Growing startups and securing investment depend not on a “title of expertise,” but on execution—the ability to take action that meets real needs. When I first joined my organisation, I knew little about entrepreneurship. Over the past decade, observing countless founders up close taught me that what startups ultimately need are networks—the people and capital that connect and accelerate their growth.

Early stage: When setbacks became my first real lesson

Nurturing startups outside Seoul was never easy. I rushed from meeting to meeting, but geography and time were constant barriers. I still remember one early attempt—emailing a well-known accelerator partner to introduce our portfolio companies.

Their reply was brief and cold: “Please send it to the company’s representative email address.”

My heart sank.

In that moment, I learned a hard truth: before anyone will listen, you must first build your own credibility as the connector.

A new approach: Breaking through with digital networking

Still, giving up was not an option. To help startups raise investment, I had to find a new way forward.

I turned to the digital world — starting with Facebook, where Korean investor networks were most active at the time, and LinkedIn, the global hub for professional connections.

Working at a government-affiliated organisation gave me some initial credibility and opened doors for early introductions. But proving that the startups I supported were truly viable and innovative — that was an entirely different challenge.

Before reaching out to investors and tech experts, I rebuilt my profile as a trust signal. I invested in a professional studio photo, commissioned a clean banner, and crafted every line of my bio and organisational experience with care—clear, specific, and outcomes-focused.

The goal was simple: make credibility visible before making any ask. Only then did I begin expanding my network with targeted connection requests to investors and operators.

Also Read: How network aggregators can thrive in a disconnected world

Content strategy: Turning writing into a bridge of trust

Once I had grown my networks to over 3,000 connections on each platform, I began to write. I shared insights from an investor’s perspective — startup appeal factors, funding trends, expert interviews, and even film reviews about entrepreneurship. I posted these articles on social media and in investor group chats.

The result was astonishing. Within a short time, my name became more widely recognised, and the “barrier to investor persuasion” began to lower.

Investors who had already encountered my content started responding more positively — open to collaboration, conversation, and new opportunities.

Global expansion: When LinkedIn unlocked the world

Then came a new mission: global expansion and overseas investment attraction.

It felt almost impossible at first. But everything changed the day I connected—through LinkedIn—with an influencer and startup community manager at a global tech company in Singapore.

Soon after, a LinkedIn connection introduced me to e27, Asia’s leading startup and tech media platform. I began contributing articles on investment and tech trends, and before long, I was honoured as a top contributor and thought leader for two consecutive years.

That recognition became a powerful bridge—connecting me with accelerators and innovation leaders across Silicon Valley, Singapore, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. It proved that when you consistently share insights your audience truly needs, opportunities find their way back to you.

Expanding into practice: Turning insight into collaboration

Our organisation is based in Osong, a national biotech cluster in Korea, where we nurture startups in beauty tech, medical devices, and biotechnology.

Through multiple surveys, I found that many of these startups were eager to enter the US market. With that insight, I began ongoing online networking, which eventually led to co-hosted IR sessions and global expansion seminars with experts, investors, and institutional leaders in Los Angeles and Houston.

It was a reminder that meaningful partnerships aren’t built overnight, but through persistence, trust, and visible action.

Also Read: Rethinking communication, connection, and empathy in the age of AI

Writing and influence: When action opens unimaginable doors

Helping startups grow requires more than just networks or content. Real opportunities emerged when writing and execution came together. Sharing stories and insights on social media unexpectedly opened new personal and professional doors.

As a result, I found myself stepping into new and exciting roles:

• Collaborations with global tech accelerators,
• Being named one of the “Global Women Influencers” and recognised as a leading “LinkedIn Influencer,” with features in Korean and global media.
• Serving as a Global Ambassador for the WomenTech Network.

Each milestone reaffirmed a single truth — that influence is not built through visibility alone, but through consistent contribution, credibility, and meaningful connection.

The final lesson: Write, record, share

In the end, the fastest way to reach investors was not by chasing them, but by continuously sharing credible, in-depth insights that they genuinely want to read.

I still write regularly about complex topics such as quantum computing, AI, and climate tech, translating them into accessible language so that investors and founders can meet in the middle, through understanding.

To any founder out there dreaming of global growth, I would say:

“Start writing. Start recording. Start sharing — today. The results waiting for you may be far greater than you can imagine.”

Credibility compounds when it’s shared — write to be understood, execute to be believed, and connect to be remembered.

—

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

Enjoyed this read? Don’t miss out on the next insight. Join our WhatsApp channel for real-time drops.

Image courtesy: Canva

The post Trust, influence, execute: Turning credibility into deal flow appeared first on e27.

The recent cooling of risk sentiment across global financial markets has sparked a pronounced defensive rotation, revealing a market grappling with conflicting signals on growth, monetary policy, and the sustainability of the AI-driven rally that has underpinned equity performance for much of the year. This shift lies in a confluence of macroeconomic data, corporate earnings uncertainty, and a reassessment of valuation premiums, particularly among the so-called Magnificent Seven tech stocks.

The S&P 500’s 1.6 per cent decline, which pushed it below its 100-day moving average, and the Nasdaq 100’s sharper 2.4 per cent drop underscore a growing investor wariness. This pullback occurred despite robust headline earnings from major technology firms, suggesting that earnings quality and forward guidance now matter more than top-line results alone. The market’s reaction reflects a maturing phase of the AI investment cycle, where speculative exuberance gives way to scrutiny over capital discipline and return on investment.

