India heads the pack as an artificial intelligence leader, with 70 per cent of companies having AI projects up and running or in motion, according to a new report.

This is in stark contrast with the global average of 49 per cent. Additionally, the report found that 91 per cent of India-based companies will use half or more of their data to train AI models in 2024, finds the second annual Cloud Complexity Report released by NetApp.

“The world today is driven by AI, and data plays a critical role in enhancing AI capabilities,” said Puneet Gupta, Vice President and Managing Director at NetApp India/SAARC. “India is a country of humungous data sets. No surprise then, that India leads the world, and corporations are embracing the technology to further their IT agenda.”

Also Read: FPT, NVIDIA to build US$200M AI factory in Vietnam

The Cloud Complexity Report analyses the experiences of global technology decision-makers deploying AI at scale.

The report found a clear divide between artificial intelligence leaders and laggards across several areas, such as regions, industries, and company sizes. While 60 per cent of AI-leading countries such as India, Singapore, the UK, and the US have AI projects up and running or in the pilot, only 36 per cent are doing it in lagging countries (Spain, Australia/New Zealand, Germany, and Japan).

Technology leads with 70 per cent of AI projects up and running or in the pilot, while banking & financial services and manufacturing follow with 55 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively. However, healthcare (38 per cent) and media & entertainment (25 per cent) are trailing.

In terms of sizes, larger companies (with more than 250 employees) are more likely to have AI projects in motion, with 62 per cent reporting projects up and running or in the pilot, compared to 36 per cent of smaller companies (with fewer than 250 employees).

Globally, 67 per cent of companies in AI-leading countries report having hybrid IT environments, with India leading (70 per cent) and Japan lagging (24 per cent).

As much as 87 per cent of Indian companies have optimised IT environments for AI, and some lagging countries also have AI-ready IT environments: Germany (67 per cent) and Spain (59 per cent).

AI leaders are also more likely to report benefits from the technology, including a 50 per cent increase in production rates, 46 per cent in the automation of routine activities, and a 45 per cent improvement in customer experience.

The study further noted that despite the divide, there is notable progress among the laggards in preparing their IT environments for AI, but the window to catch up is closing rapidly.

A significant number of companies in AI-lagging countries (42 per cent) have optimised their IT environments for AI, including Germany (67 per cent) and Spain (59 per cent).

Also Read: Exploring the boundaries of AI: What AI can or cannot do?

Rising IT costs and ensuring data security are the two biggest challenges in the AI era, but they will not block AI progress. Instead, AI leaders will scale back, cut other IT operations, or reallocate costs from other parts of the business to fund AI initiatives. About 53 per cent of India-based companies reported being more likely to scale back or cut other parts of IT operations to make room for AI projects.

The study further revealed that 71 per cent of Indian enterprises feel cybersecurity is the biggest challenge for managing the increasing complexity of data across cloud or multi-cloud environments. This is followed by 52 per cent of tech leaders reporting increased scepticism over the cloud and 37 per cent worrying about going over budget.

The study, conducted by Savanta on behalf of NetApp, fielded 1,300 IT executives from key markets, including the US, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Australia/New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, and India.

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X marks Echelon. Join us at Singapore EXPO on May 15-16 for the 10th edition of Asia’s leading tech and startup conference. Enjoy 2 days of building connections with potential investors, partners, and customers, exploring innovation, and sharing insights with 8,000+ key decision-makers of Asia’s tech ecosystem. Get your tickets here.

Want more from your Echelon experience? Be an Echelon X sponsor or exhibitor. Send enquiry here.

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The world of work is undergoing a seismic shift. The rise of hybrid work models is a prime example. A recent survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans found that close to three-fourths (74 per cent) of employers now offer hybrid work arrangements.

This aligns perfectly with employee preferences, with a strong majority (68 per cent) preferring a hybrid model, versus 28 per cent wanting to work full-time from home and eight per cent preferring full-time on-site work, according to a World Economic Forum survey. This shift, coupled with globalisation and a growing emphasis on talent experience, is forcing companies to rethink their HR strategies.

Enter the vanguard of HR transformation companies — innovative players disrupting the traditional landscape and empowering businesses to thrive in the new era. From streamlined global hiring to AI-powered talent insights, these companies are equipping businesses with the tools they need to build winning teams and navigate the future of work.

A 2023 study by Gartner revealed that forty-six per cent of HR leaders cited HR technology as their top investment priority. This surge in investment highlights the growing importance of technology in streamlining HR processes, improving talent acquisition, and fostering a positive employee experience.

Next month, at Echelon X, there will be four major conference themes that the attendees will get to dive deep into: Agile Business Practices, Sustainability & Responsibility, Collaborative Ecosystems, and Fostering Creativity. HR transformation will also be one of the things that ecosystems are looking at. How are we going to make that difference? What best practices are out there? Most importantly, who are the people set to make a difference?

To prepare ourselves for the event, check out this list of nine transformative companies offering innovative HR solutions shaping the current talent management landscape.

Deel

Founded in 2019 by Alex Bouaziz and Shuo Wang, Deel is a comprehensive Global People Platform that simplifies international workforce management, covering culture, onboarding, payroll, and compliance. With industry-leading HR tools and compliance expertise, Deel enables companies to scale globally efficiently.

By offering a single platform for teams, Deel eliminates hiring and management barriers, facilitating seamless collaboration and access to new opportunities. Additionally, Deel is developing Deel AI, an in-house tool akin to a global employment assistant, offering insights on regulations in 150+ countries and providing company-specific data.

It raised US$50 million in a venture round at a US$12 billion valuation in May 2022, bringing its total funding to US$679 million.

Globalization Partner

Founded in 2012 with the goal of streamlining global business operations, Globalization Partners (G-P) became the first company to offer Employer of Record (EOR) services and defined the category with its industry-leading SaaS-based Global Growth Platform.

Led by CEO and Founder Nicole Sahin, the platform pairs the industry’s most compliant EOR solutions with best-in-class Payroll and HCM solutions, making it easy to hire and manage teams in 180+ countries without setting up entities.

In 2022, G-P secured a US$200 million investment, valuing the company at US$4.2 billion.

