From the Eisenhower Box to JOMO, here are some strategies to focus better, improve energy and decrease stress

Everyone has been there: The day is winding down but there is still some work on the table. The person may have two or three hours to spare but they know it is pointless. Their brain is fried and even if they went to their desk it would just result in aimlessly staring at the computer for a few hours before heading home.

This is an example of a person who has done a decent job of managing time, but has failed to properly manage their energy.

At e27 Academy in Batam, Indonesia today, Bjorn Lee, the Founder of the mindfulness company Mindfi, broke down how people can improve their productively by actively engaging with the world around them.

Also Read: How to walk the dilution road so Founders protect their company

The first step for managing energy is understanding where it comes from. It is broken into four sub-categories which are body, emotions, mind and the human spirit. They work as such:

The Body: This one is obvious. Sleeping well, regular exercise and eating healthy all contribute to improved energy and feeling better during the day.

The Emotions: This refers to the quality of the energy. It is not helpful to have a ton of energy if it comes from a place of anger, jealousy or other negative emotions.

The Mind: This is how to harness and focus the energy. We have all experienced moments when we are feeling great but simply cannot concentrate. This is not ideal for work, obviously.

The Human Spirit: This is what gives a person hunger. It is the drive to continue pushing forward and work to achieve their goals.

Mindfulness is the process of trying to harness these energies to help people lower their stress, improve productivity and live a more fulfilling life.

Jon Kabat Zin, who created a center focussed on stress and mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said it as such:

“Mindfulness meditation means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally.”

This is also not a pie-in-the-sky hippie ideal but is actually grounded in real brain science. Scientists have figured out what happens to your brain when it wanders vs. when it focusses. The chart is below.

It is impossible to keep on the “sustaining attention” zone permanently and eventually the mind will wander. So, when the mind begins to wander, it is important to notice it, take a break and reset the brain.

One strategy for resetting the brain in the context of work is called the Pomodoro Technique. It breaks focus into 25 minute segments. The idea is to set a timer for 25 minutes and focus only on one task. Then, when the time is up, take a 5-minute break. This 5-minute break is an excellent opportunity to practice mindful meditation because it allows the brain to reset before you tackle the next 25-minute segment.

When the brain enters into a mode where it is incredibly focussed on one task, this is called Deep Work. It a valuable state for being productive, but it doesn’t last forever.

Also Read: Go-Jek debuts beta app in Singapore

Other opportunities to integrate mindfulness into the day-to-day life is during the commute, while eating and when enjoying the daily coffee/tea break.

The other important part of energy management is time management, and one strategy posited by Lee is to follow the Eisenhower box (named after former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower).

It breaks work into four categories:

Urgent-Important: This is the ‘do now’ category. These tasks need immediate attention and full focus.

Ugent-Not Important: These tasks need to be scheduled. Maybe it is working on a pitch deck or cleaning up P&L chart. Yes, it is crucial to a business, but it can be done when the day slows down.

Urgent-Not Important: This is a good opportunity for delegating. It includes tasks like RSVPing for events, answering certain emails or sharing a few updates on social media. In a traditional company, this is often the job duty of a personal assistant.

Not Urgent-Not Important: Kill these tasks. It might seem painful in the moment, but this is incredibly important for making sure important job duties get finished.

Finally, Lee shared 10 tips that can help any Founder improve their ability to move fast and break things.

1. When you wake up, book ‘me time’ in your calendar.
2. Prioritise like Eisenhower (the box mentioned above)
3. Beware of attention hogs. This is often unsolicited inbound notifications or emails.  Are you a master of your own time or are you a slave to other people’s time?
4. Fall (back) in love with to-do lists.
5. JOMO: The Joy Of Missing Out. Feel content with doing something for yourself and disconnecting as a form of self-care.
6. Unlock your phone mindfully. Really give it your full attention. If the decision is still to pick up the phone, that is OK, but it’s important to make it a conscious decision.
7. Drown outer noise for inner focus.
8. Set a time for deep work.
9. Take one curious breath before sleep. This means stopping everything, taking a deep, thoughtful, breath and exhaling slowly. This is a good first-step for integrating mindfulness into your lifestyle.
10. Keep in mind the first and last thing you touch every day. Be aware.

