Amidst the COVID19 pandemic, enterprises in the manufacturing sector across the world are searching for geographies that can be reliable partners in transforming their supply chains.

Southeast Asia (SEA) with its strong technology startup ecosystem and laser focus on research and development in high-end digital technologies certainly emerges among the frontrunners. The Bloomberg Innovation Index includes three countries from the region among the top 50 destinations in the world: Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.

Furthermore, the region has collectively attracted investments worth US$13 billion since 2015 of which 75 per cent has been in logistics and e-commerce. With opportunities in manufacturing, logistics, and trade for enterprises and a thriving startup ecosystem, SEA has the potential to be the supply chain partner of the world.

However, achieving this calls for addressing the challenges of geographical, linguistic, and economic diversity in the region in addition to providing convincing answers to the questions that manufacturing enterprises now face in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic.

The ability of startups in SEA to leverage intelligent automation may just be the answer that the global manufacturing community is looking for.

Intelligent automation for supply chain transformation

Intelligent automation integrates traditional automation with artificial intelligence to produce synergies of scale and differentiation at the same time.

Also Read: Why e-commerce startups will revolutionise the supply chain in Southeast Asia

While traditional automation of business processes such as invoicing, payment processing, inventory management, warehousing, and order tracking have been in use for some time now; artificial intelligence leverages data of record and past behaviour regression analysis to provide insights for detecting anomalies and risks, customisation and scenario-planning.

Scalability enables cost reduction, faster turnaround time (TAT), and time to recover (TTR), differentiation allows for predictability, visibility, and de-risking of business processes. The coming together of these two technologies can lend mass customisation properties to manufacturing.

Major applications of intelligent automation in the supply chain that are of particular relevance to manufacturing enterprises in SEA include enterprise supply chain decision support systems, collaboration with stakeholders for physical tasks, and logistics automation.

Given the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important that enterprises invest in building location-agnostic supply chain decision support systems that can provide all necessary information to the nerve centre of the supply chain team and enable them to hit the ground running as incremental information begins to emerge.

Doing so will enable the supply chain nerve centre team to differentiate and delegate the necessary action points for physical tasks within the enterprise and beyond by facilitating multi-tenant collaboration from diverse locations during contingencies.

Also Read: Why machine learning is the key to marketing automation

Finally, there is a pressing need for enterprises to explore new ways to make their logistics more technically and economically efficient to conquer the challenges posed by the high costs of operating in diverse geographical terrain.

There is also an urgent need to make logistics more visible in the face of sudden labour shortages and keep cargo moving. The following points in the supply chain digitisation agenda should be accorded top priority:

• Any restructuring of the supply chain by enterprises in the manufacturing sector will require not just the shifting of product lines, but the shifting of the complete supply chain ecosystem to SEA. This calls for enterprises to connect the dots among diverse supply chain processes by pivoting these on intelligent automation to collaborate with stakeholders for physical tasks.
• Linguistic diversity in SEA may create a barrier to stakeholder collaboration. It also creates a pressing need for customisation and differentiation. Startups in the region can partner with OEMs and large enterprises to crack the code of the “local paradox” with their intelligent automation solutions.
• The diverse geographical terrain in SEA can present logistical challenges to the manufacturing sector. This can significantly push up the costs of logistics operations, inventory management, and warehousing. Intelligent automation can provide solutions for logistics automation, full truckload (FTL) cargo optimisation, optimisation of warehousing and inventory, and bring greater visibility to cargo through track and trace of the supply chain. 
• Finally, enterprises looking to set shop in SEA will have to make sure that the lessons on supplier capability mapping, visibility into risks affecting supplier contracts, and honouring contractual obligations learned from the COVID-19 pandemic are not lost. Supply chains in manufacturing involve making decisions for the long run, and a stable supplier relationship management framework holds the key to realising and sustaining returns from investments. For enterprises to scale success with their supply chains in SEA, they must future-proof their systems and build a compliance-cost-risk framework to secure their investments in supplier partnerships.

Role of startups in supporting intelligent automation

Distances can cost enterprises as shown by the COVID-19 pandemic. Intelligent automation can enable manufacturers to zero down the gaps in the supply chain by enabling all stakeholders to stay connected. Tech startups in SEA with their cutting edge research and development in intelligent automation can allow enterprises to create connected supply chains of the future that allows all stakeholders including OEMs, suppliers, ancillary industries, hyperlocal logistics partners, and warehouse operators to conquer distances.

