The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionised various facets of human life, and the world of finance is not left out. In today’s fast-paced financial landscape, the utilisation of AI has become increasingly prevalent.

AI-driven investment has emerged as a powerful tool for optimising finance, revolutionising the way we approach investment strategies. This article explores the power of AI-driven investment in optimising finance, delving into its benefits and how it can reshape our approach to financial optimisation.

How AI is revolutionising the finance industry and simplifying investment strategies

The adoption of AI-driven investment has the potential to revolutionise the way we optimise finance in various ways:

Democratising access to financial markets

AI-driven investment platforms can break down barriers to entry by providing broader access to financial markets. With user-friendly interfaces and simplified investment processes, these platforms empower individuals with limited financial expertise to engage in investment activities.

By leveraging AI’s capabilities, even novice investors can make informed decisions and optimise their financial strategies effectively.

Real-time market analysis and adaptability

The real-time data processing capabilities of AI-driven investment platforms enable investors to stay updated with market trends, news, and economic indicators. This allows for quick adaptability to changing market conditions, ensuring that investment decisions are aligned with the current landscape. By harnessing AI’s ability to process and interpret vast amounts of data rapidly, investors can capitalise on emerging opportunities and mitigate potential risks effectively.

Continuous learning and improvement

AI-driven investment platforms continuously learn from data, feedback, and market behaviour. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, these platforms refine their models over time, improving their accuracy and performance.

This constant learning and improvement cycle ensures that investment strategies evolve and adapt to changing market dynamics, resulting in enhanced financial optimisation and better outcomes for investors.

AI has made a significant impact on finance, particularly in the area of investments. Automated data analysis, predictive analytics, and machine learning algorithms are now driving investment strategies, revolutionising portfolio management, risk assessment, and decision-making processes.

Robo-advisors, for instance, are now commonplace. According to a report by Deloitte, the assets managed by robo-advisors are estimated to exceed US$16 trillion by 2025, indicating their escalating popularity among both novice and seasoned investors.

Also Read: Finance your startup: 10 types of investors you should know

Benefits of AI-driven investment for optimising finance

AI-driven investment offers several significant benefits when it comes to optimising finance:

Enhanced decision making

By leveraging AI’s analytical capabilities, investors gain access to comprehensive insights that aid in informed decision-making. AI algorithms can quickly analyse complex financial data, identify trends, and recognise correlations that may be imperceptible to human analysts. This enables investors to make data-driven decisions with greater precision, reducing the impact of emotions and biases that often cloud judgment.

Improved efficiency and speed

AI-driven investment platforms can process vast amounts of data at a fraction of the time it would take for a human analyst to do the same. This enhanced speed and efficiency enable investors to stay ahead of market trends, identify emerging opportunities, and execute trades promptly. By automating repetitive tasks and streamlining processes, AI-driven investment solutions free up valuable time for investors to focus on higher-level strategic planning.

Risk management

Effective risk management is paramount in finance, and AI-driven investment can significantly contribute to this aspect. By analysing historical data and continuously monitoring market conditions, AI algorithms can identify potential risks and provide timely alerts to investors. This proactive risk management approach allows investors to adjust their portfolios, diversify investments, and mitigate potential losses.

Personalised investment strategies

AI-driven investment platforms have the ability to create personalised investment strategies tailored to individual investor profiles. By considering factors such as risk tolerance, investment goals, and time horizons, AI algorithms can generate customised investment recommendations that align with each investor’s unique requirements. This level of personalisation enables investors to optimise their financial portfolios based on their specific objectives and preferences.

Key considerations for implementing AI-driven tools in finance

While AI’s potential for investment is immense, it’s crucial to consider certain factors before incorporating AI-driven tools:

• Choosing the right tools: It’s essential to select AI tools that align with your investment goals and risk tolerance.
• Understanding the technology: A basic understanding of how AI works will help you better leverage the technology.
• Security: Ensure the AI tool you choose complies with regulatory requirements and has robust data security measures.

Strategies to optimise your finances using AI-powered investment solutions

Implementing AI in your investment strategy involves a few key steps:

• Choose the right platform: Different AI platforms offer various features. Choose one that aligns with your financial goals and risk tolerance.
• Understand the AI process: Take the time to understand how the AI platform analyses data and makes predictions.
• Set your investment goals: Clearly define your financial goals, risk tolerance, and investment horizon to ensure that the AI platform can provide personalised strategies.
• Monitor and adjust: Regularly review your portfolio’s performance and adjust your strategy based on the AI’s insights.

Also Read: Is generative AI the game-changer for productivity?

Overcoming challenges and building trust

Despite AI’s promise, challenges such as data privacy concerns and a lack of trust in automated systems remain. Overcoming these obstacles involves:

• Transparency: Ensure the AI systems used are transparent about their decision-making processes.
• Education: Encourage financial literacy and awareness about AI among users.
• Regulation: Implement robust data privacy and security measures.

How companies achieved financial optimisation with investments

Numerous companies have seen significant benefits from incorporating AI into their investment strategies:

• Amazon: Amazon is known for its AI-powered recommendation systems, which have significantly contributed to its financial success. The company’s algorithms analyse customer data to provide personalised product recommendations, leading to increased sales and customer satisfaction.
• JPMorgan: JPMorgan Chase uses AI for real-time fraud detection and risk management, and to provide personalised customer services, leading to increased profitability. JPMorgan uses AI to process legal documents, reducing the time taken from 360,000 hours to mere seconds.
• Alibaba: Alibaba, a leading e-commerce giant in China, has successfully implemented AI technologies in various areas of its business. Additionally, Alibaba employs AI algorithms to enhance its logistics operations, optimising delivery routes and reducing costs.
• BlackRock: BlackRock, a global investment management corporation, leverages AI to manage risk and optimise investment strategies. BlackRock’s AI engine, Aladdin, assists in managing approximately US$7 trillion in assets by providing detailed risk analytics and investment management services.

The future of finance

As AI technologies continue to evolve, their potential to optimise personal finances is limitless. From advanced predictive analytics to autonomous financial advisors, AI promises a future where finance is streamlined, accessible, and efficient.

By 2025, it’s expected that nearly 95 per cent of all financial decisions will be facilitated by AI. Embracing AI is no longer an option but a necessity for those looking to optimise their finances and stay competitive in this dynamic landscape.

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Global brands venturing into overseas markets often face a multitude of challenges. This is particularly true in Southeast Asia – with its unique complexities, nuances, and diversity. At the same time, the region’s e-commerce landscape is experiencing unprecedented growth.

In fact, according to Google, Temasek, Bain & Company’s e-Conomy SEA report 2022, the region’s digital economy is expected to reach US$330 billion by 2025, and its digital consumer population is expected to grow to 402 million by 2027 — equivalent to 88 per cent of the region’s total population of 15-year-olds and above. Therefore, businesses would need to prioritise providing seamless customer journeys to remain competitive.

As the region’s digital economy continues to grow, Southeast Asian consumers increasingly want faster delivery speeds, reliability, visibility, and ease of returns. But at the same time, sourcing, manufacturing, and production have all been impacted by the external economic climate. Demand is showing signs of a slowdown as a result, and this creates a situation where there is a bottleneck in production.