Nvidia’s post-earnings decline of 3.2 per cent, despite reporting record revenue of US$57 billion for the quarter ending October 2025, up 22 per cent from the prior quarter and exceeding its own guidance, highlights this tension. The company’s announcement of US$500 billion in AI chip orders for 2025 and 2026 combined speaks to immense underlying demand, yet investors are increasingly concerned about the pace and efficiency of capital deployment.

Analysts have begun questioning whether the current infrastructure build-out is inherently speculative, with data centre investments potentially outstripping near-term revenue generation. This scepticism has catalysed a broader reevaluation of AI-linked equities, triggering a selloff that spilt over into other risk assets, including cryptocurrencies. The market is no longer rewarding growth at any price. Instead, it demands proof of sustainable, profitable scaling.

This tech-driven equity weakness directly influenced the sharp deterioration in crypto market sentiment. Bitcoin fell 3.7 per cent during the session, and the broader crypto market shed 6.22 per cent in 24 hours, mirroring a four per cent intraday drop in the Nasdaq. The correlation between Bitcoin and the Nasdaq-100 has surged to 0.88, its highest level since March 2025, firmly re-establishing crypto’s role as a high-beta risk asset rather than a diversifying hedge.

This tight linkage means that any fear of an AI bubble or a broader tech valuation correction now directly translates into selling pressure on digital assets. The market has effectively priced in a future of unfettered AI growth, and any hint of a slowdown in hyperscaler spending or a more rational approach to capital expenditure is met with immediate repricing.

Also Read: Singapore crypto adoption hits new high as 61 per cent now hold digital assets

Compounding this sensitivity to equity market moves is a sudden and severe repricing of Federal Reserve policy expectations. The delayed release of the September US jobs report delivered a mixed but ultimately hawkish signal. While nonfarm payrolls showed a stronger-than-expected gain of 119,000 jobs, well above the 75,000 forecast, the unemployment rate simultaneously ticked up to 4.4 per cent, its highest level since late 2021. This combination of resilient job creation with a rising jobless rate, driven by an expanding labour force, has muddied the Fed’s data-dependent outlook.

The market has responded by aggressively pricing out the prospect of near-term monetary easing. The probability of a 25 basis point rate cut at the Fed’s December 10 meeting has collapsed to just 30 per cent, a sharp decline from the 55 per cent chance priced in a month earlier. This higher-for-longer rate environment increases the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets like Bitcoin and elevates volatility across all risk markets, as evidenced by the VIX index sitting at 26.4.

This macro-induced risk aversion triggered a violent process of leverage unwinding in the crypto markets. As Bitcoin broke below the critical US$87,000 support level, a cascade of liquidations was set off, with over US$636 million in long positions being forcibly closed. This selling pressure was amplified by the fact that open interest in perpetual swap markets had recently risen by nearly five per cent to US$856.5 billion, indicating that traders had been adding leveraged long positions near the market’s peak.

The resulting feedback loop of margin calls and stop-loss triggers pushed the Fear & Greed Index into Extreme Fear territory at a reading of 11, its lowest point since March. This dynamic illustrates a key vulnerability in the current crypto market structure. High leverage in a low-liquidity environment can turn a modest price move into a full-blown panic, stripping away any illusion of its independence from traditional financial drivers.

In this climate of uncertainty, capital has rotated into traditional defensive sectors. Consumer Staples rose 1.1 per cent, led by a 6.5 per cent jump in Walmart’s share price, as investors sought refuge in stable, cash-generative businesses with inelastic demand. This flight to safety extends beyond equities, with gold holding firm above US$4,000 as a classic hedge against both economic slowdown and policy uncertainty. For investors, the implications are clear.

Also Read: AI stocks soar while crypto bleeds: What’s really driving the great market divergence?

A broad, diversified portfolio that extends well beyond the narrow leadership of the tech sector is now a prudent necessity. Being selective among the Mag7 is paramount, as not all AI plays are created equal, and the market is now differentiating between those with real earnings power and those riding on pure narrative.

Looking ahead, the critical questions hinge on the Federal Reserve’s next move and the long-term capital discipline of the tech giants. The December FOMC meeting is a pivotal event, and a failure to deliver the expected rate cut could unleash another wave of volatility. The more profound, unanswered question for the market’s structural health is whether the hyperscalers, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta, will maintain their current breakneck pace of AI-related capital expenditure into 2026. Their 4Q earnings calls will provide the first real glimpse into their 2026 guidance.

A decision to spend at a more measured, rational pace would be a sign of mature, shareholder-friendly discipline that benefits their own balance sheets. Such prudence would be a double-edged sword, as it would likely inflict significant pain on the vast ecosystem of downstream semiconductor, hardware, and software companies whose growth is entirely dependent on this torrent of spending.

The market’s current weakness is a reflection of its fear that the golden age of unconstrained AI capex may be coming to an end, forcing a painful but necessary reassessment of valuations across the entire technology and crypto landscape.

—

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

Enjoyed this read? Don’t miss out on the next insight. Join our WhatsApp channel for real-time drops.

Image credit: Canva

The post AI bubble fears trigger market rotation: What it means for crypto and tech stocks appeared first on e27.

Cultural moments shape how people connect, celebrate, and make decisions across Southeast Asia. For brands and partners operating in this diverse region, the opportunity is not just about seasonal timing. It is about understanding the communities they serve and showing up with relevance and respect. This is where e27 plays a critical role.

In January, e27 partnered with TikTok for Business in Kuala Lumpur to help more than 400 small and medium-sized business leaders prepare for Ramadan and Hari Raya. The event, Ramadan Ready for SMBs, was a showcase of how e27 enables partners to educate, engage, and activate business communities at scale. It demonstrated what happens when the right content, audience, and on-ground execution come together with precision.

