Asia’s digital and real-time payments market is one of the most dynamic in the world, but also one of the most fragmented.

Each economy has developed its own payment systems, so the adoption curve and rate vary greatly. Few links exist across borders, and this patchwork creates barriers to scale and reduces the ability of consumers and businesses to benefit from seamless, real-time transactions.

Governments across Asia are stepping in with coordinated initiatives for the next decade. Their actions will determine how quickly real-time payments expand, how effectively economies will be interconnected and how much trust consumers and businesses will place in emerging digital solutions.

Governments enacting change

Government support and regulatory harmonisation have already shown positive outcomes. Singapore’s PayNow and Malaysia’s DuitNow are leading examples. They enable instant transfers between participating banks and wallets by offering interoperability across banks, e-wallets, and QR codes, and creating a nationwide standard for peer-to-peer payments. Both initiatives demonstrate what happens when regulators and industry participants align on standards to accelerate adoption.

The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has gone further with its ambitious initiative, Project Nexus. Led by BIS Innovation Hub with participation from key markets including, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and India, it aims to interconnect Asia’s domestic instant payment systems through a single multilateral framework. Unlike bilateral links such as PayNow and PromptPay, Project Nexus is designed to scale by reducing the complexity of multiple connections.

Australia also offers a valuable case study in government-instigated adoption. The 2018 launch of the New Payments Platform was a direct result of collaboration between the Reserve Bank of Australia, domestic banks and technology providers. In setting clear regulatory expectations and encouraging partnerships with global payments providers, the Australian government accelerated adoption of real-time payments across the economy with backing from early adopters.

In 2022, Australians were sending more than US$1.2 billion real-time transactions annually, with volumes increasing by double digits year-on-year. The combination of government incentives and industry execution created a virtuous cycle of growth and trust, manifesting in increased business and consumer adoption of this technology.

Also Read: Will tech salary overpayments end after the economic crisis?

Asia’s challenge and opportunity

Asia holds the greatest potential as a global frontier for cross border payments, while enterprises and small-medium businesses (SMBs) have emerged as key drivers of digital payment adoption. However, three major obstacles stand in the way for Asia to make the leap towards a unified payments ecosystem.

• Regulatory divergence across APAC remains one of the biggest issues, as each country has its own and separate standards for data privacy, anti-money laundering and consumer protection. Without harmonisation, real-time cross-border payments raise the costs and risks of being further slowed by compliance checks and inconsistent requirements.
• Uneven infrastructure in Asia’s developing economies is another challenge, as many lack the digital structure to reliably support large scale real time transactions. Upgrading these systems requires investment from governments in partnership with global providers who can deliver resilience and scalability.
• Trust and risk are central hurdles. Coordinated standards for fraud prevention, authentication and dispute resolution are essential to alleviating reputational and client risk.

Despite these challenges, Asia’s opportunities are significant. ASEAN trade reached more than US$3560.1 billion in 2023, with cross-border e-commerce surging. Real-time payments can be a key enabler to meet this demand thanks to reduced settlement risk, increased liquidity and faster commerce.

For SMBs and enterprises, they cut costs associated with traditional bank transfers or card fees. For consumers, they provide instant, low-cost access to funds, which in those markets with large unbanked populations.

Incentives and partnerships are key

Governments must work together through shared goals, strengthened incentives and common frameworks for digital payment adoption.

The ASEAN Payment Connectivity initiative seeks to link national systems underpinned by QR code standardisation, while Project Nexus represents a technical pathway to make this a reality. This approach reflects a broader recognition that payments is a network business.

Also Read: QR payments: Southeast Asia’s digital lifeline or just a stepping stone?

While governments are starting to set the direction, the rest of the ecosystem must step up to deliver scale and industrial collaboration will be critical. Proven cross-border providers bring compliance, security, technology and infrastructure expertise.

We’ve seen firsthand what a coordinated and unified regional approach can bring in tangible productivity and commercial benefits for merchants of scale. The combined ability to build and operate infrastructure at scale is critical for achieving the interoperability that Asia’s governments envision.

Partnerships between governments, local banks and providers will be the defining feature of this next stage. No single player can solve these challenges alone.

The path forward

Real-time payments are projected to grow rapidly across APAC in the next five years, supported by increasing digital literacy, cross-border e-commerce growth, stronger regulatory frameworks and government incentives.

The shared focus must now shift to increasing interoperability, both within markets and across borders. Without this, Asia risks replicating fragmentation on a larger scale.

An Asian payments ecosystem where consumers and businesses move money instantaneously and securely across member states would accelerate trade and reduce cross-border friction.

Underpinning this needs to be dependable, proven payments providers who know how to scale emerging technologies across borders while meeting the nuanced client needs of each market.

Through sustained government support, coordinated regulation and partnerships with leading providers, Asia has the opportunity to set the global standard for real-time payments adoption.

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When launching an MVP, the temptation to build everything from scratch is understandable. You want complete control over your product, and custom development feels like the “right” way to ensure quality and uniqueness. However, this approach often leads to longer development cycles, higher costs, and delayed market validation.

The rise of sophisticated SaaS boilerplates has added a new option to the MVP development landscape. Instead of building every feature from scratch, founders now have access to production-ready foundations that cover essentials like authentication, payments, and user management. This can free up resources to focus on what truly differentiates a product. Recent data shows companies using this approach can reduce development time by 50-90 per cent while improving overall ROI compared to building everything custom.

The failure statistics speak volumes

Startup failure rates reached critical levels in 2023-2024, with specific patterns emerging around over-engineering. According to CB Insights’ State of Venture 2024 report, 90 per cent of startups eventually fail, with startup failures increasing 58 per cent in Q1 2024 compared to the previous year. More telling is the underlying cause: a comprehensive academic study analysing 50 startup failure post-mortems found that 70 per cent of failed startups exhibited analysis paralysis, while 22 per cent failed specifically due to lack of focus.

Technology startups, the most likely to over-engineer, have the highest failure rate at 63 per cent across all industries. Analysis paralysis affects 85 per cent of professionals in decision-making contexts, particularly impacting startup founders who feel pressure to build the “perfect” product.

This is where SaaS boilerplates are often positioned as a way to simplify early choices, reduce technical overhead, and allow founders to validate their value proposition faster.

Speed-to-market delivers measurable advantages

McKinsey’s “Grow Fast or Die Slow” study provides stark evidence about the relationship between launch speed and survival. Software companies with less than 20 per cent annual growth have a 92 per cent chance of ceasing to exist within a few years. Two-thirds of startup value is created during the scaling phase, not the lengthy pre-launch development phase.