Connected supply chains can bring all stakeholders on board a digital ecosystem to ensure that gaps in agreements and contracts are identified proactively, and any noticeable deviation from the established trajectory of supplier-manufacturer collaboration is responded to, at the earliest and thus keep the edifice of trust-building and status quo among stakeholders from collapsing.

The pivoting of contracting lifecycle management platforms on artificial intelligence and machine learning can be strong enablers of the creation of such connected supply chains.

Such initiatives for the inclusion and enrolment of diverse stakeholders into an automated supply chain ecosystem can by new-age startups extend to emerging technologies such as robotics, 3D printing, smart packaging, digital commerce, and enterprise payments and invoicing.

Tech startup partnerships in SEA

As enterprises across the world stare at the emerging contours of a new normal beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a broad-based consensus on the need to make the manufacturing sector more technology-enabled and supply chains more agile, flexible, efficient and de-risked.

Tech startups with intelligent automation capabilities can make this supply chain transformation happen in SEA. Thirty-seven per cent of the volume of global trade is looking for a new address to shift base due to the downtime in production, breakdown of supplier relationships, and trust erosion due to the COVID-19 contagion.

Furthermore, enterprises want to get out of the ensuing tariff wars that render efforts for economic efficiency, futile. SEA with its skilled workforce, capital market reforms, maturity in fintech and banking, high penetration of the internet, and smartphones has most of the components required to create a supply chain ecosystem.

With intelligent automation by tech startups, all of these competencies can be connected to make SEA the workshop of the world. 

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Svara, a digital media and broadcasting platform in Indonesia, is in discussions with several VC investors to raise US$8 million in Series A funding, its Co-founder and CEO Farid Fadhil Habibi told e27.

The fund to be raised will be used for accelerating Svara’s growth and to acquire new users and content, Habibi said in an interview with us.

The startup had earlier secured an undisclosed amount in pre-Series A from corporate VC firm UMG Idealab to strengthen its technology and marketing teams.

“We are looking for US$8 million, which will be used to accelerate the growth of our B2C business, as well as to acquire new users and content, including music royalty licences. So far, we’ve had talks with several VCs,” Habibi disclosed.

Also Read: Innovate and go: How Traveloka revamps its services to comply with changing travel behaviour

Established in 2017 by Hemat Dwi Nuryanto and Habibi, Svara has two offerings —  an on-air automation platform for broadcasters (AM/FM radio) and an online platform (for listeners).

Svara uses a cloud-based system to support the broadcasting industry in order to help them operate their end-to-end business process, such as scheduling pre-on-air, executing the broadcasting activity, and reporting post-on-air, so that the radio crew can handle all operations remotely.

For the end users, Svara offers a B2C platform to enjoy various audio and non-audio content on the app, including radio, music and podcasts.

Svara has collaborated with various companies/organisations, including PRSSNI (Indonesian National Private Broadcasting Radio Association), Collective Management Institute (WAMI – Wahana Music Indonesia), Telkomsel, LPIK ITB (Innovation & Entrepreneurship Development Institute of Bandung Institute of Technology), and IDX (Indonesia Stock Exchange) Incubator.

The platform is currently used by more than 100 AM/FM local radio broadcasters.

“We started Svara because we wanted to create a social impact and empower the radio stations to adapt to the changing times in Indonesia as well as globally,” Habibi added.

Also Read: Will smartphones become the mall of the future?

Svara banks on several monetisation plans, including a model wherein broadcasters can choose to either pay cash or barter with analogue ads that the startup can sell to third parties.

On expansion

In the short-term, Svara plans to expand in ASEAN, starting with Myanmar. It is also nursing global ambitions and enter the market in the Americas and Europe in the future.

“There are 100,000 AM/FM radio broadcasters globally and four billion listeners, with the total available market to be more than US$100 billion,” he said.

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Image Credit: Svara

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BukuWarung investment

The story: BukuWarung, an accounting and credit management app for Indonesian micro-businesses, has secured pre-Series A funding

Investors: Quona Capital (lead), East Ventures, AC Ventures, Golden Gate Ventures, Tanglin Venture Partners, Michael Sampoerna, Snapdeal founders.

What is BukuWarung:  

• The startup helps micro-businesses to manage their cash and credit transactions. Merchants receive 3x faster repayments and see increased cash flow due to the automatic payment reminders sent by the app.
• The app tracks all transactions including credit, expense and sales, and helps merchants get cash flow visibility through business reports.