Also Read: Addressing real-world challenges: 8 AI companies transforming lives with innovative solutions

Jobstreet

Jobstreet, Singapore’s leading online job marketplace owned by SEEK, leverages Artificial Intelligence to connect job seekers and employers more efficiently. It offers access to over 100,000 tech jobs across various APAC markets.

To further enhance regional connectivity, SEEK recently unified its online marketplaces — SEEK, Jobstreet, and JobsDB — under one AI-powered platform. The platform employs AI to assess talent and provide personalised recommendations, analysing data from resumes, job ad descriptions, and employers’ past behaviours. This enables fast and accurate hiring decisions, with employers able to expedite the talent shortlisting process by incorporating AI-recommended screening questions in their job ads.

Peter Bithos, CEO of SEEK Asia said, “One unified platform means we can now offer our product to millions of people across Asia in an entirely new way so that our customers can find jobs and talent more easily.”

Employment Hero

Founded in 2014 by Ben Thompson and Dave Tong, Employment Hero has developed an all-in-one platform for seamless and compliant talent recruitment, onboarding, payment, and management. This empowers business owners and managers, allowing them to focus on business growth while ensuring peace of mind.

The Employment Hero super-app, ‘Swag’, serves as a real-time control centre for employees, offering efficient and intelligent management of their work and financial activities.  The company claims that over 300,000 businesses and 2 million employees are now using its products.

In October 2023, the company secured US$168 million in funding, bringing its total fundraising to over US$650 million to date.

Multiplier

Founded in 2020 by Sagar Khatri, Amritpal Singh and Vamsi Krishna, Multiplier is driven by the mission of connecting individuals with their ideal jobs, regardless of location.

With a presence across 150 countries, Multiplier empowers its clients to tap into global talent pools using its EOR technology and infrastructure so that clients can instead focus on scaling their businesses. The company’s proprietary technology simplifies the employment process by managing the complexities of local compliance, labour contracts, payroll, benefits and taxes.

Multiplier has secured US$60 million in Series B funding in March 2022.

Remote

Founded in 2019 by Job van der Voort (CEO) and Marcelo Lebre (President), Remote is a global HR platform designed to empower companies to build geographically distributed teams.

Their suite of solutions simplifies hiring, managing, and paying international teams. This includes services like HRIS, payroll, international employment, and contractor management, enabling companies to compete more effectively in the global economy. The company claims that as of November 2023, it offers contractor management services in over 160 countries and acts as an Employer of Record (EOR) in over 80 countries.

In April 2022, Remote secured US$300 million in Series C funding, reaching a valuation exceeding US$3 billion.

Bossjob

Founded in 2023 by Kiat How Quak and Anthony Garcia, Bossjob is a hiring platform designed to streamline communication between job seekers and employers. This chat-first, AI-powered platform aims to expedite the hiring process by enabling direct chat communication between candidates and potential employers.

Following early success in the Philippines market and securing US$5 million in venture funding, Bossjob expanded its operations in Q3 of 2023 with launches in Singapore and Malaysia, marking the beginning of its global expansion strategy.

Also Read: A horse of another: Here’s the complete list of Southeast Asia’s 30 unicorns

NodeFlair

Founded in 2018 by Adrian Goh and Ethan Ang, NodeFlair is a Singapore-based platform focused on career transparency for tech professionals. It provides verified career data, including salaries, company culture, and benefits, with the mission of empowering tech talent to make informed career decisions.

NodeFlair’s verified career data, including salary information corroborated by payslips, has positioned it as a valuable resource for tech professionals in Singapore, with over 20 per cent actively utilising the platform to inform their career decisions.

Darwinbox

Founded in 2015 by Chaitanya Peddi, Jayant Paleti, and Rohit Chennamaneni, Darwinbox is a cloud-based Human Capital Management (HCM) platform designed to automate HR processes, deliver data-driven insights, and improve the employee experience. Its AI and ML-powered suite offers a user-friendly, mobile-first experience for employees.

Darwinbox currently serves over 850 organisations and 2.2 million employees across 116+ countries. The company secured US$5 million in Series D funding in January 2023 at a valuation of US$1.42 billion.

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BillEase, a consumer finance and buy-now-pay-later app in the Philippines, has received US$5 million in credit facility from Saison Investment Management, the offshore lending arm of Japan’s Saison International.

This round expands BillEase’s existing Helicap-led credit facility to US$40 million, which already included participation from various investors, such as the Helicap Income Opportunities Fund, several institutional credit investors, and high-net-worth individuals.

Also Read: Helicap joins Filipino consumer lender BillEase’s cap table with US$20M debt facility

The funding will allow BillEase to grow its loan portfolio and launch credit products tailored to the needs of its over one million users.

“Coming off a year where we achieved profitability and doubled our revenues, we are extremely well-positioned to scale our consumer loan offerings and expand access to affordable financial services across the Philippines,” said Garret Go, CFO of BillEase.

BillEase leverages machine learning and AI to offer personal loans, e-wallet top-ups, prepaid load, gaming credits, bill payment, and a buy now, pay later (BNPL) service in partnership with over 10,000 merchants.

The fintech firm claims it achieved profitability in 2023, revenue doubled year-over-year and served over 800,000 customers.

“The Philippines is emerging as one of the fastest growing countries in Asia post-COVID, with a huge population that is rapidly digitising. With this as a backdrop, we hope to build our presence in the market, and play a catalytic role in enlarging Philippine’s digital financing ecosystem, to unlock greater economic opportunities for individuals and households,” said Kosuke Mori, CEO of Saison International.

“With 65 per cent of the population unbanked and more than 80 per cent of the country’s transactions still paid with cash, our partnership with BillEase through Helicap is driving financial inclusion by building a credit history for a large share of their customers and creating meaningful impact for a broader segment of the population in the Philippines,” said Claudia Rojas, Head of SIMPL.

Also Read: This e-credit card allows Filipinos to buy big-ticket items online with easy instalments

“We are thrilled to have SIMPL as an investor in BillEase,” said David Z Wang, Co-founder of Helicap, a Singapore-based fintech company. “Their investment underscores the immense potential of BillEase to drive financial inclusion and uplift underserved communities in the Philippines. With this additional capital, BillEase can accelerate its growth and bring affordable financial services to even more customers across the country. This partnership exemplifies our shared vision of leveraging technology to create economic opportunities.”