Why cultural moments matter for Southeast Asia’s business ecosystem

Across Malaysia and the wider region, Ramadan is a moment of reflection, generosity, and community. It influences everything from purchasing habits to brand loyalty to how people engage online. Yet many SMBs lack access to the insights, frameworks, and best practices that larger organisations rely on.

Partners turn to e27 because this gap is exactly where e27 creates value. As a platform that connects Asia’s innovation ecosystem, e27 helps translate complex opportunities into accessible, practical knowledge for thousands of business owners. Cultural moments require both sensitivity and strategy. e27 provides the bridge between partners who have the expertise and communities who need guidance.

Also read: The mindset shift turning mobile growth into a self-sustaining loop

Inside Ramadan Ready for SMBs

The Kuala Lumpur event brought together more than 400 entrepreneurs, advertisers, and marketers for a day of programming designed to help SMBs navigate Ramadan campaigns with confidence. e27 curated a learning experience that integrated insights, real-world examples, and hands-on exercises.

TikTok SMB Account Managers Michelle Lau and Eric Chen led sessions on the importance of authenticity during Ramadan and how brands can craft stories that resonate with community values. They shared case studies of businesses that improved awareness, engagement, and sales by aligning messaging with reflection, generosity, and togetherness.

A panel featuring Nestlé and Applecrumby added another layer of depth. Speakers highlighted how short-form, visually compelling content helps brands participate in cultural conversations. They also stressed how collaborations with trusted creators strengthen community connection.

Workshops later in the day equipped attendees with practical strategies for optimisation, measurement, and creative development. Participants left with clear steps they could immediately apply to their upcoming Ramadan campaigns.

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

How e27 delivers impact for partners

From planning to on-site management, e27 ensured a seamless experience for both partners and attendees. Audience outreach was strategically designed to maximise participation. Communications were timed to support strong attendance, and the flow of the program was carefully coordinated to keep energy and engagement high throughout the day.

TikTok’s Daniel R. highlighted the quality of the collaboration, commending e27’s professionalism, proactivity, and project management. He noted that every detail, from pre-event coordination to on-ground execution, reflected the team’s readiness and capability. For partners like TikTok for Business, this level of delivery is essential. It ensures their expertise reaches the right audience and creates real impact within local business communities.

This is the value of e27’s partnership model. Whether through roundtables, webinars, or large-scale ecosystem events, e27 works closely with partners to amplify their knowledge, reach their audiences, and deliver programs that strengthen Southeast Asia’s innovation ecosystem.

Also read: Rethinking connection: Why belonging is the new currency of global teams

Looking ahead

The success of Ramadan Ready for SMBs showed how powerful community-first programming can be when guided by the right insights and executed with intention. It also reaffirmed e27’s role as a connector that brings partners and business communities together to learn, collaborate, and grow.

As brands prepare for Ramadan 2026 and other cultural milestones across the region, the lessons from this event will continue to influence how they build authentic and impactful campaigns. For partners, there is clear opportunity to replicate this model across new markets and moments. For e27, this is one example of how strategic partnerships can translate into meaningful outcomes for the wider ecosystem.

Interested in creating impact with us? Contact Innovate here.

—

Enjoyed this read? Don’t miss out on the next insight. Join our WhatsApp channel for real-time drops.

The e27 team produced this article

We can share your story at e27 too! Engage the Southeast Asian tech ecosystem by bringing your story to the world. You can reach out to us here to get started.

Featured Image Credit: Canva Images

The post Culture-led marketing: Helping partners activate community moments at scale appeared first on e27.

In a fundraising climate defined by caution and shrinking liquidity, Southeast Asian founders are being forced to confront a truth the ecosystem has long avoided: exits don’t “happen” — they are engineered.

RETVRN Research’s State of Exits 2025 reinforces this shift, showing that most acquisitions occur far earlier than expected, often at or before Series A. That finding alone reframes how young companies must think about strategy. The path to a strong exit now begins at seed stage, not at scale.

The report’s emphasis on relationship-building is especially timely. With buyers highly selective, founders can no longer rely on last-minute interest or opportunistic outreach. The 18-24 month timeline for cultivating corporate relationships — and the need for five to seven active strategic conversations — highlights how exits are increasingly a process, not an event.

Perhaps the most revealing insight is how multidimensional “exit readiness” has become. Financial discipline, operational hygiene, timing awareness, and team alignment are now evaluated with near-institutional rigour. Weakness in any area can delay or depress outcomes.

Singapore’s growing infrastructure for structured exit preparation, including RETVRN’s local programme, signals a maturing ecosystem. In a market where capital scarcity demands discipline, founders who treat exits as core strategy rather than a distant milestone will define the region’s next cycle of innovation.

REGIONAL

Singapore’s surgical imaging firm Ultragreen.ai to raise US$400M IPO: The medical imaging company, which develops fluorescence-guided surgery technology and supplies indocyanine green dyes, aims to list on the Singapore Exchange Mainboard on December 3.

Temasek joins US$80m Series A in Singapore startup Amperesand: The funding will support the deployment of 30MW of its Medium Voltage Solid-State Transformer systems in 2026, aimed at AI data centers and critical power customers. Amperesand plans to expand engineering and manufacturing operations in the US and Singapore.

Vietnamese biotech startup Gene Solutions seeks US$100M pre-IPO: The company, which offers prenatal and cancer screenings using next-generation sequencing and AI, is considering listing in either Singapore or Hong Kong, according to CFO Keng Hsu.

Singapore’s e-commerce shift: Trust, not price, now drives loyalty: Milieu Insight reveals that the island nation’s online shoppers now prioritise trust, reliable service, and transparent value, signalling a shift from price-led loyalty to integrity-driven preferences.