Business update: To date, BukuWarung has served more than 600,000 merchants across 750 locations in Indonesia.

Additional points:

• BukuWarung is a member of  Y Combinator’s Summer 20 batch. It will participate in YC’s upcoming Demo Day on August 24, 2020.

TiinTiin.id funding

The story: TiinTiin.id, a multi-vertical transactional marketplace for used cars and motorcycles, closed US$2.5-plus million in seed financing.

Lead investors: Rolf Monteiro (CEO), Amand Ventures, and Luminary Media Nusantara.

Plans with the money:

• For expansion into motorbikes, used car B2B and B2C spaces, and to introduce additional financing options across its large network of buyers.
• Intends to launch in other Southeast Asian markets.

Additional points:

• CEO Monteiro has previously served as CEO and Founder of BeliMobilGue.co.id.
• TiinTiin.id has expanded its retail network throughout Greater Jakarta.
• Since launch in Q2 2020, the company has scaled to over US$7 million annualised GMV (1,200-plus annualised transactions) with over 70 per cent growth.

BeliMobilGue rebranding

The story: Used car selling platform BeliMobilGue has rebranded to OLX Autos Indonesia.

The backstory: This follows a recent Series A investment led by Frontier Car Group, which is backed by Naspers/OLX.

OLX is now cited as majority shareholder in the startup

New plans: BeliMobilGue CEO Johnny Widodo said the company will work together with OLX to launch new services. There will be no changes in team structure

Business update: The startup claims its services are available in seven cities in Indonesia with 100 inspection centres and has 200 partner-dealers.

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Image Credit: BukuWarung

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Endeavor Malaysia has unveiled the 15 companies that have graduated from its inaugural programme ScaleUp Endeavor.

Within a span of 12 months, these 15 companies underwent a total of 177 mentoring hours, five workshops and eight crisis-related webinars.

Here are the 15 companies supported by ScaleUp Endeavor:

• AdEasy, an online marketplace for offline ad space that seeks to be the go-to online ecosystem for advertising.
• CapBay, a multi-bank supply chain finance and P2P financing platform enabling businesses of all sizes to obtain short-term financing.
• Cytron Technologies, which provides solutions for educators and students to build smart electronic and robotic projects.
• Dropee, a one-stop B2B e-procurement platform and enterprise solution for all types of businesses aiming to simplify communication channels and streamline operational processes so that businesses can do more with fewer resources
• Food Market Hub, which provides inventory management and purchasing solutions for restaurant and centre kitchen that aims to make every F&B business sustainable and run effortlessly.
• HealthMetrics, a cloud enterprise software that automates the management of employee healthcare & flexi-benefits.
• KATSANA, a platform that connects thousands of sensors to the cloud that helps track and secure vehicles and allows for fleet management.

Also Read: Endeavor Malaysia gets 15 startups into its inaugural ScaleUp Endeavor programme

• KLezCar, a car rental company that also provides vast expertise in event planning and management, providing comprehensive service to your travel needs.
• Mossery, a personalised stationery startup that seeks to inspire everyone in the world to create.
• Oncode, a medical solution provider that offers services in molecular diagnostic tests, in-house diagnostic tests design & development, medical system and apps designs and medical consultation.
• PichaEats, which provides refugees a chance to rebuild their life in Malaysia through serving and selling their national delicacies.
• PTT Outdoor, an e-commerce company that provides quality and affordable outdoor equipment to outdoor enthusiasts.
• Supplycart, a B2B platform digitising procurement through a cloud-based procurement solution.
• TRAPO, an automotive accessories brand that is known for its O2O car mat solutions specifically tailored for each type of car.
• Vase.ai, an on-demand market research platform that enables anyone to collect consumer insights as fast as 24 hours.

Also Read: ScaleUp Malaysia kickstarts 3-month programme with 20 companies in first cohort

Endeavor Malaysia runs two tracks for entrepreneurs:

• Endeavor Entrepreneur Track, which is a global support for high growth scaleups through Endeavor’s worldwide mentor, investor and service partner network. Currently supporting 21 companies which include the likes of The Holstein Milk Company (Farm Fresh Milk), Photobook, Carsome, FashionValet and Common Ground that cumulatively generated US$308 million in revenues in 2018.
• ScaleUp Endeavor Track, which is a local support for high-growth startups through the Malaysian network of mentors and regional support of investors and service partners.

