multiple funds will be established, ranging from early to growth stages, enabling co-investment alongside similar-minded investors.

JP Lee, CEO of SBVA, said: “By joining forces, SBVA will be able to leverage its expertise, insights, and network to support visionary entrepreneurs in their endeavours and enable them to make a lasting global impact that transcends Asia.”

Founded in 2000, SoftBank Ventures Asia is an early-stage VC firm based in Seoul and currently operates approximately US$2 billion in funds under management. Since its inception, SoftBank Ventures Asia has focused on ICT investments, including AI, IoT, and smart robotics, with global investment professionals in Seoul, Beijing, Singapore, and San Francisco.

—

Echelon Asia Summit 2023 brings together APAC’s leading startups, corporates, policymakers, industry leaders, and investors to Singapore this June 14-15. Learn more and get tickets here. Echelon also features the TOP100 stage, where startups can pitch to 5000+ delegates, among other benefits like connecting with investors, visibility through the e27platform, and other prizes. Join TOP100 here.

The post Taizo Son’s new VC firm The Edgeof acquires SoftBank Ventures Asia appeared first on e27.

After months of submissions and hundreds of applications, we’re happy to share with you these 10 startups who will be pitching their innovative solutions at the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards Virtual Pitch on 13 April 2023.

Click here to join the virtual pitch.

The 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards has been launched to find, fund, and support innovative tech solutions that can help protect and save lives, before, during, and after disasters. The program is created by Prudence Foundation and supported by humanitarian partner: IFRC, technology partner: AWS, and strategic partner: e27, for its 2023 edition.

Also read: Meet these 10 startups that are saving lives

The SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards recognises the crucial role of technology in enhancing disaster preparedness, recovery, and resilience. Climate change has led to more frequent and intense disasters worldwide, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, where half of these events occur, resulting in staggering economic costs and human lives lost. Despite the pressing need for solutions, financial and non-financial support is lacking, hindering their potential for maximum impact.

Now in its third edition, the Awards looks to continue its work in catalysing a network of support, raising awareness of the sector, and helping the remarkable companies that operate in this space grow and scale.

10 more startups that will be taking part in the Virtual Pitch

ESASTHO

ESASTHO is a healthtech startup that bridges online and offline, paper-based solutions already established in the regular healthcare system. As a healthtech startup, ESASTHO creates several sequential channels like telemedicine, online hospital booking service, online pathology and virtual pharmacy, and emergency ambulance services.

ESASTHO’s solution ranges from remote medical consultations where they provide patients access to healthcare professionals and alleviate the burden on local healthcare facilities, partnering with local organisations involved in disaster response efforts, conducting health awareness campaigns during disasters where they provide accurate and reliable information on how to stay safe and healthy during a disaster, as well as emergency services during a disaster such as doctor consultations, medicine supply, pathology sample collection, and ambulance service, among others

Doh Eain

Doh Eain preserves heritage, improves public spaces, and organises activities that connect people with places, employing a user-centred, participatory approach. In doing this, Doh Eain aims to inspire and enable people to participate in reshaping their city while retaining cultural heritage.

Doh Eain set up the Yangon Neighbourhood Network (YNN) with the goal of creating a mechanism that would support the many neighbourhood-based informal and semi-formal groups undertaking relief and resilience activities that save lives during disasters. The platform improves the quality and accountability of these neighbourhood actors’ activities while making them more visible and easier to support for large donors.

NatureMetrics

NatureMetrics is a world leader in delivering nature data and intelligence. They use cutting-edge technology to generate biodiversity data at scale using environmental DNA. They make biodiversity measurable and support businesses to transition to a nature-positive economy by providing the data with which to drive good decisions for business and nature. The company’s mission is to transform the scale, comprehensiveness, and accessibility of biodiversity data around the world, creating a comprehensive database of life on earth which will help the world identify how best to protect it.

NatureMetrics aims to deliver comprehensive, actionable biodiversity data, from sample to biologically meaningful insight within 72 hours, compared to at least 8 weeks for conventional monitoring. This will enable rapid, robust evidence-based decision-making, minimising environmental damage, and protecting biodiversity. Critically, this will provide decision-makers with the data they need to use nature-based solutions to tackle the effects of climate change and extreme weather events.