Singapore crypto adoption hits new high as 61 per cent now hold digital assets: Singapore’s crypto market matures with rising long-term holders, modest portfolio allocations, and trust-driven platform choices despite persistent education and volatility concerns.

SGX, Nasdaq forge a global bridge for dual listings: The Global Listing Board will unify disclosure standards, cut costs, and enable large firms to raise capital efficiently across Singapore and the US.

Billease enters digital banking via rural bank buy: The acquisition of Rural Bank of Sta. Maria will enable the buy-now-pay-later company to introduce features including digital savings accounts, fund transfers, cash in, and cash out directly into the Billease app.

With US$6M in support, GenAI Fund aims to close the gap between AI innovation and corporate adoption: GenAI’s FastTrack programme connects innovators with corporates like Coca-Cola Vietnam, helping AI startups overcome cashflow hurdles, adoption delays, and product-market-fit challenges early.

Indonesia may block ChatGPT, Cloudflare over registration: Under regulations introduced in 2020, both foreign and local digital platforms must register before operating in Indonesia. Officials said that failing to register after receiving notification may lead to administrative sanctions, including access restrictions.

REPORTS, FEATURES & INTERVIEWS

Exit or be left behind: The harsh new reality for SEA startups: SEA’s valuation premiums now depend on early relationship building, disciplined operations, and exit-focused execution that starts years before negotiations begin.

Why Cambodia is becoming Southeast Asia’s most underrated tech frontier: Cambodia’s young digital-native population, rising infrastructure, and impact-focused investment funds are accelerating the country’s transformation into a compelling regional tech frontier.

From agritech to AI ops: 15 startups driving Philippines’s innovation shift (Part 2): The next wave of Philippine startups demonstrates how technology is streamlining operations, empowering communities, and opening new economic opportunities.

How East Ventures adopts materiality-driven ESG strategy for its portfolio companies: Its investment strategy fosters positive impacts and mitigates ESG risks. Through its ‘Doing Good’ approach, it evaluates its investments’ potential positive environmental and societal outcomes using a Theory of Change framework.

Bridging the valley of death: How C3H is powering the next wave of climate, health tech startups: As the climate crisis intensifies, technologies that address the intersection of climate and health are becoming increasingly urgent.

INTERNATIONAL

ChatGPT introduces global group chat feature: The feature allows users to collaborate with others and the AI in a single conversation. Users can add up to 20 people to a group chat by sharing a link, and group chats are kept separate from private conversations.

Baidu founder Robin Li casts AI as the driver of China’s ‘new productive forces’: The company is a major participant in China’s broader “AI Plus” initiative, which aims to integrate AI across sectors, and is also promoting its Ernie large language model as a flagship technology.

SoftBank to invest US$3B for OpenAI data centres: SoftBank, which previously sold a US$5.8B stake in Nvidia to fund its AI efforts, is working with OpenAI and Oracle on five US data centres for the US$500B Stargate project.

SEMICONDUCTOR

US charges four people over Nvidia chip smuggling to China: The indictment alleges that two Chinese nationals and two US citizens used a fake real estate company in Tampa, Florida, to ship graphics processing units through Malaysia to China without required US Commerce Department licenses.

TSMC receives US$4.7B in subsidies to support global expansion: Financial data showed TSMC secured US$154M in subsidies in Q3 2025, bringing the total for the first three quarters of 2025 to roughly US$2.31B, in addition to US$2.42B received in 2024.

SoftBank, TSMC stock fall after Nvidia drops in US: The selloff hit both major and smaller Asian chip firms, after Nvidia’s 3% drop overnight in the US, despite beating Wall Street expectations for Q3 and offering stronger Q4 guidance.

Nvidia CEO dismisses AI bubble fears after strong Q3 results: Investors have questioned whether the rapid investment in AI data centres could sustain long-term returns, with Nvidia at the centre of this trend due to soaring demand for its GPUs.

AI

Malaysian SMEs grapple with a growing “confidence gap” in AI adoption: Companies are drawn to AI tools that “solve today’s problems before tomorrow’s ambitions.” Only 47% associate AI with driving innovation, while a mere 33 per cent see it as a means for competitive differentiation.

Why the AI revolution depends on reinventing energy infrastructure: The world’s most advanced computation networks are running on infrastructure built for another era. Without rapid innovation at the intersection of energy and intelligence, the very systems driving the AI revolution could face their own energy ceiling.

How founder misalignment quietly erodes companies in the age of AI: When something feels off but not urgent, founders tend to deprioritise the check-in. Work continues. Deliverables move. The business looks healthy. And yet, momentum begins to decline in ways that are not easily measurable.

AI in action: How governments are using technology to predict, prevent, and personalise: AI is reshaping public services by making government more proactive while raising critical questions about fairness, accountability, and privacy.

A prettier you: How AI avatars make storytelling easier for midlifers: It is not about faking who you are. It is about saving time, money, and energy. Why spend hundreds on new clothes for one video when AI can give you a polished look at the click of a button?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Crypto’s fragile comeback: Oversold RSI, Solana ETFs, and the US$86K Bitcoin test: Digital assets rose 1.93% after a steep decline, supported by Solana ETF inflows, Binance liquidity strength, and oversold technicals, though broader macro risk-off sentiment keeps the rebound tentative and fragile.

How network aggregators can thrive in a disconnected world: As globalisation slows and regionalisation accelerates, the new competition isn’t between countries, it’s between networks: Whoever can connect supply chains, talent pools, and markets fastest will dominate the next decade of trade.