In September 2022, BillEase completed an up to US$20 million debt facility from Helicap Securities, bringing its total raised to US$55 million in debt and equity. This included the US$11-million Series B round led by BurdaPrincipal Investments earlier that year.

Previously, it raised US$20 million in secured debt from UK-based Lendable.

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X marks Echelon. Join us at Singapore EXPO on May 15-16 for the 10th edition of Asia’s leading tech and startup conference. Enjoy 2 days of building connections with potential investors, partners, and customers, exploring innovation, and sharing insights with 8,000+ key decision-makers of Asia’s tech ecosystem. Get your tickets here.

Want more from your Echelon experience? Be an Echelon X sponsor or exhibitor. Send enquiry here.

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East Ventures, a venture capital (VC) firm operating in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, recently unveiled its East Ventures Sustainability Report 2024. The report showcases the firm’s ongoing commitment to integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks throughout its operations and ecosystem. It highlights the firm’s strides in generating positive societal impacts while ensuring responsible business practices.

East Ventures has crafted policies that underpin its investment decisions, emphasising sustainable investments. It integrates ESG and impact management principles, serving as a guiding principle in fostering responsible investing practices and enhancing corporate governance within its portfolio companies.

In an email interview with e27, East Ventures Partner Melisa Irene explains the firm’s approach to ESG and how it is promoting it to its portfolio companies.

East Ventures’ investment strategy fosters positive impacts and mitigates ESG risks. Through its ‘Doing Good’ approach, the firm evaluates its investments’ potential positive environmental and societal outcomes using a Theory of Change framework. Simultaneously, the ‘Avoiding Harm’ aspect focuses on risk mitigation, incorporating ESG standards into the selection process and ensuring ongoing compliance with regulations and best practices.

Also Read: Former MD of Temasek Lifesciences Accelerator Sang Han joins East Ventures Korea

To understand the process, check out an edited excerpt of the conversation.

What particular challenges do you face in promoting ESG in your work? How do you tackle them?

ESG risks and opportunities cover broad topics, including greenhouse gas emissions, diversity and inclusion, and business ethics. Each topic adheres to various standards and frameworks that outline the highest level of ESG performance for companies. Aligning to all these standards and frameworks requires extensive effort and resources; hence, prioritisation is essential.

Our approach is tailored to the unique characteristics of our business and portfolio companies. We utilise a materiality-driven strategy, which means that by engaging collaboratively with our portfolio companies, we define the priority of ESG topics most relevant to respective companies’ verticals. This allows us to focus on the most critical ESG risks and opportunities rather than addressing them all indifferently.

Moreover, we also consider the maturity level of our portfolio companies when implementing ESG. We do not demand that our portfolio meet the full criteria of ESG immediately while disregarding the companies’ financial sustainability. The bottom line is that the company needs to comply with all relevant ESG regulations. Beyond compliance, we collaboratively develop an ESG and impact action plan with our portfolio companies, laying out immediate and long-term improvements. Consequently, ESG becomes not just a compliance exercise but a value-adding initiative that fosters company growth.

What steps do you take to promote sustainability in your portfolio companies?

Our investment team and ESG Specialists actively work with our portfolio companies to map out their ESG integration and maximise opportunities for sustainable growth and impact creation.

For example, we work with our portfolio company in the agriculture sector to identify their detailed ESG risks and opportunities for improvement. The project’s outputs include recommendations on aligning with sustainability best practices to minimize biodiversity risk and improvements in Environmental and social management practices.

Also Read: East Ventures launches US$30M fund to back Indonesian startups

Following the project, we worked with the company to develop a strategy to improve internal processes and address respective ESG risks better.

Let us get back to the basics: How is implementing sustainability good for businesses?

Sustainability is a long-term goal that can be achieved through ESG implementation. ESG elements are becoming more crucial in influencing global business and investment choices. This trend stems from the realisation that sustainability and responsibility are vital for mitigating risks and fostering opportunities, leading to enduring value creation.

As a venture capital firm, our role in shaping the future involves supporting innovative firms that drive positive change. By incorporating ESG criteria in our investment strategies, we aim to generate value for our investors, portfolio companies, and the broader society.

We proactively look for investment prospects in companies aligned with our ESG commitments. Our investment emphasises enterprises tackling local challenges, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness, and making a significant positive impact. Our sustainable investment approach is designed to build a portfolio with meaningful impact, contributing to long-term value.

What aspects do you wish to improve on in your sustainability journey?

We have been launching our annual Sustainability Report for the last three years. It helps us better understand our efforts and serves as an assessment of our operation and initiatives for long-term sustainability/ESG goals.

We have gained some insightful insights/findings that help us strategise our operation better, and they have been implemented in our operation recently. We believe that if we do well, we want to do good, too. So, we are looking to create more initiatives and collaborate more with the relevant stakeholders to further create impacts and promote sustainability.

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

What is your big agenda regarding sustainability this year?

We are dedicated to continuously enhancing our sustainability initiatives and upholding our principles and pledges. From an investment perspective, we will continue making investments that align with our ESG commitments.

Moreover, we remain committed to creating and supporting this space’s initiatives; for instance, we have again launched the Climate Impact Innovations Challenge with Temasek Foundation to empower climate-tech solutions in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

We also launched a free web-based emission calculator for companies in Southeast Asia called ECOVISEA.

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Image Credit: East Ventures

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Not till long ago, ‘growth at any cost’ was the mantra in the startup world. Investors pushed their portfolio companies to acquire customers and grow the business at any cost. This prompted startups to splurge money with no clear goal to build a profitable and sustainable business. This strategy worked well when funding was a glut. 

However, a slowing global economy and the ongoing funding winter turned things around. Investors have now become more cautious and have realised that growth at any cost is unsustainable, making fundraising more challenging for startups. Investing in scalable and sustainable businesses has become the new buzzword.

Growth and scalability: similar but not the same

Although ‘growth’ and ‘scalability’ are two business jargon used to refer to an organisation’s overall development, few understand the differences. 