With the end of ScaleUp Endeavor Cohort 1, Endeavor Malaysia will be launching Cohort 2 today. For this programme, it is looking for entrepreneurs that are looking to scale their businesses quickly. These entrepreneurs should be leading scalable and innovative Malaysian-based businesses with more than US$237,000 in revenues and have been in operation for more than 18 months.

Interested applicants can visit www.endeavormalaysia.org or email Endeavor at hello@endevormalaysia.org.

Deadline for applications is 28 July 2020.
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Picture Credit: Endeavor Malaysia

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The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly demonstrated the potential of natural disasters to inflict wide-scale damage to human life and the economy. While the global community attempts to manage the impact of this pandemic, other natural disasters continue to cause damage and further loss of life. Raising awareness and building resilience towards all-natural disasters, that are impacting lives globally, has never been more critical.

The need is particularly great in the Asia Pacific. APAC is located in the most seismically active area worldwide, and almost half of the world’s natural disasters happen in the Asia Pacific. Between 2014 and 2017, natural disasters have impacted 650 million people and taken 33,000 lives in APAC. The economic damage is equally daunting — China, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the top four natural disaster-prone countries in Asia, are expected to lose $380 billion each year between 2016 and 2030 as a result of natural disasters.

How technology can help in natural disasters

Technological innovation has played an increasingly important role in advancing development across a range of industries; FinTech, InsurTech, MedTech among others. Similarly, there is huge potential for innovative technology to have a key role in disaster preparedness; through D-Tech (DisasterTech).

There are five major types of natural disasters, namely geophysical (e.g. earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, and volcanic activity), hydrological (e.g. floods), climatological (e.g. wildfires), meteorological (e.g. cyclones) and biological (e.g. pandemic).

Various tech solutions can help governments, communities, and businesses reduce the impact of these disasters. Early warning systems can provide valuable time to evacuate areas at risk, while maps that render real-time information can help citizens and first responders navigate safely and efficiently.

These innovations can turn the tide for many people in perilous situations. In 1991, poor communications and inadequate preparations left the villagers in Chittagong region of southeastern Bangladesh with no warning of the approaching tropical cyclone. The cyclone killed over 135,000 people and left 10 million homeless.

Almost three decades later, on May 21, 2020, Bangladesh and Eastern India were hit again by the season’s first tropical super cyclone Amphan. The casualties, however, were significantly lower due to a much-improved disaster response strategy, through upscaling of early warning systems, establishing public awareness, and enforcing buildings and shelters. 6 million people were successfully evacuated to shelters and fewer than 100 deaths occurred.

Other tech solutions can be used to prioritize resources and aid, reestablish communication and electricity supply, provide medical assistance, track and trace individuals, and distribute food, water, and sanitation.

More recently, we are seeing the use of tech in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Big data analysis on navigation searches are being used to reveal travel patterns and trends to predict outbreaks, while track and trace phone apps are used to identify individuals that may be infected.

The role of investors

While many view efforts in disaster preparedness as philanthropic in nature, the solutions to disaster resilience will not come entirely from the non-profit sector. The technological innovation that exists in the private sector may already have some of the answers, with a number of companies already generating interest from private investors in this space. Examples include One Concern, an artificial intelligence platform that measures resilience and predicts the impact of disasters, and Shield, creator of an AI-powered robot that is capable of autonomous outdoor and indoor intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. Both companies completed Series B fundraising in 2019.

Like any start-up, tech solutions that deal with disaster preparedness and recovery require scalability, market access, infrastructure spending, and R&D to prosper. VCs and private investors can utilize their expertise and resources to become active partners in developing D-Tech solutions that are both profitable and save lives.

D-Tech Awards to support solutions

Recognising the potential for tech solutions in disaster preparedness, Prudence Foundation created the D-Tech Awards in 2019, in order to identify and support start-ups with scalable solutions that could protect lives before, during, and after natural disasters.

Last year, the competition received around 60 applications representing a wide range of technologies. The winner, who received USD $100k funding, was FieldSight, a digital platform used to monitor the quality of infrastructure projects in remote areas to reduce the risk of destruction when a natural disaster occurs. FieldSight is now used as a tool for meeting the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) project standards globally.

Israel-based SeismicAI, a commercial-grade earthquake early warning system, was the first runner-up. Seismic AI’s goal is to replace outdated seismic models with unique physics and machine learning systems and was selected by Microsoft’s AI for Good accelerator programme in April 2020. These are just some of the promising tech solutions the D-Tech Awards have supported.