Fractional CFOs: The missing link for startups struggling with finance: A fractional CFO brings structure, forecasting, investor reporting, and discipline, but at a fraction of the cost. They step in to build financial clarity, strengthen controls, and create a foundation for scalability.

Optimising AI frameworks for a decentralised AI (DeAI) future: The foundation of DeAI lies in robust AI frameworks that enable AI agents to operate in a decentralised environment. However, existing frameworks are not yet optimised for this shift. Here’s a list of the key challenges that AI frameworks face along with their solutions.

Will climate change force us to re-imagine travel in the future?: As Catalonia grapples with a drought emergency, the glaring dissonance between political priorities and pressing environmental challenges underscores the pressing need for meaningful action and collective resolve in confronting the existential threat of climate disruption.

Why Cambodia’s startup ecosystem is the next big bet for investors: Cambodia is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. According to a 2023 IMF Report, its 6.1% real GDP growth projection ranked it 14th globally. In Sept. 2024, the ADB upheld its economic growth forecasts for Cambodia of 5.8% in 2024 and 6% for 2025.

How to spot the hidden gems: A guide for savvy angel investors: Seek founders who can eloquently articulate their vision, showcasing a profound understanding of the problem they intend to solve. It’s often these fervent founders who weather storms and inspire their teams to do the same.

Beyond unicorns: Building successful startup starts and ends with impact: With how fast the landscape is changing, it’s important for startups to be agile and resilient to be able to pivot when necessary but still keep impact at the core of every decision.

The post Ecosystem Roundup: SEA startups face shakeout; Ultragreen.ai eyes US$400M IPO; Trust drives SG e-commerce; Crypto adoption surges appeared first on e27.

Cove has announced the acquisition of Casa Mia Coliving for an undisclosed sum, adding around 500 fully furnished rooms to its Singapore network and strengthening its position in the city-state’s co-living market.

The deal brings Cove’s total to more than 2,000 rooms in Singapore and over 8,000 across Asia Pacific. The additional Casa Mia units, which are mainly located in central areas such as River Valley and Orchard, will expand the Cove Classics co-living range.

Cove said the purchase will also enhance its operational capacity through Casa Mia’s BCA-certified facility management team, which will join the company after the transaction closes.

Once the integration is complete, the combined business will operate under the Cove brand.

Cove expects the enlarged group to generate more than US$50 million in annualised rental income in 2025. The company stated that this represents approximately 50 per cent year-over-year growth in revenue and inventory, driven by both new openings and acquisitions.

Also Read: Ecosystem Roundup: SEA startups face shakeout; Ultragreen.ai eyes US$400M IPO; Trust drives SG e-commerce; Crypto adoption surges

Cove also said the acquisition will bring the business closer to being free cash flow positive. The company reported a profitable second half of 2025, despite significant spending to support its launches in Japan and South Korea.

Management said these results, combined with the Casa Mia deal, strengthen its financial position as it enters 2026.

Luca Bregoli, Co-Founder of Cove, said the acquisition aligns with the company’s focus on scale and efficiency. “This acquisition reinforces our leadership and commitment to the Singapore market … Integrating Casa Mia’s properties and team into our platform will drive significant operational synergies, while also enhancing our service delivery. This deal also unlocks additional resources to accelerate our expansion across the Asia Pacific.”

Casa Mia, founded in 2019, offers move-in-ready accommodation for young professionals. The company has reported strong margins and steady expansion during the past several years.

Co-Founder Eugenio Ferrante said the deal will support Casa Mia’s original goals. “We believe Cove offers the best possible home for our Casa Mia members and for us as a team, to continue our original mission of making it easy for young professionals to move to Singapore and find quality accommodation.”

Also Read: Why Cambodia’s startup ecosystem is the next big bet for investors

For current tenants and property partners of both brands, Cove said it expects a smooth transition with no changes to existing arrangements or service delivery.

Founded in 2018 by Guillaume Castagne and Bregoli, Cove is a flexible-stay platform offering long-, medium- and short-term rental options across Asia Pacific.

It operates in Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan, providing serviced accommodation aimed at residents seeking convenience and stability. Cove is backed by investors including Keppel, Eurazeo, Picus Capital, Venturra, Xander and Antler.

—

Image Credit: Cove

The post Cove acquires Casa Mia Coliving to expand Singapore portfolio appeared first on e27.

Ronin, the blockchain developed by Sky Mavis, is preparing to bring stablecoin payments into the Philippine mainstream through an integration that will allow PHPC (the peso-backed stablecoin launched by Ronin) to be used across the country’s QR payment network (QRPH).

The move, enabled through a deepened partnership with local crypto platform Coins.ph, would make the stablecoin spendable at more than 600,000 QRPH-enabled merchants, pending regulatory approval.

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

The plan was announced at the YGG Play Summit and represents Ronin’s broader push to expand beyond gaming into digital payments, savings, and remittances across Asia Pacific.

QRPH is the backbone of the Philippines’s rapidly expanding digital payments ecosystem. Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) shows that digital payments now account for 57.4 per cent of all retail transactions, while 66.4 per cent of person-to-merchant payments have already shifted online.

The Philippines also remains one of the world’s largest remittance destinations, receiving more than US$40.2 billion in 2024. Ronin and Coins.ph believe that this combination of high digital adoption and large capital inflows presents strong potential for on-chain payment rails.

“Once we secure the necessary permits, the integration of PHPC into the QRPH network by 2026 would be a game-changer. Soon, anyone will be able to pay with PHPC simply by scanning a QR code through Ronin Wallet, just like with other leading mobile wallets, but with the unprecedented speed and security of on-chain value,” said Wei Zhou, CEO of Coins.ph.

