Josys, a Japanese device management startup helping companies reduce IT operation costs and enhance security systems, has raised US$93 million in Series B funding.

Global Brain and Globis Capital Partners led the round, bringing Josys’s total funding to US$125 million.

With this new round of funding, the SaaS startup plans to expand its product and engineering team and grow its operations in the US and the APAC region.

Established in 2021, Josys helps companies automate and optimise the management of their software applications and devices.

Also Read: 7 lessons from building a 7-figure SaaS business with just 1 engineer

Josys plans to scale its go-to-market strategy, focusing on building its managed service provider network for increased territory coverage and expedited service delivery. This expansion will allow it to provide IT outsourcing services for device lifecycle management, covering purchasing, configuration, shipping, repairing, and storing laptops and mobiles.

“In the wake of the pandemic, we are seeing increased complexities in IT operations across the globe as companies struggle to modernise their operations and catch up with the technological and human shifts that have transformed how and where work gets done. As businesses shifted to remote work and adopted numerous SaaS solutions, the challenge of maintaining the ‘single source of truth’ for IT operations became daunting,” said Josys CEO Yasukane Matsumoto.

In September 2022, the company raised US$32 million in its Series A round. Since then, it claims to have bagged over 300 enterprise clients and increased revenues by 10x.

The firm has over 100 employees across the US, India, Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam.

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Image Credit: Josys.

The post Global Brain co-leads Japanese device management startup Josys’s US$93M Series B round appeared first on e27.

In any endeavour, the pursuit of knowledge and innovation is paramount to success. To thrive in this dynamic environment, organisations need to constantly adapt, learn, and harness the power of disruptive technologies and innovation — learn when to pivot, understand market demands, and constantly adjust. With this understanding, the dedicated team from e27 is launching the Flux Series – a landmark initiative that promises to revolutionise the way top-level business leaders gain actionable insights and drive sustainable growth within their respective organisations.

Flux Series is more than just a series of conferences. It is a carefully curated, intimate, and focused convergence of top industry leaders dedicated to specific business areas, including marketing, operations, product development, and more. This unique initiative aims to facilitate active learning sessions that empower business leaders with in-depth knowledge and actionable insights, ultimately propelling their brands towards sustainable growth and profitability.

The story behind the Flux Series

Knowledge is not static; it is a dynamic and ever-flowing resource. What is relevant today may become obsolete tomorrow, and breakthroughs in one sector can catalyse transformation in another. Flux Series recognises the imperative of staying abreast of this constant flux of knowledge. It embraces change as an opportunity for growth and evolution. 

In essence, the Flux Series is a celebration of the perpetual movement of ideas, insights, and information that drives progress and innovation — the cornerstone from which the Southeast Asian tech startup ecosystem is built.

Also read: Flux Series: Where industry leaders discuss actionable insights and disruptive technologies

The name “Flux” itself encapsulates the essence of this initiative. It draws inspiration from the concepts of convergence, interconnectivity, and the ever-changing flow of knowledge.

Flux Series serves as a platform for knowledge-sharing among leaders in critical business domains, fostering the continuous exchange of information and expertise from one organisation to another. It embodies the spirit of bringing together leaders from diverse backgrounds, industries, and experiences to create a dynamic space where ideas converge, connections are celebrated, and the ceaseless flow of knowledge drives innovation and progress. 

Flux Series is designed to create impact for businesses

Flux Series is anchored on the principle that knowledge alone is not enough; it’s the application of knowledge that drives progress. The series of conferences are carefully crafted to transform actionable insights and disruptive technologies into sustainable growth strategies. Attendees can expect to leave Flux Series with a clear roadmap for implementing innovative solutions within their organisations, ultimately driving profitability and success.

1. Growth-Oriented Content Stages: The heart of the Flux Series lies in its content stages, which are meticulously designed and curated to provide insights and expert knowledge from some of the business ecosystem’s most renowned leaders. With our esteemed panel of experts, attendees stand to gain practical knowledge that can be applied within their organisations as well as an inside look at some of the unique challenges and experiences faced by different industry leaders.
2. Peer-to-Peer Roundtable Discussions: Flux Series offers a unique opportunity for business leaders to engage in focused discussions with their peers. These roundtable sessions facilitate the exchange of ideas, strategies, and best practices, allowing attendees to gain a deeper understanding of industry-specific challenges and solutions from people working in similar roles.
3. Active Learning Workshop Sessions: In addition to discussions and keynote presentations, Flux Series features on-the-spot active learning workshops. These interactive sessions encourage participants to roll up their sleeves and dive into hands-on activities, fostering a deeper understanding of emerging technologies and innovative practices and enabling them to test strategies and fresh ideas on the spot.
4. Open Networking: Flux Series understands the importance of networking in the business world. It provides an open and inclusive networking environment, allowing all participating stakeholders to connect, collaborate, and build meaningful relationships with other key industry leaders.

