Smart access company igloohome recently sent eight purpose-built Space Edition Smart Padlocks to 33 kilometres above sea level via a bespoke launch vehicle suspended by a high-altitude hydrogen balloon to celebrate its eighth anniversary.

The Singaporean startup iterated more than 500 prototypes, designing them in line with seven MIL-STD 810H reliability standards to create what it calls the toughest smart padlock in the world. According to the Co-Founder and CEO Anthony Chow, padlocks’ journey to space is the perfect metaphor for his journey as an entrepreneur.

In this interview, Chow discusses the objectives behind the padlock’s Space journey, the technology behind it, and the challenges the team faced.

Excerpts:

Can you take us through the journey of developing the World’s First Smart Padlock for Space? What were the key challenges you faced during the iteration process?

While the earth’s outdoor conditions can be challenging, Space takes it to a whole new level. Imagine sending a lock 33 kilometres above the surface, where challenges like -65°C temperatures, intense UV radiation, and thin air density become significant hurdles. Our mission was to ensure Padlock 2 not only survives but thrives in these extreme conditions.

Could you elaborate on the technology behind the Space Edition Smart Padlock? What makes it uniquely suited for space applications?

The Padlock 2 has been coated with a heat-cured sandstone powder coating that boasts exceptional resilience against environmental stressors. This coating substantiates its capability to perform even in the most demanding conditions.

Also Read: igloohome raises US$15M afresh to expand its smart access solutions to real estate

Furthermore, the electronic components have been meticulously redesigned for the space edition to facilitate operation within a temperature range spanning from -50°C to 50°C, further attesting to its suitability for a broad spectrum of environments.

Tell us about the significance of reaching 33 kilometres above sea level with your purpose-built Space Edition Smart Padlocks. How does this achievement open up new possibilities for your technology?

This achievement demonstrates the robustness and resilience of our technology in the harshest conditions, affirming its capability to perform exceptionally even in extreme environments. With this, it opens up new horizons for applications, such as remote and challenging terrains where reliable access is paramount — think North America, Canada, the Middle East, the Nordics and many places with extreme temperature swings.

For example, we are working with large enterprises in these areas, which require us to deploy our enterprise software platform iglooworks, to manage thousands of these smart padlocks in remote sites.

These can be enterprises from the telco industry, mining companies, critical infrastructure installations and more, where they have tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of facilities spread out remotely across the country that require access to by staff, contractors, managers and more. A highly robust, reliable and resilient hardware + intelligent software solution will completely change the game for them in terms of access management.

Developing over 500 prototypes is quite a feat. What were the major breakthroughs or pivotal moments that led to the successful creation of the Space Edition Smart Padlock?

The inception of the Padlock 2 platform commenced over 1.5 years ago. We’ve embarked on a journey to redefine the concept of a smart padlock, crafting a product of unparalleled durability and dependability. Our relentless pursuit led us to subject the product to rigorous trials, including 7x US Military grade reliability assessments encompassing physical shock, exposure to saline water, and extreme temperature variations.

Following these tests, we conducted more than 300 user trials from consumers to businesses, distributing samples across North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia for extensive real-world evaluation. Through numerous iterations and meticulous refinement, we have reached the design that stands before you today.

Could you walk us through the launch process? How did you ensure the secure attachment and functionality of the padlocks during the high-altitude balloon journey?

The locks were secured with a bespoke 3D-printed bracket, which clamped around the shackle, along with a discreet wire tether in case the lock became separated in a turbulent landing.

It is also worthwhile to note that this is done in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. No debris was left in Space, and everything was recovered, including the padlocks that went to Space!

For the hydrogen balloon, undyed natural latex balloons for our flights. These are biodegradable, breaking down at the same rate as an oak leaf, leaving no harmful chemicals where they land. Because of their unique design, the majority of the balloon material remains with our spacecraft and is recovered by the launch team.

Beyond space applications, how do you see the Space Edition Smart Padlocks technology influencing or benefiting other industries or everyday use cases?

The technology behind the Space Edition Smart Padlocks goes beyond space exploration, promising a significant impact on various industries and daily scenarios. The same durability that withstood the harsh conditions of Space can translate into applications such as securing high-value assets or enhancing security in remote areas.

Moreover, the technology’s resilience and smart capabilities can contribute to creating more secure and convenient access experiences in sectors like facilities management, critical infrastructure management, property management, and beyond.