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This article was first published on e27 on November 29, 2018

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Understanding how to increase and optimise several key components of your business can lead to tremendous growth

In today’s business world, the ability of blue-chip companies to continuously develop new strategies to overcome their hurdles give them an edge over their competitors. Well, this same thing goes for startups. As a matter of fact, new startups tend to face even more challenges.

But then, these obstacles are realities that they must come to terms with. Evidently, the challenges that stare them in the face include a limited amount of time, space, money and qualified people. At this point, one may wonder how these startups can maximize the little things they have to their advantage. They often ask, “How do these startupreneurs tackle these daunting challenges to stay competitive in their industries?” Well, capacity building is the answer.

Understanding capacity

Without mincing words, they can grow by simply developing their capabilities around those challenges. First and foremost, what is capacity? Put simply, capacity is the maximum amount or volume of things that something is capable of holding. This definition is very straightforward. The question now becomes, “How does one boost his capacity to grow his business?” If you also seek an answer to that question, this guide will walk you through how you can achieve that feat.

4 key capacity increases that lead to business growth

We have discussed some time-tested approaches that you need to consider below.

1. Time

According to a Wall Street Journal report, most office workers waste 40 per cent of their time. If that is not worrisome, then what is? Come to think of it, how do we relate capacity to the time context? Here’s the explanation: We all have 24 hours in a day, meaning that what you do with it is entirely up to you.

One thing is certain, no one gets a little more than 24 hours in one day. So, optimizing your capacity in the context of time means accomplishing your daily tasks to achieve a desired result.

Also Read: 10 mistakes that can kill your e-commerce business

To make the most of the allocated amount of time, you must ensure that your body is given the right treatment. Just like your machines need periodic maintenance to operate optimally, your body needs rest, good food and workouts to do the same. Also, a healthy brain assimilates and processes information at an amazing rate.

Given that your brain never gets a rest, you have to deliberately give it one. In her study, a researcher at the University of California, Sara Mednick, stated that those who often get naps are more likely to be more productive than those who do not. Therefore, adequate time management is important.

2. Money

Apart from proper time management, another capacity that you must learn how to work around is money. While we are so used to the cliché that money is a tool that boosts businesses, one thing nobody tells you is that money may also ruin it. Hence, being on top of your game when it comes to money management is critical to taking your company to the next frontier. Yes, money is the lifeblood of every organization, so you need to make more of it. In the quest to ramp up your revenue, there are certain details you must pay attention to:

• Create a proper budget
• As your cash flows increase, consider getting experts to help manage your revenue
• Weigh the option of engaging private investors. Venture capitalists, for instance, give startups all they need to prosper under certain terms and conditions.

When you have an eye on these intricacies, you are evidently scaling the positive vibes that money brings. In turn, the outcome is growth in all ramifications.

3. Qualified people

Having amazingly creative people in your employ is a blessing, but having the knowhow to manage them could be challenging. Do you know why? That’s because your competitors are probably asking them to quit your company for theirs. Not to mention the fact that they would even pay higher than you do. So, you must learn to build and manage a team. With that said, develop the right social skills to work with people as talented as you are. Here are a few notes:

• When you delegate tasks, you are buying back your time
• Develop an organogram and ensure that roles are defined
• Make creativity a watchword to get your staffers to think out of the box
• Appreciate and motivate them when they do something extraordinary.

Also Read: 3 lessons I learned as a student entrepreneur

Notice that employers reward results and not necessarily the efforts. However, you should show some appreciation whenever the desired result isn’t achieved despite the concerted effort put into a task. When you manage your workers well, the sky is going to be your starting point – not your limit.

4. Space

What comes to your mind when you hear a businessman mention space? Most times, space goes hand in hand with supply. As a startup in the real sector, you must be wary of not having enough space that can warehouse more than the order limits of your current customers.