Also read: e27 and Techstars partner to drive Startup City Accelerator success

Moreover, one of the distinguishing aspects of the Flux Series is its laser focus on senior-level business leaders. The series is tailor-made for those who hold key positions within their organisations and have the authority to enact top-level change. Flux Series recognises that these leaders are the driving force behind their respective brands, and it aims to equip them with the knowledge and insights needed to make informed decisions that impact their organisations positively.

The Premiere Edition — Flux Series Marketing Leaders in Jakarta

For the premiere edition of Flux Series, we are excited to gather some of the most influential leaders in the field of marketing. This exclusive event will provide a platform for marketing visionaries to come together, discuss, ideate, and strategise steps to optimise their marketing efforts using AI-driven innovations and technology.

Also read: e27 and Techstars partner to drive Startup City Accelerator success

If you’re a marketing leader looking to reach new heights in your company’s marketing goals, Flux Series: Marketing Leaders is happening in Jakarta on November 15, 2023. Join us 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.

The post Unlocking sustainable growth with industry leaders at Flux Series appeared first on e27.

Amidst the AI revolution, e27 presents a new series showcasing how organisations embrace AI in their operations.

Since 2017, Suradej Panich has led the Data Scientist team at Sunday, a group company providing integrated data and technology platforms, including real-time customised non-life insurance, healthcare services, and a technology hub in Thailand.

Panich’s projects are central to Sunday’s core business, spanning the complete value chain. Additionally, he oversees vital partnerships with prominent companies across Southeast Asian industries.

In this edition, Panich shares how Sunday has embraced Artificial Intelligence.

Edited excerpts:

How do you perceive the AI revolution and its potential impact on your industry and workforce?

I think it’s no longer a question for company executives on the impact of Artificial Intelligence. Over the past ten years, many firms have moved from questioning to adopting or nurturing the technology to sit at the core differentiations of their products and services.

Here are some of the ways that AI is already being used in Sunday insurance and how it could impact the industry in the future:

• Automating tasks: AI can automate many tasks currently performed by humans in the insurance industry, such as data entry, claims processing, and customer service. This can free human employees to focus on more complex and value-added tasks, such as risk assessment and underwriting.
• Personalising products and services: AI can collect and analyse vast amounts of customer data, which can then be used to personalise insurance products and services. This can help insurers to better meet the needs of their customers and reduce churn.
• Improving risk assessment: AI can be used to develop more sophisticated models of risk, which can help insurers assess the likelihood of claims better and set premiums accordingly by perceiving the customer as a segment of one. This can help to reduce losses and improve profitability.
• Detecting fraud: AI can detect fraudulent claims using larger datasets with more complex patterns, which can help insurers reduce losses.
• Providing insights: AI can provide insurers with insights into their business, such as trends in claims, customer behaviour, and market conditions. This information can be used to make better pricing, products, and marketing decisions.

The AI revolution is still in its early stages in Southeast Asia but can potentially disrupt the industry significantly.

In what ways has your company embraced AI technologies to improve operational efficiency or enhance business processes?

At Sunday, we have been adopting AI technology since day one. Those lie in every touchpoint process of running an insurance company, including:

• Using AI for innovative new product design
• Automate underwriting for better risk control
•  Targeted marketing
• Near real-time document reading and claim assessment workflow
• Fraud detection in claims

Can you share specific examples of how Artificial Intelligence has been integrated into your workforce to streamline operations or drive innovation?

An instance of AI integration in our company is evident in motor claim assessment. Traditionally, our human assessors review accident reports, analyse images of damaged vehicles, and engage in discussions with clients and repair shops to determine optimal solutions for repairing or replacing vehicle parts. However, discrepancies emerged due to variations in the skill and expertise of different assessors.

Also Read: AI must be used to enhance team members’ expertise, not to sideline them: Ravi Dodda of MoEngage

We’ve designed our AI model to perform the same task with enhanced consistency in decision-making. This AI model processes various data inputs, such as policy effectiveness, coverage details, accident reports, involved parties, garage assessments, and images of the damaged vehicle.

It utilises this data to validate key factors, including whether the car sustained damage, alignment of damage with the accident report, identification of affected parts, and assessment of severity. Subsequently, the AI model provides recommendations to both our human assessors and garages, offering insights into how to address the repair needs of our customers’ vehicles and associated costs.

Implementing this process for over two years has significantly contributed to our company’s decision-making standardisation, fostering improved relationships with garages and expediting the review and assessment of claims. As a direct outcome, claim approvals are accelerated, enabling customers to swiftly repair their vehicles and resume their journeys with minimal delay.

