A passionate golfer, David Wong often found himself struggling to find available golfing companions whenever he had the time to play. This is because the game demands a significant time commitment—approximately 8-9 hours, including travel, preparation, and post-game activities. This proved challenging for many.

Coordinating with fellow busy professionals, who often had conflicting schedules, was nearly impossible. This frustration led Wong to conceive Deemples, an innovative solution akin to the Uber model, where one doesn’t need to know the driver personally but can rely on the availability of many.

Also Read: Malaysian golf course booking platform Deemples nets US$2M from V Ventures

Based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Deemples was envisioned as the “Uber for golfers,” facilitating connections among golfers to ensure that a game could always be arranged regardless of individual schedules.

The name “Deemples” is a clever play on the word “dimples.”

“In the world of golf, dimples on a golf ball are essential for its flight; without them, the ball wouldn’t travel as it should due to aerodynamic principles. Much like these dimples vital for the ball’s flight, Deemples aims to bring together the necessary “dimples”—golfers—so that the game can take off smoothly,” Wong tells e27.

The company was founded in 2017 by Wong, who comes with extensive experience in sales and management within the advertising industry, and Ahmad Daleen (CTO), a self-taught full-stack developer with keen business acumen who previously founded and exited FoodTime to Fave.

A seamless experience for golfers

The Deemples platform is a comprehensive ecosystem for golfers. Users can browse through a vast array of available golf games, join games, interact with fellow golfers, make payments, and leave reviews for both the courses and other players.

For those who don’t find a suitable game, the platform allows them to create their own, attracting other golfers to join. According to Wong, this marketplace model, where Deemples takes a small fee from golf courses for every successful transaction, has been highly effective.

Deemples recently secured US$2 million in funding from Singaporean VC firm V Ventures to expand its presence across Southeast Asia, targeting major golfing markets like Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

“Understanding the unique golfing cultures and nuances of each market is crucial for our success. To facilitate this, we plan to allocate significant marketing resources and establish strong local teams in each new market,” he adds.

The investment will also be strategically used to enhance marketing efforts, product upgrades, and overall user experience. Deemples aims to enrich the golfing experience through technological innovations, such as more efficient user interfaces and advanced matchmaking algorithms, ensuring golfers can connect and book games with greater ease.

Building community and expanding partnerships

Engaging with the golfing community and attracting new users is at the core of Deemples’s strategy. Upcoming outreach programmes, golf events, referral schemes, and partnerships with numerous golf courses will play a pivotal role.

“The platform has already seen a surge in new golfers, thanks to golf coaches offering lessons through Deemples. This inclusive approach makes golf more accessible, allowing novices to book affordable lessons easily,” Wong continues.

Also Read: FC Barcelona looks to score big in Asia’s sports-tech arena through its innovation hub

Partnerships with golf courses are fundamental to Deemples’s operations. These collaborations provide golf courses with a consistent sales channel, securing payments upfront and reducing risks associated with last-minute cancellations. Integrating Deemples’s digital capabilities into golf courses’ websites enhances their reach and revenue without requiring separate management systems.

Since its establishment seven years ago, Deemples claims to have demonstrated remarkable growth. Initially functioning solely as a matchmaking service for golfers, the platform expanded in 2020 to include partnerships with golf courses, allowing them to post available tee times.

This integration has led to a doubling of transaction values each year since 2020, reflecting the platform’s growing influence and success, he reveals.

Transformative impact on golf courses

According to the CEO, Deemples has had a profound positive impact on golf courses in Malaysia. By enabling easy and immediate bookings, the platform has significantly boosted revenue and player engagement.

“Some partner golf courses have reported up to 40 per cent of their total sales being generated through our platform. Our technology and growth strategy continue to provide exciting golfing experiences, creative marketing campaigns, and effective monetization of unsold inventories, ensuring a win-win situation for both golfers and golf courses,” he boasts.

In essence, Deemples aims to transform how golf is played and enjoyed. With its innovative approach, the startup is set to make golfing more accessible and enjoyable for enthusiasts across Southeast Asia and beyond.

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Image Credit: Deemples.

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Dear reader,

This week, we continue to see funding flooding into various global AI startups, starting with a US$3 million funding announced by Maxim AI to help developers create reliable AI tools.

As the world reopens following the COVID-19 pandemic, we also see more and more travel tech companies entering the promising Southeast Asian (SEA) market, including RateHawk, which offers hotel bookings, flight tickets, transfers, car rentals, and other travel-related services.