For instance, if you cannot boast of space that can hold up to 10,000 units of your product because your current demand sits at 5,000 units, then you have something to worry about. You should have a rock-solid supply channel that can supply you enough raw materials to cater for contingencies.

Also, there should be a backup supplier that can create a safety net for more raw materials and consider doing a time/size analysis. This analysis will help you understand how possible it is to cater to such demands. Additionally, weigh the option of running a second shift.

Final thoughts

You may have a vision and well-articulated strategies for translating your vision into reality. However, lack of experience is still a problem. Given that you are in uncharted waters, you find it extremely difficult to translate your strategies into practical realities. Well, this is often the case even though they appear logical and practical. In a similar vein, working for someone is one thing, managing your own startup is a different kettle of fish.

Also Read: How to bulletproof your business against lawsuits

But then, we have taken some time to explain some hitches that you will definitely face and how to tackle them head-on. The truth is, every organization has its hurdles, and your ability to overcome them or not allow them to overwhelm you will ultimately determine whether your business will become a roaring success or colossal failure. But in this piece, we have outlined crucial steps that you must take to make your firm a success story.

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e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.

Join our e27 Telegram group here, or our e27 contributor Facebook page here.

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Want to help customers find your platform, buy your stuff, and keep coming back?

Many first-timers think that launching an online store gives you the ability to sell products, but it does not mean that you’ll sell products from the start or the very first day of launching your store. If you want potential customers to find your product and purchase it, you’ll have to avoid the very common mistakes that every beginner makes most of the time.

1. Choosing the wrong platform

The very first mistake most of the beginners do is choosing a wrong platform.

Setting up an online store is a double-edged sword. Startups repeatedly get confused in choosing a platform for their e-commerce website, as it all depends on the business requirements and user experience goals. For inexperienced owners, migrating platforms can be a pain, so choose a platform that has the power to grow along with your business.

2. Underestimating the importance of design

As a study in 2016 conducted by the industry’s top SEO companies mentions that “a website ranks higher if their average bounce rate is low.”

Website design directly impacts the customer engagement on how well or poorly the site is built. If the customer doesn’t easily find the products they are looking for, they won’t buy your products or won’t visit your site again. This is why a website design is as vital as what you are selling.

Some of the most important design elements you need to consider while designing the website are navigation, checkout, product search, and customer support and post-purchase.

3. Not optimising the site for mobile

Mobile is the future, and ignoring the mobile audience may prove disastrous for your business. M-commerce is now one of the “in” things because more and more people are buying or searching from their mobile devices.

A survey conducted in 2017 on e-commerce sales done by mobile devices in the U.S was 34.5% which was $157.02 billion, and in 2018 it will increase by 32.7% to reach $208.29 billion.

A responsive design compatible with small screens can be considered as a necessity for every e-commerce site nowadays. You can’t afford to neglect optimisation of your e-commerce site for mobile devices because the feel and look of the mobile sites play a huge role in impacting & converting the visitors to purchasers.

4. Not paying much attention to retargeting

If you think that your visitor would buy on the first visit, then you are wrong. As per Adroll, on average 98% of people who normally visit your website for the first time won’t buy any products. That is one of the reasons which make retargeting really important for shopping cart recovery.

Retargeting campaigns can nudge leads closer to conversions, encourages repeat purchases, increase odds of purchases, helps to upsell to existing customers, and much more. Retailers are already doing this in various ways, which includes personalizing an offer for a specific time period.

Retargeting will also help you to take care of the relationship with your customers and will generate engagement on your website and convert that engagement into sales too.

Also read: 3 lessons I learned balancing a successful e-commerce business with a full-time day job

5. Not maximising social media

Leveraging social media to target buyers is the thing right now for e-commerce business, and if you are not doing this, then you are making one of the biggest business mistakes. Promoting a business or products on social media is a serious task in order to get more visitors to your online business.

Social Media platforms like Instagram and Pinterest can work as a catalog of your products, where people can share their favorite products with their followers. On the other hand, Facebook and Twitter work as a valuable promoting platform to spread a word about you and your business. One more thing is that don’t forget to keep a social sharing button on all your product pages.