Komunidad

Underscoring that the call by the UN Secretary-General on Early Warning for All needs to be made a reality to further save lives, livelihoods, and assets, Komunidad developed the Climate Operations Center (COC) — a web-based application that helps monitor and anticipate the risk of severe weather and other natural disasters with simple and easy to understand decision support tools such as online dashboards, automated reports, and early warning alerts.

Komunidad is a climate data and analytics software company providing digital transformation and decision support tools for climate resilience and sustainability. We help governments and enterprises harness the power of data and analytics to manage climate risk and optimise for the low carbon future.

Kinetic Analysis Corporation

Kinetic Analysis Corporation specialises in the generation and delivery of a multi-model view of hazards, damage, and impact data for tropical cyclones and other extreme perils occurring anywhere in the world. This information can provide crucial insights into the potential impacts from a peril and support planning and response perspective.

KinetiCast by Kinetic Analysis Corporation is a web app that helps you develop scenarios of what might happen so you can respond to what does happen. With a multi-model approach to generating high-resolution (~2 km) geospatial hazard footprints and economic impact estimates in near real-time, you will be able to develop scenarios and contingency plans and execute the optimal response as conditions evolve.

Maxi

Maxi is a mental health startup that leverages artificial intelligence to provide hyper-personalised care for mental health. The platform is designed to match users with the best-suited resources to address their specific needs. The Maxi platform utilises machine learning algorithms to analyse user behaviour, preferences, and other data points to create a personalised experience. Users are matched with various resources, including mental health professionals, audio exercises, self-screening tests, and discussion forums.

Disasters have a significant impact on mental health, and Maxi’s personalised approach can help disaster victims cope with their challenges. Maxi can provide disaster victims with resources tailored to their specific needs. For example, someone experiencing anxiety during a natural disaster can be matched with audio exercises and relaxation techniques to help them manage their symptoms. The platform can also connect users with mental health professionals specialising in disaster-related trauma and provide them with the support they need.

Solvation Analytics

Solvation Analytics is a Malaysian green tech company dedicated to developing sustainable energy solutions for businesses and governments worldwide. Our team of experts works with clients to create customised strategies that optimize energy consumption, reduce waste, and improve efficiency.

The company has developed a hazard mapping technology that provides early warnings to affected communities to protect the most vulnerable members of society during disasters such as children, disabled individuals, and pregnant women. Their solution incorporates cutting-edge AI and machine learning models to process satellite data, IoT data, and social media listening, generating visualisations and warnings to disaster-affected communities. This critical information is disseminated to emergency response teams, who share regular updates with communities. Their alerts are also broadcasted based on proximity to cell towers, ensuring the fastest possible response times.

DayZero Water LLC

DayZero Water LLC is a group of engineers, scientists, business professionals and even a philosophy professor working to address a disaster response need: safe drinking water. Often, cholera or other diseases follow disasters — such as in Malawi and Mozambique, following Cyclone Freddy. These diseases are easily prevented by DayZero Water’s product, the water box.

The water box is a household water treatment device using UV that quickly treats a 4-litre batch of water, whether electricity is available or not. It’s a batch process. This is important since people are often without running water after a disaster.

USHER

USHER is the most advanced earthquake and structural health monitoring system that ensures the integrity and resilience of infrastructures before, during, and after a seismic event.

IronYun

IronYun’s SIA award-winning Vaidio AI Vision Platform offers more than 30 advanced AI video analytics that works with any IP camera. AI vision analytics are deployed in many industries including smart cities, manufacturing 4.0, smart retail, building automation, public transportation, stadiums, and international airports.

Vaidio can search, monitor, alert, and analyze video with twenty AI-enabled video analytics on a single platform. Vaidio detects and alerts on objects, vehicles, behaviours and conditions with market-leading speed and accuracy. Vaidio adds layers of superhuman intelligence to existing camera and video infrastructure to deliver safety, security, and operational efficiencies. Vaidio next-gen AI delivers faster processing, faster alerting, and more analytics per stream using fewer resources than alternatives, which lowers overall solution costs.

Also read: Why you should go to WeWork and MeetUp with us at Ho CHi Minh

The 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards

The startups taking part in the 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards Virtual Pitch stand a chance to win 150,000 USD in cash prizes, AWS product credit worth 55,000 USD, and access to investor networks and mentorship. Finalists will be able to showcase at the Echelon Asia Summit 2023 at the Singapore EXPO on 14-15 June 2023.