One example will be helping a large kayak rental company in the Nordics (where temperatures can drop precipitously low during winter) do unmanned kayak rental with our Smart Padlock and smart access sharing software platform. We have helped them scale quickly with little manpower due to the durability and reliability of this hardware.

Another example is a large retail chain in Germany using our Smart Padlocks to secure click-and-collect locations for self-pick-up of products bought online. Temperatures in Germany can be harsh during winter, and the Smart Padlock needs to stand up to the test of snow, ice, rain and extremities of the German weather!

You might also see customers using our Smart Padlock 2 to secure their work sheds or garage next to their homes (especially in the US) or a parcel dropoff box placed outside the home porch to allow delivery people to drop off e-commerce packages. This can help change e-commerce deliveries completely!

Collaboration must have played a role in achieving this milestone. Can you tell us any key partnerships or alliances instrumental in making this project a reality?

We partnered with Sent Into Space. Sent Into Space is the world’s leading provider of commercial Near Space launches.

Founded in Sheffield in 2011, Sent Into Space has conducted over 1,000 flights to the upper stratosphere, combining cutting-edge aerospace engineering with video production and marketing expertise to create incredible campaigns.

Their engineers worked with igloo engineers to ensure the set-up was thoroughly tested before embarking on the flight.

Looking ahead, what exciting prospects does this achievement unlock for igloo? Can you share any upcoming projects or advancements in the pipeline with us?

We’re excited about upcoming projects that will harness the technology’s potential to provide even greater convenience, security, and peace of mind to people across the globe.

One example of an enterprise partner we are working with within the United States in the self-storage space manages over 500,000 storage units across the country, with many of them in remote places exposed to the weather elements of snow, rain, typhoons and temperature swings.

Our smart access enterprise software, coupled with our Smart Padlock 2, is starting to help them change how they manage access into one that is much more seamless, secure, efficient and transparent.

In addition to our smart padlocks, we offer an array of smart locks tailored for the residential market, particularly in regions like Singapore.

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Image Credit: igloohome.

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Our country is the epitome of cultural diversity that is further solidified by the many holidays that we tend to celebrate as Malaysians. Within the first quarter of 2023 alone, we celebrated Chinese New Year, Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Wesak. As Malaysians, we come from various different backgrounds, and this promotes social cohesion and harmony within the workplace and the larger society.

According to the PwC’s Global Culture Survey 2021 report, almost 63 per cent of Malaysian participants believe that their organisation has a unique workforce culture that makes them stand out from competitors.

Meanwhile, around 86 per cent of respondents said their organisational culture still should evolve in the next three to five years to succeed, grow, and retain the best talents, as it can influence employee motivation, efficiency, and productivity.

It goes without saying that embracing cultural diversity in the workplace is an important first step for businesses that want to be competitive on an international scale. Embracing workplace diversity enables organisations to tap into this diverse knowledge base and effectively communicate with customers and clients from various cultural backgrounds. Understanding cultural nuances and adapting business practices accordingly can enhance customer satisfaction and strengthen business relationships.

Cultivating unity in diversity

After being in the human resource (HR) industry for over 13 years in my career, I, too personally, have witnessed instances where diversity practice has successfully bred creativity and driven innovation to greater heights.

Organisations that understand the diverse preferences, traditions, and values of customers from different ethnic groups allow them to tailor their offerings and marketing strategies accordingly. This targeted approach builds stronger customer relationships and increases brand loyalty within the diverse Malaysian market or even globally.

Also Read: Inclusion matters: How GitHub enhances accessibility for individuals with disabilities

When individuals from various cultural backgrounds collaborate, they bring unique insights, ideas, and problem-solving approaches. This diversity of thought stimulates innovation, leading to the development of new products, services, and strategies that cater to the diverse needs of the Malaysian market.

Having the ability to view issues from varying angles can also help solve organisational and managerial problems while meeting stakeholders’ expectations in new and exciting ways. This concept is especially useful when the organisation has plans to expand its business overseas because it can improve marketing strategies by equipping the company with better cross-cultural understanding and local market knowledge. 

Promoting workplace diversity and inclusion aligns with the principles of social responsibility and equality. By fostering an inclusive work environment, organisations demonstrate their commitment to equal opportunities, respect, and fairness for all employees.

This positively impacts their reputation among customers, investors, and the larger community, positioning them as socially responsible and ethical entities in Malaysia.