What challenges or concerns did you encounter when implementing AI technologies within your organisation, and how did you address them?

I think many organisations share some common challenges and concerns, such as:

• Data quality: The accuracy and completeness of data utilised for training AI systems fundamentally impact their performance. Given our status as a new startup, acquiring comprehensive data might be a challenge. Hence, we must explore alternative avenues, like government-initiated open data programs, partnerships, or innovative approaches such as one-shot or few-shot learning in lieu of conventional AI model development.
• Bias: AI systems can inadvertently exhibit bias, leading to unjust or prejudiced outcomes. To mitigate this, data scientists should engage with their peers and stakeholders to validate logic and address any concerns regarding training set design.
• Explainability: Explaining the rationale behind AI system decisions can be complex. Establishing trust and ensuring ethical deployment necessitates gaining buy-in, sometimes through step-by-step explanations of model reasoning or comprehensive back-test analyses to demonstrate functionality and performance.
• Security: AI systems can be vulnerable to security breaches, potentially resulting in data theft or system manipulation.
• Cost: The development and deployment of AI systems can be financially demanding. Occasionally, AI development serves as an experiment, where patterns may not emerge, or datasets might not generalise for future predictions. Regular project assessments and decisive actions are crucial to navigate such situations effectively.

How do you ensure transparency and uphold ethical considerations in using AI technologies within your organisation to mitigate privacy concerns?

Several strategies exist to establish transparency in deploying AI technologies within an organisation, effectively addressing privacy concerns. For instance:

• Develop a clear AI ethics policy: Craft a robust AI ethics policy that underscores the organisation’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and equity. Our policy addresses the following facets:

– The specific objectives of each AI/ML system
– Utilised data sources and types
– Methods of data collection and application
– Protocols for system development and testing
– Mechanisms for continuous monitoring and evaluation
– The role of the system in decision-making processes
– Strategies employed to counteract bias and discrimination

• Involve stakeholders: It is important to involve stakeholders in developing and using AI systems. This includes employees, customers, regulators, and the public. Stakeholders can provide valuable input on the system’s ethical implications and help ensure that it is used responsibly.
• Be transparent about the use of AI: Sunday wanted to be transparent about using AI systems as much as possible. This includes disclosing the purpose of the system, the data that will be used, and how the system will make decisions. The organisation should also provide clear information about how individuals can access and control their data.
• Mitigate privacy concerns: We aim to use anonymised or pseudonymised data whenever possible and ensure the system is protected from unauthorised access.

Also Read: AI is not about job displacement but job augmentation: Nick Eayrs of Databricks

How do you ensure that AI technologies complement your workforce’s existing skills and expertise rather than replacing or displacing human workers?

We initiate by thoroughly grasping our employees’ skills and expertise. Subsequently, we outline precise objectives for the role’s evolution over time, providing a well-defined path for upskilling or reskilling. This approach ensures that integrating AI technologies harmonises with existing skills rather than supplanting them. Below are potential strategies to formulate such a plan:

• Design AI technologies to be used in collaboration with humans: AI technologies should be designed to be used in collaboration with humans rather than as a replacement for humans. This means that AI technologies should augment human skills and capabilities rather than replace them.
• Provide training and development opportunities for employees: Employees should be provided with training and development opportunities to help them learn how to use AI technologies effectively. This will help ensure that employees can stay relevant in the workforce and contribute to the development and use of AI technologies.
• Create a culture of innovation and collaboration: A culture of innovation and collaboration will help ensure that AI technologies are used to benefit the entire workforce. This means creating an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas and working together to solve problems. And in the end, we would leave one behind.
• Monitor the impact of AI technologies on the workforce: It is important to monitor the impact of AI technologies on the workforce continuously. This will help identify potential problems early on and take steps to mitigate them.

How do you envision the future collaboration between humans and AI? What role do you see AI playing in augmenting human capabilities?

From my perspective, I envision the future collaboration between humans and AI as a partnership where humans and machines work together to achieve common goals.

AI will augment human capabilities by automating tasks, providing insights, and making predictions. Humans will provide AI with the context and understanding to make sound decisions.

For example, in the workplace, AI can automate tasks such as data entry, customer service, and scheduling. This can free human employees to focus on more creative and strategic work. As AI technology develops, we can expect to see even more ways in which humans and machines can work together to solve problems and create a better future.

What advice would you give to other company founders looking to leverage AI in their workforce?

In my view, AI is no longer an option, but all founders of future startups need to embrace AI, no matter what industry they are in.

Thinking it in a way as if AI is the initial substance in a chemical reaction in the next wave of industrial revolution. Companies can become irrelevant if they are missing this wave of revolution that has already started.

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Fundraising or preparing your startup for fundraising? Build your investor network, search from 400+ SEA investors on e27, and get connected or get insights regarding fundraising. Try e27 Pro for free today.

