Transforming Urban Mobility: How Angkas is Navigating Regulatory Challenges and Redefining Transportation Solutions

As part of Echelon Philippines 2024, the fireside chat titled ‘Transforming Urban Mobility: How Angkas is Navigating Regulatory Challenges and Redefining Transportation Solutions in the Philippines’ explored the company’s innovative strategies for addressing transportation issues in urban areas. Moderated by Arthur Adrian Lopez, Co-Founder of Brainsparks and NextPay, the discussion featured insights from Angeline Tham, CEO and Co-Founder of Angkas.

The session highlighted Angkas’ efforts to overcome regulatory challenges and transform urban mobility. Angkas aims to provide a safer and more efficient commuting experience while fostering dignified livelihoods for motorcycle riders. Despite navigating cultural stigmas and legal obstacles, the company has achieved a safety rating of 99.997 per cent. Angkas also integrates financial literacy initiatives and enables access to government services such as Social Security System (SSS) and PhilHealth for its riders.

Also Read: Echelon Philippines 2024: Expanding Web3 applications for real-world challenges

Key innovations discussed included the integration of technology to enhance customer experiences and operational efficiency. Angkas’ future plans involve expanding services to additional cities, introducing Angkas Cars, and committing to sustainability by transitioning to electric vehicles. The chat underscored how Angkas is not just redefining mobility but also shaping market dynamics and consumer behaviour in the Philippine transportation sector.

Watch the session video above to learn more about these insights and the strategies shaping the future of entrepreneurship.

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The buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) market in Southeast Asia is expected to reach US$53.2 billion by 2027, according to analysts at UnaFinancial.

The region, with its young and tech-savvy population, has seen a rapid increase in buy-now-pay-later adoption, particularly among Gen Z consumers who are open to new financial technologies.

According to the UnaFinancial study, Indonesia is projected to lead the market with US$16.8 billion in buy-now-pay-later transactions by 2027, a 209 per cent increase from 2024. The Philippines is expected to witness the fastest growth at 235 per cent, reaching US$8.2 billion by 2027.

Also Read: Report: BNPL remains popular amongst Indonesian fintech services users

Malaysia is forecast to reach US$11.3 billion, growing at 215 per cent from 2024. Thailand and Vietnam will see more moderate growth, reaching US$8.2 billion and US$5.9 billion, respectively.

Singapore’s buy-now-pay-later market is projected to reach US$2.9 billion by 2027.

The key driving factors:

High Gen Z population: Southeast Asia has a high concentration of Gen Z consumers who are driving the demand for BNPL services.

Alternative to traditional banking: BNPL provides an alternative to traditional banking and credit systems, which are often inaccessible to younger generations.

Growing cashless payments ecosystem: The increasing adoption of cashless payments is further fueling the growth of the BNPL market.

Challenges:

Mature banking infrastructure: In countries like Malaysia, the mature banking infrastructure may moderate the expansion of BNPL services.

Also Read: How BNPL can provide lower-income households with new opportunities

Established financial systems: Singapore’s established financial system and access to traditional loans pose a challenge to BNPL adoption.

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Locad, a cloud supply chain-as-a-service company based in Singapore, has raised US$9 million in a pre-Series B funding round, co-led by Global Ventures and existing investor Reefknot Investments.

Other participants include Sumitomo Equity Ventures and returning backers Antler Elevate, Febe Ventures, and JG Summit.

Also Read: The digital revolution in supply chain management: Efficiency, visibility, and resilience

The firm will use the money to accelerate its international expansion, starting with the UAE and Saudi Arabia in Q4 2024, as part of its “grow global, go local” strategy. A portion of the money will be used to enhance Locad’s AI-driven smart logistics capabilities.

Locad is a smart digital logistics engine aiming to build the supply chain infrastructure of modern commerce, connecting brands to consumers in growth markets with a global cloud supply chain as a service. It enables e-commerce brands to grow their omnichannel business and automatically store, pack, ship, and track orders across their B2C and B2B distribution channels.

Locad’s tech platform syncs inventory across online channels and organises end-to-end order fulfilment through its network of warehouses and carriers across APAC, the US, and the Middle East.

Through this, brands and merchants get a geographically distributed warehousing infrastructure that allows them to stock goods closer to customers, enabling faster delivery at a lower cost.

The company said it works with over 300 consumer brands across Southeast Asia and Australia.