However, unknown to most, unconscious biases tend to happen in the workplace more than people realise, especially if there is an apparent language barrier between peers. From my professional observation, the biases can relate to gender, age, ethnicity, and professional training, just to name a few.

Therefore, practising and adapting inclusivity will foster a sense of belonging and acceptance among employees. When individuals feel valued and respected for their unique qualities, they are more engaged and motivated in their work. Moreover, employees are more likely to stay with organisations that prioritise diversity and inclusion, reducing turnover and promoting long-term retention.

In a multicultural country like Malaysia, embracing workplace diversity and inclusion goes beyond compliance with legal requirements; it becomes a strategic advantage that enhances employee engagement, innovation, customer relationships, and overall business success.

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Singapore-headquartered SaaS healthtech company MiyaHealth has closed SGD2.4 (US$1.8) million pre-Series A extension, bringing the total investment to SGD10.4 (US$7.7) million to date.

Fondation Botnar, represented by Sagana (an impact investment advisory firm focused on human and planetary health), besides existing investors ST Engineering Ventures, Elev8, and HealthXCapital, invested in this round.

This extension follows its pre-Series A financing of SGD6.5 million and SGD1.5 million in February 2022 and August 2022, respectively.

The fresh funds will be used to expand Miya Health’s AI-driven interoperable digital healthcare solutions across Europe and Southeast Asia, starting with Poland, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

By the end of 2023, it plans to onboard more partners, including insurers, hospitals, and governments, to tailor solutions that will scale up healthcare access and efficiency in these countries and future markets of interest, such as Thailand, Vietnam, and the Middle East.

Also Read: MiyaHealth adds more funding to pre-Series A round

MiyaHealth will also expand its leadership team with strategic hires adept in commercial strategy and client servicing.

Founded in 2019, MiyaHealth helps patients choose affordable healthcare, manage their chronic illness, and improve the patient experience. It leverages AI, predictive analysis, and optimised data infrastructure to create the optimal patient experience.

Last year, the healthtech firm partnered with companies, including Bioton in Poland, to create a diabetes management platform adapted from MiyaHealth’s proprietary product, MiyaPatient and its AI-driven avatar MiyaAvatar, to help doctors manage patients remotely.

MiyaHealth is also in the final stages of closing multiple 10-year contract deals for MiyaPayor and MiyaProvider in the Philippines and Indonesia.

The firm hopes to raise Series A in Q1 2024 and continue to develop its product offerings and technological capabilities, expand its operations and partnerships, and strengthen its leadership team to scale up global health systems to serve the needs of patients.

Dr Ramesh Rajentheran, CEO and Co-Founder of MiyaHealth, said: “We believe that working together with players across the value chain is vital in tackling healthcare fragmentation. With our new hire, Kevin Yeap, spearheading commercial and customer success, we are confident that we can continue to create value for our partners as well as patients.”

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Image Credit: Miya Health

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What is the up-and-coming social media app? If you are tired of the existing options, perhaps Twine can be an alternative.

Coming from the Philippines, Twine was built to solve the main problem with social media today. As explained by Lead Strategist Patrick Zulueta, social media fatigue has become abundant for the new generation, wherein traditional users are looking for alternatives. These same users are also becoming aware of the value of their data and social networks.

The previous point has driven the rise of decentralised social media apps (dApps), but these apps are lacking the key element of connecting others in the network, he says.

“Twine was created with the ambition to provide better connections and, ultimately, drive greater value for the social economy. We are confident of achieving this by partnering with decentralised social networks and apps to utilise the Twine engine, which houses our proprietary personality analytics and token mechanism,” Zulueta writes in an email interview to e27.

Using Twine, users can discover their unique personality archetype and predict their compatibility with other circle members for work, friendships, or even dating through the use of a personality AI. They can then connect with like-minded individuals through a chat feature; they can also recommend others to their social circle.

In the future, Twine is developing a feature that will allow profiles to provide recommendations and interests for certain brands and services, enabling brands to interact with users who are to promote their offerings.

Also Read: Over 350,000 social media impressions via e27 help push Lalamove’s unique offerings

“Our team has a combined 20 years of marketing and advertising experience. In the past, we’ve used sales methods based on behavioural frameworks such as Myers Briggs to identify what products, services, or even personalities a certain individual might prefer,” explains Zulueta.