Catch these amazing startups and more at the 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards virtual pitch! For more information, visit the official page here.

– –

This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by Prudence Foundation

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.

The post Check out 10 more startups that are saving lives appeared first on e27.

Happening this 14-15 June 2023 at the Singapore EXPO, the Echelon Asia Summit is one of the largest tech and business conferences in Asia that gathers entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts from across the region. The event aims to provide a platform for startups and businesses to showcase their innovations, network with peers and investors, and learn from renowned speakers and thought leaders.

The summit features a range of activities, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, and exhibitions, that cover a diverse range of topics concerning today’s tech startup ecosystem. The event is also home to the TOP100, one of the region’s most prestigious pitching competitions, enabling startups to gain exposure, connect with potential investors, and forge new partnerships.

Also read: Check out 10 more startups that are saving lives

The Echelon Asia Summit provides a valuable opportunity for attendees to gain insights into the latest trends and developments in the Southeast Asian tech ecosystem, enabling all participating stakeholders to explore new opportunities for growth and expansion.

As an ecosystem enabler and community builder, it is important for Echelon to offer space for exciting new startups to showcase their innovations. With that, here are six startups that will be exhibiting at this year’s tech conference.

Six exhibitors to check out at the Echelon Asia Summit 2023

Anapi

Anapi is an intelligent platform that simplifies how businesses manage their insurance and saves them money.

Its AI-powered software is built using advanced technology and the latest in machine learning to derive accurate risk pricing and automation. Built for startups and enterprises alike, Anapi gives businesses advanced risk-management capabilities, turning risk into profit.

The Anapi Hub is a smart online tool to manage all your business insurance and ensure you never overpay again. It keeps track of key information such as insurance renewal dates, as well as coverages and policy documents in the same, easily accessible place while delivering an average of 20% savings on insurance premiums. Simply upload your existing insurance policies, and let the Hub take care of the rest.

For more information, visit https://www.anapi.co/

Buyandship

Established in 2014, Buyandship is an HK-based company providing global shipping services for customers that wish to shop across the US, the UK, Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Australia, and Italy with ease and comfort. They have established a network of self-operating (US, JP) and dedicated (UK, KR, CN, TW, AU, IT) warehouses for users to ensure fast and efficient delivery services.

Scheduled flights from these warehouses back to HK are arranged weekly, while the delivery fee will be based on the parcel’s actual weight (not parcel size).

From now on, overseas online shopping can be fulfilled with just a click of a button. All you need to do is sit back, relax, and your parcel will arrive at your doorstep in no time.

For more information, visit https://www.buyandship.today/en/

fewStones

fewStones was founded in 2011 in Singapore by Sophie Normand and Jean-Christophe Bougle as a Video Production Agency. In 2014, fewStonges became the first agency in Singapore to be YouTube Certified for Audience Growth. Since its inception, fewStones has worked with numerous Singaporean and international customers on a wide range of videos. In 2015, fewStones added remarketing videos to its scope of services in order to help agencies and businesses improve their ROI on their website traffic.

fewStones Pte Ltd is a web service and digital marketing company based in Singapore developed around four main activities: Web Services, Digital Marketing, Video Services, and Mobile Applications.

For more information, visit http://www.fewstones.com/

Also read: Why you should go to WeWork and MeetUp with us at Ho CHi Minh

INK IDÉE

INK IDÉE is a full-service Intellectual Property Rights boutique firm. They coined this adage as their belief motto. For anyone and everyone who has an idea, be it an invention or an innovation or a product or a process, be it names or slogans, be it literary, artistic, or dramatic work; be it aesthetic enhancements, INK IDÉE divulges their experience in getting it down on pen and paper to define your legal rights, and to affirm them to you, consequently.

For the past decade or so, they have been indulging in these activities and, in their endeavour, have helped a gamut of entrepreneurs, corporates, individuals, SMEs, and businessmen to gain that extra mileage in flashing and creating a portfolio of intangible assets by protecting their Intellectual Property Rights.

For more information, visit https://www.inkidee.com/

Parlon

Parlon is a beauty technology platform where you can discover, book, and buy best-in-price beauty and wellness deals in the Philippines. Parlon is partnered with over 350 salon and wellness brands and 1,500 branches in more than 60 cities/provinces in the Philippines. With the widest salon network in the Philippines and expanding soon in Singapore, they are on the road to becoming Southeast Asia’s largest beauty services discovery and fintech platform.