Also Read: Beyond 3PL: BBTruck’s 5PL solution for a smarter, greener global supply chain

Constantin Robertz, CEO and co-founder of Locad, said: “Over the last four years, we have built a cloud supply chain platform in APAC that allows brands to unify their omnichannel distribution and access localised fulfilment in SEA and AU growth markets. We are now excited to take Locad global, opening our presence in the US and entering the GCC to make it easier for brands to sell anywhere with a fully localised customer experience.

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AMD, a global semiconductor leader, designs and delivers high-performance and adaptive computing solutions. The 50-year-old behemoth works with companies in industries including technology, automotive, telecom, financial services, gaming, and entertainment to provide computing and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions across cloud, edge, and end devices.

The tech giant established an office in Singapore in 1984, which has been a cornerstone of the local semiconductor industry, evolving from a high-volume manufacturing plant to a hub of innovation and research. In the island nation, it works closely with system integrators and OEM manufacturers to provide its CPU and GPU technology for consumers. It recently collaborated with leading smart parking solutions provider Sun Singapore Systems to deploy a new AI-based smart parking solution.

e27 recently spoke with Peter Chambers, MD (APAC Sales) and Country Manager (Australia), who shared more about AMD’s work in Singapore.

Below are the edited excerpts:

How does AMD’s mission align with current trends in AI, and what future trends do you foresee in these areas?

AI is the single most transformative technology of the past 50 years, and we are just beginning to see its true potential. The use cases are growing exponentially daily, and the seamless incorporation of AI capabilities across a wide range of applications is occurring at breakneck speed, enabling intelligent and automated decision-making. This inadvertently translates to an insatiable demand for computing that will further drive requirements for more powerful hardware.

At AMD, we are uniquely positioned to power the end-to-end infrastructure driving the AI era with the broadest portfolio of high-performance compute engines, an open, proven, and developer-friendly software platform, and deep collaboration and co-innovation with our partners, including the largest cloud, OEM, software, and AI companies in the world.

We aim to provide the computational power necessary to drive applications and bring use cases to life in gaming, data centres, and other industries.

Also Read: SEA’s role in the global semiconductor supply chain is poised to strengthen: GlobalFoundries’s Siah Soh Yun

We don’t believe a single company, product, or vision will realise the next five years of advancement in the AI space. The future of technology will be born from open ecosystems and deep industry partnerships that drive true innovation.

AMD has been an active player in Singapore’s semiconductor industry. What factors have driven its involvement in the country’s ecosystem? How important is it for AMD to work with local universities and institutions to build a skilled workforce capable of leading APAC’s semiconductor innovations?

Following its entry into the market, AMD Singapore expanded its horizons by establishing the IC Design Centre in the early 90s, signalling its entry into the microcontroller and Ethernet controller design. We have since transformed our local operations into a full-fledged R&D centre by 2012, spearheading CPU product development and expanding its portfolio to include client, graphics, server, and console gaming products. In fact, the Singapore labs contributed to the development of the recent AMD Instinct MI300 and MI325 series accelerators.

At the same time, we also work closely with system integrators and OEMs to ensure the wide availability of our leading CPU and GPU technology for consumers in Singapore.

We proactively seek avenues to collaborate with key local stakeholders—such as the Economic Development Board, Singapore Semiconductor Industry Association (SSIA), and NTU—and focus on initiatives where our power is amplified most: putting AMD technology in the hands of the next generation so the best and brightest minds can solve the world’s biggest problems for a better tomorrow.

We run several programmes to empower local students with the passion alongside necessary skills and tools for data science, AI, and chip design, fostering the next generation of tech leaders in the APAC region and supporting the development of advanced AI processors like the MI325X and future generations.

With the increasing demand for AI-driven solutions, how do you see Singapore contributing to accelerating AMD’s goals for the semiconductor and AI industries?

As mentioned, AMD Singapore houses an R&D centre that spearheads CPU product development and is expanding its portfolio to include client, graphics, server, and console gaming products.

Talent is a crucial piece of the puzzle. We strongly believe that people power AMD, so we strive to attract, acquire, develop, and advance the most engaged, diverse, and inclusive workforce in the semiconductor industry so that it can fully realise the benefits of the work we do in Singapore.

With Singapore’s well-illustrated track record of empowering companies especially in the adoption of emerging technologies, we remain committed to furthering the highly collaborative partnerships we have established throughout the years with the local government as well as OEM partners, industry associations such as SSIA, and the various local institutions and universities to nurture a stronger tech ecosystem.