“We were then inspired to share our learnings to provide meaningful connections to individuals and brands. Thankfully, we’re also blockchain builders and developers, so we tokenised this into a ‘Personality NFT’. That today is Twine.”

Behind the platform

The idea for Twine started in 2019 when the team first realised the gap in social media space where more superficial traits such as age and gender were used to distinguish one user from another.

“The proposed idea was to serve the uncatered dating market searching for long-term relationships with an intelligent personality algorithm. Hence, Twine–originally Matcha–was born,” says Zulueta.

Fast forward to 2022, the team developed a more concise personality test based on the Myers-Briggs framework and the proprietary algorithm that will be able to predict a match between two people based on their personality scores. The concept had also evolved into attaching an NFT to a user’s personality and building the social graph on-chain.

“Twine aims to partner with other decentralised social protocols and apps to amplify how they provide more value and connections to their users. This is through Twine’s proprietary personality analytics and token mechanism,” says Zulueta.

Also Read: Rising trend in Vietnam: Young professionals embracing social media content creation

“In the near future, we intend to develop integration points for other social apps and networks to utilise the Twine personality algorithm.”

Twine also reveals that the rest of 2023 will be spent on validating the ad model hypothesis, further developing the project’s capabilities, and developing our minimum viable community (MvC).

The company is currently enrolled on Archipelago Labs’s ALAB Incubation Program, which includes another AI-based company Ridge. It is self-funded with some help from its F&F round.

“We aim to raise a seed round after some key metrics and milestones are achieved within the first half of next year,” Zulueta closes.

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Image Credit: Twine

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Qashier, a Singapore-based provider of point-of-sale (POS) and payment solutions for small and medium businesses, has secured US$10 million in a Series A funding round led by Delivery Hero Ventures and IFP Securities.

Antler Elevate and Cocoon Capital also participated.

The funds will enable Qashier to accelerate its growth in its four Southeast Asian markets (Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore), expand into new international markets, and strengthen its product ecosystem.

Also Read: How Qashier plans to continue on supporting SMEs with its product innovation

Christopher Choo, Co-Founder and CEO of Qashier, said: “Our mission is to empower small and medium-sized businesses with the tools they need to succeed, and we believe that our products are the perfect solution for restaurants and retailers looking to grow and thrive in today’s digital economy.”

Started in 2019, Qashier provides businesses with one integrated smart point-of-sale and payment solution comprising customer loyalty, inventory management, an online ordering system, and other offline-to-online tools.

Since its inception, the fintech startup claims to have processed over US$1 billion worth of transactions and empowered over 6,000 businesses across Southeast Asia with its integrated hardware and cloud-based software solution that streamline business operations.

Its focus sectors are retail, F&B, beauty, events and service companies. Its clients include SneakerCon and Gastrobeats in Singapore, BLACKPINK concert in Malaysia, Wanderland Music and Arts Festival in the Philippines, and Disney 100 Village at Asiatique in Thailand.

In February 2023, the company launched Qashier app, a freemium POS and payment solution that provides SMBs with an accessible, user-friendly solution to managing their business and transactions from their smart devices. It also recently launched the Qashier X2, its latest flagship smart POS terminal, and the lightweight and portable QashierXS.

Also Read: Qashier raises US$4.7M from Exor to take its smart POS machine to Malaysia

Furthermore, Qashier offers an event management solution that can be customised to meet the unique needs of each event.

The company plans to continue investing in research and development to deliver more innovative solutions to regional and beyond businesses.

In December 2021, Qashier bagged US$4.7 million from Exor Seeds, the venture arm of European conglomerate Exor. It bagged a US$900,000 financing round from Cocoon Capital and San Francisco-based Hardware Club a year earlier.

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Image Credit: Qashier.

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The upcoming Arm IPO stands out in a starkly quiet and depressed IPO market.  And as we look at this ray of business sunshine, consider how and why Arm has been so successful.

It’s one word: ecosystem

This isn’t just my armchair analysis, it is core to Arm’s corporate narrative and strategy.  In their own words:

“If you are familiar with Arm, you have likely read or heard the term  “Arm Ecosystem” at some point. …..No other business ecosystem comes close to this group of silicon, system and software companies responsible for shipping more than 250 billion Arm-based chips to date.

Remarkably, Arm itself has never actually produced a chip. It was an ecosystem strategy at its early outset and continues to be one of the biggest, and most successful ones to date. Consider that at least 90 per cent of smartphones produced globally today have Arm designs in them (and thus pay royalties to Arm). For “higher-end smartphones” the market penetration and share is a remarkable 99 per cent.