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Grouu, an Indonesian startup working on the nutritional needs of infants and toddlers, has secured an undisclosed amount in additional investments from Singapore-based VC firm Teja Ventures.

The funding will help the startup diversify its product offerings, enhance its proprietary digital subscription platform, and strengthen its omnichannel presence across various e-commerce platforms and offline retail networks.

“Our direct-to-consumer approach allows us to understand customers’ needs and expectations first-hand. To further enhance product accessibility, we are strengthening our omnichannel presence, which includes various e-commerce platforms and offline retail networks like supermarkets and baby shops,” said Jessica Marthin, Co-Founder and CEO of Grouu.

Founded in August 2020, Grouu focuses on meeting the nutritional needs of infants and toddlers from six months and above. The development process of its products and menu involves parents as consumers and a team of experts comprising nutritionists, food scientists, chefs, and paediatricians to ensure complete and balanced nutrition.

Also Read: What is circular economy and why F&B companies should care

According to the firm, its products and menu items are produced in facilities that meet hygiene standards set by the Department of Health and the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) and are Halal certified.

Grouu’s website offers a meal subscription management feature for parents to schedule delivery dates and customise menu options and textures for complementary feeding.

It aims to target a broader market with various packaged food products specially designed to meet the nutritional needs of infants and toddlers, which will be marketed through its online direct-to-consumer and offline retail networks.

Teja Ventures is a VC firm backing the next-generation category leaders shaping the future of consumption in emerging Asia, focusing strongly on the future of food, retail, and health/wellness. It invests in seed to Series A companies.

Virginia Tan, Teja’s Founding Partner, stated, “We see immense potential in the mother and baby category in the Southeast Asia region, with the baby food market amounting to US$9.48 billion in 2023. The market is expected to grow annually by 5.38 per cent through 2028.”

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The picture used in this article is AI-generated.

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Singapore Computer Society (SCS), in partnership with the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), on Friday, September 1, announced the third edition of the Singapore 100 Women in Tech (SG100WIT) List.

The list is an initiative that aims to recognise and celebrate outstanding women who have contributed significantly to the tech community in their sphere of influence.

Starting in 2023, the committee broadens the definition of “women in tech” to include tech policy-makers and regulators as well as professionals from diverse sectors. It includes honourees from various sectors such as semiconductor, aeronautics, and biotechnology who hold a variety of roles such as researchers, business, community leaders, and content creators.

The award received a total of 800 nominations, which the committee claimed to be an increase of almost one-third from the 2021 edition, signalling the growing recognition and value that women bring to the tech sector.

In addition to the main list, the committee also introduced the Girls in Tech category, which received 31 nominations, doubling the number of nominations received in the last edition of SG100WIT.

Also Read: Women in tech have leaned in enough. This is what we should do instead

According to the committee, this demonstrates the growing interest in tech from young women, which is a step forward in building Singapore’s tech talent pool and bridging the talent gap.

“The SG100WIT list has evolved from inception to its current edition to be a key national initiative that amplifies the brilliant capabilities of women and students in technology. In its third edition, the initiative has grown significantly to include nominees of diverse profiles – including small business owners, teachers, and investors – in addition to business leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs, researchers and students,” said Tan Lee Chew, Chairperson of SG100WIT 2023 Organising Committee.

“This year’s list is a testament to the multifaceted role of technology and how impactful it can be in empowering women in different careers. Through this initiative, SCS hopes to inspire more women to embrace technology across different industries in their respective careers and help build a strong pipeline of women and women leaders in technology.”

The next edition of the SG100WIT List will take place biennially and is slated for 2025.

The complete list of the honouree is available here.

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Image Credit: Singapore 100 Women in Tech

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In a panel discussion at the SEEK Better Career Fair on Sunday, August 20, Lionel Chok, Chief Metaverse Officer at WorldX, explains how Extended Realities (XR) can change the way we recruit employees.

“The idea was that people wanted to understand and see the use case beyond the flat screen,” he said.

He further explained that as human beings, we tend to interact in a spatial manner, but this is something that is missing from the 2D online experience. The good thing is that, as technology progresses, we begin to see platforms enabling this more natural interaction.

“Some of these things become more understandable, easier to use, and more importantly, more cost-effective. So, with Experiential Technologies, or Immersive Technologies, we try to bring all these things closer to a natural consumption of how we experience several industries,” he explained.

The COVID-19 pandemic was also noted to have driven the willingness to explore new technologies for businesses. This was pointed out by e27 co-founder and Head of Programme Thaddeus Koh, who pointed out that this drive was seen across all industries.

“Since COVID-19, people and companies are exploring deeper ways of representing their products or services and trying to use that to launch products and services,” he said.