The research reveals that 74 per cent of successful entrepreneurs had clear customer problem understanding before MVP launch, compared to those who spent months building without market validation. Stanford and MIT research shows that entrepreneurs consistently underestimate market validation time by 3x, making rapid launch with iterative improvement the more reliable path.

SaaS boilerplates, along with other low-code and no-code options, are among the tools helping to compress time-to-market and support faster testing.

Also Read: Unlocking SaaS success: A guide to digital transformation with SEO

The cost mathematics are unforgiving

The financial comparison between custom development and SaaS boilerplates reveals dramatic differences. Building a SaaS MVP from scratch typically costs US$25,000-US$50,000 for basic functionality, scaling to US$200,000-US$500,000 for complex implementations. Using SaaS boilerplates can reduce these costs by 60-80 per cent, with development time cut by 50-90 per cent.

A detailed ROI analysis from WorkOS demonstrates the stark reality. Building enterprise features from scratch resulted in a 3-year cost of US$3,564,413 with revenue impact of US$3,900,000, yielding just nine per cent ROI. The same functionality using pre-built solutions cost US$576,900 with revenue impact of US$11,850,000, delivering a 1,954 per cent ROI.

Development time comparisons reveal massive inefficiencies

Building core SaaS features from scratch requires dramatically more time than using boilerplate foundations. Custom authentication systems need 12-16 weeks of dedicated engineering effort for basic SSO implementation, while production-ready authentication systems can take 6-12 months to support enough Identity Providers for majority customer needs.

SaaS boilerplates include production-ready authentication that can be customised in 1-3 days for basic functionality and 1-2 weeks with full branding modifications. This represents time savings of 85-95 per cent for complex features. Payment processing shows similar patterns—custom payment systems require 2-6 months for basic functionality, while quality SaaS boilerplates include complete Stripe integration that typically takes 1-7 days for customisation.

User management systems demonstrate the pattern clearly. Building comprehensive role-based access control from scratch requires 4-6 months total for enterprise features, while SaaS boilerplates achieve the same functionality with 2-3 weeks of customisation.

Technical debt realities and productivity impacts

Research reveals that early-stage startups building custom solutions accumulate substantial technical debt that severely impacts long-term productivity. Martin Fowler’s analysis identifies technical debt as the number one scaling bottleneck reported by startups.

SaaS boilerplates provide a significant advantage because they’re built by experienced developers who’ve already solved common problems and established proven patterns. Quality boilerplates like SaaS Pegasus, ShipFast, and newer options undergo continuous refinement across hundreds of implementations, eliminating bugs and architectural issues that plague custom builds.

According to IBM research, 50-75 per cent of total software costs are consumed by maintenance rather than new development. For custom software specifically, 70-90 per cent of Total Cost of Ownership goes to maintenance, while SaaS boilerplates with established architectures require only 30-60 per cent of TCO for maintenance.

Also Read: SaaS revolutionises finance: From streamlining to AI integration

The Stack Overflow 2024 Developer Survey reveals that 61 per cent of developers spend 30+ minutes daily searching for solutions to technical problems, highlighting the cognitive overhead of custom development. Meanwhile, 84 per cent of developers use or plan to use AI tools for development acceleration, and SaaS boilerplates can improve development cycles by 60-80 per cent with proven patterns and established architectures.

Investor preferences align with speed-to-market

Venture capital research shows that investors strongly prefer speed-to-market and rapid iteration over technical perfection. Harvard Business School’s comprehensive VC survey found that 95 per cent of surveyed VC firms cite the founder or founding team as the most important factor in investment decisions, with technical approach ranking lower than team quality and execution capability.

Y Combinator’s core principle remains “Launch quickly. Get your first customers,” with Partner Michael Seibel emphasising that “It’s better to have 100 customers that really love your product than 100,000 that are just okay with it.” SaaS boilerplates align perfectly with this philosophy, enabling rapid MVP deployment while maintaining professional quality and scalability.

The bottom line: Skip reinventing the wheel

The research demonstrates that perfectionism is the enemy of startup success. Companies that embrace SaaS boilerplates for rapid MVP development consistently achieve better outcomes in speed-to-market, funding success, user feedback quality, resource efficiency, and market validation.

Your customers don’t care if you built your authentication system from scratch, they care if your product solves their problems better than the alternatives. The evidence suggests that focusing on unique value proposition over infrastructure development creates better opportunities for rapid validation and sustainable growth. So make your choice count!

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Kids born after 2010, Gen Alpha, are growing up completely differently from any generation before them. Their first experience with learning new things often isn’t a textbook or even a teacher. It’s a YouTube short, a TikTok video, or an Instagram reel.

People love to say attention spans are getting shorter. But that’s not quite right. These kids aren’t losing focus. They’re just pickier about what deserves their attention. They scan quickly, decide if something’s worth their time, and move on if it’s not.

This is changing how educational technology needs to work. Hour-long lecture videos, boring slideshows, and endless multiple-choice quizzes? They don’t match how Gen Alpha actually takes in information. The future is about good content, built with the same ideas that make TikTok work.

What TikTok got right

TikTok isn’t just entertainment. It works because of three things: it’s short, it’s interactive, and it reaches the right people.

• Short and punchy: Every video has to deliver something useful in seconds. This forces creators to explain things clearly and cut out the fluff.
• Interactive: Comments, duets, and stitches mean viewers aren’t just watching. They’re responding, asking questions, and creating their own versions.
• Smart algorithms: TikTok’s system finds your audience for you. A good science explanation can reach a student in Singapore, a parent in Manila, or a curious kid in Kenya, all within minutes.

These features might seem too casual for “real” learning. But they’re actually becoming the foundation for how education can scale.

Why content should come first

Most education platforms start by building the technology: the app, the dashboard, all the analytics. Then they plug content into it. TikTok does the opposite. The content is everything. The platform just helps it find people.

When you put content first, learning adapts to the student instead of forcing students to adapt to some rigid system. A well-made 45-second video can spark curiosity, explain something clearly, and make someone want to learn more. Do that at scale, and you’ve got something powerful.

Also Read: The future of work is microlearning: How bite-sized education is transforming the workplace

What we tried in Singapore

At my tutoring centre in Singapore called Bestminds Academy, we decided to experiment with this content-first approach. We’ve always been known for primary school science tuition, but instead of focusing only on classrooms, we started posting short science explainer videos on TikTok.