6. Not targeting the right audience

It can turn out dangerous for your business if you don’t have a clear idea of who your target audience should be. It is the first step to getting noticed online. If you can identify and understand yours and your customers perspectives, it will become really easy to create a message according to their needs.

By having a clear knowledge of your target audience, you’ll be able to reach out and market your products correctly. You can also (with time) get to know their interests, their needs, and what motivates them so that you can plan your future marketing strategies accordingly.

7. Not having a proper marketing plan

Not having a proper marketing plan can be fatal for your business. A marketing plan can chart and guide you for the perfect promotions of your business. If you don’t want to face low customer volume, budget problems, and closure of the business, then having a proper marketing plan is necessary.

Even after having the right product and audience, your online store could still fail if you do not have a proper marketing strategy in place. Even after a perfect product in hand, if you are unable to tell people about it, you might end up being lonely.

The marketing plan here that we are talking about includes a flawless promotion strategy, effective tracking mechanism in place for all your promotional activities & a marketing budget,.

8. Neglecting Speed Optimisation

You visit a website, the page takes a hell lot of time to load even at 4G speeds. Would you visit that site again? NO, right? Shoppers browse multiple pages at a time, they are impatient, they keep their eyes on 2-3 different websites at the same time. DO NOT keep them waiting because of page load speed, it might be a problem for your e-commerce site.

Statistics say, “Every one second delay in site load time can decrease your conversion rate by 7%”. By having a slow site speed, it not only affects user experience but also affects rankings in search engines, and bounce rate too.

According to the survey conducted in February 2018, the average page load time should not be more than 3-4 seconds.

9. Lack of Payment Options

Many e-commerce sites provide payment by only MasterCard and Visa or paying through their PayPal accounts. I might only have the AmEx or Discover, or maybe I don’t wish to pay using my PayPal account, what do I do now?

Always, always, provide a range of options for your buyers to choose from. Why repel customers from the payment page & let them go because of a small little mistake from our side? Keep options open, provide COD also as a payment option, and don’t give them any reason to go.

10. Not Providing Shipping Options (or Free Shipping)

It’s a fact that people love freebies and you can’t deny that fact. If you want to gain more sales conversion from your e-commerce site than providing a free shipping option could be beneficial (of course on a minimum order, we do understand your side too!).

If you don’t wish to have free shipping as an option, keep the charges minimal or negligible for a buyer. Don’t let the shipping charges be unexpected that leads to an abandonment of the shopping carts. The average shipping rates are considered between $5-$7.

According to a survey, about 73% of the buyers considered free shipping as a crucial factor in purchasing a product. So having this option can improve your sales significantly.

Conclusion

Running a successful e-commerce business is not an easy task, you’ll be making mistakes in your journey, but by considering the basic mistakes we mentioned and working over them will definitely make your way easier for a profitable business enterprise.

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This article was first published on e27 on August 28, 2018.

e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.

Join our e27 Telegram group here, or our e27 contributor Facebook page here.

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All GoGetters are verified and trained before being a part-time dispatcher, personal shopper or promoter for an event

GoGet, a community platform for part-time help that connects people to verified part-timers called GoGetters, has won the UNCDF B40 Challenge at MyFinTechWeek 2019, which was held in Kuala Lumpur.

The UNCDF B40 Challenge, organised by Financial Innovation Lab Malaysia and funded by the Metlife Foundation, was aimed at finding solutions that could drive usage of financial services by lower and middle-income groups in Malaysia (or the B40 population) beyond access to bank accounts.

Financial Innovation Lab in Malaysia is in collaboration with UN Capital development Fund (UNCDF), Bank Negara Malaysia and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).

GoGet plans to pilot auto-savings and on-demand insurance for gig workers with UNCDF.

The local startup saw the opportunity in the market to serve their workers beyond providing job opportunities but also by helping them utilise their earnings to improve financial well-being.

Also Read: GOJEK, Astra launch all-in vehicle maintenance service GOFLEET

The firm claims to have impacted more than 10,000 GoGetters to earn with a smartphone. GoGet is in major cities outside Klang Valley, namely Penang and Johor Bahru. All GoGetters are verified and trained before they can start claiming jobs such as being a part-time dispatcher, personal shoppers or even as their part-time promoter for an event.