PHPC, launched in July 2024 under the BSP sandbox, is a Philippine peso-backed stablecoin with reserves managed by Coins.ph, a regulated virtual asset service provider.

Ronin previously outlined plans to support payments and remittances across Asia Pacific, positioning the Philippines — a long-standing hub of Web3 gaming — as a proving ground for real-world blockchain utility.

“This integration completes the loop that was foreshadowed back when merchants began accepting SLP and AXS for goods during the 2021 pandemic. Millions of Ronin Wallet users in the Philippines will soon have a seamless way to transmute in-game items and tokens into food, transportation costs, and the necessities of daily life,” said Jeffrey Zirlin, co-founder of Sky Mavis.

Also Read: Asia’s payment evolution: 5 trends shaping the 2025 landscape

Ronin Wallet, which today serves millions of users within the Axie Infinity ecosystem, is expected to broaden into payments, savings, and other financial use cases once PHPC becomes interoperable with QRPH. All deployment timelines remain subject to regulatory clearance.

The post Ronin, Coins.ph to bring stablecoin payments to 600K merchants in Philippines via QRPH appeared first on e27.

The current economic and technological climate is making employees uneasy about their professional future. Giants like Morgan Stanley, Shopify, Gap and Amazon have already announced layoffs in 2023, and the emergence of automation technology like ChatGPT is causing palpable apprehension about job security. 

AI and automation are increasingly replacing roles that were once considered the exclusive domain of human expertise. According to McKinsey, an estimated 400-800 million workers worldwide could be displaced due to automation by 2030. Another analysis suggests that two-thirds of current jobs are exposed to some degree of AI automation. 

Alongside automation, the pandemic-induced remote-working revolution has also widened the talent pool, increasing competition in the job market. According to Upwork, 94 per cent of managers already, to some degree, prefer hiring offshore talent, further intensifying job insecurity concerns.

Work-from-anywhere provides employees with flexibility and reduced commute time, but it also exposes them to the risk of reduced visibility and communication. This makes it challenging for employees to showcase their talents and maintain their professional network. Already, close to 50 per cent of professionals are troubled by perceived job insecurity due to their absence from the office environment.

What lies at the end of the tunnel?

The rise of automation has caused employees to question how to stay competitive in the workforce frantically. The truth is they should start focusing on developing the skills to work with—rather than against— artificial intelligence, namely creative thinking, decision-making and adaptability. 

No-code platforms serve as an interesting example of a symbiotic relationship with automation technology. It gives professionals the opportunity to create their own applications without programming knowledge. Employees can use automated features to create a custom platform with a variety of functions, such as smart databases and workflow trackers.

Also Read: The secret sauce of getting started with ‘no-code’

Through no-code, teams and individual workers are able to create the tools they need to work more efficiently. All the time saved on inputting and searching for information can instead be focused on more value-driven tasks. 

No-code platforms also help improve the remote work experience. When communication is centralised and shared on a single platform, all employees know exactly what’s going on and can stay in the loop, regardless of where and when they’re working. In addition, the organisation’s communication history and decision-making processes are preserved, making it much easier to onboard new employees, collaborate across departments, and launch cross-functional projects. 

No-code offers a preview of what working with more automated technology will look like fewer repetitive tasks, more time for strategic planning, and more room to brainstorm new ideas. Employees feel a greater sense of autonomy and control over their workflows. When used well, automation technologies offer greater efficiency and purpose, not job loss. 

Automation is here to stay

Gartner predicts that 70 per cent of organisations will be using some form of structured automation by 2025. Leaps in efficiency have happened before, with every invention from Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone to ChatGPT. Each time we’ve seen challenges and changes but also opportunities and an increase in overall quality of life. 

Although the impact of AI on the labour market has proven to be significant, Goldman Sachs has also reported that ‘most jobs and industries are only partially exposed to automation and are more likely to be complemented rather than completely substituted by AI’.

In fact, the adoption of AI and automation will likely direct employees toward a more productive use of their time. If used correctly, automation can help us all focus on the aspects of our work we find the most rewarding.

–

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

Enjoyed this read? Don’t miss out on the next insight. Join our WhatsApp channel for real-time drops.

Image credit: Canva Pro

 

The post Adapting to automation: Embracing no-code platforms for job security appeared first on e27.

In the ever-evolving professional landscape, it’s not uncommon to observe that some large organisations manage to coast on mediocrity. This may be due to the challenges of closely scrutinising performance within expansive teams.

In today’s unpredictable world, with frequent stories of layoffs in prominent corporations, it becomes increasingly critical to keep a watchful eye on both your company’s performance and your individual contributions.

Failing to do so could place you at risk of becoming the next employee laid off, or witnessing your entire company being acquired or merged, leading to inevitable challenges and adjustments.

To stay relevant and proactive in such a dynamic environment, consider adopting these strategies to enhance your adaptability and resilience.

Keep your skills updated

Regularly invest in professional development, whether by attending workshops, enrolling in courses, or obtaining certifications. Staying current in your field and learning new skills will make you more marketable and better prepared for potential career changes.

Maintain a robust professional network

Cultivate relationships with colleagues, industry peers, and advisors both within and outside of your organisation. A strong professional network can be a valuable resource for identifying job opportunities, gathering insights, and receiving support during times of transition.

Also Read: A tech worker’s 2023 recession game plan

Actively seeking a job when not in dire need

I personally recommend this as one of the best strategies. It fosters a proactive mindset, enabling personal and professional growth. This approach promotes skill development, expands networking opportunities, strengthens negotiation power, encourages career exploration, boosts confidence, and future-proofs your career. Ultimately, it enhances adaptability and resilience, preparing you for success in an ever-changing job market.