They provide their merchant partners with a world-class multi-channel ecosystem, enabling them to accept bookings and payments, not just in the Parlon app and website, but also via the biggest platforms like Grab, Google, and GCash. With their proprietary technology, they have helped their merchant partners go digital by enabling them to sell their deals online and manage their daily operations.

For more information, visit http://www.parlon.ph/

WAOHire

The WAOHire company is a collective group of tech recruiters and developers. They help fast-growing companies connect with talented developers. They take a humanised approach to hiring and working with developers because they know that it’s the best way to find the best developers for businesses.

WAOHire prides itself on the following achievements:

• 8 years in the market
• Team of 60+ talent members
• Helped build offshore development team for 15+ trusted clients worldwide
• Organiser/contributor to multiple established tech communities in Asia.
• Partners with top universities such as HCMUT, VNUHCM, FPT, RMIT, UIT, NangYang, and SUSS

For more information, visit http://waohire.com/

Join us for this year’s Echelon!

Catch all six exhibitors as they showcase their unique and exciting innovations at the Echelon Asia Summit 2023 happening in Singapore EXPO on 14-15 June 2023. Attendees also get to enjoy a variety of activities including keynote speeches, panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities designed to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among participants.

Also read: Meet these 10 startups that are saving lives

This year’s program theme will focus on “Building towards a sustainable and impactful tech ecosystem” which is a timely topic to be discussed among industry leaders concerning our ever-changing market and business landscape.

Interested in taking part in one of the biggest tech conferences in the region? Visit the official Echelon Asia Summit 2023 page for more information.

The post Six exhibitors to wow you at the 2023 Echelon Asia Summit appeared first on e27.

Forging corporate-startup partnerships provide meaningful opportunities to engage in the innovation process, creating win-win scenarios that end up benefiting the ecosystem as a whole. Deeply entrenched in its ethos is to appreciate the value of partnerships in driving growth, rather than trying to internalise all processes and doing everything on your own. 

From the corporate perspective, corporate-startup partnerships help stakeholders bring faster innovation to an increasingly competitive landscape and in turn help accelerate product development. From the startup side, collaborations like this bring a deeper understanding of the market landscape and industry. There is also the upside of helping startups gain access to the larger partner’s market. Multiple ways of collaboration have popped up in recent years, with each one premised on featuring an ecosystem-centric approach.

SAP and XS APAC: leading the charge for corporate-startup collaborations

An example of this ecosystem-centric design is SAP’s expanded innovation initiatives. In a conversation with e27, Morikawa Hakaru, Vice President and Head of Industry and Customer Advisory shared key insights on SAP’s strategy in scaling win-win partnerships and SAP’s priorities in Asia, particularly in expanding its innovation footprint. This is illustrated by the frequency of its partner webinars and roundtable discussions with various stakeholders, culminating in an insightful discussion at Echelon 2022. SAP has been active in its commitment to nurturing innovation through the decades, and the company is quickly adapting to the changing times.

SAP shares and reiterates the relevance of the corporate-startup alliances in terms of opportunities. “From our point of view, corporate and startup collaborations can help corporates operate in a far more agile manner and can quickly adapt when any disruption happens.”

Also read: DigitalOcean: One of the world’s fastest-growing cloud computing platforms will be at Echelon!

In this spirit of partnerships and collaborations, SAP has teamed up with XS APAC, a growth advisory whose mandate is to take a critical view of business strategies and cascade that to implementable corporate initiatives, identify and pursue feasible sources of growth capital, and finally bring onboard their extended network spanning industry captains, major corporations, governments and collaborative ecosystems, to bring businesses to regional markets.

SAP and XS APAC’s partnership on a series of engagements highlights this commitment such as with the series of webinars entitled “Let’s make a deal: How to do Business with Large Enterprises?” and “How to manage your digital offerings to drive growth and cut costs”; their virtual talk on creating value within one’s investment portfolio entitled “Value Creation: Portfolio – Virtual Roundtable”; and their roundtable discussion held at last year’s Echelon Asia Summit, entitled “How can startups scale sustainably and enter new markets through corporate partnerships?”

Corporate-startup collaborations are evolving at a clear path moving forward

There is a lot of development in how strategic partnerships between corporations and startups are formed, stemming from the visible impact that these collaborations entail. Corporations can engage startups in multiple ways — from product diversification to market access, acceleration, and technology integration. Working with startups ensures that corporations remain relevant and that they do not get disrupted. 