So the Regional Fulfilment Centre in Malaysia recently underwent a 50 per cent expansion, which increased its capacity to hold a new total of seven million items (4.7 million before expansion) and bolstered ZALORA’S capability to host a larger portfolio of global brands that Southeast Asia’s 8.3 million customers may not previously have had access to.

The technological upgrades of its facilities as part of the expansion have also helped to strengthen our centralised stock management, boost seamless local and cross-border deliveries, and streamline our return management system. This positions us to better help our brand partners gain a foothold in the region with our 1SS “Fulfillment-as-a-service” solution to address their operational needs.

But more orders can also mean more packaging, more energy, and more miles. So in an exclusive interview with the Head of Sustainability at ZALORA, Arvind Devadasan, we sat down to explore the cost of this expansion on the environment and how ZALORA plans to align its expansion strategy with its sustainability goals.

Investing in state-of-the-art sustainable infrastructure

Recognising the urgency of environmental challenges, ZALORA has identified three key Sustainability Pillars: climate action, circularity and conscious consumption, and fair and ethical sourcing. It has implemented various initiatives to minimise its environmental footprint and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Also Read: Climate tech startups can play a role in helping SMEs bridge sustainability, digital transformation: Paessler

The company has reevaluated its product and brand design, incorporating lower-impact materials in its own-brand products. Sustainable collections now feature eco-friendly fabrics like Tencel, Lenzing, Ecovero, organic cotton, recycled polyester, and linen.

It also emphasises low or zero-carbon last-mile delivery options, such as bicycle and walking deliveries, reducing emissions associated with outbound logistics. Additionally, the company is actively working towards sourcing 100 per cent renewable electricity for its fulfilment centres and offices by 2030.

Devadasan said they have incorporated advanced technologies and sustainable features into the facility to minimise our environmental impact like the use of energy-efficient lighting systems and equipment, as well as waste management practices that prioritise recycling and responsible disposal.

Efficient logistics to reduce carbon footprint

ZALORA’s expansion not only increases its logistics capacity but also focuses on optimising operations for maximum efficiency and reduced environmental impact. Devdasan said, “By streamlining our processes and enhancing our logistics system, we can minimise energy consumption and carbon emissions.” This emphasis on efficiency enables ZALORA to fulfil customer orders promptly while minimising the ecological footprint associated with transportation and storage.

In Hong Kong, they have partnered with delivery services to introduce walking deliveries for parcels within a 10-minute radius of their stations, reducing reliance on motor vehicles and resulting in over 164,000 foot-delivered parcels in 2022.

In Jakarta, where traffic congestion is a challenge, ZALORA has embraced bicycles for last-mile deliveries, successfully transporting more than 20,000 customer parcels to the city centre. These initiatives showcase ZALORA’s commitment to reducing emissions and driving sustainability in the fashion e-commerce industry through inventive and eco-friendly logistics solutions.

Their warehouse spaces are fitted with efficient LED lighting, air conditioning inverters, and motion sensors, and by 2030, they aim to have 100 per cent of electricity sourced for their fulfilment centres and offices to be renewable. As they lay the foundation to shift to these more direct sources of renewable energy, in 2022, they purchased Renewable Energy Certificates (“RECs”) recognised by the iREC Standard to cover our electricity consumption across all our warehouses, as was the case in the past years.

Circular fashion is gaining popularity

They focus on incorporating circular design throughout their product life cycle, aiming to minimise waste. ZALORA has introduced sustainable packaging options, including carton boxes made from recycled cardboard and delivery flyers with recycled plastic content.

To extend the lifespan of products, it launched its Pre-Loved category, offering second-hand luxury fashion items. This initiative has gained traction, with a growing number of customers engaging in circular fashion practices. And their Earth Edit category showcases a curated selection of sustainable products, providing customers with easy access to conscious shopping choices.

The Earth Edit category has gained popularity, accounting for 13 per cent of total sales and attracting 32 per cent of active customers. ZALORA’s collaborations with NGOs and organisations like World Cleanup Day Indonesia and Save Philippine Seas have empowered employees to engage in sustainability initiatives and community engagement activities.

One other area is packaging which generates tons of waste. In 2022, 91 per cent of our directly-procured packaging was made of more sustainable materials. All of our carton boxes are now made of recycled cardboard certified either by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). We also expanded the use of delivery flyers containing 80 per cent recycled plastic certified by the Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) to all our markets, as well as polybags (clear sleeves used to protect products in warehouses and transit) with 100 per cent recycled plastic content in some markets.

Also Read: What startups need to know about Claims Code, the new rulebook for making credible climate claims

“We are committed to actively contributing to climate action by significantly reducing the carbon footprint generated by our business operations. In 2022, ZALORA managed to slash our overall carbon footprint by one-third (33 per cent) relative to our 2019 baseline,” said Devdasan.

Upcoming initiatives They plan to expand the last-mile bicycle delivery service to the whole of Jakarta, and we are also exploring similar last-mile delivery options in other markets, which includes the use of electric vehicles.

“Furthermore, we aspire to launch a collaboration with organisations to offer our customers a take-back solution for their used items to divert them from landfill. The partner organisations will provide support with item collection, sorting, reselling, and recycling so that our customers can give a second life to their used items,” said Devdasan.

In conclusion

By investing in state-of-the-art infrastructure, optimising logistics efficiency, and promoting conscious consumption, ZALORA is transforming the fashion e-commerce industry in Southeast Asia. Through partnerships, customer education, and supplier engagement, it aims to lead by example and inspire other fashion e-commerce companies to prioritise sustainability.

With their sustainable expansion and ongoing efforts, ZALORA is shaping a more responsible and eco-conscious future for fashion in Southeast Asia. As Devdasan concluded, “We believe that sustainability is not just a trend but an essential aspect of doing business responsibly.”

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The image featured in the article has been generated utilising an AI-powered tool.

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At e27, we cultivate the development of forward-thinking minds and provide a platform for exceptional individuals to share their expertise and distinctive perspectives. Through our Contributor Programme, we offer a gateway for passionate voices to contribute to the dynamic dialogue on entrepreneurship, technology, and innovation.

This week, we also had the pleasure of organising a special community gathering exclusively for our valued contributors. It was a fantastic opportunity for us to come together, share insights, discuss our individual contributor journeys, and brainstorm ways to enhance our vibrant community even further.

In case you missed it, we welcome your valuable feedback here, as it will contribute to the continuous improvement of our contributor programme. Your insights are instrumental in making it even better!

Join us as we present our carefully curated weekly collection of articles sourced from our esteemed Contributor Programme. This thoughtfully selected compilation showcases a diverse range of captivating perspectives, igniting fresh insights and inspiring contemplation on emerging trends, industry insights, and groundbreaking ideas.

Breaking barriers: How crypto is disrupting education funding

“Crypto-based financing models offer greater accessibility and transparency, bypassing the need for complex and often restrictive financial intermediaries. This opens up opportunities for education companies to directly connect with investors, showcase their vision and impact, and secure the necessary funding to fuel their growth.”

CEO and Head of School at NewCampus, Will Fan’s article explores the transformative impact of cryptocurrency on the education sector, highlighting how the decentralised and borderless nature of crypto enables education entrepreneurs to access new avenues of financing and overcome traditional funding limitations. It also delves into the benefits of crypto-enabled financing, the counter-cyclical nature of education, and the opportunities it presents for emerging economies.