One 30-second video explained why banana leaves don’t burn when you cook food wrapped in them. It went viral, not because it was flashy, but because it was genuinely interesting and clearly explained. Parents started reaching out, asking for more.

The lesson? Sometimes growing an education business isn’t about opening more classrooms or hiring more teachers. Sometimes it’s about rethinking how you share knowledge in the first place.

Content as the new currency

For Gen Alpha, content is everything. They share it, remix it, and use it to show what they’ve learned. Schools and education companies that don’t get this are going to struggle.

We’re already seeing big education companies try things like micro-learning, gamification, and even influencer teachers. But TikTok’s swipe mechanic takes it further. Each swipe is a tiny moment of progress: no getting stuck, always something new. That taps into how our brains are wired to seek out novelty and reward.

Education companies can use this idea responsibly. Each small learning moment can build toward real understanding.

Making it scale

Here’s the real opportunity: traditional tutoring is limited by geography and time. But when you turn lessons into short, shareable videos, you can reach thousands or millions of people without much extra cost.

This doesn’t replace deep learning. A TikTok video about plant biology won’t fully prepare a kid for major exams. But it can be the thing that gets them interested enough to explore further, sign up for a course, or show up to class ready to learn more.

Hybrid approaches are already emerging: attention-grabbing content on TikTok, structured lessons on teaching platforms, and ongoing Q&A support. It starts with curiosity and builds toward real mastery.

Also Read: Why the education sector needs a lesson in ad fraud

The depth problem

Critics say short videos oversimplify things. And they’re right, if that’s all you do. The trick is to see short content as part of a bigger picture. A single video is like a single note. The full learning experience is the whole song.

The viral video isn’t the goal. It’s the entry point. The real value comes when students move from that spark of curiosity to deeper learning resources: full lessons, practice problems, and teacher guidance.

Building trust in a distracted world

Parents and teachers need to trust what’s happening. TikTok has a reputation for being all about entertainment and distraction, so using it for education might seem weird. But when teachers use it with integrity, it actually works.

Gen Alpha kids can tell when someone’s being fake versus when they genuinely care about teaching. The best education models will combine real teachers, smart use of platforms, and solid curriculum design.

Also Read: How inclusive education can unlock potential in Indonesia’s marginalised youth

What comes next

We’re at a turning point. The old way of teaching (long lectures, static textbooks, one-way instruction) doesn’t match how young people learn anymore. TikTok has shown us that knowledge can spread faster, engage deeper, and reach more people when it’s packaged right.

The question isn’t whether short videos belong in education. It’s how we use them responsibly while keeping standards high.

Final thought: Keep swiping

For Gen Alpha, swiping isn’t just a gesture. It’s how they think. They expect knowledge to be fast, clear, and interesting. The teachers and education companies that win will be the ones who learn from TikTok and build content-first systems that can scale.

The opportunity is huge: a generation that’s hungry to learn, with tools to access anything, waiting for educators who are willing to meet them where they are.

The question is simple: do we stick with the old way of doing things, or do we move forward into how learning actually works now?

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It’s no secret that mobile has become the primary channel for brand engagement, customer loyalty, and long-term growth. Yet despite this opportunity, many businesses still struggle to turn app installs into sustained relationships. The real challenge is not getting users through the door, but keeping them engaged long after the first tap.

At a regional roundtable hosted by e27 and Branch, marketing and growth leaders came together to discuss what drives lasting success in mobile ecosystems. The conversation made one thing clear: sustainable mobile growth is no longer about scale alone. It is about creating a continuous loop of acquisition, retention, and personalisation that feeds itself through data and insight.

Moving beyond downloads

In markets like Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, mobile penetration has outpaced digital maturity. Companies often measure success through downloads or campaign reach, but those metrics only tell part of the story. What truly matters is whether users stay, engage, and convert.

At the roundtable, participants shared that many teams still approach growth as a linear funnel rather than a feedback loop. Acquisition efforts often operate separately from retention or product teams, resulting in a fragmented user journey. The emerging consensus was that growth today depends on how effectively a brand can connect these moments into a seamless cycle of engagement.

“It is no longer about growing bigger, but growing smarter,” one participant noted. “You cannot just add users; you have to understand them.”

Also read: Marketing’s next big challenge? Making AI feel human

The shift toward continuous optimisation

AI and analytics are now allowing marketers to measure and iterate faster than ever before. Instead of launching static campaigns, brands are learning to adapt in real time based on behavioural data.

At the Branch roundtable, growth leaders discussed how experimentation has become a defining mindset. A/B testing, predictive analytics, and in-app engagement tracking now power what one participant described as a “living growth strategy,” where every insight leads to a new hypothesis.

This approach demands a culture of curiosity and cross-functional collaboration. Marketers must work closely with product and data teams to interpret feedback loops and make quick adjustments. Over time, these small optimisations compound into what many called the mobile growth flywheel — a self-sustaining system where data from every interaction improves the next one.

Insights from Southeast Asia’s mobile-first leaders

Across fintech, e-commerce, and lifestyle sectors, leaders shared examples of how mobile apps are driving measurable impact when supported by the right strategy. Some are using deep linking to re-engage users with personalised offers. Others are applying lifecycle marketing to anticipate churn and reintroduce value before users drop off.

Also read: From buzzword to application: Southeast Asia’s AI momentum

The stories were diverse, but the themes were consistent. The most successful companies view engagement not as a campaign, but as a relationship. They invest in understanding user intent, reduce friction across channels, and measure success by long-term loyalty rather than short-term conversions.

Rethinking how mobile innovation happens

Roundtables like these show that the most meaningful insights often come from shared experience. When marketers, product teams, and growth strategists sit together, the conversation naturally moves beyond metrics and into mindset.

Across the discussions, participants acknowledged that Southeast Asia’s mobile ecosystem is maturing quickly. The appetite for experimentation is strong, but so is the need for frameworks that turn insight into action. Collaboration, openness, and data transparency are becoming just as important as performance and scale. As one leader put it, “Everyone has data, but few have dialogue. Growth happens when both come together.”

Where the conversation leads next

The evolution of mobile engagement in Southeast Asia is far from over. As new tools and platforms emerge, the focus will increasingly shift toward connected experiences that make every touchpoint matter.

The future of mobile growth belongs to those who treat engagement as an ongoing relationship rather than a one-time event. Brands that listen, learn, and adapt will continue to build the kind of loyalty that lasts far beyond a download.