Also Read: Ecosystem Roundup: GoTo on track to profitability; Noice, Xendit shed jobs

This was something that NXT Interactive Co-Founder Charina Widjaja agreed to. During the pandemic, her company took over a project that allowed them to experiment with the use of technology to support a hybrid event.

“Interestingly, many of the ministries and education institutions utilise these Experiential Technologies and virtual spaces to educate and share with their target audience. This applies to everything from banking to the education industry,” she said.

For professionals in various industries, the advancement of technologies sometimes can feel like something that happens way in the future.

They might wonder if this is worth investing in today, but for this matter, Chok shares his thoughts: “If you’re going to wait for it to come before you decide to embrace it, the company might hire somebody else for it. But if you openly embrace it, post about it, let your peers know that you are interested in it … When that time comes in your respective companies, I think the first person they would approach to fill that position is you.”

Empowering jobseekers to a better career

Another highlight of the SEEK Better Career Fair is a showcase of seekMAX, the latest JobStreet released to support jobseekers in Southeast Asia on their career development journey.

Also Read: How Bossjob plans to win the Japanese market with its AI-powered career platform

seekMAX is an in-app learning content platform designed to empower professionals to upskill and advance their careers. It allows users to easily access over 1,100+ educational videos for free via the JobStreet mobile app.

The platform also offers seekMAX Community, where users can connect and network with industry leaders, engage with fellow professionals on career threads and keep track of industry trends.

JobStreet said that since its launch, nearly one in three monthly active users of the JobStreet platform have already started using seekMAX as a tool to learn new skills and share insights amongst the community.

The development of seekMAX was based on recent research by JobStreet, which revealed that 39 per cent of working Singaporeans spend one to three hours a week on learning and development, indicating a strong desire to upskill for professional purposes.

To publish content for this platform, JobStreet collaborates with leading companies such as Microsoft, Complexly, TED, and Deutsche Welle, local influencers such as Annette Lee, Dr Jay Kay, Janus Chan and Jason Ho and international media such as Bloomberg, The New York Times and Tech In Asia.

First launched in Indonesia in 2022, followed by Malaysia and Singapore this year, over 2.5 million users have watched over 6.5 million minutes of videos on the platform, with the most popular content categories being job search advice, career advice, salary advice and self-development.

JobStreet is currently working to launch a certification programme to help job seekers take upskilling to the next level.

Also Read: From job seeking to building a job portal: Turning my beliefs into reality

The SEEK Better Career Fair was held to address demands from jobseekers in Singapore, who prefer face-to-face interviews or chats with future employers. Based on JobStreet’s data, there has been a significant 49 per cent increase in job applications in the country.

Apart from the seekMAX showcase, the SEEK Better Career Fair also enabled visitors to explore new job opportunities and have insightful conversations with employers. The event included segments such as résumé clinics, free CV photoshoots, career advisory booths and career insight talks with experts from Ogilvy, GovTech, and NCS.

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Image Credit: JobStreet

The post Tomorrow comes today: How jobseekers can take advantage of the rise of XR tech appeared first on e27.

This article was first published on June 7, 2023. 

Some of the struggles that LGBTQ+ community in Singapore had to go through include the difficulty in securing identity-affirming critical services in many areas of life. This is the exact challenge that the upcoming Prout app aims to tackle.

Set to launch in June, the app aims to connect the LGBTQ+ community to four critical service providers in Singapore: healthcare, legal, housing and jobs.

“The reason why we picked these four categories is that we often receive requests from people asking for LGBTQ+ affirming or friendly psychologists and psychiatrists who do not practice conversion therapy, or even an LGBTQ+ friendly gynaecologist or GP who will not judge us for who we are,” explains Prout Director Cally Cheung in an email to e27.

“Similarly, LGBTQ+ people who want to get their will sorted would not want to risk engaging the legal services of someone who may not understand their unique situation outside of the ‘traditional nuclear family’ structures, for example, a marriage that is recognised overseas but not in Singapore, or ensuring their rainbow family is looked after in the event of their demise.”

In other aspects such as housing and employment, the LGBTQ+ community in Singapore is also looking for non-discriminative landlords, realtors, and work environments. According to Cheung, this is a need that has become more urgent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While there are already existing platforms such as Facebook groups that can help the LGBTQ+ community to identify suitable service providers, Prout sees the need to make it easier for community members to access these critical resources “under one roof.”

Also Read: Building the rainbow bridge: How businesses can foster Diversity & Inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees

A community effort

The app was developed based on the Prout team’s experience in seeking affirming healthcare services as well as from listening to the needs of the community. The team wants to create a web app that serves the community in a meaningful way.

One of the ways to achieve this is by crowdsourcing the information in the web app.