On the biotech front, we also see startups such as ArrowBiome raising new funding. ArrowBiome produces and engineers lysins and offers its solutions to personal care companies and speciality chemical manufacturers, among other players.

Outside of news, our contributors also write about a wide array of topics from navigating the future of marketing with AI to the importance of privacy in the age of social media.

Anisa,
Editor.

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NEWS

From sustainable energy to fan engagement, funding flows this week
SEA startups secured significant funding, with innovations ranging from AI-driven invoicing and digital fan clubs to seaplane and green fuels

Maxim AI secures US$3M to better help developers create reliable AI tools
It will use the funds to expand its team and onboard more enterprises building AI products, Tech In Asia writes

Autonomous trucking startup Waabi raises US$200M funding led by Uber, Khosla Ventures
Also backed by NVIDIA, the company relies on its AI chips ot power its self-driving applications, according to DealStreetAsia

Traveltech firm RateHawk lands in Asia with Singapore regional HQ
The company offers hotel bookings, flight tickets, transfers, car rentals, and other travel-related services

SG startup raises US$1M to help take microbiome care mainstream
ArrowBiome produces and engineers lysins and offers its solutions to personal care companies and specialty chemical manufacturers, among other players.

Oyo finalises up to US$125M raise at discounted US$2.5B valuation: report
The fundraise comes after Oyo abandoned its IPO plans last month

KKR-SingTel consortium to invest US$1.3B in ST Telemedia Global Data Centres
Reuters reported in late May that the KKR-SingTel consortium had emerged as the frontrunner to buy a minority stake worth some US$1 billion in Singapore-based ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC)

FEATURES & INTERVIEWS

Deemples, the ‘Uber for Golfers’, aims to make tee times effortless in Southeast Asia
Deemples facilitates connections among golfers to ensure that a game can always be arranged regardless of individual schedules

These 7 tech titans are empowering your business with reliable cloud services
The popularity of cloud services stems from various factors, including cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and scalability

Navigating the AI landscape in 2024: Why there is an urgency for enhanced governance
There are two points that stand out in 2024, starting with how AI will experience a shift from a “nice-to-have” to “must-have”

FROM THE CONTRIBUTORS

How institutional investors can build a successful DMA strategy in 5 steps
With increasing competition, more institutional traders are turning to DMA for frictionless, low-latency market access

Embracing AI’s promise: Navigating the future of marketing
In an era where AI is reshaping the marketing industry, we explore how marketers, particularly in Singapore, can unlock AI’s potential

Embracing automation and phygital models: The future of mortgage companies
Automation and phygital models are reshaping the mortgage industry, enhancing efficiency, customer experience, and operational cost savings

Travel revival: Asia-Pacific on the rise!
The booming popularity of APAC as travel destinations offers abundant opportunities for travel businesses and startups

Singapore’s skills gap: How Singaporean employers can embrace upskilling
The need for upskilling in Singapore highlights the importance of addressing the skills gap and offering accessible continuous learning opportunities

The hidden price of connection: Privacy in the age of social media
By taking proactive steps to manage your privacy, you can enjoy the benefits of staying connected without compromising your personal information

How startups can overcome the AI talent death
Cloud-based AI tools allow startups to scale operations, adapt to market changes, and stay agile without extensive in-house expertise

Confessions of a founder: There’s no fun in fundraising in 2024
Wipe your tears and don’t despair too much, founder; here are some comforting words from your fellow founder

How M&A can supercharge your startup’s success
M&A is a good exit strategy for deep-tech or tech-based ICT service companies and trend-sensitive B2C consumer goods companies

FROM THE ARCHIVES

A paradigm shift on the Z axis: How Gen Z is shaping the new work culture
Gen Z, armed with digital prowess and a vision for a brighter future, is forging new paths by prioritising personal happiness over tradition

How utu aims to boost tourism by transforming the traditional VAT refunds system
utu has introduced utu Privileges, which allows tourists to upsize their tax refunds by up to 110 per cent of the GST paid on their purchases

Sustaining the work: How businesses can take a step forward in their move towards net zero
As tackling the impact of climate change becomes more urgent, the next critical decade must focus on pathways

With STEPVR, making AI-generated videos is as easy as creating PowerPoint presentation
STEPVR was part of AI Trailblazers, Singapore’s first Generative AI Innovation Sandboxes established to accelerate AI solutions development

The next big things in AI: Why Enterprise GPT and inclusion are going to take centre stage
There is a movement for organisations to go beyond ‘narrow AI’ and embrace AGI–artificial general intelligence