This is in stark contrast to players such as Intel, with a capital-intensive, vertically integrated business model.

Don’t just find your tribe, build it

What can learn from this and how could we apply this thinking in order to accelerate and scale our own businesses?

Arm started its journey as an in-house project (in Acorn Computers) to design more efficient Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) chips. The need for lower-cost, small-size, energy-efficient chips was just starting to take off.

The design side however was daunting due to the resources required.  So they found a solid partner (VLSI) who provided the design automation kit. This combined with out-sourced foundry technology gave Arm its efficient, and partnership-led beginnings.

This did not change Arm’s extremely modest resources, especially when compared to vertically integrated giants like Texas Instruments. As they decided on their business model and strategy they were tempted to go the “fab-less” route that Qualcomm or Broadcomm had gone. But this OEM model would eventually put them in competition with TI, Motorola or Intel.

They then made a critical decision on their ecosystem-led journey: they would be both “chip-less and fab-less”. The business model would be to specialise and design RISC processors with low power consumption, smaller size, and low cost, with the adaptability to take on new applications.

The semiconductor ecosystem partners would incorporate these designs into their own products.  This new category they defined as Process IP.  It is chip-less and fab-less and is as much about what they decided not to do.

Also read: What you ought to know ahead of Grab’s IPO

This strategy enabled neutrality with both the OEMs as well as prominent semiconductor players, and as we fast forward to today, the business model remains around:

• Upfront license fee. Partners can access tech and build their own chip designs;
• A royalty fee if any of the designs go into the final product.

“Ecosystem Partners” today now number over 1,000 companies, from foundries such as TSMC, Intel, and Samsung, to Operating Systems (OS, Android, Linux, Windows…).

Not only are they “across the entire stack”, but they drive joint problem-solving initiatives, where competitors can share resources and drive a mutually beneficial outcome.

Also read: The hidden danger in SPACs. Is the hype worth the risk?

Arm’s CEO emphasizes this philosophy with statements like “We are the ecosystem of ecosystems”, and “We are the Switzerland of the electronics industry. We don’t try and pick the winners.”

If we dig a little deeper into Arm’s strategy and key decisions a few key areas stand out:

• A unique approach to “the problem” and innovation centred around it.
• How to continually push the design improvements of processing chips? And do this in a “fab-less” model and where they are not producing the final chip?

This has to be one of the greatest examples of a “lean start-up” mentality.  This meant creating a unique business model and set of revenue streams. It meant creating an entirely new category and approach around Processor IP.

This was mapped and aligned to an ecosystem strategy from day one. The ecosystem is not only a major part of the solution but is core to both the company strategy as well as the unique category the company created.

As you consider your own ecosystem, what strategy and business model will be at its heart?  Arm’s is a “co-opetive” model that enables players to simultaneously compete, yet cooperate on very defined initiatives of GTM steps.

While there are other permutations, the four most prevalent models to consider are:

Model	Dynamics	Example
Symbiotic	Customer fulfilment requires close cooperation and integration.	SAP
Marketplace	Platform/infrastructure for open marketplace and transactions.	Alibaba
Co-opetive	Players compete in the market, but the Ecosystem provides value for participation in it.	Arm
Value Chain	Domain expertise and value at key junctures, enabling customer fulfilment. Competition at these points of delivery.	Tesla

This means that Arm plays a key role and responsibility as the Ecosystem Coordinator. It requires a huge level of focus around it. It is as much as “what we will not do” as what we will do. At many junctures, the Arm management team made decisions to not pursue an attractive revenue opportunity that would taint the ecosystem messaging and positioning they had carefully built up.

And if you take a look at Arm’s messaging/positioning, campaigns, partner assets, and events….they put in an extraordinary amount of effort around maintaining and deepening the ecosystem.  This has to be a big part of your thinking and resourcing. Consider how you will consistently monitor and assess your ecosystem and its constituents. Build an ecosystem tracking and optimization capability from the outset.

Arm has also consistently delivered a compelling Blueprint as the category leader, showing where and how technology and innovation will evolve.  This is sometimes available products and solutions (or GA soon), but also products not built yet.