Scalability refers to the ability of a system, process, or organisation to handle increasing amounts of work or expansion without sacrificing performance, quality, or efficiency. It typically involves designing for flexibility, redundancy, and efficiency to ensure that resources can be added or adjusted as needed without significant disruption.

Growth, on the other hand, refers to the increase in size, revenue, market share, or any other metric of a business, product, or organisation over time. Growth can be organic, where it occurs naturally through increased demand or market penetration, or it can be stimulated through strategies such as marketing, acquisitions, or partnerships.

Let me give you an example- one of our portfolio companies, Goofy Tails, sells pet food. When we first invested in this firm, dog food formed the bulk of its sales (90 per cent). In one of our mentoring sessions with the founders, we learnt that the cat food market is big in a market like India, and we helped the company scale into this category with the right marketing strategy. 

This led to Goofy Tails’s cat food sales growth, leading to an increase in the startup’s total revenue, and currently, this category accounts for 30 per cent of the sales. This is an example of scaling.  Goofy Tails also plans to enter a new geography with the new products. This is growth. 

Also Read: Critical considerations: Address these 5 questions before scaling your tech startup

Another example is Healthfab, a firm that provides innovative and affordable health and hygiene solutions. They achieved scale by increasing production efficiency and using economies of scale to reduce cost. They scaled revenue six times in a short period and set up their own factory in Bangalore, India to reduce the costs further.

There are quite a few tools in the market to help with business scaling, but sadly, most founders don’t leverage them to their advantage. Using tools like chatbots to engage customers on your platform can be one simple way. This technique could nudge customers to return or buy more.

Risks associated with scaling, correcting bias with mentorship

A common mistake many founders make is investing a lot of money to scale and grow the business, assuming they can raise money to sustain it shortly. This stems from the belief that unit economic and profitability metrics are not crucial in the early stages and that priority should be given to scale and grow fast.

We believe this may not be an optimum strategy. We must understand that scaling and growing should be sustainable. Founders need to tread a fine line by spending wisely and controlling the cash burn. Of course, this results in slower scaling, but it is definitely sustainable. As the business scales, it is hard for founders to stay focused on innovation. ‘Sharing the experiences’ can be one way to tackle this challenge. This keeps founders motivated and stay focused on the core things.

Sometimes, founders fall into a confirmation bias trap and believe whatever they do is right and good for the business. This narrow mindset often hinders the ability to scale intelligently. Here is where an experienced mentor comes in handy. A mentor with a different and objective mindset could offer alternative and out-of-the-box solutions to their problems and help them scale faster and with less cash burn. 

A classic example is Unirec, one of India’s pioneering sustainable fashion brands. It partnered with Netflix to obtain the official rights to produce merchandise for the recently released Bollywood movie ‘The Archies’. They benefited from mentor support, which was instrumental in helping structure this collaboration.

Also Read: Powering startups: 10 cutting-edge digital marketing strategies for rapid growth

We understand that scaling a startup can be a daunting task, requiring expertise and experience that founders may lack. We believe there are five growth engines to help startups accelerate business growth while aiding them in overcoming any strategic or operational challenges that they may face. These Growth Engines, led by industry experts, comprise five pillars, including BeyondMarketing, BeyondDistribution, BeyondServices, BeyondCapital and BeyondPeople.

Collaboration is crucial

Bringing together two or more companies with complementary products is also another great way to scale faster for both. 

An example is a recent collaboration between multiple startups in the pet-care space. Companies like Urban Animal and GoofyTails partnered with Dog-O-Bow to offer their products on the Dog-O-Bow platform. Simultaneously, MyPetzOPD, a mobile veterinary care startup, established a satellite centre at DogNation. Such opportunities to collaborate often come in places where we would least expect them. 

In a nutshell, collaboration helps companies to scale quickly and easily. However, collaborations occur only when founders know each other well and work together productively. 

No more blind expansion

With the free flow of capital becoming a thing of the past, venture capitalists and other types of startup investors have started prioritising sustainability and scalability. Companies that can handle increased demand without compromising quality or burning through cash are the new targets for them.  

Having said that, sustainable scaling requires prudent financial management and ongoing innovation. Collaboration, mentorship, and leveraging tools for engagement are vital in navigating the complex journey of startup scaling. Sharing best practices within ecosystems and having experienced mentors can help founders navigate challenges and achieve sustainable growth. By focusing on scalability, startups can navigate the current economic climate and position themselves for long-term success.

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In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into wealth management strategies is poised to reshape investment paradigms. This transformation is further amplified by the rise of tokenised funding, leveraging blockchain technology to democratise access to investment opportunities.

This article explores the intersection of ESG principles with tokenisation, examining its implications for the future of finance.

Introduction

The concept of ESG integration in finance refers to the incorporation of Environmental, Social, and Governance considerations into investment decision-making processes. This approach aims to promote sustainable practices and ethical principles within the financial industry.

Concurrently, tokenised funding involves representing ownership of assets or securities through digital tokens on blockchain platforms. The convergence of ESG integration with tokenised funding is pivotal, as it fosters transparency, efficiency, and ethical governance in financial transactions.

The significance of tokenised funding lies in its ability to democratise access to investment opportunities, enhance liquidity, and automate processes. By combining tokenisation with ESG principles, the financial sector can align investments with societal and environmental objectives, driving positive change and innovation.

Understanding ESG Factors in Finance

ESG factors encompass a spectrum of considerations that evaluate the sustainability and societal impact of investments. Environmental factors assess a company’s ecological footprint, resource usage, and environmental impact mitigation strategies.

Social factors evaluate its impact on communities, labour practices, diversity, and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Governance factors examine the organisation’s leadership structure, ethical guidelines, regulatory compliance, and transparency in decision-making processes.

Tokenisation in finance

Tokenisation in finance refers to the process of representing assets, securities, or rights as digital tokens on a blockchain. This technology enables fractional ownership, facilitates peer-to-peer transactions, enhances liquidity, and reduces transaction costs. Tokenisation democratises investment opportunities by enabling retail investors to participate in asset ownership traditionally reserved for institutional investors.