Update your personal brand

Ensure your resume, LinkedIn profile, and other professional materials are up to date and effectively communicate your unique value proposition. Regularly share your accomplishments, engage with your network, and showcase your expertise to increase your visibility in the job market.

Stay informed about industry trends and opportunities

Keep a pulse on the market and be aware of potential job openings or industry shifts. Monitor job boards, attend industry events, and engage in online communities relevant to your field to stay ahead of the curve.

Develop a financial safety net

In case of job loss or transition, having a financial buffer can provide peace of mind and allow you to focus on finding the right opportunity rather than settling for the first job that comes along. Aim to have a reserve of 6 months’ worth of living expenses saved up.

I hope these strategies will prepare you for success in a dynamic job market.

–

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

Enjoyed this read? Don’t miss out on the next insight. Join our WhatsApp channel for real-time drops.

Image credit: Canva Pro

 

The post How you can future-proof your career in a rapidly changing world appeared first on e27.

The World Health Organisation defines burnout as “A syndrome conceptualised as resulting from chronic stress that has not been successfully managed.”  Improving employee well-being has also become a central focus for many workplace leaders, as the issue of burnout negatively affects productivity, engagement and talent retention.

Harvard Business Review has estimated that burnout-related healthcare spending “cost an estimated US$125 billion to US$190 billion a year in healthcare spending in the US”. Gallup has also projected a US$47.6 billion per year from the dip in productivity due to missed workdays in the US workforce alone.

People’s ability to deal with pressure seems to be variable across generations. For instance, baby boomers seem to be dealing with it better, with only 31 per cent reporting burnout compared to 59 per cent of Millennials, 58 per cent of Generation Z and 54 per cent of Gen X, according to the Business Health Institute.

While the reasons why each generation responds differently to pressure vary, one thing is clear. For the majority of the working class today, burnout is a severe threat that needs to be addressed. Everyone in the ecosystem, leaders, employers and individuals, can do something about it together.

The reality is burnout does not happen overnight, so picking up the signs early and examining your habits and mindset will go a long way to help you become anti-burnout.

Watching out for early signs of burnout

One of the issues I have observed among working professionals is their tendency to ignore or overlook their emotions. Conditioned to suppress emotions, especially negative ones, for they believe these are either temporary or unprofessional, prevents people from paying attention to the signals and doing something about them. 

This becomes an issue as the earliest signs of burnout are often emotional, like feeling negative, pessimistic and irritable constantly. Some major symptoms might include fatigue, isolation, and declining performance. When chronic stress is left unchecked, it could escalate into severe cases of burnout, leading to depression and anxiety, according to research.

Also Read: 5 signs of burnout you might be missing

Ignoring emotions is ineffective. So is the second category of leaders who grow to accept that undesirable reality as the norm. To thrive under pressure and become anti-burnout, there are strategies all leaders can take to improve the situation, making challenging work both meaningful and energising.

Developing an anti-burnout mindset and skillset

While it’s easy to point the finger at external factors like bad managers, hostile cultures, and overwhelming workload, in my opinion, it is far more productive and constructive to focus on matters within our locus of control.

This is aligned with one of the habits in Stephen Covey’s book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Focusing on matters within your locus of control will help you achieve better results over time. 

Although you have no control over the external variables, growing a mindset that is resilient and agile will determine how you respond to pressure and keep burnout at bay.

Here are four strategies to help you become anti-burnout:

Pause for high performance 

A cluttered mind cannot think strategically. When people are stressed, they tend to catastrophise—compounded over time, performance and total well-being dip. 

To encourage strategic thinking and thrive under pressure, you need small pockets of space and time to decompress. Think of these as pit stops to refuel and reevaluate. While the idea of a pause is simple, it is anything but simple. This might have to do with one of the self-limiting beliefs I have seen among leaders: associating activity with productivity. By trapping themselves in activity, they often fail to realise they have gone off track, resulting in even greater levels of stress as they desperately attempt to correct the course.

So, invest your time wisely instead of filling all your time with activity. 

Build a high-performance habit or routine that is repeatable and sustainable, whether it is taking a five-minute break in between meetings, walking, adequate rest, eating well, maintaining mental quality, or timeboxing your week’s involvements. Pressure is always present, and the more you catch the stressors, the more you can respond to and manage them successfully.

Be honest about your preferences and strengths

Develop wisdom and better allocate your time, energy, and effort to endeavours that are truly meaningful and energising to you. This can be done by observing what drains you, so you will be able to tap on existing resources, find complementary partners, or delegate appropriately.

Also Read: How Noodle Factory addresses educator burnout with its AI-powered teaching assistants

As you allocate most of your effort to projects that are meaningful and energising, you will naturally fill your inner resource of energy and positivity, keeping burnout at bay.

To start off, you can explore taking the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment and discover your greatest talents.

Fail Forward

Many people I support have high self-expectations. But we all know that resources are finite while our targets always rise.

It is easy to beat yourself up or feel deflated when you constantly hold yourself against unrealistic yardsticks. While many people regard work as highly important, overdoing can result in unnecessary stress. 

So, adopt a “learning for the future” approach to assessing your results and learnings when things go wrong. Some questions that could help:

• Which matters are within your control? Which ones are out of your control?
• What lessons can you learn and do better next time?
• What issues can you address immediately? What can be addressed later?

Develop resilience

The idea about preventing burnout is not to take away pressure but how to thrive and increase joy.

Increasing your resilience is then your best insurance in the fast-paced environment. When facing difficult situations, you want to develop the ability to be calm and thoughtful, evaluate your options, and then formulate the way forward.