With the need for disaster technology solutions being greater than ever, Prudence Foundation, in partnership with e27, AVPN, Antler, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, National Geographic, and others, will be launching the next D-Tech Awards in November 2020 to find and support lifesaving technologies.

The D-Tech Awards aims to support solutions for disaster resilience, whether through a private-sector tech start-up or a not-for-profit social enterprise. Recognising the different aims and revenue models of these companies, the D-Tech Awards will offer two categories for application (profit and not-for-profit) and judge in accordance with these objectives. If you are interested in the potential of D-Tech or would like to find out how you can contribute to this growing space, please take a few minutes to provide your insights here.

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 appeared first on e27.

Every month, the team at e27 runs the Startup of the Month poll where we pick promising startups to give the extra coverage and attention that it deserves.

We are excited to announce Indonesia’s Soul Parking as the winner for Startup of the Month for June.

The unaddressed problem

Sometimes, the most innovative ideas come out of the frustration of founders who had to deal with the problem themselves. In the case of Soul Parking, that problem involves motorcycle parking in a country with a heavy traffic congestion problem.

As known by many, Indonesia is one of the most rapid-growing economies which also has the maximum land area, compared to its Southeast Asian counterparts. But major cities in the country have long been suffering from congestion problems due to its growing density, along with an increase of vehicles in the country.

About 82 per cent of the total vehicle in the region consist of motorcycles. The growth of motorcycle ownership has increased by about six per cent, in comparison to the growth of additional roads which is only 0.1 per cent per year.

This creates an imbalance and a situation where motorcycles significantly outgrowth the availability of roads.

There has also been a trend of mindless use of public space for parking which has further contributed towards the issue. The founders believe that this is a consequence of Indonesia’s narrow roads which has come from smaller cities to bigger cities.

Soul Parking CBO Andru Wijaya describes to e27 how the situation is like on the ground.

“Motorcycles are parked illegally everywhere. They are parked on the road, on the side of the road … They even use the bridge. That’s the consequence of having a small area of roads in Indonesia. Then it goes around to the big roads as well … it costs big time and adds to congestions,” says Wijaya.

“As Indonesian citizens, we want to make a change. We want to provide solutions that can have an impact on society,” he continues.

Behind the team

Soul Parking consists of brothers Kemas Ilham Akbar (CEO) and Kemas Riza Aulya (COO), who are joined by former high school friends Andru Wijaya (CBO) and Bahagia Waluyo (CPO).

The idea for the startup came early last year when the four were casually discussing some of the business prospects in  Indonesia related to traffic jams.

Before that, the brothers were working in the parking industry for around 10 years while Wijaya and Waluyo were business partners for a construction business.

Also Read: Indonesian smart motorcycle storage startup Soul Parking raises seed funding co-led by AC Ventures, Agaeti

“We simply came with the solutions that we believed was going to be good at tackling Indonesia’s traffic and parking problems. From that point on, we engaged more and spoke more in details. That’s basically how we started the company,” says Wijaya.

The Compact Motorcycle System

To tackle the challenges, Soul Parking builds a Compact Motorcycle System (CMS) which has been patented by the company.

As pictured above, the compact system allows motorcycle drivers to easily park their vehicles vertically, in an organised way. As of end-February, the company has opened its first location in Jakarta at Kebon Kacang area, right across Plaza Indonesia and Hotel Keraton. They intend to continue growing it.

The happy users have even expressed their satisfaction with the product on Instagram, raving the comfort that they receive and also the protection for their motorcycles from bad weather.

Some of the extra features of the CMS is added security which includes insurance coverage and CCTV installation.

In June, the startup announced an undisclosed seed funding round from co-led by AC Ventures and Agaeti Ventures, with the participation of strategic angel investors.

With the fresh funding, Soul Parking aims to build 10 CMSes this year. It also plans to develop a mobile app that includes features such as parking discovery, booking, and payments.

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Image Credit: Soul Parking, Fikri Rasyid

 

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Impact Partners invests US$1.1M in Bangladeshi solar energy marketplace SOLshare

Bangladesh-based off-grid solar energy marketplace firm SOLshare has closed a US$1.1 million financing round led by IIX Impact Partners, a debt and equity crowdfunding platform for impact investing.

Current investors such as innogy New Ventures, the VC investment arm of German utility firm innogy SE, and the investment arm of Portugal-based utility firm EDP Ventures, are also part of the round. It also includes new angel investors from around the world.