At the Value Creation: Portfolio – Virtual Roundtable, where Herston Elton Powers, Co-founder and Managing Partner of 1982 Ventures served as one of the panellists, he explained that “We expect more corporate-VC collaborations as specialist VC funds, like 1982 Ventures, can provide more than strong financial returns. Corporates can leverage our expertise in fintech and access to the early-stage startup ecosystem to achieve their strategic objectives.”

1982 Ventures is a fintech-focused VC fund that corporates have been partnering with to accelerate their digitisation journey, their entry into fintech, and embolden their corporate VC activities. Herston further explained, “Our corporate limited partners (LPs) invested in our fund to gain access to co-investments into fast-growing fintech startups and innovative tech solutions. We support our corporate LPs in identifying fintech and B2B solutions that will benefit their underlying business and customers. 1982 Ventures supports our corporate LPs to create win-win partnerships with the next generation of fintech champions in Southeast Asia.”

Also read: Opportunities abound for Hong Kong’s largest I&T Career Expo

This emphasises the various ways in which corporate-startup collaborations can help materially impact the mission of both stakeholders. Setting as a great example for the broader ecosystem, these partnerships are why many startups are inclined to network and engage with corporates seeking out joint ventures.

Mohan Belani, CEO of e27, adds “The outlook for corporate-startup collaborations is very positive. For corporations to be effectively working with these startups, it shows forward thinking. Working with startups helps provide corporates with an edge by seeing new opportunities that they might have previously missed. It also helps to work with very smart and talented people solving problems at scale.”

It is also especially important in today’s ecosystem where things are moving very quickly. Corporations are now dealing with competition from multiple different geographies and stages of organisations, and an effective way to mitigate these risks is to accelerate innovation through successful strategic partnerships.

Success in corporate-startup collaboration

Siddharth, Director of Strategic Accounts & Partnerships at VersaFleet strongly believes that partnerships will help accelerate the company’s business growth, especially in terms of having customer base access and resources from corporates. 

To name a few important case studies, VersaFleet is also working with McKinsey’s Singapore Digital Capability Centre. As the next steps, VersaFleet has integrated its solution with McKinsey’s Model Factory in a Box (MFIB) and is now available for showcasing. 

VersaFleet is also actively working with Industry 4.0 Human Capital Initiative, the first programme in Singapore dedicated to helping companies prepare and implement successful Industry 4.0 transformation. 

The Industry 4.0 Human Capital Initiative (IHCI), a programme by the Singapore Business Federation and Workforce Singapore, is the first of its kind in Singapore to equip companies with people management and job redesign skills required for successful Industry 4.0 transformation. Through the programme, companies will develop the technology and workforce transformation roadmap that includes strategic HR/manpower planning and change the management plan to support future implementation. Companies that completed the programme have successfully managed to increase revenue through increased output, improved productivity, and improved machine effectiveness. 

Driving the vision of innovation in 2023

In the 21st century, the fastest companies that convert big ideas into business outcomes are the winners. The only way this is possible is with a culture of innovation that encourages organisations to stay ahead of technology trends, and for SAP, this means working with startups that provide value to their customers. The programmes remain stage and industry agnostic with their approach. SAP also ensures diversity in its innovation programmes, empowering underrepresented founders to kickstart growth within the company.

Also read: Bringing global insights straight to you with Regional Meetup 2023

Innovation in 2023 will also see an increase in collaboration efforts, not just in quantity but also in quality. “If you look at the early days of the ecosystem, it started mainly with startups pitching to corporates and doing a demo. It then evolved to [becoming] a corporate-driven accelerator programme. And now it’s gotten into venture building, where corporates themselves work with organisations to build internal companies and spin them off into new startups that corporates take a stake in.”

What’s next for corporate-startup collaboration?

During the panel discussion in Echelon 2022,  Aaron encouraged startups to never stop innovating and to always share solutions that can help startup founders manage various situations, including the good, bad, and ugly. 

The real value of SAP lies in its support towards startup growth illustrated in two ways: by being a technical partner or by being a consumer of SAP’s tech solutions. SAP focuses on the value that startups bring, and how they disrupt markets and differentiate themselves through their products and innovations. “Startups can develop their IP, integrate with SAP solutions, and make their IP sellable”, Aaron shared. With this, startups that become tech partners of SAP can tap 440,000 customers across 180 countries.