About 75 per cent of Malaysians find it hard to get RM1,000 cash for emergencies​. As part of a pilot project, GoGet partnered with Pod, a goal-based savings app, to allow GoGetters to save their earnings that they received from GoGet with a click of a button. With the solution, GoGetters were able to save any amount anytime, track their progress, receive cash bonuses and cash out instantly if they need. By utilising the GoGet platform, gig workers were able to surpass the savings statistics of the average Malaysian. Full time GoGetters were capable of saving RM1,000 in just 2 months!

“​Today, many people who belong to the B40 segment earn on a job by job basis. However, traditional banking and financial products recognise only those with fixed monthly payslips. There is a large portion of Malaysians that don’t have monthly payslips and these people need to be included in our financial economy,” ​said Francesca Chia, Co-founder of GoGet.

“Malaysia is rapidly proving to be a fertile testbed for fintech solutions and products. MDEC is primed and working with key players to refine Malaysia’s unique proposition as a dynamic ideal hub from which Fintech companies will be able to launch and serve different markets. It is wonderful to see the innovative spirit behind these solutions, added  Surina Shukri, CEO of MDEC.

 

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In addition to MDI Ventures, we also have updates from OYO, WeWork, and SoftBank

MDI Ventures launches an office in Singapore – DailySocial

Indonesian venture capital firm MDI Ventures, which is backed by state-owned telco Telkom Group, has begun operation of its Singapore office, DailySocial reported.

The Singapore office was founded in April and has secured operational permit from Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

It will be led by Shannon Lee, former Lead of C31 Ventures, a corporate venture arm of Singapore-based property giant Capitaland.

MDI Ventures has invested in startups from 10 countries.

Ahead of IPO, WeWork CEO reportedly cashes out over US$700M – The Wall Street Journal

WeWork CEO and Co-Founder Adam Neumann has cashed out more than US$700 million from the company ahead of its IPO, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The report named the size and timing of the payouts as “unusual” as founders “typically” wait until after an IPO to liquidate their holdings.

It is made through a mix of stock sales and loans secured by his equity in the company.

The report also stated that the CEO has already set up a family office to invest the proceeds, and has begun hiring financial professionals to run it.

Also Read: Indonesian digital payment startup Kredivo secures financing from Telkomsel’s VC arm, MDI Ventures

SoftBank’s Seoul unit raises US$270M for early-stage investments – Reuters

SoftBank Group Corp announced that its Seoul-based venture capital unit –that focusses on early stage investments– has raised a KRW317 billion (US$270 million) fund, Reuters wrote.

Expected to be closed within the next six months, the fund included South Korea’s National Pension Service as an investor.

OYO Founder to invest US$2B to triple stake – Bloomberg

Oyo Hotels and Homes Founder Ritesh Agarwal is set to invest US$2 billion to triple his stake in the startup, according to a Bloomberg report.

The company stated that Agarwal will buy shares from existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sequoia India, which will remain backers of the startup.

Another source who asked not to be identified said that the deal will value Oyo at about US$10 billion and raise Agarwal’s slice of the company from 10 per cent to 30 per cent.

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Image Credit: Bna Ignacio on Unsplash

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The tech hub will focus on enhancing its AI, Machine Learning capabilities, and accelerating its product development and micro service capabilities

CXA Group, a Singapore-based AI platform for health, wealth, and wellness choices, announced today it will set up the CXA Tech Hub in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The initiative is a part of CXA’s expansion of its technical capabilities to support its products and health ecosystem.

The company said that the tech hub will focus on enhancing its AI, Machine Learning capabilities, and accelerating its product development and micro service capabilities. The firm claims its services are serving more than 400,000 employees, Fortune 500 companies, and partners across 20 markets.

Also Read: GOJEK, Astra launch all-in vehicle maintenance service GOFLEET

Rosaline Chow Koo, Founder, and CEO of CXA Group said: “Setting up a tech hub in Vietnam provides us access to a large talent pool so we can focus on building the technology.”