Funding will be used to bring smart solar microgrids to off-grid, underserved communities in Bangladesh, putting SOLshare on track to positively impact 2.5 million people by 2023.

SOLshare describes its company as “the AirBnB of the energy access space that works toward an energy future fueled not by fossil fuels but by democratisation, decentralisation, and decarbonisation.”

To date, the Bangladeshi company has set up 30 peer-to-peer solar electricity trading grids in Bangladesh and India empowering remote communities by allowing them to share electricity seamlessly and fully embedded in a mobile money platform.

CARRO launches certified pre-owned automall in Indonesia

CARRO, Southeast Asian automotive marketplace, today launches Indonesia’s certified pre-owned automall. Located in Bekasi, the 5,000 square meters, two-storey building will house more than 250 super quality used cars.

CARRO said that even in today’s digital era where customers seek convenience through technology-based services, buying a new or used car is still an activity that customers want to experience first-hand before making the final purchase.

Also Read: Between data and gut feeling, which one do Singaporean customers trust to make decisions?

“CARRO certified pre-owned automall is creating a place for Indonesians to buy a used car. This follows through with our 5S promise: safety, smart savings, standardisation, super quality, and style, which addresses common pain points of buying used cars and redefines the entire customer experience. The CARRO Automall empowers customers with data-enabled information, complete transparency, and reduces the time taken to purchase a certified pre-owned car,” said Aditya Lesmana, Co-founder of CARRO.

Offering a fully integrated online to offline experience, buyers can inspect high-quality images from the comfort of their home and schedule a visit to CARRO Automall at their most convenient time. All cars are equipped with a unique QR code, which customers can scan to view details such as pricing information, financing options, features and history – providing a touchless inspection experience.

Hong Kong-based fintech company Reap raises seed funding, expanding to Malaysia

Reap, a fintech company with a mission to upgrade small businesses’ capabilities, announced the completion of its seed funding for US$5 million from investors such as Global Founders Capital, Bertelsmann Asia Investments, Index Venture, Fresco Capital, and Hustle Fund.

Reap wants to use the funding to widen its products and services. It will also expand across Asia, especially to Malaysia and South Korea.

Also Read: How fintech is disrupting the Southeast Asian payments market

Reap currently provides digital credit payment processing and revenue collection services in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam. It provides corporate payment solutions that enable businesses to pay expenses and collect revenue via credit card.

The company enables small businesses to use their credit cards as a rolling credit source.

Singapore’s blockchain ecosystem shows growth in 2020: OpenNodes

According to the Singapore Blockchain Landscape Map 2020, a report by OpenNodes, Singapore’s blockchain ecosystem has seen substantial growth since 2019.

Supported by Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the map includes a new industry segment –Decentralised Finance– a notable area for 2020 that has seen new companies emerge, as well as incumbents extending their services into various areas.

There has been an increased activity due to numerous globally recognised projects, such as the collaboration between Temasek and Facebook-backed Libra Association as its first Asian member. There has also been spun off of several subsidiaries, focusing on blockchain applications including digital identity and trade finance.

Recent studies by Deloitte Global Blockchain Survey 2019 and 2020 have also shown that more organisations are recruiting blockchain experts globally. The use of blockchain solutions can be increasingly seen in various live projects and particularly applicable amidst the various COVID-19 scenarios and the new normal, moving forward.

For a full view of the Singapore Blockchain Landscape Map 2020, click here.

Qlik, GovTech partners to deepen data science capabilities in public sector as part of Smart Nation initiative

Qlik and the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Intent (MOI) to deepen public sector officers’ expertise and capabilities in the field of data science.

Both parties will build capabilities within the public sector in data discovery and visual analytics to meet the demands of a growing digital economy, in line with the country’s Smart Nation initiative.

Also Read: Singapore is the most data literate nation globally, according to new report

The strategic collaboration between Qlik and GovTech will offer public officers access to learning resources, industry best practices and the latest development tools to enhance their skillsets in data literacy and visual analytics.

Qlik will also be a part of the Data Arcade Tournament – GovTech’s annual visual analytics competition, providing a platform for public officers to create innovative, data-driven solutions to solve real-world challenges.

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Image Credit: SOLshare

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Payfazz, an agency-based financial services platform for the underbanked in Indonesia, has raised US$53 million in Series B funding round, led by B Capital and Insignia Ventures Partners.

Tiger Global, Y Combinator and ACE & Company, also joined the round.

The fintech startup will use the money to strengthen its services and explore new possibilities across Southeast Asia.