3 key strategies to master the art of value proposition pitching

“You’d be surprised to see how many business owners try to sell stuff (including their own name card) without leveraging an impactful value proposition people can relate to. Worse, you’d be even more surprised to see how many of them don’t even have a value proposition at all!

I see the issue frequently in my work with entrepreneurs and business owners. And to be frank, it’s something I’m having a hard time understanding, if only because an introduction without a value proposition gives me absolutely nothing to play with and keep the discussion going.”

Business Coach and Co-Founder of Impactified, Antoine Martin’s article provides three essential strategies to master the art of value proposition pitching. It emphasizes the importance of crafting a clear and compelling value proposition that resonates with the target audience.

The first strategy focuses on understanding customer pain points and tailoring the pitch to address their needs effectively. The second strategy highlights the significance of differentiation and showcasing how the product or service stands out from competitors. Lastly, the article emphasizes the value of concise and impactful communication, ensuring the pitch is concise, engaging, and leaves a lasting impression. By implementing these strategies, entrepreneurs can elevate their value proposition pitching skills and drive business success.

Surpassing the West: Vietnam’s potential in the field of Web3

“Over the years, international investors have flocked to Vietnam and established investment funds specialising in blockchain. According to a Finder report, capital inflows into NFT assets will also skyrocket from US$37 million to US$4.8 billion in 2021.”

CEO and Co-Founder at Adamo Software, Kevin Nguyen’s article explores Vietnam’s potential in the field of Web3, surpassing the West with its booming tech industry and vibrant blockchain ecosystem. It highlights how Vietnam’s youthful population and tech-savvy entrepreneurs are driving innovation, leading to a thriving blockchain and cryptocurrency sector.

The country’s rapid economic growth, government support for technology, and rising interest in decentralised finance (DeFi) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) contribute to its promising future in the Web3 space. As Vietnam continues to embrace blockchain and Web3 technologies, it positions itself as a key player in the global digital landscape.

Optimising finance made easy: Embracing AI-driven investment

“AI-driven investment platforms can process vast amounts of data at a fraction of the time it would take for a human analyst to do the same. This enhanced speed and efficiency enable investors to stay ahead of market trends, identify emerging opportunities, and execute trades promptly. By automating repetitive tasks and streamlining processes, AI-driven investment solutions free up valuable time for investors to focus on higher-level strategic planning.”

Expert Venture Builder, Strategic Advisor at KingSwap and Technicorum Holdings, Malcolm Tan’s article delves into the realm of AI-driven investment and its potential to optimise finance effortlessly. It explores how artificial intelligence is revolutionising the investment landscape, offering personalised financial solutions and automated portfolio management.

The piece highlights the benefits of AI algorithms, including data-driven insights, risk management, and enhanced decision-making capabilities. By embracing AI-driven investment strategies, individuals and businesses can navigate financial complexities more efficiently, unlocking opportunities for growth and maximising returns on investments.

Threads: Revolutionising social media for creative entrepreneurs

“Despite being in its early stages, Threads shows promising signs of becoming an effective platform for fast content sharing, encouraging informal dialogues, and increasing brand exposure. Notably, Threads doesn’t currently have a paid advertising feature, which implies that any endorsements or reposts about your business are likely to come across as genuine and authentic.”

Founder of Creative For More, Geraldine Pang’s article discusses the impact of Threads, a new social media platform, on creative entrepreneurs. Threads is revolutionising the landscape by offering fast content sharing and authentic engagement. With its unique features and emphasis on informal dialogues, it enables entrepreneurs to showcase their creativity and connect with audiences on a deeper level. Threads’ potential to become a key influencer in the social media world makes it a promising platform for creative individuals.

Empowering youth to drive sustainable change through finance and advocacy

“SMEs collectively account for over 50 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the business sector. Recognising their significant contribution to carbon emissions, I wanted to support startups and SMEs in integrating sustainability principles into their financial strategies to maximise the potential for positive change.”

Sustainability Manager at Golden Energy and Resources Limited, Chan Jin Wei Louis’s article highlights how youth can drive sustainable change through finance and advocacy. By empowering young people with financial literacy and advocacy skills, they can actively participate in creating a positive impact on society and the environment. Initiatives like youth-led sustainable investing and educational programs are instrumental in fostering a new generation of changemakers. With the right tools and knowledge, today’s youth can play a crucial role in building a more sustainable and equitable future.

Empowering families for a thriving future: Fammi’s vision for parenting and education in Indonesia and beyond

“The startup’s comprehensive and tailored social learning platform empowers parents through education, personalised guidance, and community support. Educational content, expert-led workshops, and webinars enable parents to learn new strategies to improve their relationships with their children.”

Journalist Surabhi Pandey’s article explores FAMMI’s vision for parenting and education in Indonesia and beyond. FAMMI aims to empower families by providing them with resources and support to ensure a thriving future for children. Through innovative education solutions and technology-driven platforms, FAMMI seeks to enhance parental engagement and create a nurturing environment for children’s holistic development. By harnessing the power of community and technology, FAMMI envisions a brighter future for families in Indonesia and hopes to expand its positive impact globally.

Mind the category curve: Are you driving it or will it drive right over you?

“Category Design thinking shows you that a category cannot exist around one company and needs an entire ecosystem of players. If you have truly mapped your category, then you have created a unique visualisation of the ecosystem and its constituents (with your company only being one slice of the entire category’s ecosystem).”

Founder of Out-Position, Darryl Dickens’ article highlights the importance of staying ahead of the category curve in business. It emphasizes the need for companies to be proactive in driving innovation and defining their own category rather than passively allowing market trends to dictate their fate. By understanding the dynamics of category creation and adopting a strategic approach, businesses can position themselves for success and avoid being overshadowed by competitors.

Barbie-fy your business with the power of PR

“PR agencies can be likened to Barbie. With their expertise in the field of publicity, PR agencies excel at creating and maintaining a positive public image for their clients. This is why it is highly recommended that companies seek assistance and guidance from PR agencies, much like Ken relies on Barbie for direction.”

Communications Strategist and CEO of iOli Comms, Yan Lim’s article explores how PR strategies can transform and elevate a business’s brand image, much like Barbie’s reinvention over the years. By leveraging the power of public relations, companies can effectively communicate their unique story, values, and offerings to the target audience. It’s important to craft compelling narratives, build relationships with media and influencers, and maintain a positive public image. Through PR, businesses can enhance their reputation, reach wider audiences, and ultimately achieve success in the competitive market.

Surviving the storm: Singapore SMEs look to global expansion as recession looms

“Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore are already grappling with numerous headwinds — rising inflation, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and the lingering effects of the pandemic have significantly increased costs for businesses. What’s more, seven in 10 Singapore SMEs are also anticipating a potential recession, according to a survey conducted by Airwallex.”

Director at Airwallex, Cher Hao Low’s article highlights the challenges faced by Singaporean SMEs amid the threat of an impending recession. With the local economic landscape becoming uncertain, SMEs are exploring global expansion as a strategy to weather the storm. Going global offers these businesses a chance to diversify their markets, tap into new opportunities, and reduce dependency on the domestic market. By embracing innovative approaches and adapting to the changing dynamics, SMEs can position themselves for growth and resilience in the face of economic uncertainties.