CXA offers a self-service platform that allows employers to give their employees access to a wide range of health, wealth, and wellness offerings, personalised based on the individual’s health and life-stage data. This allows employees to draw down on duplicate insurance policies provided by their employers or spouse’s employers and use funds that are then released into the platform’s e-wallet to increase the balance in their e-wallets, and to purchase these offerings with cashless transactions.

As part of its health ecosystem, CXA has integrated directly with clinics, giving clients and partners a savings of up to 25 per cent on outpatient costs.

To lead the tech expansion, CXA brings Thorsten Maus as Head of Information Technology. Maus has track records in building tech teams and platforms for e-commerce, payment, and financial companies and will oversee CXA’s Tech and Development teams both in Singapore and China, as well as the various CXA tech hubs across the region.

In the past, CXA Group was known to raise funding from Eduardo Saverin of Facebook in 2017 and EDBI in 2017, and the recent one in March 2019.

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In the latest edition of our agritech startups series, we take a look into what startups are doing in the kingdom

After Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines, we are looking at agritech startups in Thailand.

Like in many other Southeast Asian countries, the agriculture sector plays a crucial role in the country’s economy. A Bangkok Post report stated that the value of rice traded in 2017 was THB174.5 billion (US$5.6 billion), which is around 12.89 per cent of all farming product.

The report stressed that with this figure, farmers in Thailand should have been wealthy as a consequence, but many issues arise instead, including the farmers being entangled by debts.

To save these farmers, many startups in the country are looking at ways to improve their farming practices and –eventually– the farmers’ livelihood.

The following is a list of agritech startups in Thailand as taken from the e27 startup database.

Also Read: Indonesian agritech startup TaniGroup raises US$10M in Series A funding round

ChikChic

CHIKCHIC aims to improve the livelihood of chicken farmers in developing countries by using IoT and ERP platform.

In addition to smart farming features such as malfunction alert and conditional setting, CHIKCHIC also provides financial management features such as profit forecast and productivity tracking.

CW2GREEN Co.Ltd.

CW2GREEN builds a smart farming platform called BANDIBURRI, which monitors temperature, humidity, CO2, and other sensor data in a greenhouse through remote mobile devices.

The startup also provides smart radio and sprayer drone for agricultural operations.

FolkRice

Founded in 2015, FolkRice is an open brand that connects small-scale farmers to potential customers, enabling them to sell their products at the best price. The products that are available on the platform ranges from rice to fresh vegetables.

Also Read: Meet the 10 agritech, foodtech startups pitching for Future Food Asia’s US$100K grand prize

Happy Farmers

Happy Farmers aim to solve the problem of lack of market access for local farmers by launching an online marketplace to help farmers reach out to customers. The platform focusses only on organic and natural products and produces; it is part of its effort to promote sustainable agriculture in Thailand while answering a growing market demand.

Founded in December 2015, Happy Farmers has worked with more than 250 farmers and producers nationwide. As of May 2016, 50 of them are supplying more than 400 SKUs via Happy Farmers.

It also has a scheme that allows local farmers to hold shares in the company.

Talad

The Talad App enables farmers and farmworkers to connect to each other, eliminating the need for a middleman in the search process for contractors.

The startup also created an e-commerce platform for the agriculture sector, where they connect businesses to end-users to purchase goods and services for their fields and farms.

Trade Connex Limited

Trade Connex Limited builds an online SPOT market system for farmers to sell their crops online in real-time. It offers live auction, negotiation, and auto-matching trading modes for users, with special focus on products such as rice and rubber sheets.

The startup is working with the Thai National Bank for settlement services.

Also Read: Bruneian agritech startup secures pre-Series A funding from Cerana Capital

Verifik8

Verifik8 is a compliance service which monitors and verifies the environmental and social performance of smallholder farmers and aquaculture operators in Southeast Asia. It aims to engage stakeholders in agriculture and seafood supply chain to increase transparency and accountability.

Some of the major companies that are working with the startup include PEPSICO and Nestle.