If you’re a startup in the Southeast Asian region looking to tap into its global network, join SAP’s global ecosystem and get unparalleled access, curated mentorship, and technical guidance. To learn more, visit https://www.sap.com/sea/index.html and https://sap.io/startup-programmes/.

–

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto via Pexels

– –

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

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.

The post Corporate-startup collaborations signal a boost in the startup ecosystem appeared first on e27.

Indonesian tech-enabled fitness startup Fit Hub has raised US$ 6.5 million in a new financing round.

The investors include Global Founders Capital, Trihill Capital, Goodwater, Wavemaker Partners, East Ventures, Gentree, and BAce Capital.

The capital raise will help Fit Hub expand its offline and online presence, offering free workout content and e-commerce for healthy foods, apparel, workout equipment, and supplements. The startup also plans to open 100 clubs by year-end.

Fit Hub digitises the fitness experience and develops community-driven fitness centres, catering to the rising middle class seeking quality equipment, accessible facilities, and a welcoming atmosphere.

Also Read: Fitness marketplace ClassPass becomes Unicorn with its latest US$285M fundraise

Since its launch in August 2020, it has expanded to 60 clubs across 14 cities in Indonesia, attracting over 50,000 paying members, half being first-time gym-goers. With an affordable of US$17/month, the startup aims to address a significant gap in the Indonesian fitness market where the average gym membership costs US$50/month.

B. Paul Santos, Managing Partner at Wavemaker Partners, said: “Fit Hub aims to address the increasing obesity rates in Indonesia, specifically among middle- to low-income households by democratising fitness. Their market positioning is distinctive, providing hyperlocal gyms that are both high-quality and 50 per cent more affordable than other options.”

—

Echelon Asia Summit 2023 brings together APAC’s leading startups, corporates, policymakers, industry leaders, and investors to Singapore this June 14-15. Learn more and get tickets here. Echelon also features the TOP100 stage, where startups can pitch to 5000+ delegates, among other benefits like connecting with investors, visibility through the platform, and other prizes. Join TOP100 here.

The post Fit Hub secures US$6.5M to open 100 fitness clubs by year-end in Indonesia appeared first on e27.

e27’s Regional MeetUp 2023 seeks to gather regional disruptors and innovators and bring the latest insights on the regional tech startup ecosystem straight into their respective homes — and we’re heading first to Malaysia.

It’s happening at the WeWork Equatorial Plaza, Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 12 April. What to expect, you might ask?

The e27 MeetUp in Malaysia features a panel discussion with the topic “Southeast Growth Series: How can the Malaysia’s tech ecosystem grow sustainably and where are future growth drivers”, with our panelists Aaron Sarma, General Partner at ScaleUp Malaysia; Harmender Singh, Vice President Strategic Planning & SUPER PMO at Cradle Fund; Shian Lee, CEO at Alphaswift; and Mohan Belani, Co-Founder and CEO at e27.

Also read: Bringing global insights straight to you with Regional Meetup 2023

This event is an excellent opportunity to connect with the local tech startup community at Kuala Lumpur, share insights with experts and your peers, and potentially get free tickets to Echelon Asia Summit happening in June 14-15 at Singapore.

The e27 MeetUp is also a great opportunity to explore how you can work with the e27 community – and e27 – to help you achieve your goals.

This is an invite-only event. If you would like to be a part of it, leave us your details in this form.

This event is brought to you by e27, in partnership with WeWork and WebEngage.

The post Why you should cancel your plans and MeetUp with us in Kuala Lumpur appeared first on e27.

After months of submissions and hundreds of applications, we’re happy to share with you the these 10 startups who will be pitching their innovative solutions at the SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards Virtual Pitch on 13 April 2023.

Click here to join the virtual pitch.

The 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards has been launched to find, fund and support innovative tech solutions that can help protect and save lives, before, during and after disasters. The program is created by Prudence Foundation and supported by humanitarian partner: IFRC, technology partner: AWS, and strategic partner: e27, for its 2023 edition.

The SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards recognises the crucial role of technology in enhancing disaster preparedness, recovery, and resilience. Climate change has led to more frequent and intense disasters worldwide, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, where half of these events occur, resulting in staggering economic costs and human lives lost. Despite the pressing need for solutions, financial and non-financial support is lacking, hindering their potential for maximum impact.