From behind a women’s lens: Establishing a footing in the male-dominated VC industry

“From my experience, the benefit of having more women in the venture capital world is obvious. Women have different life experiences than men, which translates into unique perspectives on business and decision-making processes. Females may spot opportunities overlooked by men, as Janet Gurwitch – the only female partner in her firm – did when she fought to invest in Drybar, a cosmetics venture which is now a multi-million-dollar success story.”

Associate at Protege Ventures, Leong Pei Lin’s article highlights the challenges faced by Singaporean SMEs amid the threat of an impending recession. With the local economic landscape becoming uncertain, SMEs are exploring global expansion as a strategy to weather the storm. Going global offers these businesses a chance to diversify their markets, tap into new opportunities, and reduce dependency on the domestic market. By embracing innovative approaches and adapting to the changing dynamics, SMEs can position themselves for growth and resilience in the face of economic uncertainties.

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

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

The image featured in the article has been generated utilising an AI-powered tool

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According to Singapore-based Flexxon, when it comes to its role in the cybersecurity industry, AI is often touted as an effective solution when infused with anti-virus software and firewall protection. However, the evidence of endless breaches seems to prove otherwise.

The cybersecurity company said that the efficacy of AI in the cybersecurity industry depends on the environment in which it is operating. This is why Flexxon developed what it refers to as the world’s first AI-embedded solid-state drive (SSD) for data protection–X-PHY.

The difference in these solutions is that the AI deployment lies in the hardware layer, enabling it to protect data stored in devices. According to Flexxon, the solution can be easily integrated into consumer and enterprise applications, and it has already partnered with notable names such as Lenovo, ASUS and HP to produce cybersecurity-infused laptops.

In an email interview with e27, Co-Founder and CEO Camellia Chan explains the existing gap in today’s cybersecurity approach and how the company aims to close it.

First of all, there are three problems in today’s cybersecurity approach: It is mainly software-based, reactive and overly reliant on human intervention.

Also Read: How Transparently.AI uses Artificial Intelligence to detect accounting manipulation, fraud

“At the external software layer, the variables that security solutions need to account for are astronomical. Thus, even if AI is applied to such solutions, it needs to contend with an immense volume of threat variables in an ever-changing environment. In addition, current external layer defences are reactive in nature and can only recognise known threats,” she writes.

“Finally, current solutions still rely heavily on human decision-making. For instance, for the user to determine if a threat is real or not, to decide if an email is legitimate or malicious and so on. This is a huge problem, and in fact, humans are responsible for over 95 per cent of data breaches. Why? Because we cannot possibly determine if a threat is legitimate or not, and even making that one mistake can lead to huge ramifications.”

This is why X-PHY SSD is believed to be more effective, as it operates in a closed environment where hackers are forced to comply with the SSD’s communication protocols; it is also proactive in nature and requires zero human intervention.

“This works because, at the SSD layer, attackers now need to play on your turf. The X-PHY SSD forces hackers to act within an enclave environment that eliminates the attacker’s ability to disguise its signature – the usual method in which software-based defences are fooled. By only communicating through a specified protocol (NVMe), the disguises of attackers are stripped down and exposed. The AI will detect these intruders and immediately lock down the device and alert the user of the intrusion,” Chan says.

“This will help users in two clear ways. Firstly, by protecting the organisation’s critical data and secondly, by also playing a part as an alarm system. Many attackers manage to stay hidden for long periods of time before any alarm bells go off, but once an attempt is made on the SSD, the X-PHY acts in real time to lock down the system and alert the user.”

Also Read: These Artificial Intelligence startups are proving to be industry game-changers

On the business side of cybersecurity

When the company began operations in 2007, Flexxon started off as an industrial NAND Flash Storage provider, specialising in the industrial, medical and automotive industries. According to Chan, these are “very niche and specialised markets” with data storage systems that are more complex than the usual consumer storage devices.

“Over time, our customers would increasingly seek our advice and expertise on strengthening security for their data. We were seeing a steady uptick in data breaches in spite of the various software solutions emerging on the market. In the late 2010s, we recognised that there was a growing problem and no one had a solution for it,” Chan points out, noting how the company eventually sees an opportunity to diversify its security product portfolio.

When it comes to the profile of its users, there are basically two types of business segments that are using Flexxon’s solutions.

There are customers of its OT business segments who have worked with Chan since her previous distributorship business in 2001. These include customers such as Datalogic, Medtronic and Honeywell.

“Our cybersecurity business is a different ballgame, however. With the X-PHY, we are refreshing deeply entrenched mindsets about cybersecurity protection. While we had a ready pool of existing customers that actually inspired the X-PHY, there remains a need to branch out and reach brand new customers – corporations that never even considered the necessity of cyber defence at the hardware level,” Chan says.

“To encompass both B2B and now B2C customers, we are building the ecosystem with partners in the computer and information technology (CIT) space. This includes Lenovo, HP and ASUS. [We also] work directly with end users that span public and private sector organisations including government, BFSI, telcos, healthcare, energy, industrial and various others.”

Also Read: Will China lead the Artificial Intelligence game by 2030?

For its cybersecurity business, Flexxon employs a blended revenue model that includes subscription-based, direct one-time sales, system integration, licensing, and commission-based streams.

“Collectively for the company, this means that while we continue building on our existing OT business, we are also partnering for system integration with reputable OEMs, growing our CIT channel partners, and offering a XaaS subscription-based licensing model. This hybrid approach was defined in order to cater to different end-user capacities, appetites and technical expertise,” Chan explains.

“Underpinning this, our IP strategy plays an important role in not only protecting our innovation but also expanding our commercial value and presence. Being named a winner at the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) global awards this year and the overall enterprise winner at last year’s WIPO-IPOS awards is a testament to our strong IP strategy and also provides extended presence and credibility to our business.”

Towards the future

Chan leads Flexxon with co-founder May Chng, who plays the role as the company’s COO.

In 2020, Heliconia Capital invested in the company’s Series A funding round. Two of its R&D projects have also been the recipient of two CSA Call for Innovation awards in 2019 and 2022. The support that it received included funding and technical and market expertise.

“As we progress with our ongoing R&D efforts to build an entire ecosystem of hardware-based cybersecurity solutions, as well as our market expansion, we are in the midst of fundraising and speaking with suitable VCs to bolster the growth that we foresee in the years ahead,” says Chan.

Also Read: Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: Is the technology only as good as the human behind it?

The year 2023 is set to become a milestone year for Flexxon, X-PHY, and the cybersecurity industry.

“Coming up with a novel and impactful invention like the X-PHY is just one small part of larger-scale adoption. The X-PHY is the foundation piece for an entire ecosystem of products we have in the pipeline, and thus, it is essential that we educate stakeholders on the technology before moving forward with other launches. With an approach as revolutionary as ours, it takes brave and forward-thinking individuals and leaders to be our first movers, and that’s where we have our focus on in the next two to three years,” Chan closes.

The company is implementing “aggressive” education and outreach efforts across key markets such as North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific.

It has also incorporated a US entity this year and is setting up a base of operations in Maryland by end of 2023. In addition to housing its regional corporate office, it will also serve as manufacturing and R&D facility.