Mobile growth is not a sprint for users; it is a cycle of understanding. The next generation of marketing leaders will be the ones who turn data into dialogue and experimentation into everyday practice.

Also read: How data and collaboration are powering Vietnam’s urban mobility revolution

Work with us

If your organisation wants to host meaningful discussions around mobile innovation or bring decision-makers together to explore the next phase of digital growth, let’s make it happen. You can reach the Innovate team here.

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Startup Island TAIWAN is showcasing a delegation of Taiwanese startups to Singapore from 29 to 31 October 2025, at SWITCH (Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology) — Asia’s leading innovation event. The delegation, jointly organized by Startup Island TAIWAN, the Taiwan Stock Exchange, Startup Terrace Kaohsiung, and the Hsinchu Science Park Bureau, features 28 Taiwanese startups, showcasing Taiwan’s achievements and capabilities in AI-native solutions, next-gen hardware, semiconductors, and sustainability.

Caption: The Taiwan Delegation of 28 startups at the Taiwan Pavilion, with Wen-Ling Wu, Deputy Representative, Taipei Representative Office in Singapore, Taiwan Stock Exchange, Startup Terrace Kaohsiung, and Hsinchu Science Park Bureau.

Singapore as a global hub — connecting ASEAN markets and international capital

The SWITCH exhibition in Singapore is one of Startup Island TAIWAN’s key international initiatives, aimed at helping Taiwanese startups connect with Southeast Asian market resources, global investment networks, and strategic partners. Long regarded as a vital hub for entrepreneurship and capital in Asia, Singapore attracts startups, enterprises, and investors from around the world, serving as a crucial gateway for Taiwan’s startups to expand internationally.

Through participation in SWITCH, Startup Island TAIWAN seeks to help startups engage with potential partners and investors, strengthen Taiwan’s presence in ASEAN markets, and enhance Taiwan’s global visibility.

Also read: Why Southeast Asia’s next wave of startups is looking to Taiwan for growth

Taiwan shines at SLINGSHOT 2025

Taiwanese startup, Phasetrum, has been selected as a top-12 startup at SLINGSHOT, Asia’s premier deep-tech startup competition. After progressing through two rounds of competitive evaluation, Phasetrum was selected as one of the top 60 startups and advanced to the Manufacturing, Trade and Connectivity Domain Finals, earning the opportunity to participate in the SLINGSHOT physical immersion trip in Singapore and to pitch on the main stage at SWITCH. After Thursday’s pitching session, Phasetrum was selected for the SLINGSHOT top-12, earning a $60,000 Startup Singapore Grant and 4-week Intangible Asset Identification Sprint to further support business development and expansion. 

Phasetrum’s 3-in-1 phase-difference tuner enables users to connect to satellites from anywhere in the world with half of the power consumption and size of other phase array solutions. With proven superior connectivity performance, Phasetrum’s technology is pushing satellite communications into the next generation and making mass element phase array solutions a commercial reality. Having already partnered with top-tier satellite operators and manufacturers, Phasetrum is exploring commercial and military applications to provide constant and reliable satellite connectivity for its users.   

Taiwan’s startups shine on the global stage

MetaRosetta Co., Ltd.

MetaRosetta pioneers wafer-scale, single-element achromatic metalenses that replace bulky multi-element optics with compact, high-performance designs for IR imaging and AR/VR devices. Its scalable lenses enable smaller, lighter, and more efficient modules for next-generation applications. At SWITCH, MetaRosetta presented simulation data, reference designs, and hosted private demos for potential partners. The company is actively engaging collaborators in the United States, Japan, and Singapore to accelerate commercialization and industry adoption.

Morale AI 

Morale AI develops domain-specific Large Language Models (LLMs) and AI Agents for smart manufacturing and sustainability. Its TextileGPT, trained on 28 years of textile process data, is deployed in collaboration with TUNTEX across Taiwan and Thailand, enabling cross-border AI-driven quality control and operational learning. The company is also expanding into Southeast Asia via partnership with Evercomm Singapore, integrating predictive analytics into ESG compliance platforms to help factories forecast emissions and resource use.

Also Read: Why Taiwan’s tech ecosystem is ASEAN’s next big growth driver

Seeing Display Technology

Seeing’s MEMORIO patented memory-type smart film could memorize its light status just by one switch without continuously powered on, and could save electricity 90% more than the current products and technologies. MEMORIO is the best solution to achieve smart living and ESG goals. Seeing is currently doing a proof-of-concept project with American and Taiwanese companies focusing on smart building materials and advanced display development. Seeing is currently seeking partners and investment in Singapore to further scale up production.

Tenfold AI

Tenfold AI is transforming the $437B legal services market with LexGents, an AI platform that accelerates legal drafting, issue detection, and cross-jurisdictional research. Powered by multi-agent architecture, LexGents improves speed up to 180× while enhancing accuracy and compliance. It is currently adopted by 13 legal entities, including major law firms, VCs, and corporate legal teams in Taiwan, and is soon to be deployed by government agencies. With its fit for efficiency-driven, law-based systems, LexGents is well-positioned for Singapore’s legal market.  

Continuing Taiwan’s innovation journey across Asia  

Participating in SWITCH not only marks another milestone for Taiwanese startups on the global stage but also symbolizes the continued outward momentum of Taiwan’s innovation power. Startup Island TAIWAN will continue to promote the global expansion of Taiwan’s startups through exhibitions, forums, and cross-border collaboration, reinforcing international market connections and building a new hub for innovation linkages across Asia.

Startup Island TAIWAN is Taiwan’s national startup brand backed by the National Development Council. It is dedicated to showcasing Taiwan’s innovative capabilities to the world. For more information about Taiwan’s startup scene on the global stage, please follow Startup Island TAIWAN’s official website and social media accounts.

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Indonesian e-commerce giant PT Global Digital Niaga Tbk, the IDX-listed company behind Blibli.com and its lifestyle arm BlibliTiket, has unveiled its third-quarter (Q3) 2025 results.

Net revenues climbed 32 per cent year-on-year to Rp4,279 billion (US$269.5 million), driven by smartphone sales and physical store expansions. Yet, beneath the glossy metrics and CEO platitudes, the numbers reveal a company scrambling to stem bleeding margins, leaning on aggressive cost controls that could erode long-term competitiveness in Southeast Asia’s cutthroat digital retail arena.