“The information is crowd-sourced through our social media and word-of-mouth recommendations, and we also have service providers and community groups reaching out to help us collate the information proactively. We are confident that through this collective effort, we will be able to help the LGBTQ+ community in a meaningful manner,” Cheung explains.

In its user acquisition strategy, at the moment, Prout is focusing on two types of users: community and service providers.

For the community, Prout will launch the web app at various Pride Month events in Singapore, which also includes a giveaway at the upcoming Pink Dot SG event on June 24. For service providers in the areas of legal, jobs, housing, and healthcare, the organisation is currently crowd-sourcing information by allowing them to create listings on the provided links.

From events to critical services

Founded in 2018, Prout is a self-funded, volunteer-run community group that focuses on the LGBTQ+ in Singapore. It started out by highlighting LGBTQ+ events, but the team realised there were already many channels to get information on events, so they shifted their direction to focus on critical resources that often put the LGBTQ+ community in a vulnerable position.

“We hope to remove the first level of barrier, at the very least, and make the process of finding these critical service providers much easier,” Cheung says.

Since then, Prout has developed a number of community resources and initiatives, including Qurrent, the first Asian LGBTQ+ news and event updates Telegram channel, and Prout Hearts, the first LGBTQ+ volunteering initiative for Singapore.

Also Read: This gay founder is creating a safe media platform for LGBTQ community in SEA

“When I took over Prout entirely in March 2022, I also changed the direction then as the needs of our LGBTQ+ community have evolved greatly, and the pandemic had exacerbated existing vulnerabilities and gaps that became more glaring the past two years. The goal was always to connect the community in meaningful ways, whether it is connecting the community amongst ourselves through the novel, interest-based events such as our Queer Trivia Night SG or ‘Meet Your Next’ series or with the various LGBTQ+ affirming services that we have focused on in the web-app,” Cheung elaborates.

As a non-profit, the organisation supports itself by relying on the proceeds from the Pride merchandise that they sell on their online shop. It also organises and runs DEI corporate engagements, such as its signature Queer Trivia editions, training workshops, and discussion panels.

Prout also self-funded the development and launch of its app without any external funding.

“Despite this, the app is 100 per cent free for community use, and we have no plans to monetise it for now. We believe in self-reliance, and everyone in the team has our own day jobs, which also helps to fund this gay job that we love as well. This is our love letter to the LGBTQ+ community on our own terms,” Cheung says.

This year, promoting and developing the app will be the primary focus for Prout.

“Due to the nature of the content listed on our web app, there will always be more work for us to do to remain helpful and relevant to the community’s needs, in addition to the constant verification processes and checks to ensure that the web app remains a safe space for everyone,” Cheung closes.

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Echelon Asia Summit 2023 is bringing 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 get the chance to pitch to 5000+ delegates, among other benefits like a chance to connect with investors, visibility through e27 platform, and other prizes. Join TOP100 here.

Image Credit: Prout

The post How Prout aims to help LGBTQ+ community in Singapore with its new app appeared first on e27.

US-based electric scooter startup Scooterson, which has its manufacturing plant in Singapore, is set to kick off its new US$10 million fundraising process next month.

The new capital raise will fuel Scooterson’s multifaceted expansion strategy, encompassing product development, geographical reach, and operational enhancements, its Co-Founder and CTO Deepansh Jain told e27.

“We are looking to raise capital from a group of investors in the US, our primary market. We also anticipate participation from existing investors,” he said.

Established in 2016, Scooterson offers a semi-autonomous e-scooter model, Rolley, which requires zero learning curve and can accelerate. Its Smart Mode Acceleration feature works in tandem with the scooter’s sensors, phone sensors, and prior ride data to optimise speed.

Also Read: Scooterson’s smart electric scooter Rolley to kickstart in Singapore with a US$1.75M funding

Rolley doesn’t have a gear shifter or acceleration lever, unlike conventional scooters. It adjusts the speed and performance according to the rider’s body movements.

The Scooterson mobile app allows users to lock/unlock their scooters remotely, share their travel information and the scooters with family and friends, and send charging notifications when the battery is running low. Moreover, its anti-tapering alarm system and Find My Scooter function allow users to locate their scooters if they are stolen or lost.

While Rolley’s base model is priced at US$3,200, the higher version Rolley+ costs US$4,000.

According to Jain, Scooterson has so far shipped about 300 units, primarily to the US market. It now plans to sell 1,000 units — 80 per cent of which will go to the US market and 20 per cent to the rest of the world — which are pre-sold on its Indiegogo campaign.

The mobility startup has an ambitious plan to ramp up production capacity to 1,000 vehicles per month due to an ‘increasing demand’.

“Over the next six months, Scooterson will undergo a phased transition that will pave the way for this capacity increase. As part of this transition, the current phase-out period will be crucial in preparing our facilities, supply chain, and workforce for the impending surge in production,” Jain revealed.