Now in its third edition, the Awards looks to continue its work in catalysing a network of support, raising awareness of the sector, and helping the remarkable companies that operate in this space grow and scale.

The first 10 who will take part in the Virtual Pitch

LivingWaters Systems

LivingWaters Systems, or LivingWaters for short, is a social enterprise that specialises in assisting humanitarian organisations to serve refugees and off-grid settlements with renewable clean water, by providing them with an affordable, durable, and rapidly deployable means of provisioning clean water.

Its core innovation is a first-to-world portable rain catchment unit, through which by leveraging the world’s most abundant natural source of clean water — rainwater — LivingWaters can contribute to reducing 30-50% of an organisation’s water provisioning costs in the first five years of a refugee settlement’s operation, and then 60-80% of its annual operating costs thereafter.

Wateroam

Wateroam is a social enterprise which provides honest water solutions for a better world. Their vision to end global thirst is being accomplished by producing efficient and affordable water treatment products that are used for emergency relief and rural development. Specifically, their solution is The ROAMfilter Plus 2, a community water filtration system that is simple to operate, long-lasting, lightweight and cost-effective. The system’s hand pump operation requires no electricity, making it an ideal and immediate solution for rural and disaster-hit regions. With the ROAMfilter Plus 2, a person becomes a mobile water station which can produce safe drinking water quickly for 100 people.

Founded in 2014, the company has partnered with over 60 humanitarian organisations like the Red Cross and World Vision to tackle pressing water issues in emergency and long-term development settings in over 40 countries. They are also the UN Young Leader for SDG6: Clean Water for All.

StratifiCare

StratifiCare is a next-generation, ESG-focused (SDG 3, 5, 11, 12 and 13) medical diagnostic company that provides insights into the body through proteins. Their vision is to build a world where patients know in advance whether their medical treatments are beneficial to them. They achieve this by marrying predictive protein diagnostics with artificial intelligence. StratifiCare prides itself on the social impact they bring to patients, their families, and society; their gender, age, and nationality-diverse team; and that they are currently supported by Asia Development Bank Ventures and DBS Foundation.

StratifiCare has developed the world’s first severe Dengue prediction test, StratifiDen, which predicts severe Dengue with 97% sensitivity and 92% specificity. Doctors can make more informed decisions on whether to hospitalise the patient (most patients can be safely managed as outpatients). This frees up more hospital beds and limited healthcare resources for other patients who will develop severe Dengue, and for other patients who truly require hospital care.

QUICKBLOCK®️

QUICKBLOCK®️ enables anyone to build anything, anywhere. Made from 100% recycled plastic, their rapid assembly building system allows for complete structures to be assembled in a matter of minutes. Its simplicity is the key, stacking as simply as children’s building blocks, the QUICKBLOCK system requires no tools, skilled labour, or additional materials.

The QUICKBLOCK Shelter project aims to develop a full turnkey solution that arrives on a single pallet — including the structure, the roof, windows, doors, and flooring. They aim to support displaced peoples that have found themselves without a permanent dwelling as a result of fleeing their homes due to environmental disaster, conflict, or persecution.

A.B. Data Consultant

A.B. Data Consultant is a startup that specialises in flood disaster management, flood early warning systems, and tailored consulting for flood-related issues in Nepal. Their team of experienced environmental engineers, hydrologists, and software developers provide customised solutions to better understand flood risks, develop effective early warning systems, and prepare for and mitigate the effects of floods.

Their solution is FloodInsight, a service that develops flood susceptibility, hazard, inundation maps, and flood simulation videos. When required, FloodInsight provides physical installation of water-level sensors and rainfall measurement sensors.  An integrated website combined with real-time sensors and flood-related visualisation is used to disseminate information to relevant stakeholders. In the context of Nepal, the Government of Nepal is working on a national-scale flood map, but A.B. Data Consultant is focusing on tailored local flood consulting services at the municipal level which is in contrast, far more accurate and reliable.

Kacific Broadband Satellites Group

Kacific Broadband Satellites Group is a next-generation satellite operator providing affordable, reliable, high-speed broadband services. Its first Ka-band HTS satellite, Kacific1, was launched in 2019, covering over 600 million people across 25 nations in Asia Pacific. Kacific’s services foster greater internet usage, fuels economic growth, and drive positive social outcomes. Today Kacific connects over 2,000 educational and healthcare facilities.