Also Read: AC Ventures: Investors put more focus on ESG, but Indonesian startups seem “well-positioned” for this shift

The concept of tokenisation extends beyond traditional financial assets to encompass a wide range of assets, including real estate, artwork, intellectual property, and commodities. Each asset is represented by a unique digital token, providing verifiable ownership and enabling efficient transfer of value on decentralised platforms.

Benefits and advantages

Tokenisation offers several benefits and advantages over traditional finance models:

• Liquidity: Tokenisation enhances asset liquidity by enabling fractional ownership and facilitating secondary market trading of digital tokens.
• Accessibility: Tokenised assets are accessible to a broader range of investors, including retail investors, who can participate in previously inaccessible markets.
• Efficiency: Blockchain-based tokenisation reduces administrative overheads, automates transaction processes, and eliminates intermediaries, thereby reducing costs and improving efficiency.
• Transparency: Blockchain technology provides immutable and transparent records of asset ownership, transaction history, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Global reach: Tokenisation enables cross-border transactions, allowing investors to access international markets without geographical limitations.

In summary, tokenisation in finance leverages blockchain technology to transform traditional assets into digital tokens, offering enhanced liquidity, accessibility, efficiency, and transparency in financial markets. When integrated with ESG principles, tokenised funding promotes responsible investing, aligning financial objectives with environmental, social, and governance considerations.

The emergence of ESG integration in tokenised funding

The integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations into tokenised funding is reshaping traditional investment strategies and paving the way for sustainable finance initiatives. This emergence brings about significant impacts on investment strategies and opens doors to opportunities for sustainable financial practices.

• Impact on traditional investment strategies: ESG integration challenges traditional investment strategies by emphasising long-term sustainability over short-term gains. It encourages investors to assess risks and opportunities through an ESG lens, considering factors beyond financial returns alone. This shift requires a paradigm change in investment decision-making, prioritising societal impact and environmental stewardship alongside profitability.
• Opportunities for sustainable finance: ESG integration in tokenised funding unlocks opportunities for sustainable finance, aligning investments with global sustainability goals and stakeholder values. It encourages the allocation of capital towards environmentally friendly projects, socially responsible enterprises, and well-governed businesses. By fostering sustainable finance, ESG integration promotes positive societal outcomes while generating financial returns.

The emergence of ESG integration in tokenised funding signals a fundamental transformation in the financial industry, promoting responsible investing and sustainable economic development.

Challenges and limitations

The integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into tokenised funding presents unique challenges and limitations that must be addressed to realise its full potential in shaping the future of finance.

• Data privacy and security concerns: One of the primary challenges facing ESG-integrated tokenised funding is data privacy and security. Blockchain technology, while offering transparency and immutability, also raises concerns about data confidentiality and protection. Tokenised platforms handle sensitive investor information and transactional data, necessitating robust measures to safeguard against unauthorised access, data breaches, and privacy violations. Addressing these concerns requires the development of secure protocols, encryption techniques, and compliance frameworks to uphold data integrity and protect stakeholders’ privacy rights.
• Scalability issues: Scalability poses another significant challenge for ESG-integrated tokenised funding platforms. As adoption increases and transaction volumes rise, blockchain networks may face scalability limitations, resulting in congestion, slower transaction processing times, and increased costs. Overcoming scalability challenges requires innovations in blockchain infrastructure, such as layer 2 solutions (e.g., sidechains, state channels) and consensus mechanisms (e.g., proof-of-stake), to improve network throughput, enhance scalability, and reduce environmental impact. Implementing scalable solutions will ensure the efficiency and sustainability of ESG-integrated tokenised funding ecosystems.

Also Read: For startups, embracing ESG focus is a sure-fire way to secure corporate success

Addressing these challenges is critical to fostering trust, transparency, and resilience in ESG-integrated tokenised funding. By mitigating data privacy risks and enhancing scalability, financial institutions, regulators, and technology providers can accelerate the adoption of sustainable finance practices and drive positive societal impact through tokenised funding platforms.

Role of financial institutions and investors

Financial institutions and investors play pivotal roles in advancing ESG integration within tokenised funding, contributing to sustainable finance practices and responsible investment strategies.

• Shifting investment paradigms: Financial institutions are instrumental in driving a paradigm shift towards sustainable investing. They allocate capital towards ESG-aligned projects and assets, emphasising long-term value creation and risk management. By integrating ESG considerations into investment decision-making processes, financial institutions contribute to the development of ethical finance practices and promote societal impact alongside financial returns. This shift reflects evolving consumer preferences, regulatory pressures, and stakeholder expectations for responsible governance and environmental stewardship.
• Importance of ethical finance: Investors increasingly prioritise ethical finance practices that align with ESG principles. Financial institutions facilitate ethical finance by offering ESG-focused investment products, engaging in shareholder activism, and advocating for transparent disclosures. Ethical finance encompasses responsible investment decision-making guided by ESG considerations, ethical guidelines, and stakeholder engagement. Financial institutions’ commitment to ethical finance fosters trust, accountability, and sustainability within the financial ecosystem, driving positive change and contributing to the achievement of global sustainability goals.

Financial institutions and investors collaborate to promote ESG integration within tokenised funding platforms, leveraging their influence and resources to advocate for sustainable finance initiatives and ethical governance practices. By championing ESG integration, financial institutions and investors catalyse the transition towards a more inclusive, transparent, and resilient financial system.

Future trends and predictions

The future of finance, shaped by the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors in tokenised funding, is poised for significant evolution and mainstream adoption.

Key trends and predictions include the evolution of ESG criteria and the mainstream adoption of tokenised finance:

• Evolution of ESG criteria: ESG criteria are expected to evolve beyond traditional metrics to encompass more comprehensive and standardised frameworks. Future trends may include the incorporation of new data sources, such as satellite imagery for environmental impact assessments, and the development of quantitative models to measure social impact. Enhanced ESG criteria will enable more accurate risk assessments and facilitate informed investment decisions aligned with sustainable development goals.
• Mainstream adoption of tokenised finance: Tokenised finance is anticipated to gain mainstream acceptance across various asset classes and industries. The adoption of blockchain technology and smart contracts will streamline capital markets, enhance liquidity, and democratise access to investment opportunities. As regulatory frameworks mature and investor confidence grows, tokenised finance will become an integral part of the global financial ecosystem, enabling efficient and transparent capital allocation.