Also Read: Blibli is the latest Indonesian tech company to confirm unicorn status

The press release trumpets “resilience and agility” amid economic headwinds, but a closer dissection exposes the fragility. While gross profit before discounts swelled a robust 32 per cent to Rp4,279 billion (US$269.5 million), the take rate – a critical measure of revenue efficiency per unit of gross merchandise value (GMV) – barely budged from 6.7 per cent in Q3 2024 to 7 per cent in Q3 2025.

This stagnation signals Blibli’s struggle to extract value from its sprawling ecosystem, even as GMV reached Rp61,634 billion (US$3.88 billion), a 26 per cent year-over-year increase. For the nine months, the take rate inched up to 3.6 per cent from 3 per cent, but that’s cold comfort in a market where rivals like Shopee and Tokopedia are reportedly squeezing merchants with deeper discounts to lock in loyalty.

Worse, consolidated EBITDA plunged 12 per cent year-on-year to Rp886 billion (US$55.8 million) in Q3, with the margin contracting to 18.6 per cent of total payment volume (TPV) from a healthier 21 per cent last year. Over the first nine months, EBITDA margins eroded further to 17.9 per cent from 20.3 per cent – a slippage attributed to “strategic investments” but which smells more like the fallout from promotional overdrive.

Operating expenses as a percentage of TPV dipped slightly to 7.2 per cent from 7.5 per cent, thanks to lower consolidated selling costs, but this “efficiency” comes at the expense of genuine innovation. Blibli’s playbook here? Slash ad spends and administrative overheads while flooding the market with iPhone 17 launch hype – a short-term sales jolt that analysts say risks commoditising the platform.

“Blibli’s performance reflects continued resilience and agility,” said Kuswanto Martanto, co-founder and CEO. Yet his words ring hollow against a backdrop of decelerating growth: total segment revenues for the IP Retail arm, Blibli’s online commerce core, expanded just 16 per cent year-on-year to Rp3,034 billion (US$191.1 million) in Q3, down from the blistering paces of prior quarters.

Physical stores, including the 70.6 per cent-owned PT Supra Boga Lestari Tbk (Ranch Market), fared better with 30 per cent GMV growth to Rp4,608 billion (US$290.1 million), buoyed by new Apple and Huawei mono-brand outlets. But even here, the shine fades: overall TPV growth slowed to 2 per cent year-on-year, hinting at saturation in urban consumer electronics.

Also Read: Vietnam leads SEA in e-commerce optimism despite regulatory frictions

The institutional business, serving corporate clients, posted a meagre 30 per cent GMV uptick to Rp1,921 billion (US$121 million), but net revenues grew only 20 per cent to Rp349 billion (US$22 million). With over 10,700 institutional trust clients by September’s end–up from 9,600– Blibli boasts scale, yet average transacting users stagnated at 2.3 million, flat year-on-year.

This plateau underscores a deeper malaise: in a post-pandemic Indonesia where e-commerce penetration hovers at 20 per cent of retail, Blibli’s omnichannel bet (spanning 13 warehouses, 38 home-and-living experience centres, and 58 supermarket outlets) is starting to look like overextension rather than synergy.

The post Behind Blibli’s 32 per cent surge: A margin crisis in disguise appeared first on e27.

Indonesian tech giant GoTo Group has reported a statutory loss of US$15.6 million (Rp255 billion) for the third quarter of 2025, despite the company’s press release proclaiming it had achieved its “first quarterly adjusted pre-tax profit”.

The focus on non-standard financial metrics, such as adjusted pre-tax profit and adjusted EBITDA, appears to mask weaknesses in the core business segments and the continuing bottom-line losses.

Also Read: Behind GoTo’s record Q2: The fine print tells a different story

GoTo, the largest digital ecosystem in Indonesia, announced that its adjusted pre-tax profit was Rp62 billion, equivalent to approximately US$3.8 million, marking the first time the company has reported this specific metric. Furthermore, group adjusted EBITDA reached Rp516 billion (approximately US$31.5 million), an improvement of 239 per cent year-on-year (YoY).

The reliance on non-IFAS measures

While management celebrated generating positive financial results, these figures are based on non-Indonesian Financial Accounting Standards (IFAS) measures. GoTo’s adjusted metrics, including adjusted EBITDA and adjusted pre-tax profit, are calculated by adding back substantial expenses that are necessary to run the business.

Specifically, adjusted EBITDA excludes crucial costs such as depreciation and amortisation, interest expenses, foreign exchange losses, and share-based compensation costs. The press release itself cautions that these non-IFAS measures “should be considered in addition to, not as substitutes for, or in isolation from, measures prepared in accordance with IFAS”.

For the nine months ending 30 September 2025, the company’s loss for the period was Rp997 billion. Even with the significant Q3 improvement—an 85 per cent decrease in the quarterly loss compared to Q3 2024’s Rp1,693 billion loss—GoTo still ended the quarter in the red when using standard accounting principles.

Core GTV growth stagnates in flagship segments

While the overall group core GTV saw robust growth of 43 per cent YoY, reaching Rp102.8 trillion, a deeper look at the traditional platform segment—on-demand services—reveals a significant slowdown in growth, indicating that the overall group growth is heavily reliant on its fintech division.

The on-demand services segment (which includes mobility and delivery), excluding Vietnam, recorded a modest GTV increase of only 2.4 per cent YoY, reaching Rp16.7 trillion (approximately US$1.02 billion).

Broken down further:

• Mobility GTV (two-wheel and four-wheel online transport) grew by a minimal 1 per cent YoY to Rp6.3 trillion (approximately US$382.1 million).
• Delivery GTV (online food delivery, logistics, and quick commerce) performed only slightly better, growing by 4 per cent YoY to Rp10.5 trillion (approximately US$641 million).

In stark contrast, the fintech segment’s core GTV soared by 48 per cent YoY to Rp95.3 trillion, suggesting that the strong group-wide GTV performance is being driven primarily by consumer payments and lending growth. The financial technology unit achieved its fourth consecutive quarter of profitability, with adjusted EBITDA reaching Rp136 billion (approximately US$8.3 million).

Also Read: GoTo secures US$281M loan to strengthen balance sheet, fuel growth

The slowing momentum in GTV for mobility and delivery suggests that GoTo is prioritising profitability and efficiency over aggressive expansion and market share acquisition in these key services.