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Image Credit: Flexxon

The post How Flexxon aims to solve AI’s cybersecurity problem through hardware-focused approach appeared first on e27.

We are all wired for “category”.  It’s how we think and manage in a crowded, noisy world.

Whether as a consumer walking into the supermarket (hint: it’s not organised alphabetically); or in a business environment looking at a spreadsheet (say for your marketing budget).  All those line items are categories, and within each of those, you also form an opinion on who is the category leader and, thus who you will assign the budget to.

We also create and delete categories all the time in our minds.  “Blu-Ray DVD” used to be important to us but is no longer relevant; the category has moved on.

So the core fact and realisation is that you and your product will always be in a category.

The second big “ah-ha” is that your category will morph and evolve over time.  It is a constant creative construction and de-construction. Think about the telephone to the cell phone to a smartphone.  And along the way, there are casualties such as “Personal Digital Assistants” that never reach critical mass and are not accepted as the “category”.

A category doesn’t start with a product.  It starts with a problem.  It was the ability to have mobile connectivity with my phone, but then evolved to solving the problem of all of my devices and functions across music, camera, email, web and search in one place and evolved into a new experience on the “smartphone”.

The way categories form and evolve is incredibly consistent. Paul Geroski won a Nobel Prize for his research on category formation, showing that new categories are not driven by customer demand because customers cannot accurately identify or describe their future needs.  Rather it is a “supply push” by innovators.  These early innovators, engineers, or entrepreneurs often are not the players who eventually lead the market and category.  Rather it is the “consolidators” who tell us a clear story and demonstrate the “dominant design”.

The consistent shape and evolution of a category is a slightly flattened bell curve (see road sign visual above), showing a few initial entrants, to take-off and rapid growth in the number of companies (especially as the dominant design emerges), and then a flattening of the curve as companies fail/exit, and the category leader fully emerges.

This un-orchestrated push of new tech and innovation at the outset thus becomes a ripe opportunity to describe the over-arching problem that is relevant to your audience. It is this problem-centric design, enabled by a clear story and point of view, that is the accelerant to new categories growing, scaling and being led by a dominant player.

Also Read: How Category Design drives productivity and efficiency

The “so-what” in all of this is pointed out in the book,  Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets.  The book’s large, multi-year dataset shows that the Category King (leader) consistently takes up and controls 76 per cent of the category’s economics.   This is then followed by a distant second and third player.

Think about the smartphone example. Apple as the clear smartphone Category King, has a share of net profit at 72 per cent (in 2022).  This has evolved and emerged from Steve Jobs (a great evangelist and Category Designer), giving us a point of view on what that “itch” or problem is:  a mobile phone, but also web interface and surfing, with touchscreen capabilities and bundling of music player and other functions.   It became the “dominant design” in the category, with everyone else following.

Change before you have to

So now carefully consider the category you are in and these three key routes to drive your thinking:

Is the problem, around which your category is centred, changing? How would this reframing of the problem and the category affect your own position and thought leadership in the category?

Think carefully and methodically as a category designer on how could or should the category evolve?  How can you reframe your “Point of View” to drive this evolution of the category?

Remember, it’s the problem that is critical here. Your Point of View cannot lead with your product; it needs to be crisp and compelling on what the problem is and how it is impacting your audience.

Secondly, consider the technology and solution landscape.  How are your solution roadmap and “Blueprint” evolving and pacing the category’s evolution?   Your Blueprint clearly shows your strategic intent to be the category leader from a solution standpoint, and thus what elements of it should be updated or accelerated?   What technology change or disruption could impact the category and, therefore, you as well?

If a re-framing of the problem and point of view emerges, is your Blueprint still cutting-edge and relevant?  Consider again the example of the cellular phone to a smartphone, with the operating system (OS) at the heart of that smartphone.

• Nokia’s use of Symbian was an eventual epic fail: clunky, hard to use, and in a very closed environment.  But then, so was Blackberry’s OS with an even more epic fail.
• Apple’s Swift development platform for iOS is considered the industry’s most intuitive (more so than the fragmented Android environment). It has consistently ensured that new apps and functionality are built out by technology companies for the App Store, refreshing Apple’s Blueprint.

So beyond your consumer/customer-facing products, is there a platform, programming, distribution or other Blueprint change that could impact the category?  What could you deliver in order to drive this evolution of the category?

Your ability to thrive depends on the tribe

Thirdly, beyond the Point of View and Blueprint, how is the “Ecosystem” around the category evolving?

Category Design thinking shows you that a category cannot exist around one company and needs an entire ecosystem of players. If you have truly mapped your category, then you have created a unique visualisation of the ecosystem and its constituents (with your company only being one slice of the entire category’s ecosystem).

Also Read: Peanut Butter vs lightning strike: What’s your GTM strategy?

Now consider what could disrupt, evolve, or extend the ecosystem.

Could routes to market or channels change and impact the category?   Could new bundling of services and capabilities impact the ecosystem’s dynamics?

What is the business model overlay for the ecosystem?  Symbiotic/marketplace/cooperative/value chain are four of the most common business models that we see clients working in and with.   What could change the business model?  Is this an opportunity or a threat?

Be the change

Build this category review and strategy cycle into your overall planning.  This significantly lowers your risk of being caught flat-footed on potential changes to your category and positioning within it.

And as you think about Category Design and the above three critical components to it, consider this fundamental truth:

You will always be in a category.

The question then is: Do you want to position or be positioned?

If you don’t define the problem and category, then someone else will. It’s your opportunity to lead, not follow!

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Walking through the sunny streets, thinking about how to reach the stars? I have a few valuable tips to share with you!

Imagine your company is like Barbie’s dreamhouse, a place that has everything you need. But try to imagine the dreamhouse without Barbie’s presence. Do you think everything will be able to function properly without Barbie’s presence to calm things down and get what needs to be done?

In an episode of Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse called “Pet Peeve,” there is a situation where Ken assists Barbie in pet-sitting at the Dreamhouse while she goes to work. During her absence, chaos ensues as her pets end up becoming unruly, and Ken struggles to maintain order within the dreamhouse. However, once Barbie returns home, the dreamhouse magically regains its harmony, and the pets instantly behave.

This episode serves as a reminder that sometimes, a person’s presence and influence are crucial to maintaining the desired outcome. Just as Barbie brings balance to her dreamhouse, it’s essential to recognise the importance of having public relations to help your company achieve success and maintain a positive environment.

In a witty comparison, businesses or brands are like Ken – without Barbie, he’s just Ken! Barbie, with her vast array of experiences and numerous tasks that she has to take on in life, constantly juggles work and is always on the move.

Similarly, PR agencies can be likened to Barbie. With their expertise in the field of publicity, PR agencies excel at creating and maintaining a positive public image for their clients. This is why it is highly recommended that companies seek assistance and guidance from PR agencies, much like Ken relies on Barbie for direction.

Also Read: 3 key strategies to master the art of value proposition pitching

By having a PR agency on their side, companies can achieve remarkable success, just as Ken can with Barbie by his side. Just as Barbie’s presence empowers Ken to accomplish anything, a PR agency can provide companies and brands with the necessary tools and strategies to achieve their goals or even surpass them.