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Indian fintech infrastructure platform Decentro expanded into Southeast Asia in March 2023 by launching its Ledgers module in Singapore. With Asia-Pacific being a hotbed for digital banking solutions. Decentro aims to double its regional business growth by the end of 2024, tapping into the substantial market demand for new-age financial solutions.

In this interview with e27, Decentro’s founder discusses the company’s products, plans in Southeast Asia, and upcoming funding round.

Excerpts:

What are the key features and functionalities of Decentro’s products, Flow and Fabric, and how do they help businesses streamline their financial operations?

Decentro’s Flow product consists of a variety of modules ranging from:

UPI (an instant payment system in India) and bank-to-bank collections: Static QR capability, combined with collections like collect request, intent flow, QR and payment link across India and 12-plus large currencies across the globe.

Recurring payments: eNACH (a method of electronically collecting payments from a customer’s bank account) and UPI autopay capabilities with configurable frequencies and amounts.

Also Read: AI in fintech: Boosting your revenue by utilising top 5 CEO’s choices

Instant and global payouts: Instant payouts are compatible with UPI, IMPS, NEFT, RTGS, SWIFT, ACH and more protocols, with 5-plus supporting bank integrations in the backend.

Multi-currency escrow accounts: A multi-bank escrow facility is available for secure & simple money flow across India & globally.

Our Fabric product is the plug-and-play onboarding and validation module for consumers and businesses. It helps companies verify individuals and businesses by fetching and verifying data from government sources like the CKYC repository, UIDAI, Digilocker, etc.

Could you provide more insight into Decentro’s journey since its founding in 2020?

Over the past three years, Decentro has empowered fintech players across varied sectors, including banks, consumer platforms, non-banking financial firms (NBFCs), loan service providers (LSPs), B2C & B2B commerce, and neobanks. We now have over six live bank partners and five NBFC partners.

Since the launch, we have signed up 800-plus companies (mid and large-sized), and our ARR has grown 5-8x annually. Our client base has contributed to a US$3 billion annual payment volume processed through our platform.

We grew by 30x in monthly API transactions and 4x in live customers in FY 2023-24.

Can you discuss the significance of Decentro’s recent launch of the ledgers module and its strategic expansion into Singapore, particularly in enhancing customer loyalty programmes for brands like OwnDays?

Our Ledgers module is specifically designed to streamline financial operations, such as managing transactions and balances more efficiently, which is crucial for brands focusing on customer loyalty programmes.

It offers the following features:

Real-time reconciliation: The Ledgers API offers real-time reconciliation, keeping financial data current, especially crucial for high-volume transactions.

Data tallying: Automation minimises human errors in data entry and cross-referencing, enhancing record accuracy in a large organisation.

Customisable records system: Our Ledgers module is versatile and caters to multiple use cases, including loyalty programme management, general ledger maintenance, reward points reconciliation, and multi-currency treasury management.

What opportunities and challenges do you foresee in enhancing customer engagement strategies through fintech solutions, especially in the retail sector across Asia Pacific?

The new-age use cases and companies need cloud-first and scalable tech solutions that cater to their end-to-end needs. The offerings at Decentro should cater to precisely that while keeping empathy toward our customers (companies) in mind.

By introducing full-stack experiences in addition to our existing offerings, we have taken a step closer to being the one-stop shop for all your payments and banking needs.

We also recognise the need for these solutions to be easy to deploy and consume, so we need to iterate our product catalogue to make it more developer-friendly continuously. We are deploying SDKs and ready-made UI solutions over the existing easy-to-use, plug-and-play APIs, making it 2X simpler for companies to integrate and go live.

We understand the need for transparency and support in our domain, and hence, we have dedicated support teams that handle upcoming fixes, underlying iterations, and automatic updates without breaking flow. Finally, operating in regulated markets, our offerings should follow the highest degree of compliance, taking a solid compliance load off our customers’ shoulders.

How does Decentro leverage its strategic partnerships and technological expertise to bolster its presence in India, Singapore, and other pivotal regions?

Decentro’s approach centres on collaborating with local and international financial institutions, such as banks and lenders, which enhances our platform’s capabilities and expands our reach.

On the technology side, our focus is on:

Increasing our ability to scale & helping our customers scale. Currently, we can process around 120 transactions per second without the need to touch anything in our infrastructure.

Also Read: Southeast Asia’s fintech funding plunges by 44 per cent in Q1 2024 amid dynamic ecosystem

Handling and supporting new payment protocols evolving across the regions and countries in APAC. For example, UPI for cross border/UPI locally and in other countries.

Simplifying the APIs that we have to plug & play SDKs and UI kits so that our customers can integrate and go live in a matter of days/hours instead of 1-2 weeks.

Furthermore, we actively engage with local regulatory bodies to ensure full compliance and foster user trust. This regulatory alignment is crucial for smooth operations and expansion in international markets.

How much capital has the company raised so far? Do you plan to raise additional capital soon?

Decentro has raised US$6.3 million from investors, including YCombinator, Uncorrelated Ventures, Rapyd, Soma Capital, Plug and Play, and angel investors such as Kunal Shah and Beerud Sheth.

We will plan to raise additional capital shortly. This next round of funding will be aimed at accelerating our growth with investments across business, marketing, and engineering.

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The post How fintech infra firm Decentro leverages collaborations to capture SEA market appeared first on e27.

According to the new Singapore Early-Stage Emerging Tech Startups 2023 landscape report released by SGInnovate, in 2023, Singapore’s early-stage emerging tech startup ecosystem experienced a significant surge in funding, reaching pre-2021 levels, driven primarily by increased investment in the Agrifood and Sustainability sectors.

Total funding for these startups rose to US$402 million, marking a 59 per cent year-on-year increase from US$253 million in 2022. This growth was further underscored by a 1.5x rise in seed-stage deals, signalling a broader shift towards early-stage investment activities and indicating a growing appetite for emerging tech ventures within the ecosystem as it matures.