As of today, the company has raised more than US$74 million.

Started in 2016, Payfazz offers a solution to people, especially those who do not have a bank account, to carry out financial transactions and digital payments easily and quickly.

Payfazz does so by making use of a network of financial agents, who work as middlemen between the bank and customers. These agents are located across multiple small stores and receive cash from users who wish to deposit their money.

Also Read: How unique lending platforms boost small businesses in Southeast Asia

Customers can purchase credit and electricity tokens and make payments for utilities, social security, and multifinance bills.

A large percentage of Indonesians still do not use digital banking services and this process will make it easy for people to engage in various financial transactions and understand the process better.

The landscape of the urban areas is also such that local shops that sell food and other necessities are easier to access than banks and ATMs.

Apart from that, the platform also helps agents earn an extra income by giving them the freedom to set margins for transactions which usually range from five to nine per cent.

The app was originally built to help people buy pre-paid phone credit and pay for electricity bills. However, it has now extended its services to offering loans and payments for offline retailers.

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Image Credit:  Hobi industri

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As the global health crisis hits the travel and tourism industries hard, travels have become driven more and more by necessity –instead of pleasure. With this as a background, travel tech giant Traveloka believes that more people are changing their behaviour due to the “hygiene factor.”

The Indonesian unicorn says that getting tested before moving locations and being mindful of hygiene are the most important things that one can do if they must travel during COVID-19.

Identifying this pattern, the company launched a new feature within its current app where users can book and schedule rapid COVID-19 tests. The idea is that receiving easy access to COVID-19 tests will become extremely crucial in the future for travel companies.

This feature is located in the Traveloka experience page, under the travel essentials. It showcases a range of prices available depending on the kind of service required, which varies from blood tests to swab tests.

Currently, it has partnered with four clinics and hospitals and has made its service available to 44 cities and regencies across Indonesia. Without any subjection, the service is currently not just subjected to travellers but has also been made available to the general public.

Also Read: Ecosystem Roundup: Traveloka reportedly close to raising US$100M; Cradle allocates US$6.2M for 2 startup schemes; Bukalapak’s Fajrin Rasyid joins Telkom

This is one of the ways that Traveloka has made a pivot ever since COVID-19 has hit the industry.

Travel trends

Despite having the new service on board, it does not mean that Traveloka is shifting its focus from travel and tourism to healthcare services. This step is taken as an innovation in a time of crisis.

In an interview with e27, Traveloka Head of Marketing Andhini Putri says that despite the impact caused by the virus, it is always important to identify customer pain points and try to solve them.

Domestic travel in Indonesia has already resumed and the company’s goal is to seize this opportunity even further –by providing ease and convenience of access to the mandatory travel requirements set by the government.

“We are very optimistic and we believe that overall the travel industry naturally is very resilient. We are certain that it’s going to bounce back and bounce back even stronger,” she stresses.

“While we are waiting on this situation to recover, our focus is really to work together with the government and all stakeholders in supporting the recovery of this industry.”

According to Putri, Traveloka has already seen a demand for travel and staycation from countries that have ended their lockdown. Even though the industry is far from total recovery, revival is slowly crawling up.

Also Read: KiotViet gets US$6M Series A funding from Jungle Ventures, Traveloka, eyeing expansion

“In Bangkok, people have already started to go on vacation to nearby areas such as Pattaya which are around two to three hours distance from Bangkok. We have also seen a demand for staycation where people are staying in hotels in their city for two to three days in some regions across Southeast Asia.”

Doubling down on these trends, Putri said that the company is offering “clean badges” to hotels and flight partners who they believe are meeting the cleanliness standards. This step is also taken to ensure Traveloka users that safety standards are met by travel and tourism services on the Traveloka platform.

They are also offering customers the option of flexible travel where they can cancel their trip or booking anytime they want.

It is important to note that even while some seem to be celebrating the re-opening of lockdowns, most are still wary of it.

“Right now, a predication cannot exactly be made on when the industry will completely recover. However, from my perspective, travel companies are still doing better than hospitality companies,” she concludes.

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Image Credit: Traveloka

The post Innovate and go: How Traveloka revamps its services to comply with changing travel behaviour  appeared first on e27.

Vietnam is one of the first countries to ease social distancing measures and reopen its society as early as April 2020, where most countries are only starting to grapple with the severity and spread of COVID-19.