By showing this clarity of vision, and showing the Blueprint into the future, it demonstrates their category and ecosystem leadership.  It plants a flag before other players do, and Arm is the one seen leading and innovating.  Just take a look at their roadmap today with Cloud, AI, and Automotive as clear areas of innovation and focus.

And finally, think about how consistently Arm has communicated their point of view around this problem they are solving, and the ecosystem and unique category that has been created.  It is not a tagline or short-term initiative. It is intrinsic to who they are and what they stand for.

One of the obvious, key rewards for this is the huge valuation attached to their upcoming IPO

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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

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In today’s fast-paced and increasingly digital world, the Southeast Asian tech startup ecosystem finds itself at a standstill: Innovate and pivot towards sustainability and profitability, or risk becoming unfundable and failing as a business.

As an ecosystem enabler dedicated to supporting startups from across the region in their growth journeys, e27 is launching a new program called Flux Series. Inspired by the concepts of convergence, interconnectivity, and the constant flux of knowledge necessary to building an empowered community of tech players, Flux Series aims to provide a platform for knowledge-sharing among leaders in key areas of business.

Also read: Strategic content via e27 amplifies CMI’s goals beyond numbers

At its core, the Flux Series is a curated, intimate, and focused convergence of top industry leaders. The program is designed to facilitate an exchange of ideas among key figures in business to engage in active learning sessions, enabling access to in-depth knowledge and actionable insights that can propel sustainable growth and profitability for your brand.

With e27’s commitment to driving startups to sustainable growth through knowledge-sharing, Flux Series is our way to put a spotlight on important topics and help equip startups with the necessary tools and skills that can help them navigate the complex world of business.

Marketing leaders at the centre of Flux

For the premiere edition of the program, the e27 team is zooming in on the exciting world of marketing and the possibilities that lie ahead for the industry. Flux Series: Marketing Leaders is a one-day conference designed to help marketing professionals from all over Southeast Asia harness and leverage AI’s capabilities in exploring marketing capabilities while fostering a collaborative space for industry pioneers to drive innovation to achieve sustainable growth among their respective organisations. The event is happening in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 15, 2023.

The Flux Series: Marketing Leaders is not just another conference; it is an exclusive and focused gathering of top industry leaders who are at the forefront of marketing and technology, designed to provide a unique experience for all attendees to witness the best and the brightest in the industry as they tell it all.

The event offers a slew of features, including content stages where attendees can witness some of the most talented leaders in marketing from across the region share their unique perspectives on today’s marketing landscape. Moreover, attendees get access to growth-oriented in-depth knowledge and actionable insights that can drive sustainable growth and profitability for their brands in ways that are shaped by technology and innovation.

Also read: Redefining customer engagement via real-time interactivity

Moreover, Flux Series: Marketing Leaders helps empower participants with practical insights on how to harness the power of AI in their marketing endeavours. From understanding the latest AI trends to implementing AI-driven strategies, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to leverage AI effectively — and more importantly, to test and practice the knowledge they learn right there on the spot!

Connecting with fellow marketing leaders and tech experts is also an important part of every startup’s growth journey. Learning and leading alongside other senior-level marketing professionals means that you can workshop action plans, foster collaborations, spark new ideas, and open doors to potential partnerships. Flux Series: Marketing Leaders offers this unique networking opportunity to connect with industry peers who have helped shape and usher some of the most recognisable brands in Southeast Asia today — all happening at the Flux Series.

The crucial role of disruptive technologies like AI in today’s marketing

Why marketing, you may ask?

Marketing isn’t just about creating catchy slogans and eye-catching visuals; it’s a dynamic process that encompasses understanding consumer behaviour, crafting compelling narratives, and delivering personalised experiences. In the digital age, where consumers are bombarded with information, effective marketing cuts through the noise to engage and connect with the right audience. It shapes brand perception, drives customer loyalty, and ultimately impacts the bottom line.

As competition intensifies, staying ahead in the marketing game requires embracing cutting-edge technologies such as AI. At its core, Artificial Intelligence is a disruptive technology that is revolutionising how businesses approach key areas like marketing. AI-powered tools and algorithms can analyse vast amounts of data with unprecedented speed and accuracy, uncovering valuable insights about customer preferences, behaviour patterns, and market trends.

Also read: e27-Visa partnership fosters corporate-startup collaborations and growth

This data-driven approach enables marketers to create highly personalised campaigns that can resonate with individual customers, enhancing the overall customer experience. From predictive analytics that foresee market trends to chatbots that provide instant customer support, AI has become an invaluable asset to engaging one’s customers.