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e27 calls upon Southeast Asian startups to update their profiles on our startup database.

Image Credit: Lisheng Chang on Unsplash

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The robots reportedly can sing and rap while cleaning the often unreachable corners

LionsBot International, a Singapore-based company, has announced the launch of the local production of 300 autonomous cleaning robots at Gardens by the Bay.

Cleaning robots that can sing and rap while cleaning the city-state is soon to be deployed as part of a special agreement between LionsBot and six cleaning partners. The cleaning robots will be in operation by March 2020, the company said in a statement.

With this project, LionsBot claimed that it will be the world’s first company to offer cleaning robots on a subscription model. Companies looking to utilise cleaning robots will not need to invest in ownership and maintenance.

So far, the company has developed 13 different models of cleaning robots that are able to scrub, mop, vacuum, sweep, shine, and transport cleaning equipment for both indoors and outdoors usage.

One of its robot series is the LeoBots Family, with a width size of 63cm and the ability to navigate through doorways and tight corridor spaces. With a full turning radius of 1.2 metres, the LeoBot can make 180 degree turns which enable it to produce a cleaning path for more consistent cleaning results.

LionsBot is led by the husband-and-wife duo of Dylan Ng and Michelle Seow.

Also Read: Grab launches green e-scooter GrabWheels in Indonesia’s top university

“When it comes to robotics, cleaning is a complicated undertaking which involves finding the right balance between pressure, mechanical, and chemical action on different surfaces. This led us to dream about building our own cleaning robot workforce,” said Dylan Ng, Co-founder, LionsBot.

The team was then joined by Mohan Rajesh Elara, Assistant Professor with the Engineering Product Development Pillar at Singapore University of Technology & Design. Professor Mohan’s research in robotics contributes to the development of autonomous cleaning robots.

LionsBot technology includes the following features:

• High-speed and contextual mapping to capture a premise’s cleaning requirements
• Uses up to 70 per cent less water as compared to existing cleaning solutions
• Well-integrated precision sensors to avoid objects and detect human
• Safety bumpers that cause the robots to come to a stop if it ever comes into contact with an object
• Cleaning robots can work together as a team. Multiple cleaning robots are able to coordinate and clean a given area simultaneously, without the need for human programming.

For example, if VacPod and ScrubPod are deployed, they are able to take turns cleaning a space without the need for a human cleaner to push buttons to activate them.

Cleaning robots may take different cleaning routes each day as they are constantly learning and calculating the most efficient way to clean a given space.

By scanning a QR code on the robot, the public is able to interact with the robots by asking questions such as “what is your name?” or “what type of cleaning do you perform?”.

Moreover, LionsBot aims to contribute to the upskilling of the cleaning industry. The company has established LionsBot Training Academy which equips cleaners with a six-hour training programme on the use of the robots.

LionsBot has also developed a mobile application that rewards cleaners based on how well they operate and maintain the robots.

Also Read: US-based VoIP company 8×8 buys Singapore’s cloud startup Wavecell for US$125M

The company is manufacturing its robots in Singapore with a team of over 30 engineers. The team targets to produce four robots each day.

As of now, cleaning companies and building owners can rent any of LionsBot cleaning robots at monthly fees ranging from US$1,350 to US$2,150.
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RISE will help Singaporean startups to plug into Thailand’s ecosystem and work with local partners to contribute solutions to the market needs

RISE, Southeast Asia-based corporate innovation firm, has announced that it has expanded into Singapore with support from government agency Enterprise Singapore.

RISE is supported under the government agency’s Startup SG Accelerator programme providing mentorship and resources to support the growth of startups based in Singapore.

As a Startup SG Accelerator partner, RISE will help Singaporean startups to plug into Thailand’s ecosystem and work with local partners to contribute solutions to the market needs and globally utilising the latter’s own network of more than 200 corporate and governmental agencies worldwide.

The two-way relationship, will allow over 1,000 growth-stage startups in RISE Network to launch their business in Southeast Asia outside their home country with Singapore as the first country.