Still not convinced that you need a PR Agency? Here are the top three reasons why you should have a PR Agency:

Assist in managing your reputation

Hiring a PR agency to take care of the image aspect of your business is especially crucial for startup companies. While the founder focuses on the business aspect of it, the little Barbies of the PR agency can work simultaneously to increase the visibility of your company, increase the rate of positive perception towards your brand and handle the creative aspects that will aid in maintaining a good reputation among the public, which are also known as ‘your potential customers’.

Without a PR Agency by your side, it’s like Ken arriving at Barbie’s fashion show while wearing his one-week-old clothes. The flairies, specifically Glimmer, transformed his outfit to a striking white suit with a pink tie to match Barbie’s show.

Therefore, all we need to do is add a splash of flairie magic to enhance the beauty and good reputation of our clients. So don’t be afraid to get your sparkle on and hop in the glitterizer to amplify your company’s image and reputation!

Enhance credibility for your company

For companies that have been around for quite some time, having a PR agency to back them up can also mean increased credibility of the brand. 

Barbie is a well-known fashion icon. Everyone in Barbie’s world listens to her advice, and so when the world faces a major fashion crisis, Barbie steps in and helps all the girls around the world who have a fashion emergency by offering fashion advice and assisting them in finding their true style.

Also Read: Why your startup needs public relations

Just like Barbie, PR consultants will be able to advise you on certain aspects of the business that you should emphasise, based on their knowledge within the media industry. This also applies to startup companies too. It can show potential investors that your company truly is worth the money.

Build media relations and make connections

It’s a known fact that one of the reasons why everyone in the Barbie world recognises Barbie is because she is a fashion icon, therefore, she is highly demanded by fashion designers and modelling agencies all over the world. This means that Barbie has connections with everything fashion related to the point where her friends frequently seek her out to get some fashion advice and have her model at one of their fashion shows to help boost their sales and reputation.

Similarly, who else can have wide connections like Barbie and can help aid in your company’s rising reputation? PR Agencies! We can even help you get in touch with the right people at the right time. 

Ultimately, you may not even realise the many ways that a PR agency can help you with your business, especially for growing brands. It’s hard to list down all the benefits of hiring a PR agency as most of them have their own specialities and areas that they tend to focus on. But if I have managed to pique your interest, pick up the phone and try giving a few PR agencies a call to discover which one is right for you. 

Ken without Barbie is just Ken. But with Barbie on his side, he is known as Barbie’s boyfriend. With a Barbie (PR agency) on your side, you ‘Ken’ do anything.

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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore are already grappling with numerous headwinds — rising inflation, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and the lingering effects of the pandemic have significantly increased costs for businesses. What’s more, seven in 10 Singapore SMEs are also anticipating a potential recession, according to a survey conducted by Airwallex.

SMEs are the economic backbone for many reasons. They represent nearly 90 per cent of businesses and support more than 50 per cent of employment worldwide. Post-COVID-19, they will play an even more vital role in the global economy. With recessionary pressures, SMEs are having to broaden their scope and source new streams of revenue for future growth opportunities. For many, that means looking across borders and identifying new markets where their businesses can continue to thrive and grow.

The trend is similar for SMEs in Singapore, where rising supplier costs, employee expenses, and logistics disruptions were identified as the primary factors contributing to their rise in costs.

Amid the challenging macro environment, nine out of 10 Singapore SMEs surveyed have plans to expand their business abroad. The most common reasons cited for expanding beyond borders were sourcing new customers (61 per cent), establishing new partnerships (59 per cent), expanding marketing activities (55 per cent) and sourcing new suppliers (51 per cent). 

Also Read: Super niche marketing: The secret to thriving in a bear market

Despite the appetite for expansion, however, expanding internationally isn’t an easy task. To successfully navigate today’s challenging economic environment, there are a number of considerations SMEs need to be mindful of as they look to globalise.

Targeted expansion to mitigate and manage risks

Risks associated with compliance and financial exposure are top of mind among SMEs in Singapore. The same Airwallex survey found that close to half (45 per cent) of SMEs listed legal, regulatory and compliance barriers as among their top challenges as they expand overseas.

As SMEs venture into new territories, they face a range of potential risks and challenges. Doing the right due diligence is one of the key first steps when businesses decide to start exploring overseas opportunities, and it provides SMEs with a good understanding of the market they plan to enter.

It helps them better understand the local business environment, cultural nuances, legal and regulatory frameworks, and competitive landscape. Identifying relevant schemes and grants as businesses conduct their due diligence – such as Enterprise Singapore’s Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) grant, for example – can help SMEs defray the costs of overseas market promotion, business development, and set-up.

The recent bank collapses are a reminder of the inherent risks in any financial system and the need for SMEs to manage their financial risk exposure where they are based and as they expand overseas. Here in Singapore, for example, the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC) insures deposits up to SG$75,000 (US$56,593); SMEs should consider spreading their cash reserves across more than one financial institution to ensure their funds are protected.

Different markets have different safeguards and measures when it comes to financial risk exposure, making it imperative for SMEs to thoroughly research and adapt their risk management strategies as they venture into global markets.

It is important to understand that risks can never be completely eliminated, but by proactively addressing the risks and implementing appropriate measures, SMEs can position themselves for successful expansion and mitigate potential pitfalls in new markets. Careful planning — proper market research, strategy, logistics and hiring can go a long way to ensuring success.

Accelerated adoption of digital solutions

Embracing digital transformation is crucial for SMEs looking to expand globally and is key to improving productivity and keeping expenditure low. 

Automating manual processes, such as inventory management and various accounting procedures, can help SMEs save valuable time and money by alleviating employees from repetitive tasks and labour-intensive processes. This time-saving aspect allows employees to focus on more strategic and value-added activities, enhancing overall productivity. Adopting cloud accounting software like Xero could bring up to 70 per cent productivity gains for SMEs.

Additionally, automation enables SMEs to allocate their resources more efficiently with routine tasks automated, employees will have more opportunities to explore and dedicate more time and energy towards creative thinking, problem-solving, and identifying growth opportunities for the business. This encourages a culture of innovation, driving the SME towards continuous improvement and adaptation to changing market demands. 

Also Read: Oh my cash: Navigating cash flow management in today’s market

By leveraging automation technologies, SMEs can unlock significant advantages that positively impact their operations. 

Manage cost efficiently

Many SMEs pursue expansion into international markets as a means to achieve long-term growth. Effectively managing the associated expenses becomes crucial in order to achieve and sustain profitability.

Historically, the process of moving money around globally, whether for supplier payments or handling payroll for remote employees, has been cumbersome, slow, and costly. Not only would certain transactions take days to complete, but they also require physical presence to open bank accounts in the target market, adding to the inconvenience. Additionally, a multitude of fees and related expenses compound the financial burden.

When utilising conventional payment methods, businesses may incur substantial costs when moving significant sums of money internationally. For instance, a transaction involving US$10,000 could incur fees of US$100 or even more, and these costs escalate proportionally with larger amounts.

Opting for financial services that minimise conversion and international transaction fees can help SMEs reduce costs and increase revenue. Fintech providers that offer competitive exchange rates and low transaction fees are enabling businesses to optimise their international transactions and improve profit margins.