Also known as the land of the ‘Ascending Dragon’ (due to the geographical shape on the world map), it the first in Southeast Asia to emerge from the global pandemic, allowing for businesses and domestic travels to reopen. Vietnam is also identified as one of the first countries in Southeast Asia when Singapore reopened its borders for travellers.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Vietnam stands at 349 (as of 22 June), with zero deaths. This stands in stark comparison with more than 42,000 cases in Singapore, 30,682 in the Philippines, and 8,587 in Malaysia.

The international community is stunned by Vietnam’s breakthrough during this COVID-19 pandemic. An Asahi Shimbun reporter assigned to cover Vietnam was intrigued by the following statement by a Japanese national who works in the country: “Even though I talked about the very few patients infected with the new coronavirus and the Vietnamese government’s tough measures to combat COVID-19, no one in Tokyo believed me.”

Following the outbreak of the coronavirus, the IMF’s 2020 GDP growth forecast for ASEAN-5 countries – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand – is cut to -1.3 per cent (and Singapore -4-7 per cent), but Vietnam is expected to still experience positive 2.7 per cent GDP growth, with a strong rebound of seven per cent projected in 2021. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a positive 2020 economic growth target of over five per cent, in spite of IMF’s projection.

Also Read: As a startup investor, here is why we aim to focus more on Vietnam in 2021

From this, we can see Vietnam is poised to emerge one of the strongest economies in Southeast Asia and these are the three reasons why:

Swift action and digital services

Vietnam’s ability to achieve such outstanding results due to the swift and decisive actions from the national government, followed by coordinated and dedicated efforts of the general population. Vietnam took action very early when there was minimal information about the virus.

Nationwide school shutdowns were implemented in January, travel restrictions and border closure followed quickly.  Vietnam also implemented aggressive contact tracing and quarantine people who are exposed to suspected cases for two weeks.

The Ministry of Health developed an app, NCOVI, health authorities disseminated warnings and orders through Zalo, a homegrown messaging app with more than 50 million users, and the internet spread a coronavirus public awareness pop song that went viral.

The swift action and digital services enabled transparency and collective and informed decisions in Vietnam’s battle against COVID-19, enabling them to emerge fast from the pandemic.

Resilient economy and startup ecosystem

The Business Times reports “Mobility metrics show the fastest recovery of activity in Vietnam, with movements to retail and recreation venues having rebounded to just 15 per cent below the baseline, compared to more than 60 per cent below baseline before measures began to lift.”

Also Read: How Vietnam’s e-commerce firm Tiki is tiding over COVID-19 crisis

People may remember Vietnam for their amicable people, natural wonders, and sometimes their fight for independence for over 30 years. Through this COVID-19 episode, the world now views them in a new light, as a resilient and stable country, and one of the hubs for innovation and entrepreneurship in Asia.

The innovation ecosystem in Vietnam is attractive to e-commerce, software outsourcing, AI, fintech, healthtech startups. With more than 3,000 startups in the ecosystem, total investment in Vietnam startups increased six-fold in the period of two years between 2017 and 2019.

Some of the tech startups have also contributed to the fight against COVID-19 in providing online medical consultations, medical deliveries, and on-demand access to healthcare services.

Strong cross-border collaboration

“Being ahead of the curve, the ASEAN chair is in good stead to lead and shape regional responses on the pandemic”, says Dr Huong Le Thu, senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute told The Straits Times.

Vietnam works closely with the regional neighbours in COVID-19 response and also in terms of driving regional growth and innovation.

To drive regional startup ecosystem development and integration, Vietnam’s public and sector stakeholders have been actively partnering with international entities for two-way market access for startups expanding in the region.

Quest Ventures, in partnership with statutory boards under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore and Saigon Innovation Hub (SIHUB), supports Singapore startups entering Vietnam through Vietnam Global Innovation (VGI) acceleration.

Also Read: Vietnam’s F88 raises US$6M in funding to expand its lending platform

Leading venture capital in Southeast Asia, Quest Ventures supports startups through Quest Ventures’ wide network of mentors and domain experts. Startups will also have access to high quality and comprehensive online training module topics, and (if global health situation allows) an in-market immersion in Vietnam to maximize exposure and establish long-term partnerships between startups and ecosystem players.

It is no surprise that Vietnam emerged fastest during this health crisis and this winning strategy of swift action, resilience and cross-border collaboration is also the same one that will allow the economy and startup ecosystem to rise strongly in the region.

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The post Why Vietnam is going to emerge the strongest post-COVID-19? appeared first on e27.