The semiconductor industry in Asia Pacific is evolving rapidly. What trends or shifts do you anticipate over the next five years, particularly in producing speciality chips and sustainable manufacturing?

AI is defining the next era of computing, and we are just at the beginning of this super cycle. The use cases are growing exponentially every day, and the seamless incorporation of AI capabilities across a wide range of applications is occurring at breakneck speed, enabling intelligent and automated decision-making.

Also Read: Transforming asset inspections: How WaveScan’s smart sensors and AI are shaping predictive maintenance

In the coming years, enterprises need to ensure that they are well-equipped to take on this transition, including ensuring they have the IT infrastructure to power and handle the AI workloads. This inadvertently translates to an insatiable demand for computing further driving requirements for more powerful hardware.

How does AMD balance performance and environmental impact in chip production, and are there any key sustainability goals you’re pursuing in Singapore?

AMD takes a three-pronged approach to reducing environmental impacts and improving sustainability:

1. Addressing environmental impacts at AMD and in our supply chain. Within AMD operations, we aim to reduce operational GHG emissions in line with science-based targets while working closely with manufacturing suppliers to track and improve environmental metrics.

• In 2023, we achieved a 24.5 per cent reduction in our Scope 1 and 2 emissions compared to a 2020 baseline. This is part of our ambition to achieve a 50 per cent absolute reduction in GHG emissions from operation emissions by 2030 from a 2020 base year.
• Our Singapore site is certified to the ISO 14001 standard, certifying our proactive measures to minimise environmental footprint, comply with relevant legal requirements, and achieve the necessary environmental objectives.
• An example of how AMD is helping our foundry wafer partners reduce impacts is through modular “chiplet” architecture. Instead of designing for one large monolithic chip, AMD engineers reconfigured the component IP building blocks using a flexible, scalable connectivity fabric. By breaking our designs up into smaller chiplets, we can get more chips per wafer, lowering the probability that a defect will land on any one chip. As a result, the number and yield percentage of “good” chips per wafer go up, and the wasted cost, raw materials, energy, emissions, and water go down.

2. Advancing environmental performance for IT users: Optimising system-level energy efficiency to help our customers and end users save energy and advance their sustainability goals.

• AMD EPYC processors power some of the most energy-efficient x86 servers, delivering exceptional performance and reducing energy costs. In fact, the latest 5th Gen EPYC processors consume up to 68 per cent less power consumption than its competition, allowing IT leaders to achieve the same level of performance with up to 87 per cent fewer servers.
• AMD powers 157 systems on the Green500 list of the world’s most efficient supercomputers, as of the latest list in June 2024, including Frontier, the world’s fastest supercomputer.

3. Innovating collaborative solutions to address environmental challenges: AMD is working with enterprises and researchers on innovative solutions that optimise renewable energy generation, enhance smart solutions, and power cutting-edge climate and scientific research.

• Climavision uses 3rd-generation AMD EPYC processors to bring more data and smarter analysis to weather forecasting. This critical information helps industries like agriculture, transportation, insurance and risk, and renewable energy better prepare for extreme weather events by providing more accurate and timely data.
• The LUMI supercomputer powered by AMD is driving climate research and helping researchers understand the interrelated forces contributing to climate change and develop solutions to help mitigate the impacts.

How does AMD view the role of private companies in advancing Singapore’s semiconductor ecosystem, especially in fostering innovation and sustainable practices?

Innovation and sustainable practices do not happen in isolation. Lawmakers and industry must work together to develop regulations and establish effective guidelines that foster growth in those specific areas while ensuring that development is responsible and aligned with the national interest.

We believe that the future of technology will be born from open ecosystems and deep industry partnerships that drive true innovation. In fact, our business and AI strategies are built upon this very premise.

Also Read: Silicon Box’s Business Head on how chiplet architecture transforms semiconductor scalability

We are driving open-source innovation for AI ecosystems because we feel that is the best path forward for the industry and to enable the best from AI developers. Making our software and hardware open source allows developers to build and deploy AI applications more quickly and easily. Developers and partners can leverage AMD software tools to optimise AI applications on AMD hardware.

Today, the stack includes AMD ROCm for AMD Instinct accelerators and AMD Radeon graphics cards, AMD Vitis AI for adaptive accelerators, SoCs, and FPGAs, as well as AMD ZenDNN open-source libraries for AMD EPYC processors.