To date, the startup has raised US$6.5 million from angels and corporates, including Singapore-based Arsat Group, SOSV, and ElevateVC.

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Image Credit: Scooterson

The post Scooterson raising US$10M funding for expansion, product development appeared first on e27.

Launched in late 2020 by former Carousell, Airbnb, and Amazon executives, Rainforest has swiftly emerged as a disruptive force in the realm of e-commerce brand aggregation. Specialising in categories like parent/juvenile products, home goods, personal care, and pet items, the company leverages its proprietary technology to identify, acquire, and propel small e-commerce businesses to new heights.

The company’s approach places a premium on nurturing entrepreneurs and maintaining brand identities while achieving remarkable growth. With funding rounds and a focus on global expansion, Rainforest wants to build a sustainable and innovative company that resonates with parents worldwide.

In this interview, Rainforest’s Co-Founder and CTO Per-Ola Röst takes us through its journey to become a known name in the e-commerce aggregation space.

Edited excerpts:

Can you provide an overview of Rainforest’s journey so far? What led to the founding of the company and its current position in the e-commerce brand aggregation space?

Rainforest was founded in late 2020 to tap into the Asian ecosystem of e-commerce entrepreneurs.

In years prior, there had been an increase in entrepreneurs developing and marketing products online, further boosted by the onset of COVID-19. Our model was to find and acquire small e-commerce businesses and scale them up with a veteran team of operators.

Over time, we decided to focus on the parent/juvenile space, as we saw solid performance for our brands in this category. We believe in the underlying fundamentals, like the importance of trust/relationship with parents and better synergies across a portfolio of brands in the same category.

Also Read: Rainforest acquires baby care brand NatureBond to grow its portfolio of cross-border brands

Today, we have 15 brands, mostly in our core category. Rainforest is also acquiring globally, although many of our acquisitions are still in Asia.

E-commerce brand aggregation is a unique niche. Could you elaborate on Rainforest’s approach to acquiring and growing consumer e-commerce brands? How does your proprietary technology play a role in this process?

We work with brokers worldwide, but many brand owners also reach out to us directly. In the long term, we want to build the Rainforest brand as a trusted partner for e-commerce brand owners, and one reason behind our success is our fair treatment of entrepreneurs through the acquisition process.

We use technology to support acquisitions in many ways – to find interesting brands (via our outreach programme). We have a proprietary solution to evaluate the performance of Amazon-native brands and a proprietary risk mitigation tool, allowing us to spot black-hat activities.

Rainforest focuses on specific categories like home goods, mother & kids, personal care, and pet products. What drove the decision to specialise in these categories? How do you evaluate potential brands within these sectors?

We have brands in all those categories, but the central one is the parent/juvenile category and, to a lesser extent, ‘home’.

Other than solid financial metrics, we look for brands with unique IP – like a patented product or design/brands with a strong social following, and other aspects like products with high repeat purchase rates, low refund rates, good reviews, etc.

The funding rounds for Rainforest have been quite successful. How have you attracted significant investment, and how do you plan to utilise these funds to achieve your growth objectives?

We were able to build a strong team early that performed incredibly well. This helped us back up our big ambitions with big numbers – the rest was down to good timing and finding investors who shared our vision.

Besides acquisitions, we are investing a lot more in product development, where we want to become category-leading. We are also building an umbrella brand to house all of our products and allow us to nurture the relationship with parents over a longer period.

Can you elaborate on Rainforest’s strategies to ensure that the brands you acquire continue to thrive and grow globally? How do you balance maintaining the brand’s identity and integrating them into your ecosystem?

On the brand identity side, the brands have been mostly independent. The growth story for each brand is unique, but we have been quite successful in our product launches, geo and channel expansion.

Also Read: Rainforest banks US$20M pre-Series A in a Monk’s Hill-led round to acquire new e-commerce brands in Asia

Another thing that worked well for us was lowering costs (especially manufacturing and shipping) to offer customers more affordable products, allowing us to grow our market share sustainably.

The concept of providing entrepreneurs with a healthy exit through acquisition is intriguing. How do you approach negotiations with brand owners, and what benefits does Rainforest offer entrepreneurs looking to exit their businesses?

We don’t have any special approach to negotiating. We offer entrepreneurs an exit and future incentives in profit-sharing and other milestone payments. The ideal scenario for us is to find great entrepreneurs who would like to stay on with Rainforest and where we can continue growing the brand together while offering the entrepreneur the opportunity to take some money off the table through the acquisition.

Your technology-driven approach, including inventory management and cost optimisations, sets Rainforest apart. Could you share some insights into how this technology works and its impact on brand performance and growth?

Our custom-made data platform lets us stay on top of all our brands in real time. It drives all key insights and ensures that our decisions are truly data-driven.