Why Khailee Ng puts mental healthcare support as key to successful founders-investors relationship
Based on his experience in mentoring startups, Khailee Ng shares the most common issues faced by founders –and how investors can help them

Why customer education plays an important role in Wise’s international expansion plan
For services such as Wise, there are two dimensions to international expansion

Delivering 3M martabaks in a year: How Go-Jek uses big data to run business better
When it comes to the use of data, Go-Jek SVP, Business Intelligence Crystal Widjaja says that the opportunities to grow are abundant

The state of European tech startup industry –and what Asia can learn from it
The strength of the European tech startup industry lies in its availability of talents and its ability to attract these talents

Beyond the hospital: Challenges and opportunities in Indonesian healthtech scene
Healthtech in Indonesia may have been a niche sector at the moment, but there are plenty of rooms for startups to grow

—

Image Credit: © rawpixel, 123RF Free Images

The post Ecosystem Roundup: Maxim AI gets US$3M | RateHawk lands in Asia | ArrowBiome raises US$1M appeared first on e27.

Buyandship, a global cross-border e-commerce enabler based in Hong Kong, has extended its Series B round, securing an additional US$6 million led by Altara Ventures.

KSK Angels (founded by Keisuke Honda), AVA Angels, and Venture University also participated.

With the fresh funds, Buyandship plans to enhance its AI-enabled price comparison function, improve the user journey in product search and purchase, expand into new Southeast Asian markets, and further automate operations.

Founded in 2014, Buyandship is a leading global cross-border e-commerce enabler, empowering consumers to purchase products worldwide through big data, global price comparison, social commerce, and logistics technologies.

Dave Ng, General Partner at Altara Ventures, commented, “The online shopping world is becoming flat. It is easy to discover and browse products, however, completing purchases through the last mile is still a challenge. Buyandship is solving the pain point of allowing anyone to buy online globally and have products shipped to their doorsteps. We are excited to partner with Buyandship in the next phase of their journey.”

Also Read: Malaysian golf course booking platform Deemples nets US$2M from V Ventures

The company has expanded its presence to 12 countries and regions, operating 11 overseas warehouses. It claims to have over two million registered users and over 12 million transactions to date.

In September 2023, Buyandship raised US$10 million in Series B initial funding from Cool Japan Fund. This brings the total amount raised in the Series B round to US$16 million.

Since receiving initial Series B funding, Buyandship has entered the Vietnam market, launched an automated virtual personal shopping assistant enabling 39X-faster shopping, and integrated an AI-powered recommendation system into its social network, Buyaholic, allowing users to browse and purchase popular products with one click.

Sheldon Li, Co-Founder and CEO of Buyandship said, “The oversubscribed financing round is an affirmation of Buyandship’s belief in offering consumers the easiest experience to purchase products globally at the most competitive pricing.”

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

Image credit: Buyandship

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Whether you’re ready to take the leap of faith and start your own business or you’re already running one, having an effective online marketing strategy in this digital era is critical to your company’s success. As a small business owner, you may not have a lot of resources or a huge budget to buy extensive advertising. Creating buzz for your business can be a challenging task. That’s why more and more startups are resorting to public relations to get the word out.

Public relations can be one of the best ways to promote a business and gain visibility. It helps you stand out from your competitors and gives your business more credibility. According to a global survey by Nielsen of 30,000 respondents in 60 countries, two-thirds (66 per cent) trust reviews and opinions posted online and editorial content from newspapers and magazines. Compared to traditional advertising, PR content is almost 90 per cent more effective in influencing consumers’ decision-making process.

It goes without saying that earned publicity will benefit your business. However, engaging a PR agency or employing a PR consultant can be very expensive, and most small, budget-conscious businesses can’t afford them. Unless you have a PR background, DIY PR can be a daunting job that many entrepreneurs struggle with.

For this reason, I’ve put together this article to help startups and small business owners get press coverage for their businesses on a limited budget. In the past few years, I have successfully achieved coverage for my clients across 20 markets globally. Most of my clients are startups in the technology space: adtech, edutech, 3D printing, aviation technology, fintech/crypto, health tech, online gaming, app developers – you name it.

In this piece, I’ll take you through the do’s and don’ts of PR and give you time-tested tips on how to get guaranteed press coverage for your tech startup.

Identify the right news element

There are several ways to reach out to the media and get coverage, but the quickest and most effective way is to submit a press release. A press release is an official statement announcing a company’s news. That means there needs to be a news element that is actually newsworthy.