Despite the underlying net loss and concerns about segmented growth, GoTo remains optimistic, having raised its full-year 2025 Group adjusted EBITDA guidance to between Rp 1.8 trillion and Rp 1.9 trillion.

The company currently holds Rp18 trillion, or approximately US$1.1 billion, in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term deposits.

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Risk sentiment has retreated sharply, not due to a sudden economic contraction, but rather to growing investor unease over the sustainability of surging artificial intelligence-related capital expenditures and a surprisingly hawkish pivot from the US Federal Reserve.

Despite delivering a widely anticipated 25-basis-point rate cut to a target range of 3.75 per cent to 4.00 per cent, Chair Jerome Powell used the post-decision press conference to push back firmly against expectations of further easing, warning that inflation remains sticky and that the labour market, while cooling, still shows signs of underlying strength. This messaging effectively neutralised the dovish implications of the cut itself, triggering a repricing across asset classes.

Equity markets responded with a clear rotation out of high-duration tech names. The Nasdaq fell 1.6 per cent, significantly underperforming the Dow Jones, which declined only 0.2 per cent. This divergence underscores a market increasingly sceptical of the lofty valuations underpinning the AI trade, which had been a primary driver of the year’s gains. The repricing was mirrored in the bond market, where yields edged higher.

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield climbed by two basis points to settle at 4.097 per cent, while the two-year yield rose one basis point to 3.608 per cent. This steepening of the yield curve, albeit modest, signals that traders are now pricing in a more prolonged period of elevated rates than previously expected. The US Dollar Index capitalised on this shift in sentiment, rising 0.3 per cent to 99.53, its highest level in three months, as global capital sought the relative safety of the greenback.

This risk-off environment spilt over into commodities and, more acutely, into the cryptocurrency market. Gold, often a haven during uncertainty, surged by 2.4 per cent to close at an extraordinary US$4,023.20 per ounce, a level that speaks to deep-seated anxieties about long-term monetary debasement and a potential flight from traditional financial assets. In the oil market, Brent crude was relatively stable, gaining just 0.1 per cent to settle at US$65 per barrel.

This calm, however, belies a complex backdrop. The market is digesting news that OPEC+ is poised to approve another modest output increase of 137,000 barrels per day for December, a move that would continue its gradual unwinding of production cuts. This potential supply boost is being counterbalanced by new US sanctions on Russia, which have stoked uncertainty about the reliability of global oil supply, creating a tense equilibrium that has so far prevented a major price move in either direction.

Also Read: From Tokyo to crypto: How political shifts and policy bets are reshaping global markets

Against this macroeconomic tapestry, the cryptocurrency market has entered a period of pronounced weakness. Over the past 24 hours, the total market capitalisation has fallen by two per cent, extending a monthly decline of 6.46 per cent. The current market cap stands at approximately US$3.67 trillion, a figure that has broken below both its seven-day and 30-day simple moving averages, signalling a clear deterioration in its technical structure. This downturn is not a simple market correction but the result of a confluence of powerful, bearish forces operating in unison.

The most significant driver of this weakness is a sudden and substantial exodus of institutional capital from Bitcoin spot ETFs. On October 30, these funds recorded a net outflow of US$488 million, the largest single-day withdrawal since June 2025. The selling was led by the market’s two heaviest weights: BlackRock’s IBIT saw US$291 million flee its coffers, while Ark Invest’s ARKB bled a further US$65.6 million. This synchronised institutional retreat is a critical development.

For much of 2025, the steady inflow of capital into these ETFs had been the bedrock of Bitcoin’s price stability and its primary source of new demand. The abrupt reversal suggests that large, sophisticated players are either taking profits after a strong run or, more ominously, are repositioning their portfolios in anticipation of a more challenging macro environment ahead. With total ETF assets now at US$143.9 billion, the market is now on high alert for November’s flow data, which will be the key indicator of whether this is a temporary pause or the beginning of a sustained institutional withdrawal.

Compounding this problem is a sharp contraction in the derivatives market. Total open interest, a measure of the total value of outstanding leveraged bets, has plummeted by 4.4 per cent, falling from US$848 billion to US$812 billion. At the same time, average funding rates on perpetual futures contracts have turned negative, settling at -0.0018 per cent. This combination is a classic sign of market deleveraging.

Also Read: Markets on edge: Fed ambiguity fuels risk-off mood as Aster surges amid crypto bloodbath

Traders are actively closing their long positions, often at a loss, to reduce their risk exposure. While this process of forced liquidation removes the immediate threat of a cascading crash, it also strips the market of its bullish momentum. The negative funding rate confirms that the short-term sentiment is firmly bearish, as those holding short positions are now being paid to do so by the longs who remain in the market.

From a technical perspective, the picture is equally grim. The market has not only broken key moving averages but has also seen its Relative Strength Index (RSI) fall to 40.9, entering oversold territory. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator remains in negative territory, suggesting that the bearish momentum is still in control.

This creates a precarious situation where the market is technically primed for a bounce, but the underlying trend remains firmly down. The next major support level appears to be the US$3.6 trillion mark, a 78.6 per cent Fibonacci retracement level, which will be a critical test of the market’s resilience.

The prevailing sentiment is one of fear. The market’s Fear and Greed Index has plunged to 31, a level categorised as Extreme Fear and the lowest it has been in a week. This psychological state is further amplified by a rising Bitcoin dominance index, which now sits at 59.3 per cent.

When Bitcoin’s share of the total crypto market cap increases during a downturn, it typically indicates that investors are fleeing from riskier altcoins and rotating into what they perceive as the safest asset in the space. This dynamic suggests that if the current pressure continues, altcoins could face even more severe selling than Bitcoin itself.

In conclusion, the crypto market’s current malaise is a direct reflection of a broader macroeconomic shift. The trifecta of institutional caution, derivatives deleveraging, and a broken technical structure has created a formidable headwind. While the oversold conditions may eventually attract bargain hunters, the market is in desperate need of a catalyst to reverse its course.

That catalyst could come in the form of a renewed wave of ETF inflows, signaling that institutions have regained their confidence, or from a more dovish signal from the Federal Reserve that eases the pressure on risk assets. Until then, the path of least resistance remains lower, and all eyes will be on whether Bitcoin can hold its October low near US$105,000 as the ultimate test of its underlying support.

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Singapore-based telco innovator MyRepublic showcases “Affordable Sales AI Automation for SMEs”, empowering lean teams with enterprise-grade AI coworkers.