Singapore-based fashion e-retailer Saturday Club achieved substantial savings through digitalisation, saving over 90 per cent on cross-border transactions and associated fees, and gaining full visibility into their payment process, ensuring transparency and efficient operations from Singapore.

Similarly, Hey! Chips, Singapore’s first award-winning fruit and vegetable chips brand, was able to bypass the SWIFT network and make overseas payments with zero transfer fees and market-leading FX rates, all by adopting digital solutions for their telegraphic transfers.

In the dynamic global business landscape, SMEs must be adaptable in order to survive and thrive. Going global is part of many SMEs’ plans as they navigate through this period of relative uncertainty, and adopting a comprehensive approach that includes risk management and digitalisation will enable them to remain competitive.

Businesses will come out stronger if they continue to pivot and transform alongside the ever-changing economic environment and are constantly looking at ways to grow and expand their businesses.

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MAKA Motors nets US$37.6M seed funding

Indonesia-based electric vehicle (EV) startup MAKA Motors on Thursday completed its seed round, raising US$37.6 million.

AC Ventures, East Ventures, and South Korea’s SV Investment co-led the round. Northstar Group, Provident, AlfaCorp, Skystar Capital, Peak XV Partners (formerly known as Sequoia India and SEA), Openspace Ventures, Shinhan Venture Investment, BEENEXT, Kinesys Group, and M Venture Partners (MVP) also joined.

The funds will enable MAKA Motors to scale its operations, expand its R&D capabilities and facilities, and accelerate production.

Founded in 2021 by Gojek’s former Chief Transport Officer Raditya Wibowo and former VP of Transport Business Development Arief Fadillah, MAKA Motors aims to provide electric motorcycles that offer the perfect blend of driving range, power, usability, and durability at competitive pricing.

Salmon nets US$20M debt financing

Salmon, a consumer fintech company based in the Philippines, on Thursday bagged a US$20 million debt facility from US emerging-markets specialist investment firm Argentem Creek Partners.

This will allow Salmon to scale its lending operations across the country further. The fintech firm will expand its loan book, leveraging its existing point-of-sale and cash loan lending, and launch new products in the second half of 2023.

Launched in July 2022 by banking and fintech veterans Pavel Fedorov, George Chesakov, and Raffy Montemayor, the Salmon platform enables customers to access financial products from partners registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Philippines.

The fintech firm launched its first credit product four months after inception.

Earth VC backs US-based Group14

Singapore-headquartered global impact investor Earth Venture Capital on Wednesday announced it joined the funding round of US-based lithium-silicon battery company Group14.

Other prominent backers of this round are Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund, Lightrock Climate Impact Fund, Moore Strategic Ventures, Oman Investment Authority, and Molicel.

This capital raise will enable Group14 to scale up production capacity, expedite research and development efforts, and bring their lithium-silicon battery solutions to market at an accelerated pace.

Group14 develops lithium-silicon batteries by leveraging the unique properties of silicon to offer “unparalleled advantages” in terms of energy density, charging speed, and overall performance compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. The firm claims its technology has the potential to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, enable efficient renewable energy integration and transform grid storage.

H1 2023 is the least funded half-year in SEA since 2020: Tracxn

Southeast Asia’s tech startups attracted 71 per cent less funding in the first half (January-June) of 2023 compared to the same period last year, as per the latest report released by market intelligence platform Tracxn.

The decline was primarily driven by a 72 per cent drop in late-stage investments, Tracxn said in its SEA Tech Semi-Annual Funding Report.

Funding into the tech space in H1 2023 dropped to US$2.3 billion from US$8 billion in H1 2022 (US$1.15 in Q1 2023 and US$1.17 billion in Q2). The US$100 million+ funding rounds also dropped to six in H1 2023 from 18 in the same period last year.

H1 2023 is the least funded half-year since 2020. After a peak in 2021, there has been a steady decline; investments fell by 39 per cent in 2022 from 2021, primarily due to the rising interest rates and the current macroeconomic environment.

Hydroleap nets US$4.4M

Singapore-based wastewater treatment startup Hydroleap on Tuesday announced US$4.4 million in a Series A funding round.

Japanese VC firm Real Tech Holdings led the round with participation from Mitsubishi Electric, Seeds Capital, Wavemaker Partners, and New Keynes Investments.

The State Government of Victoria in Australia also joined.

Hydroleap will use the funds to enter new geographies, such as Australia, Japan and Indonesia, over the next two years. The company aims to help companies across data centres, F&B, manufacturing, and mining industries lower their water and carbon footprints by treating wastewater efficiently and environmentally friendly.

Founded in 2016 by Mohammad Sherafatmand (a PhD from the National University of Singapore in Environmental Engineering), Hydroleap is a next-generation green wastewater treatment company. It offers an automated modular system that does not need any chemicals to perform. The technology works based on electrochemical principles where low-powered electricity is applied to activate the aqueous solution and form coagulant reagents to attract contaminants.

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In the not-so-recent past, the idea of a “venture capitalist” (VC) probably conjured up a specific kind of person: possibly someone with an established corporate background, maybe someone close to middle age, and maybe even a male.

Thankfully, those days are slowly fading away, and we find ourselves in the middle of an exciting turning point as more opportunities than ever before are helping create a more diverse set of venture capitalists in the industry – myself included.

A foot in the door

Since joining the Institute of Banking and Finance Singapore (IBFSG) in April 2019, I have had the privilege of getting an in-depth understanding of the financial sector. However, if you had told me this would be the trajectory of my life, I don’t know if I would have believed you.

Before this chapter of my life, I was working in a young and growing firm focused on menswear. That experience opened up the world of early-stage companies for me, and from then on, I knew I wanted to start my own business. When I began pursuing my master’s degree part-time, I started looking for something to do beyond the academic readings, lectures and projects that could help me enhance my professional career.

That’s when I came across Protégé Ventures, a student-run venture fund created by Singapore Management University’s Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SMU IIE). The programme promised to give me hands-on experience and insight into the behind-the-scenes of the venture capital industry, which I thought would be invaluable given how central today’s entrepreneurship is to our economy and future.

Also Read: When you steal a woman’s future, you steal her wealth

The programme delivered on its promises and more. I wasn’t just learning about deal sourcing, due diligence, and fundraising – I was actually involved with the work. These real-world experiences gained through internships and work placements were essential to supplement what I was learning in the classroom.

They also crumbled some of my preconceived notions about what a successful startup or business looked like. Take, for instance, my first-ever experience with Angie’s Tempeh, a startup working on manufacturing innovative products such as tempeh bak kwa and ready-to-eat tempeh. Who knew this was something the market wanted or needed?

However, after visiting the company’s factory, getting to grips with the product, and presenting our case to the investment committee, I realised that VCs don’t only have to focus on the latest cutting-edge technologies. They can also help companies break new ground in markets and under-explored sectors.

Investment’s gender problem

Perhaps one area that I’ve had to do the most rethinking around is who gets to be a VC.

As I mentioned at the beginning, men tend to dictate our cultural idea about what the investor world looks like and who can be a successful VC. Studies have shown that women hold only a fraction of all senior positions in private equity (PE) and VC firms, which has had the effect of limiting the investment dollars trickling down into women-led enterprises.