We have also joined key partnerships, like the AI Alliance which consists of companies, startups, universities, research and government organisations, and non-profit foundations that are working to innovate across all aspects of AI technology, applications and governance—in an open and transparent way.

Sustainable practices:

Similarly, collaboration is central to our approach to environmental sustainability, largely because AMD operates in a fabless business model with carefully selected external suppliers manufacturing our products. Our strategy considers where we have control and influence.

We also work with our manufacturing suppliers to advance environmental sustainability across a variety of metrics. Our engagement with our direct suppliers is informed by each supplier’s situation and looks toward assertive, forward-looking, and measurable progress.

For example, in 2023, we met individually with numerous suppliers to learn more about their current sustainability efforts and maturity levels to identify milestones for 2024-25.

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Today, we’ve seen firsthand how the marketing game has changed. Simply broadcasting our message isn’t enough to capture attention. Our customers start to expect more. They want content that speaks to them—as individuals. That’s why hyper-personalisation, powered by AI, has become the go-to strategy to connect to customers on a deeper level.

As someone leading a startup that partners with many companies across the globe to reach their customers, I understand that with the sheer volume of data available, how can businesses cut through the noise and create meaningful interactions? Here are five strategies every business needs to know to use hyper-personalisation in growth hacking:

Knowing the audience inside out with first-party data

Understanding the customers at an individual level is crucial in today’s marketing landscape. When we plan on exploring hyper-personalisation, the main goal should be beyond just using AI for efficiency or cost savings. It needs to be about making sure our customers feel seen and understood, and using first-party data is what makes it possible. 

With digital penetration on the rise and an expected 950 million internet users by the end of 2024, businesses have a massive opportunity to create deeply personalised campaigns. Using AI, businesses can analyse vast amounts of data—from browsing habits to purchase history—and tailor content to match each customer’s unique preferences.

Many brands have reported a significant uptick in engagement when shifting to hyper-personalised campaigns. Instead of sending out generic messages, brands can now deliver tailored product recommendations, exclusive offers, and content that resonates with each customer. This approach has not only increased conversion rates but also built long-term loyalty. 

Timing is everything for customer engagement

AI allows us to predict when our audience is most likely to engage, and this helps us avoid the dreaded “spam” territory. We often heard stories about those who launched a campaign that initially failed because it lacked the necessary real-time adjustments. It wasn’t until implementing real-time data from AI became normal that things turned around. Real-time hyper-personalisation is a critical factor for boosting engagement and increasing conversions.

What’s been fascinating is how AI helps us gather insights into consumer behaviour and how it changes with time. We’re no longer guessing; we know exactly when and how to deliver relevant content to our customers, thanks to AI.

Personalisation is a two-way street

While AI gives us the ability to hyper-personalise on a massive scale, it’s still a human-centric approach. Many have made mistakes in the past by letting the tech lead too much. But there is a sweet spot: using AI to gather and analyse data but letting the team craft messages that are still empathetic and human.

Also Read: How to drive business innovation with AI-powered data analytics

We’ve all experienced frustration when brands feel too robotic. Hyper-personalisation should enhance customer experiences, not alienate them. Once we achieved this balance, it was like a switch flipped. Engagement skyrocketed, and our relationships with customers deepened.

Combining AI with a broader creative marketing strategy

When creating AI-driven campaigns or content, try to always start with personalisation. It’s about making sure the content fits the specific marketing funnel or target channel. But personalisation alone isn’t enough; the content has to be engaging. It’s about combining creative strategy in what I like to call a “mix and bundling” approach. 

If we want to do an AI-based campaign, don’t just develop the AI component. Layer it with broader creative strategies to maximise the overall impact. This covers not only how AI plays a role but also how we present the content, what kind of interactions it sparks, and which pain points it can solve. Ultimately, it’s a balance of leveraging advanced AI technology with human creativity to deliver more precise and effective marketing results.

Hyper-personalisation as the future of growth

If there’s one takeaway I want to share from my journey in digital marketing, it’s that hyper-personalisation using AI is a game-changer. I’ve watched it as it transformed the way many brands approach marketing and growth. As we move into the year 2025, brands that embrace hyper-personalisation will stay ahead of the competition.

The future of marketing lies in truly understanding the individual and leveraging AI to scale those insights into meaningful, personalised experiences. The better we get at making each customer feel like we know and value them, the more growth we’ll see.

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