MyRepublic was among the standout teams featured at the world’s first Meta Llama Incubator Demo Day, a global program spotlighting startups and enterprises advancing the future of responsible AI.

The company unveiled its latest innovation, “AI Sales Coworker”, a LLM-agnostic Customer Relationship Management(CRM) platform designed to bring affordable sales AI automation to small and mid-sized businesses at a fraction of traditional CRM costs.

Transforming SME sales with AI coworkers

Built to address one of the most persistent challenges faced by SME sales leaders: doing more with less. MyRepublic’s solution leverages Meta’s Llama models and an agentic AI architecture to streamline end-to-end sales operations.

“SME sales teams are often stretched thin, juggling lead management, customer outreach, and CRM updates,” said Kenny Yee, Head of AI & Transformation at MyRepublic. “We’re giving them virtual AI coworkers that handle the repetitive work so they can focus on closing deals and growing their business.”

The AI Sales Coworker automates tasks such as lead research, prioritisation, product recommendations, and outreach generation. It integrates seamlessly with collaboration tools like WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, Telegram, and Google Chat, enabling 24/7 virtual assistance without complex onboarding or high subscription costs.

Also read: Meta accelerates AI innovation in Singapore with Llama Incubator program demo day

Turning manual workflows into intelligent automation

MyRepublic’s solution potentially aims to disrupt the traditional SME CRM market with AI-empowered capabilities, providing a cost-efficient and scalable path to AI adoption. Unlike traditional CRMs that rely heavily on manual data entry, the system applies Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) for product-specific knowledge, ensuring trustworthy, contextual, and personalised engagement with customers.

Key features include:

• Automated lead ingestion and assignment across channels
• Context-aware sales pitch generation
• AI coworker chatbots available round-the-clock
• Full CRM capabilities
• Oversight, safety, and governance by design

AI responsibility by design

As part of the Meta Llama Incubator, MyRepublic has adopted AI safety and transparency principles guided by the Meta Llama’s Responsible Use Guide. The initiative reinforces MyRepublic’s commitment to delivering trustworthy and responsible AI across its enterprise and SME solutions portfolio.

“Our solution is designed with in-built guardrails, human-in-the-loop and data privacy features to ensure that businesses can leverage the latest advances brought by AI without having to worry about trust and safety” added Senior AI Lead Engineer, Zhang Qianqian.

Also read: Singapore’s CREX named among top 3 teams at world’s first Meta Llama Incubator Demo Day

Empowering every business to own its AI future

MyRepublic’s participation in the program underscores its broader mission to democratise enterprise AI for every business, regardless of size or sector. By combining deep connectivity expertise with next-generation automation, MyRepublic continues to play a leading role in Singapore’s digital transformation landscape.

The Meta Llama Incubator is supported by a coalition of partners and ecosystem builders, with special thanks to e27 for amplifying responsible AI innovation across Asia.

Businesses interested in exploring the AI Sales Coworker or other innovations from MyRepublic can learn more at https://myrepublic.net/sg/business/ai-automation-box/ or connect via LinkedIn.

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Just like in previous quarters, Indonesia’s tech giant is leaning hard on non-IFAS accounting to craft a profitability story. The company’s latest Q3 results trumpet a Rp62 billion (US$3.73 million) “adjusted pre-tax profit” and a 239 per cent surge in adjusted EBITDA.

But once again, these figures depend on adding back real costs: depreciation, amortisation, interest, FX losses, and share-based expenses, which are the fundamentals that define how a business truly performs.

By standard accounting measures, GoTo still posted a statutory loss of US$15.6 million, even after trimming its red ink by 85 per cent year-on-year. Its core on-demand business–the bedrock of its super app identity– grew a meagre 2.4 per cent, with mobility and delivery barely inching forward. Meanwhile, fintech continues to do the heavy lifting, up 48 per cent year-on-year and turning a steady profit.

This isn’t the first time e27 has flagged GoTo’s reliance on adjusted metrics, and the pattern continues. Beneath the optimism lies a truth that GoTo’s glossy releases can’t conceal: profitability, in its purest form, remains elusive.

REGIONAL

GoTo’s profit claim doesn’t add up: Adjusted metrics mask a US$15.6M loss: Despite its profit claims, GoTo’s Q3 results show dependence on accounting adjustments and slowing growth in flagship on-demand segments.

Behind Blibli’s 32 per cent surge: A margin crisis in disguise: Blibli’s top-line growth masks deeper margin erosion, exposing vulnerabilities in its cost strategy and omnichannel expansion efforts across Indonesia.

Carro posts record FY2025 revenue of US$898M: This represents a 15% rise in revenue. The gross profit for the period grew 20% to US$111M.
Its gross profit margin increased to 12.4% from 11.8% in FY2024, with liquidity at US$287M and total assets of S$1.3 billion.

Publicis Groupe acquires Hepmil to build Southeast Asia’s first data-driven creator network: Publicis expands its global creator ecosystem with Hepmil acquisition, merging local storytelling and data insights to power influencer campaigns in SEA.

Singaporean proptech firm Ohmyhome’s CEO Rhonda Wong resigns: It has named Wong Wun Wun Daisy as its new co-CEO, effective October 22. The company said Wong’s resignation was not due to disagreements over operations or company policies.

India and Japan lead Asia’s tech layoffs as AI-driven cuts escalate: India has reported the second-largest wave of tech layoffs globally. The country’s total tech layoffs have exceeded 17,000 in 2025. Japan ranks third globally for the volume of tech layoffs.

Qapita acquires US fund admin firm Punch Financial: The Singapore-based provider of equity management solutions said the deal will bolster its fund management services by integrating Punch’s fund accounting and administration tools.

OpenAI rolls out Sora app in Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan: Sora, OpenAI’s AI-powered video creation tool, lets users generate and remix videos using AI and share them on a customisable feed. It was first rolled out in the US and Canada in September.

Razorpay’s Curlec, India’s NPCI to enable UPI payments in Malaysia: The integration will allow Indian travellers to pay Malaysian merchants using UPI apps, with payments settled in Malaysian ringgit. According to tourism data, over 1M Indian tourists visited Malaysia in 2024.

TikTok reaches 460M users in Southeast Asia, expands in Vietnam: Indonesia accounts for 160M users, Vietnam 70M, and Thailand 50 million, with the remainder across the region. The company said its platform is now used for app discovery and business growth in areas like gaming, finance, and retail.