Coupled with a range of bought tools in AI and process automation, we believe we have a solid foundation that gives us a competitive advantage on Amazon and beyond.

Our ERP is the focal point for all our finance and inventory-related data. We then buy solutions that integrate with the ERP, like our forecasting and planning tool. This is an area where we will continue to invest – to automate processes further – supporting Rainforest through future growth.

Expansion into new marketplaces and channels is a crucial part of your strategy. How do you assess which marketplaces and channels are the best fit for the brands you acquire? What challenges do you face during this expansion?

We were initially focused on Amazon US as a channel/marketplace. It allowed us to run relatively simple operations while we scaled to where we are today.

We are now positioned to grow into new marketplaces and channels and primarily invest in D2C, wholesale, and Walmart. Walmart is an exciting marketplace because of their strong growth (although currently a lot smaller than Amazon), and we are deliberate about being early on this channel.

Challenges are plenty: Logistics/supply chain, product regulations, and much more.

Achieving unicorn status is a significant milestone for any startup. What key milestones and achievements do you see paving the way for Rainforest to become a unicorn shortly?

Unicorn status is not a goal in itself. We must continue taking sustainable steps forward, build a high-performing company culture, invest in innovation, and build trust with parents everywhere.

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When it comes to solving problems faced by recruiters, Singapore-based Independents focuses on a unique one faced by the marketing industry.

In 2022, Salesforce revealed that one out of every three marketers struggles to find the right talents with the right skills. Companies already rely heavily on external partners, freelancers, and independent contractors for an array of services, including branding consultancy, content strategy, AI content generation, digital marketing, and media buying.

This raises a few problems: the extensive effort involved in sourcing talents from a broader regional pool and the question of how to achieve objective talent assessment.

This is why Independents aims to tackle the problem by streamlining the burden of interviewing, recruiting, invoicing, and handling legal contracts—all achieved through a single platform enabled by AI and data.

The solutions can match its vast database of talents to suitable marketing projects within 48 hours, resulting in a cost reduction of 30-50 per cent compared to traditional agencies.

By considering skills, portfolio references, industry and geography experience, budgets, team dynamics, and client ratings from past projects, Independents swiftly identifies the most suitable short-term hire talents for brands and agencies. It also offers project management tools for its users.

Also Read: To what extent will AI affect the media industry?

“Our matching solution differs from other competitors’ platforms by adding a deeper and more nuanced search. Most freelance platforms match through the required industry skill of the talent, the output or asset required and the rating of previous projects,” explains Independents CEO Jatinder Sandhu to e27.

“While our AI system matches this, it improves on it further by incorporating a talent’s years of experience in the creative industry to identify their seniority, as well as a creative review by an industry panel of creative directors to help ascertain the level of creative ability. This provides our clients with a much more nuanced search that has resulted in over 70 per cent of repeated projects by our clients who are happy to keep working with the talent we identify for each specific project, proving our belief that ‘better matching means better marketing’.”

The company’s client base ranges from agencies serving clients seeking creative output or products as well as small- to mid-sized companies with a lean marketing team that needs support for very focused projects.

Making milestones

Independents recently took part in a project with the DBS Innovation team for the DBS Xcellerator programme, where it was supposed to secure 250 B2B sign-ups within 14 days for the niche sector of sustainability. The startup was able to tackle the challenge within 48 hours; it also executed a social media campaign within just eight days, exceeding the sign-up target by at least 50 per cent.

“Our project with the DBS innovation team was about putting our ability to find the ‘right’ creative team in a super fast turnaround with a limited budget while still making sure quality and, most importantly, ROI’s were met. Normally, a digital agency is bound by the staff it has available within its department … while other freelance platforms can expect to take at least a week to identify potential candidates, interview them, work out costs and contracts before starting the project,” says Sandhu.

Also Read: Navigating the e-commerce jungle: Rainforest’s tech-driven journey in brand aggregation

Independents says that it currently has a pool of over 405 talented individuals from Asia that includes AI specialists, writers, designers, digital marketers, art directors, strategists, and account managers. Three founders and its tech team currently run the startup itself; it is expanding its support and operations staff.

Since its inception in 2020, the company has completed over 100 projects across Southeast Asia and China and is looking to further expand within Southeast Asia and the UK by 2024.

“Our big plan for 2024 is to continue to grow our client base through the access of our new platform project automation while continuing to enhance and perfect our AI’s creative matching ability and add in more features supported by generative AI to make the experience even better for our clients,” Sandhu closes.

“Where constantly on the search for new creative markets, and the UK has a very experienced and world-renowned creative talent base. We’re hoping to tap into that expertise and creative ability and offer our clients higher quality and more cost-effective creative marketing solutions.”

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Image Credit: Independents

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