Also Read: Redefining SocialFi through privacy-enhanced social networking

In many instances, business owners want to issue a press release because they want to generate brand awareness, their products are so great, or they have been so successful. But when probed for a news element, they can’t come up with anything. Sorry, but readers – and therefore, media outlets – do not care about your brand awareness or growing sales. There is zero news value in those.

So, what are newsworthy company announcements? Think about mergers and acquisitions, funding rounds, new partnerships, upcoming events, product launches, new staff hires and community and charity participation. News about mergers, acquisitions and funding rounds have especially high news value and can almost always guarantee press coverage if the press release is written professionally.

For an Atlanta-based 3D printing technology startup that just acquired a key competitor, the PR campaign successfully leveraged this news and got coverage in top trade publications such as 3DPrint.com, Fabbaloo and 3D Printing Industry.

Don’t break the news yourself

When you plan to launch a PR campaign, hold off on publishing your news online yourself. I’ve had clients who plan to distribute a press release announcing their company’s news that was published online a while ago. Business owners need to understand that once you publish the news on the internet, it’s considered old news, and no media outlet wants to pick up on old news. Always let the media break the news for you.

Newswires: To use or not to use?

Many press distribution services and newswires claim to send your press release to thousands of journalists and guarantee publication of your press release on 150-plus sites for as little as US$50. Sounds fantastic, right? Quite a few clients have asked whether to use these distribution services. My recommendation is, “Don’t waste your money.”

Most of these newswires publish your press release on spammy sites that no one knows about and have zero traffic. You can publish anything you want – even your upcoming BFF anniversary if you like. Why? Because no one sees it anyway.

If you pay close attention, most of these sites don’t even get indexed by Google or get your press release published on the root domain (for example,  feed.nytimes.com or www.nytimes.newspapers.com instead of www.nytimes.com).

Unless you know a reliable press distribution service that can guarantee publication on the root domain of well-known news sites and ensure that it’s indexed, you can probably achieve more publicity with a post on your own LinkedIn profile.

Make life easy for editors

When you write a press release, make sure it’s written in a format that is applicable to your market and free from any errors. Nothing is more frustrating for editors than having to fix your article because it’s full of typos and spelling errors. Chances are, they will just reject your story completely.

Also, most publications have specific requirements about what they are willing to accept in terms of topics and formatting (e.g., word counts, tone, attachments, etc.) Please read those requirements carefully and give them what they ask. The Washington Post, for example, only accepts op-eds that are exclusive to them, and they prefer the pieces to be less than 750 words. Sending a piece that is too long and has been sent to multiple outlets already will just reduce your chances.

Whom to pitch

A common misconception is that you should always pitch your story to individual editors and contributors. This is not necessarily true unless you have a strong relationship with the editor; otherwise, it can be more effective to pitch to the editorial department instead.

Also Read: Embracing global entrepreneurship: Redefining startup success beyond Silicon Valley

Why? It’s simply more practical. If it’s a sizable outlet, chances are that there are multiple editors covering similar topics. So, who do you pitch in that case? Plus, editors and contributors are busy people with many engagements and priorities. Even when they express interest in your story, it can take a long while before they can actually attend to it.

That’s why you should consider pitching the story directly to the editorial department. They will have someone who coordinates assignments and delegates your story to a writer who is immediately available to cover it. In my experience, sending the story to the general editorial department usually gives me coverage within one to two weeks, whereas pitching individual editors may take several months.

Leverage the PR power of other businesses and individuals 

As a startup, it can be hard to obtain publicity, especially in overseas markets where you don’t have a physical presence or publications that cover a different industry than yours. Many publishers cater to an audience in a specific geographic area or industry. If your business does not fall within their target market, they will likely ignore your story because you are not relevant to their niche.

In that case, you need to look for an element that is relevant to the publication’s target market. For example, Fourdesire, a wellness app developer from Taiwan, launched a new alarm clock app in collaboration with a well-known mobile game developer. Without this new partnership, it would be hard to get Fourdesire featured in gaming publications due to the lack of relevance. However, by leveraging the new alliance, Fourdesire was able to obtain coverage in one of the world’s biggest gaming publications, GamesRadar.

Every business can benefit from public relations. It’s not just for large corporations and multi-million-dollar companies – PR can be a game changer for your tech startup when done appropriately. It’s an effective way to get your brand the visibility it deserves and should, therefore, be part of your overall marketing strategy. It may take some time and effort to learn the tricks of the trade, but the benefits it yields are definitely worth the investment.