Kacific has designed a disaster communication system, the CommsBox, for civil defence and emergency relief personnel. The CommsBox container is made of aluminium alloy and is salt, water, and fire-resistant. It is designed to be airlifted or shipped into disaster zones and provide instant connectivity. The unit is solar-powered and includes a user tablet for easy communication. The antenna has been designed with an auto-tracking feature and can provide connectivity at the touch of a button. The CommsBox is designed to be transportable, with four wheels fixed underneath, making it an all-in-one connectivity solution. The system is also equipped with high-speed data transfer and priority data, ensuring that the users have a first-priority connection with high speeds of up to 55Mbps. The CommsBox is durable enough to operate in the most difficult environments and can power up independently of electrical supplies, ensuring that the system will always be functional.

SI Analytics (SIA)

SI Analytics (SIA) provides the solution and platform for satellite image analytics based on artificial intelligence to domain experts in every nation and organisation to utilise their GEO assets with maximum efficiency and with wiser insights. SIA was established in Daejeon, South Korea in 2018 and has since grown to employ over 100 professionals. Their parent company, Setrac Initiative, is involved in satellite manufacturing, while SIA specialises in analysing high-resolution satellite images.

Today, the world is witnessing a multitude of natural disasters which require timely monitoring to minimise their impact. This is where satellites come in as they can provide real-time information about the location and magnitude of such calamities. Moreover, by employing deep learning-based techniques, SIA can predict the occurrence of such disasters beforehand and also evaluate the situation post-disaster.

H3 Dynamics

H3 Dynamics is a group of companies founded in 2015. H3 Dynamics is a multi-award-winning company and a fast-growing leader in the autonomous and sustainable aerial mobility market, using drone technology, hydrogen, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics to deliver innovative solutions and high-value applications to a large number of industry verticals.

H3 Dynamics’ Autonomous Drone-in-a-box System has an open system architecture that enables third-party software and hardware integration such as command and control, UAV, and UAV charging. This enables totally autonomous UAV flights for multiple types of surveillance and inspection applications.

The Autonomous Drone-in-a-box System can be used to provide the first line of sight during critical situations. This can help customers/end-user detect, plan, and monitor the disaster situation.

Castomize

Castomize is making healthcare more accessible, effective, and less invasive through the creation of medical devices made with proprietary 4D-printing techniques.

Formed as a new spinoff from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, Castomize is now embarking to commercialise its first product, a series of 4D-printed orthopaedic casts, which has won multiple invention awards from organisations in the Asia Pacific region.

Castomize’s 4D-printed casts can be deployed in disaster situations easily, requiring minimal tools, time, and proficiency to apply effectively. They aim to quickly address fractures of disaster victims as quickly and accurately as possible, preventing any long-term healing complications and ensuring a smooth, full recovery.

Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (YPII)

Plan Indonesia develops a feedback dashboard to promote accountability to affected people during disasters. The dashboard is expected to be used as a channel for people to convey their issues and problem to be solved, responded to, and closed by relevant government agencies as well as non-government organisations.

Their programs aim to improve the fulfilment of rights for all children, which includes providing gender-responsive disaster preparedness and humanitarian response, which become one of our priority sectors for Country Strategy 5 (FY 23- FY 27). The Gender-responsive Disaster Preparedness and Humanitarian Response Program is divided into several sub-thematic focuses, i.e. Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE), Education in Emergencies (EiE) and WASH in Emergencies (WASHiE). The programme’s goal is to meet the rights of the most affected children, adolescents, and youth (CAY) and their families affected by disaster and refugee crises through gender-responsive disaster preparedness and humanitarian response in a relevant and timely manner.

The 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards

The startups taking part in the 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards Virtual Pitch stand a chance to win 150,000 USD in cash prizes, AWS product credit worth 55,000 USD, and access to investor networks and mentorship. Finalists will be able to showcase at the Echelon Asia Summit 2023 at the Singapore EXPO on 14-15 June 2023.

Catch these amazing startups and more at the 2023 SAFE STEPS D-Tech Awards virtual pitch! For more information, visit the official page here.

– –

This article is produced by the e27 team, sponsored by Prudence Foundation

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.

The post Meet these 10 startups that are saving lives appeared first on e27.