Through Startup SG Accelerator, the first official collaboration of RISE and Enterprise Singapore is “RISE.AI”, Southeast Asia’s first corporate AI Accelerator program that will bring in 30 AI startups from all over the world to the region. Startups will work intensively with the top corporates in Southeast Asia for nine weeks.

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RISE.AI will focus on delivering tangible business results to the corporates rather than incubating early-stage startups. For the Singapore leg, lasting three months from July to September, 10 startups will fly to the city-state to work on the pilot program.

Jonathan Lim, Enterprise Singapore’s Director for Global Innovation Network, said: “Many startups fail not because they lack great ideas but because they lack product-market fit. Product development should be driven by a market need and customer validation from potential users. Enterprise Singapore is happy to partner with RISE in its inaugural AI program to enable startups to work closely with regional corporates.”

Following the RISE. AI Accelerator Program, RISE hopes to explore future initiatives with Enterprise Singapore in other sectors like healthcare and energy.

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The suspension will have no effect on full time employees at Honestbee Malaysia

Honestbee to suspend food and grocery delivery services in Malaysia from July 22 [The Star]

Honestbee has announced that it will be temporarily suspending both its food and grocery delivery services in Malaysia from July 22 onward, stating that no delivery slots will be available from then until further notice.

“After a strategic review of our company’s businesses, our headquarters in Singapore has made a firm decision to temporarily suspend our operations in Malaysia. This is to ensure we can meet our financial commitments to our merchants, partners and suppliers as we carefully review the future of our operations,” Honestbee Malaysia said in a press statement to The Star.

The suspension will have no effect on full time employees at Honestbee Malaysia, while riders and shopper Bees “currently working with us will have the option to pursue other career paths when the opportunity arises, but most certainly be welcomed to rejoin the course of our business when we restore operations”, the company stated.

Indonesia’s Astra launches JV with Go-Jek to revive languishing car sales [DealStreetAsia]

Astra International, Indonesia’s largest automobile distributor, on Thursday launched a joint venture with Go-Jek to provide cars to the ride-hailing firm.

The move, which comes on the heels of an overall US$250 million investment in Go-Jek, is aimed at boosting Astra’s already-strong market dominance, despite a dismal full-year outlook for countrywide car sales.

“The outlook for the country’s overall car sales is between 1.05 million and 1.1 million units for 2019,” Astra President and Director Prijono Sugiarto told reporters, a dive from 1.5 million units sold in 2018.

EBay picks up over 5% stake in Paytm Mall [The Economic Times]

Ebay has picked up a 5.5 per cent stake in Paytm Mall, as the San Jose-based online marketplace makes another attempt to get a slice of the Indian e-commerce market.

Ebay said its global inventory will be available to over 130 million active users on Paytm Mall and Paytm’s app ecosystem as part of the deal.

The companies did not disclose the investment amount, but sources close to the transaction said the financing round is about US$150 million.

Japan to lead development of SWIFT network for cryptocurrency: source [Reuters]

Japan’s government is leading a global push to set up an international network for cryptocurrency payments, similar to the SWIFT network used by banks, in an effort to fight money laundering, a person familiar with the plan said on Thursday.

Tokyo aims to have the network in place in the next few years, the person said, declining to be identified because the information has not been made public.

A team related to the inter-governmental Financial Action Task Force (FATF) will monitor its development and Japan will cooperate with other countries, the source said.

Hong-Kong based adtech startup OneOneDay launches in India [press release]

OneOneDay, a Hong Kong-based adtech startup, has recently launched the Oodies app in India. This app allows users to earn cash rewards and donate part of it to social causes by watching advertisements of their choice.

The app is available in India for Android users nation-wide.

On Oodies, users choose the ads they want to watch, and get rewarded in cash for their time and attention.

Every time an ad is watched, a portion of the advertising revenue goes to fund a social cause. For its launch in India, Oodies has chosen to tackle the issue of women’s safety by providing safe last-mile rides to women in Delhi.

The post Today’s top tech news, July 18: Honestbee to suspend services in Malaysia; Ebay picks over 5% stake in Paytm Mall appeared first on e27.