However, despite the robust funding landscape, the number of emerging tech startups incorporated in 2023 across the four domains declined compared to the previous year. Only 25 startups were incorporated in 2023, compared to 35 in 2022. This dip reflects ongoing macroeconomic uncertainties that may have led to deferred incorporations.

Nevertheless, it is anticipated that the number of incorporations for 2023 may be higher once all data is accounted for. Yet, the observed trend suggests a cautious approach among startups amidst prevailing economic uncertainties.

“The growth we have observed in Seed-stage emerging tech funding is a positive sign that may help spur the incorporation of startups in future. Beyond funding, a key area where young emerging tech startups could benefit from support is in commercialisation, where dedicated guidance on developing products that can be commercialised will help accelerate time to market,” says Kellie Chan, Assistant Director – Investments, SGInnovate, in an email to e27.

Also Read: The future of finance: ESG integration in tokenised funding

“The incorporation of new emerging tech startups is not immune to the influence of macroeconomic conditions. As such, the persistence of current uncertainties will naturally lead entrepreneurs to exercise caution about launching new ventures due to market conditions and funding access concerns. Global political shifts in 2024 may also see changes in governmental priorities and policymaking, which could spark renewed interest in certain sectors—leading to growth in startup activity and funding in those areas.”

Funding and incorporations in agrifood and sustainability

According to the report, the Advanced Manufacturing sector has faced a consistent decline in new company incorporations since 2020 despite the sector’s robust research output. Challenges such as commercialisation hurdles and talent availability issues highlight emerging gaps in support for startups in this domain.

In contrast, the Agrifood and Sustainability sectors have demonstrated strong performance in funding and incorporations in 2023, likely propelled by public and private sector initiatives. Agrifood startups secured 13 deals, while Sustainability startups closed 16, indicating a positive trajectory.

Sustainability is the only vertical to witness year-on-year increases in funding events and funding amounts since 2021, with average Seed round sizes nearly quadrupling between 2022 and 2023.

Although the Agrifood sector has seen a slight year-on-year dip in incorporations, the industry has consistently generated new companies over the long term. Notably, most of these startups have focused on alternative proteins or related technologies, underscoring the vibrancy of Singapore’s alternative foods space.

Also Read: Southeast Asia’s fintech funding plunges by 44 per cent in Q1 2024 amid dynamic ecosystem

Despite seven undisclosed funding rounds suggesting higher overall funding in 2023, the amount raised in the Agrifood sector is likely greater than the reported total of US$9.92 million. This data reflects a promising outlook for the Agrifood and Sustainability sectors, showcasing their resilience and growth potential within the Singaporean startup ecosystem.

In the end, the report stated that sustained high-interest rates may have deterred investors from deploying capital in 2023, instead allocating funds to higher-yield alternatives that carried lower risk, such as government bonds.

However, forecasted rate cuts in 2024 are expected to boost private market investments, with a renewed interest in emerging technologies.

“While challenges such as political uncertainty will continue to weigh on investment considerations globally, we are optimistic about startups addressing long-term concerns supported by policy initiatives in Singapore,” said Hsien-Hui Tong, Executive Director – Investments, SGInnovate, in a press statement.

“These include technologies in areas such as remote patient monitoring and stem cell therapy, which may provide solutions to enhance the care of Singapore’s ageing population or technologies that will aid Singapore’s continued efforts in decarbonisation, including battery recycling and sustainable materials production.”

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Image Credit: 123RF

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Puffverse, an interactive and immersive 3D universe with NFT characters, has secured a US$3 million funding round led by Animoca Brands.

Sky Mavis, Arcane Group, Spartan Group, Foresight Ventures, HashKey Capital, and Xu Family Office also joined the round.

Hong Kong-based Puffverse will use the capital to develop its flagship party game, PuffGo, and the creation of a cloud gaming platform enabling NFT projects to build personalised metaverses using the company’s engine, all without requiring coding skills.

Also Read: How BuildBear Labs makes Web3 space more accessible, secure for developers

Additionally, Puffverse announced a partnership with Sky Mavis to bring the entire Puffverse portfolio to Ronin, the EVM blockchain forged for gaming.

Puffverse is a multi-end universe that blends Web2 and Web3 gaming experiences with diverse characters and whimsical avatars, each with unique personalities, appearances, and abilities. Users can collect unique characters with different costumes, skills, and bonuses tailored for individual gameplay experiences and utilise them in-game and across the ecosystem for gameplay, earning, or life simulation experiences.

PuffGo is a multiplayer royale party game that allows skill-based playing and earning opportunities. The game features various level themes and gameplay modes, offering solo and multiplayer matchups.

PuffGo offers UGC (user-generated content) features, enabling users to craft their game maps and empowering them to craft entire personalised metaverses in the future.

Additionally, Puffverse’s upcoming AIGC (artificial intelligence-generated content) functionality will allow users to direct the AI tools through text commands to create maps, levels, gameplay, or even their own metaverse.

More products are in the offing, including PuffTown, PuffLand, and PuffWorld. Slated for release later this year, Puffverse will launch its ecosystem token and exclusive NFT collection on Ronin.

Also Read: Is Web3 just another ‘hype’ or will it unlock a multi-trillion dollar opportunity in fintech?

Yat Siu, co-founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, said: “Puffverse has enjoyed a strong year with the launch of Puff Football NFTs and IGO Points in PuffGo. The Ronin chain is emerging as one of the premier chains for gaming, and is a good choice to take Puffverse to the next level.”

Puffverse Co-Founder and COO Lya L added: “Moving Puffverse to the Ronin blockchain was a strategic decision rooted in our commitment to making our 3D universe more accessible to both Web2 and Web3 users. Our Puff characters’ compatibility with the beloved Axie community makes this migration a natural fit.”

“Party games, with their quick gameplay loops and dynamic social features could be a very good fit for elevation via web3 mechanics. The Puffverse team also understands the East Asia and China market, which we believe is ripe for Ronin to expand into,” stated Sky Mavis CEO and co-founder CEO Trung Nguyen.

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The post Animoca Brands, Sky Mavis join Puffverse’s US$3M funding round appeared first on e27.