Achieving a state of high resilience ensures you are not overwhelmed by unexpected circumstances, as you are mentally prepared for uncertainties and equipped with skills that will support you through challenges. The process, however, is not overnight and takes discipline and dedication. The good news is you can start building the skills and mindset that lead to resilience starting today.

Some areas you can consider:

• Develop an understanding of emerging trends in your field
• Pick some areas to go deep and learn about based on your interest and future career plans
• Set yourself up for success by regularly aligning your actions with your future goals
• Build a network of allies to expand perspectives, overcome challenges and find solutions

As we will constantly experience pressure in the hectic world, it is important to develop the mindset and skillset needed to continuously find joy in our work and lives. Everyone is susceptible to burnout at the end of the day; nobody is exempted.

The good news is there is something each one of us can start doing. These small steps, whether in the form of high-performance habits, learning something new, or being more in touch with our emotions, would go a long way in making you anti-burnout and constantly high-performing.

–

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

Enjoyed this read? Don’t miss out on the next insight. Join our WhatsApp channel for real-time drops.

Image credit: Canva Pro

 

The post How to combat burnout and boost your productivity appeared first on e27.

Technology is reshaping Malaysia’s job market. Some roles are being automated while new ones are emerging. It’s the great wheel of progress turning once again. These changes have greatly affected the job market — for both job seekers and employers. 

According to Malaysia’s Ministry of Finance (MOF), the downward trend of the unemployment rate in Malaysia will continue. As competition for talent increases, employers need more than competitive pay to acquire and retain talent.

That’s where people analytics comes in. By collecting and analysing employee data — surveys, reviews, exit interviews, and performance records — you can uncover insights to improve hiring, retention, development, and the employee experience. 

Challenges of staying afloat in a competitive market

The pandemic has surely catalysed the drastic changes in talent expectations. These include increasing expectations for skills development amid evolving job demands, the growing importance of diversity, equity and inclusivity, as well as demands for more flexible work arrangements.

Randstad Malaysia found that 60 per cent of Malaysian employees claimed better work-life balance when working remotely. Hence, there needs to be a way for managers to better understand their workforce.

Think of people analytics like a treasure hunt. You sift through all the HR data collecting dust across your systems to find the golden nuggets — the root causes of turnover, skills gaps separated by department, and the company’s demographic trends.

The human data that statistical models overlook but are often needed for managers to make better decisions — to take targeted actions, develop skills that matter, and craft an environment where people thrive. Without it, it remains difficult for companies to take action due to gaps in internal data collection. 

However, there remains a significant challenge: not all companies are gathering high-quality, usable data that can be analysed into cohesive insights. Data quality issues impact the potential of analytics, causing an inability to make decisions and take further action.

Also Read: 15 times the Malaysian startup ecosystem catches our eyes in 2023

Additionally, as most available data sits in silos — often caused by disconnected systems across departments — issues as the people impact gap can occur, causing a further rift between the HR department and leaders of other departments. 

In order to improve on both ends, organisations need to improve their data architecture and close the gap between their HR metrics and their business metrics.

Surveys have shown that high-performing organisations are able to accomplish more when they practise a data-driven culture with a more robust and modern data architecture that can organise and consolidate information for and relate them to their business decision-makers.

People analytics are one of the tools that can help bridge departmental gaps and integrate HR data to improve internal processes, encouraging collaboration and more data-driven decisions. 

The role of people analytics in modern HR 

With the abundance of data in the 21st century, making guesses in workforce management without statistical evidence is ineffective. While traditional strategies may be tempting, 40 per cent of workers globally are still planning to leave their jobs in the near future despite the looming threats of a poor economic outlook. In addition to this, generalising theories will also risk expenditure. People analytics can help employers understand employees’ needs to take targeted retention actions.

People analytics have become an essential tool to help companies show empathy and understanding of what their employees need. It operates by helping employers identify what their organisation needs by first asking the right questions to pinpoint the right data required and provide insights to tailor an effective solution.

These analytics solutions measure productivity and workforce impact. On top of that, they provide insights and foresight into workforce and job market trends to equip the HR department for drastic changes. People analytics enables data-driven decisions that enhance employee experience, engagement and performance. It fosters a culture of learning, innovation and agility for continuous improvement.

Also Read: Are you a human resource?

A great example of the application of people analytics is the LEGO Group. In its recent digital transformation effort, the company has adopted Visier’s people analytics solution to equip its HR functions.

This step has enabled its People Analytics and Insights Team to identify priority skills gaps and align its learning and development investments with the company’s core business needs. As a result, the LEGO Group was able to accelerate the acquisition of critical skills to drive the company’s growth and innovation.

The future of Malaysia’s job market

The future is data-driven but also distinctly human. People analytics, when applied with care and vision, can guide organisations to smarter decisions and targeted people solutions. But unlocking the potential of people’s data takes work.

You have to know which questions to ask and be open to what the analysis reveals, even if it upends assumptions. With the right analytical tools and curious mindset, you can extract genuine workforce insights from the data exhaust that organisations generate. 

Visier strives to help companies see their people clearly — across all their complexities. When you understand what makes your people tick, it opens up new vistas for insight-led, empathy-driven people management.

Visier looks forward to establishing an R&D centre in Singapore to serve the APAC market and give companies the localised data they need to take aim and continuously develop their workforce that’s good for business, great for employees, and even better for Malaysia.

—

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

Enjoyed this read? Don’t miss out on the next insight. Join our WhatsApp channel for real-time drops.

Image credit: Canva Pro.

 

The post Can people analytics boost Malaysia’s labour market? appeared first on e27.