Why are women so poorly represented in this industry? In my view, one reason is possible that women are naturally more risk-averse than men, which may give some firms pause when it comes to hiring females. I also believe this could be owing to a lack of interest among women to get involved in the space, or maybe potential females are not sure how to get started in the first place – which becomes an artificial barrier to entry.

I have experienced these conversations playing out in my life as well. When I’ve spoken about this topic with my female peers, many have said they find the investing industry “daunting” and unfamiliar territory. Some have even expressed concerns about being outnumbered by men – which is fair enough, given that men do dominate the landscape.

Whatever the reason, it’s certainly not because women are ill-suited for this industry. We know from studies that more diverse teams are more profitable – one study showed that exit profits at venture firms with at least one female founder were 9.7 per cent higher. Another study by the International Finance Corporation revealed that private equity and VC funds with gender-balanced senior investment teams generated 10-20 per cent higher returns than homogenous ones.

Also Read: A woman among women: 27 female-led startups in SEA that are going places

From my experience, the benefit of having more women in the venture capital world is obvious. Women have different life experiences than men, which translates into unique perspectives on business and decision-making processes. Females may spot opportunities overlooked by men, as Janet Gurwitch – the only female partner in her firm – did when she fought to invest in Drybar, a cosmetics venture which is now a multi-million-dollar success story. When I worked on Angie’s Tempeh, I was able to bring a new perspective to the table that my male peers did not have.

Building the essential structures

The very nature of our work means we are willing to embrace anyone regardless of age, gender or background – as long as one can add value. Moreover, change is happening, even if slowly: women now represent 26 per cent of the global VC workforce, up from 15 per cent in 2016.

The way I see it, the problems in our industry are much more complex, subtle and culturally driven than we might realise. For instance, women’s communication skills may give them an advantage when it comes to relationship building, but they may be limited in their ability to network with established venture capitalists when it comes to typically male-dominated spaces. Overcoming this will be difficult, but it’s not impossible, especially given enough effort by all stakeholders.

It’s no secret that women are disproportionately more likely to face unconscious bias and gender stereotypes in the workplace, especially in male-dominated sectors like VC investing. Overcoming these barriers will be essential to unlocking a “diversity dividend” in this industry, especially in Asia.

One key tool will be providing opportunities and structures to train females through programmes such as Protégé Ventures. I consider myself lucky to have been able to benefit from the programme as it created the infrastructure that made it easy for me to access internships, training, resources and mentors. These programmes can also provide opportunities for women to gain a foothold in male-dominated social spaces, as I witnessed during Protégé’s 2023 LinkUp event.

The importance of these structures goes beyond supporting females, as they can benefit from a whole range of under-represented groups. In this way, educational institutions play an important role in helping younger people identify pathways into the VC world and working with firms to create the right programmes to support their long-term development.

It’s evident that the industry does want change, even if it has struggled to get there. However, I am confident in our ability and determination to achieve a level playing field for all – I know our more diverse future has enough space for all of us to thrive.

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This article was first published on September 2, 2022.

Globally, the mobility landscape is evolving rapidly in terms of technology and consumer interest, specifically in the commercial vehicle segment that caters to the logistics industry. Rising fuel costs and climate change awareness are making internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles unpopular. Electric vehicles (EVs) are slowly replacing them.

However, one of the biggest challenges in EV adoption is long charging time and short battery life; it often takes four to eight hours to charge an EV fully. In the last-mile delivery space, this means a loss of business, revenue and growth.

Four to eight hours of charging time also means only three to four EVs can be charged per day at charging stations. This makes EV charging an unfeasible, non-profitable, and uninvestable prospect.

A holistic approach

This is where Exponent Energy’s innovative energy solutions come in handy.

The Bengaluru-based deeptech startup, founded by Ather Energy’s former CPO Arun Vinayak and former HUL executive Sanjay Byalal, has built a battery pack (e^pack) and charging station (e^pump) to simplify EV charging. These two solutions together unlock a zero to 100 per cent rapid charge within 15 minutes for EVs with any number of wheels and provide a 3,000-cycle life warranty –- all while using affordable Lithium-ion cells to make rapid charging scalable.

Also Read: V-Flow’s recyclable energy solution with an expected lifespan of 25 yrs seeks to replace Li Ion batteries

The e^pump is their rapid charging station. A collection of e^pumps forms a network. Each e^pump delivers 600A of current to its e^pack (15x industry standard) while managing individual cell characteristics, including thermals, to ensure safety, long battery life and performance consistency even at 50 degrees Celsius.

According to Co-Founder and CEO Vinayak, currently, Exponent Energy is deploying 100 e^pumps in Bengaluru. “We plan to establish a minimum network of 100 e^pumps in all the cities we operate to support these vehicles and deliver 15-minute rapid charging consistently.”

Joining forces

Exponent Energy recently joined forces with Altigreen Propulsion Labs to introduce rapid charging technology for commercial EVs. The partnership entails jointly working on exponent-enabled EVs, with the first being in the 3-wheeler cargo vehicle category.

The intention is to accelerate EV adoption, ensure higher uptime, provide the safest solution and rapid charge capability, and be future-ready by being dependent on single chemistry.

“The Exponent-enabled Altigreen neEV HD has an 8.19 kWh e^pack, a proprietary battery by Exponent. The vehicle delivers a city drive range of 80-85 km and charges fully in 15 minutes at Exponent’s e^pump network,” added Vinayak.

The customer deliveries of the Exponent-enabled vehicles will begin from October 2022, starting with Bengaluru. It aims to make rapid charging a reality for e-commercial vehicles on Indian roads.

The prices will be revealed soon.

The future looks swift

Building such a network requires funds, said Vinayak, where Exponent Energy’s Series A round becomes crucial. Days ago, the firm raised US$13 million, led by Lightspeed India.

The funding comes soon after the startup launched what it claims to be the world’s fastest-charging electric three-wheeler and received the backing of the family office of Pawan Munjal, Chairman and CEO of Indian two-wheeler honcho Hero MotoCorp. Existing institutional investors, YourNest VC, 3one4 Capital, and AdvantEdge VC, also participated in the Series A round. Interestingly, this is also Lightspeed India’s first investment in the domestic EV space.

Also Read: Indian EV makers need to improve the perception on quality: Ather Energy’s Tarun Mehta

Exponent will use the money to scale up the charging network to 100 points per city, besides streamlining battery pack production and delivering more exponent-enabled EVs. “We also target to deploy 2,000 Exponent-enabled electric three-wheelers along with 100 e^pumps in Bengaluru before expanding to other locations,” he noted.

The company generates revenues by selling battery packs to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the charging network. Apart from the monetisation logic of including the battery pack and charging infrastructure as a package deal, it also makes sense to do so from a technology perspective.

“Our technology already delivers a seamless charging experience. With our vehicle partnership in place, we will scale up our production and network presence to 100 e^pump location points per city to deliver freedom and flexibility to our customers,” concluded Vinayak.

Can Exponent Energy’s innovative charging technology start a revolution in the EV space?

As of June 18, 2023, Exponent Energy has successfully conducted comprehensive testing of its EV batteries in collaboration with TUV India, the Indian branch of TUV NORD Group. The testing reports reveal a mere 13 per cent battery degradation after 3,000 cycles of rapid 15-minute charging for Exponent’s innovative e^pack battery pack.

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