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As Southeast Asia sets its sights on the future, one thing has become abundantly clear: artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just a tool for innovation, it is a pivotal element of progress. In the education sector, AI is emerging as a powerful force for driving inclusion, ensuring that every learner has access to quality education regardless of their background or circumstances. While still in its early stages, the potential of AI in education is undeniable. 

The adoption of AI is gaining momentum across diverse industries, including government services, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, and human resources. A study by EDBI and Kearney in 2020 projects that AI could contribute a staggering $1 trillion to Southeast Asia’s GDP by 2030, underscoring its significance in shaping the region’s future. 

AI has the potential to address educational access and equity issues, especially in underserved communities and remote areas, through online learning platforms and virtual classrooms. Additionally, it empowers teachers to develop clear and concise study materials, expand opportunities for student-educator interaction, and tackle specific student challenges. 

For instance, AI-based adaptive learning platforms can analyse students’ strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles to provide tailored content and assistance, catering to different learning preferences and abilities. Additionally, algorithms can automate quantitative grading, provide learning assistance, and generate educational materials, driving innovation and advancement in education.

AI for a future-ready workforce

Many countries in Southeast Asia have developed national strategies to drive AI advancement, with a focus on capacity development. For example, Thailand’s National AI Strategy and Action Plan 2022–2027 advocates for an efficient ecosystem fostering AI development and application. This includes initiatives to promote AI education through dedicated scholarships and aims to establish an international accreditation system. Similarly, fostering AI talent is a strategic objective of Malaysia’s National Artificial Intelligence Roadmap 2021–2025, aiming to promote an inclusive understanding and knowledge of AI principles in schools and to provide opportunities for skilling and reskilling.

Also read: Driving innovation and growth in Southeast Asia with Employment Hero

AI in education is pivotal for bridging talent gaps and offering essential upskilling opportunities to vulnerable workers. Recently, Singapore unveiled its second National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, emphasising substantial investments in adult education and training to equip workers with the skills needed to leverage AI effectively. The country also targets a threefold increase in its AI workforce, aiming to reach 15,000 practitioners within the next three to five years.

With strategic investment and careful implementation, AI can significantly enhance inclusion in education throughout the SEA region. However, some challenges need to be addressed.

Challenges in inclusive education

While AI has made inroads into education, its transformative potential remains largely untapped. The integration of digital technology in educational settings has been gradual and inconsistent, with varying effects across different contexts. Factors such as socioeconomic status, community demographics, teacher readiness, educational level, and national income contribute to the disparities in AI adoption and effectiveness.

One of the primary barriers is the digital divide, which refers to inequalities in internet access and technological infrastructure that impede fair access to AI-driven educational resources and tools. According to a UNESCO report, on average, 57% of students in Southeast Asia have access to the internet at home. However, the figures vary significantly across countries. For instance, only 16% of students have access in Cambodia, while a majority of 98% do in Singapore.

The report highlighted that while mobile internet is the most accessible form of connection in SEA, it often does not support educational applications. In 2022, active mobile broadband subscriptions averaged 101 per 100 people.

Also read: OceanBase INFINITY 2024: Pioneering Indonesia’s digital economy

Digital infrastructure in Southeast Asia has witnessed growth in recent years, although the pace of expansion differs from one country to another. For instance, in Thailand, over 97% of schools now have internet access, with an average of 17 students sharing one computer in each school.

In Southeast Asia, the response to AI in education ranges from cautious to increasingly receptive, reflecting a growing interest in integrating it into educational tools and platforms. Countries like Singapore and Indonesia are actively adopting generative AI to improve learning experiences. However, there are concerns about data privacy and security, as well as the ethical implications of using AI algorithms to make educational decisions.

Moving forward, it is crucial for policymakers, educators, and technology developers to collaborate and ensure that AI initiatives in education are guided by principles of equity, transparency, and accessibility.

By embracing AI technologies and addressing the challenges, we can build a more inclusive and equitable education system that empowers learners of all backgrounds and abilities.

Get to know Thanit Apipatana

Thanit Apipatana is a Bangkok-based entrepreneur, investor, and startup advisor with a keen interest in venture building, real estate, F&B, sports and philanthropy. Mr Apipatana has advised and invested in a number of companies across the region, including Singapore-based proptech startup Mogul.sg and Thai-based Life Below Labs. As a thought leader, Mr Apipatana shares his insights on entrepreneurship, F&B, education, sports and the social sector.

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