On March 19th, 2024, headlines across online media in Singapore announced an agreement between telecommunications company Huawei and eVE, a subsidiary of Singapore’s Land Transport Authority, to launch ultra-fast electric vehicle chargers in the country by the end of 2024. Under the terms of the partnership, Huawei will introduce an ultra-fast 480 kilowatt (KW) charger, 300 KW more than the incumbent EV chargers, with the first station expected to be operational by late 2024.

Huawei claims its ultra-fast charger can fully charge an electric vehicle in 30 minutes. However, this claim is puzzling given that existing 180 KW direct current fast chargers provided by major operators in Singapore’s electric vehicle charging market can already charge most electric vehicles to 80% battery capacity within 30 minutes.

For a revolutionary charger like Huawei’s 480-kilowatt model, one would expect charging times to be significantly faster than existing technologies. A charger with nearly three times the power capacity should plausibly be capable of fully charging an average electric vehicle in under 10 minutes. This raises questions about Singapore’s readiness for next-generation ultra-fast charging infrastructure and the real-world performance potential of Huawei’s announced technology.

Disclaimer: TRIVE is an investor of Charge+, one of the largest operators of EV Chargers in Singapore. The writer is also a member of the board of Charge+. Opinions and analysis are drawn from mosaic theory based on external research sources and conversations with people in the EV charging industry.

Types of EV chargers available

For the uninitiated, there are two primary classes of electric vehicle chargers available in Singapore: Level 2 Alternating Current (AC) chargers and Level 3 Direct Current (DC) fast chargers.

The vast majority of electric vehicle charging stations in Singapore are Level 2 AC chargers, also referred to as slow chargers, which have power capacities of 7 KW, 11 KW, and 22 KW. These AC chargers typically require 4–8 hours to fully charge an electric vehicle’s battery.

Also Read: Will climate change force us to re-imagine travel in the future?

A growing subset includes Level 3 DC fast chargers, which are increasing in number. Their power capacities range from 50 KW to as high as 180 KW, located primarily at petrol stations. These DC fast chargers can charge an electric vehicle’s battery to 80 per cent capacity in approximately 30 minutes, even for the 50 kW DC charging speeds.

Charging speed is limited by the size of the EV and the EV onboard chargers

According to a news report on Oct 23, BYD, BMW, Mercedes and Tesla sold the most EVs in Singapore in the first nine months of 2023.

Looking at the models that they sell, the battery capacities of these models reveal a capacity range of 60 KWh to 101 KWh.

That means if you have a 60 KWh battery using a 60 KW DC charger, theoretically, you require 1 hour to get a full charge. However, it will likely take longer if you have a larger battery, say 100 KWh, and the DC charger is limited to charging at 60 KW.

I understand now there is an additional factor to consider — the EV’s on-board charger specification. BYD’s e6 model allows a maximum of 60 KW as regulated by its onboard charger, even though the battery has a capacity of 71 KW. This means even with a high-end DC charger of 180 KW (which is available in some locations in Singapore), BYD limits the inflow to 60 KWh, which means one would not benefit from the full 180 KW DC charging capabilities of the EV charger.

Having then 480 KW might just be a form of overkill at this stage, as even the top EV European marques are limited to an onboard charging speed of 120 KW. Will technology improve down the road for breakthroughs in onboard charging technology to match the DC charging speed?

According to a science article I read, and I quote  — “There are a lot of innovations on the electrochemistry side that are still in the laboratory,” says Christopher Rahn, who co-directs the Battery and Energy Storage Technology Center at Penn State University. “They may be more expensive [and] maybe require different manufacturing processes. They’re not necessarily ready to be rolled out on a massive scale, but certainly, lots of researchers have some exciting results.”

It is my understanding that it is still premature to have an Ultra-fast DC charger when complementary technologies like battery absorption speeds have not caught up.

Cost of installation and ability to take ultra-fast DC chargers in the network

As previously mentioned, the majority of electric vehicle (EV) chargers in Singapore are Level 2 AC chargers, also known as slow chargers, with power ratings of 7, 11, and 22 kilowatts (kW). These AC EV chargers typically require 4–8 hours to fully charge an EV.

Also Read: Beyond buzzwords: How climate tech startups can create an impact in green recovery

There are two main reasons why more Level 2 AC chargers exist in Singapore. First, AC chargers have lower installation costs compared to direct current (DC) fast chargers due to the less expensive hardware required to deliver EV charging.

Second, energy capacity is a consideration. DC fast chargers consume significantly more energy during charging, which many buildings in Singapore lack the electrical infrastructure to support. For example, government HDB residential car parks typically only have infrastructure to power amenities like lighting and elevators. Installing DC fast chargers may require upgrading the electrical grid servicing these locations.

DC chargers draw substantial energy from the building grid

Therefore, DC fast chargers are commonly found in commercial and industrial facilities with larger electrical systems capable of accommodating high-power loads. Ultra-fast DC chargers rated at 480 kW would be unrealistic for most buildings, as they require dedicated sites with sufficient electricity supply, according to the report on ultra-fast charging.

Social trade-offs with an ultra-fast DC charger

Singapore currently benefits from a stable electricity grid. However, as a resource-constrained nation, accommodating increasing energy demands presents challenges.

Research indicates the average Singapore household consumes approximately 2.3 KW during peak periods. An ultra-fast EV charger drawing 480 KW at maximum rate equals the power used by 208 homes. With an estimated 1.4 million households in Singapore, 7,000 such chargers could match overall residential consumption.

Policymakers face the delicate task of equitably allocating limited energy supplies among competing needs. Strategic planning must balance supporting electric transportation while maintaining grid reliability and affordable access for all consumers. Careful management of infrastructure expansion and demand surge mitigation will be crucial to a sustainable, inclusive energy transition.

Nice to have, but maybe not too many

It is always exciting to hear science doing leaps and bounds, like having an ultra-fast DC charger providing a full charge to an EV in minutes. But going beyond the scientific, there are realities to face in economics and scarcity of resources. Perhaps it is best to consider the ultra-fast DC charger as a dream for now rather than an expectation of it to be the norm.

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This article was edited by Hypotenuse.ai, and ideas were expanded by ChatGPT4.

This article first appeared on TRIVE’s blog.

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

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

Image credit: ChatGPT 4 and Dall+

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