Blue Whale Energy nets US$2M to power Singapore’s first battery-based virtual power plant: Investors include Forge Ventures, Monk’s Hill, and UntroD. The startup focuses on developing and operating distributed battery systems tailored for commercial and industrial customers.

Ex-Tesla AI team’s IndustrialMind raises US$1.2M to bring a decision-making brain to factory floors: Investors include Antler, TSVC, Plug and Play, and Gang Song. Its AI Engineer understands engineering drawings and production data, recommends and validates process changes, and lifts yield and throughput.

QAI Ventures launches Singapore accelerator to drive Asia’s next computing revolution: The accelerator is designed to help early-stage founders translate scientific breakthroughs into scalable, investment-ready businesses. The five-month programme offers mentorship from global experts in quantum technologies, venture capital, and corporate innovation.

Videotto secures seed round from East Ventures to make video editing 100x faster: Videotto can also generate multiple short videos optimised for different social media platforms, helping users instantly tailor their content for each channel.

REPORTS, FEATURES & INTERVIEWS

From heatstroke to haze: India’s climate vulnerability is sparking a new wave of investment: While private climate-tech inflows have reached approximately US$4B since 2015 in India, the US$1M to US$3M ticket gap remains challenging.

Asia’s climate–health gold rush is just getting started: Private capital is accelerating into Asia’s climate–health sector, with growing VC interest, rising early-stage deals, and emerging blended financing models.

From policy to capital: How development banks are driving the climate x health agenda: Development banks and philanthropies lead Asia’s climate x health finance shift, focusing on de-risking, adaptation, and ecosystem-building for private capital.

SensorTower: Non-gaming mobile apps have taken over SEA as revenue-generating genre: At the TikTok App Summit in Hanoi, David Law of Sensor Tower, shared that 2025 marks a turning point for the region’s mobile app ecosystem.

INTERNATIONAL

OpenAI, Oracle partner on 1 GW Stargate data centre in Michigan: OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank have previously announced six Stargate sites in the US, with combined planned capacity now exceeding 8 gigawatts and a reported US$450 billion investment over three years.

Apple revenue in China falls 4% to US$14.5B over supply issues: Apple faces increased competition from Chinese brands, with Huawei leading the premium smartphone segment, and Xiaomi boosting its presence with the Xiaomi 17 series.

Anthropic opens first Asia office in Tokyo: The US-based AI startup aims to collaborate on AI evaluation methodologies and monitor trends in the field. The company has also joined the Hiroshima AI Process Friends Group, which seeks to promote safe and trustworthy AI development.

SEMICONDUCTOR

Samsung to build AI-powered chip factory using 50,000 Nvidia GPUs: The electronics behemoth said the AI megafactory will connect and optimise all stages of semiconductor manufacturing, including design, process, equipment, and quality control, using real-time AI analysis.

Nvidia becomes world’s first company to hit US$5T valuation: The company’s shares have risen 25% since January and are up 1,087% since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022. Nvidia’s rapid growth has outpaced the S&P 500 index, which rose 68.9% in the same period.

Nvidia plans up to US$1B investment in AI startup Poolside: The coding automation startup in in talks to raise US$2B at a US$12B valuation. Nvidia’s involvement could begin with a US$500M investment, potentially rising to US$1B if Poolside meets its fundraising goals.

AI

Microsoft, NUS, AMD launch AI lab in Singapore: Supported by the Infocomm Media Development Authority, the lab will develop and test enterprise AI and IoT solutions for energy, infrastructure, transportation, and manufacturing. It will focus on improving energy, operational, and system efficiency using AI and edge computing.

Stop comparing AIs: How faithfulness builds clarity: AI is not just a product you use once. It’s a learning partner. Think of it like raising a child or teaching a student. You don’t switch teachers every week and expect the child to thrive. Growth comes from consistency.

What “retirement” (and AI) taught me about purpose: True freedom emerges not from escape but from building structure that gives purpose, aided by AI and self-designed systems. Structured freedom is about designing a life where your systems work for you — not the other way around.

From 15 days to 5: How AI is quietly rewiring the CFO’s role: AI-assisted finance is turning 15-day reporting cycles into five-day workflows, freeing teams to focus on strategy over spreadsheets.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

TikTok and the future of education: How Generation Alpha actually learns: Hour-long lecture videos, boring slideshows, and endless multiple-choice quizzes? They don’t match how Gen Alpha actually takes in information. The future is about good content, built with the same ideas that make TikTok work.

Fed cuts rates but warns against complacency: Bitcoin and altcoins react sharply: The Fed’s cautious rate cut has sparked risk repricing across markets, exposing crypto’s continued sensitivity to macro policy shifts.

Jun Pham on curiosity, creativity, and making tech human: Jun Pham is a B2B marketeer currently working at Alano.ai, which was built for people like her who did not come from tech but wanted to break into it one step at a time.

Why CSR must evolve: Building empathy and dignity in eldercare: Singapore’s ageing challenge demands a redesign of CSR, from one-off volunteer events to human-centred experiences that build empathy and dignity.

The real costs and timelines of launching a Singapore VCC: Launching a Variable Capital Company typically starts around US$29,200 for incorporation, legal, and regulatory fees, a fraction of what you’d expect in North America or Europe. Beyond savings, Singapore also brings several other perks.

The great decoupling: Bitcoin breaks from nasdaq as macro forces reshape crypto: Markets stay upbeat on US-China trade progress and AI momentum, but crypto dips 1.55 per cent ahead of a key Fed decision and rising volatility.

Unlocking Asia’s payments potential: The case for unifying fragmented policies: Coordinated regulation and partnerships are key for Asia to unify its fragmented real-time payments systems and boost cross-border trade.

A new ocean order: What startups and investors need to know about the High Seas Treaty: The High Seas Treaty is more than a conservation pact — it’s the legal architecture for a trillion-dollar ocean economy. Startups that understand how governance reshapes markets will lead the next frontier in climate and sustainability innovation.

The hidden costs of scaling too fast and how to avoid them: Scaling too early often leads to investments in tools, processes, or structures that the business cannot fully leverage yet. You end up with expensive software, overly complex hierarchies, or sales engines that outpace product readiness.

Real estate meets AI: Why property agents need to adapt before they fall behind: AI is reshaping real estate in Singapore, helping agents reduce confusion, improve transparency, and deliver more human, trusted experiences.

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The post Ecosystem Roundup: GoTo’s profit illusion, Blibli’s margin crisis, Publicis acquires Hepmil, and Asia’s AI layoff wave appeared first on e27.