Join Flux Series: Marketing Leaders in Jakarta

As the premiere edition approaches, the promise of active learning, expert insights, and collaborative brainstorming awaits all those who recognise the potential of disruptive technologies in shaping the future of marketing.

So, what are you waiting for? The Flux Series: Marketing Leaders pre-launch tickets have already sold out and we are gearing up for an exciting roster of participants to join us at this landmark event. Don’t miss your chance on this exciting opportunity and get your tickets now.

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Want to meet today’s most exciting marketers from across the region? Join the Flux Series or become our partner in Jakarta, Indonesia on November 15, 2023, and be a driving force in the AI-powered marketing revolution. To learn more about the event, you may visit the official Flux Series: Marketing Leaders page.

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Leading online real estate marketplace iMyanmarHouse has acquired Myanmar-based used car listing platform CarsDB.

The details of the deal remain undisclosed. “We can’t disclose the deal details for now due to a non-disclosure agreement,” Nay Min Thu, Group CEO of iMyanmarHouse, told e27.

The acquisition is part of the proptech company’s diversification strategies. It has expanded iMyamarHouse’s user base and catalysed cross-platform interactions, creating a one-stop digital destination for both real estate and automotive enthusiasts.

Thu said that the two firms have a combined user base of over 520,000, over 12,000 registered agents/agencies/car dealers, and 150 employees.

“The synergy between iMyanmarHouse and CarsDB has surpassed our expectations, resulting in a synergistic effect that has redefined our online presence,” he added.

Founded in 2013, iMyanmarHouse is an online real estate marketplace connecting buyers, sellers, and renters in the real estate market. To date, over US$435 million worth of properties have been transacted via iMyanmarHouse.

iMyanmarHouse claims it has 24x the monthly traffic size of its nearest competitor, based on the traffic data for July 2023 from Similar Web.

Also Read: A refugee in Germany in the 80’s, this entrepreneur is now back in Southeast Asia to achieve his dreams

According to Thu, iMyanmarHouse has been able to maintain profitability since 2019. “We are going full steam again and have doubled our staff count. We will actively be looking for new opportunities in other verticals as well.”

CarsDB was founded in 2012 by three Myanmar friends in a Singapore apartment as Myanmar’s first online auto marketplace. It competed fiercely with Motors.com.mm — a Rocket Internet venture — in the country. Rocket Internet later left Myanmar in 2016 and shut down its auto site.

CarsDB raised several rounds from Frontier Digital Ventures (founded by Shaun Di Gregorio and Patrick Grove, formerly from iProperty in Malaysia) and Emerging Market Entrepreneurs (EME).

The company was valued at US$8.7 million when it raised its last round of funding in 2018.

According to Similar Web, CarsDB has 7x the monthly traffic size of its closest rival.

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Image Credit: iMyanmarHouse.

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As AI technology becomes more popular, various startups in Southeast Asia (SEA) are exploring different use cases for its implementation. Many of them are helping small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to embrace this technology, including Ridge.

“Analytics, not just AI, is inaccessible for SMEs in the Philippines, many of which were forced to go digital due to the pandemic. Unfortunately, not many can take advantage of their data asset as building data capabilities is costly and time-consuming,” explains Ridge Co-Founder and CEO Jason Dolorso in an email to e27.

“Ridge aims to democratise analytics and AI by streamlining the process from data ingestion and processing to actionable business insights and AI model integration. This challenges the current status quo of hiring data consultants to build an organisation’s data capabilities by building an analytics platform that businesses can use out-of-the-box.”

Ridge focuses on the Food & Beverage (F&B) sector by empowering restaurant owners to use AI-driven insights for operational efficiency, enhancing menu optimisation and promotions, and ultimately driving profit maximisation.

“Initially, we collaborate closely with our proof-of-concept clients to gather insights into their main pain points while identifying their data preprocessing and transformation requirements,” Dolorso explains the process of product development.

“Next is to find key data points important for restaurants. These shared points become the basis of our product, making sure our analytics and AI features benefit the businesses we serve.”

Also Read: Driving financial inclusion in the Philippines: Why last-mile communities are key to winning the battle

Ridge said that it is currently working with restaurant chains all over the Philippines. It plans to roll out its prototype by September so that the company can receive feedback and add new features based on it.

“As of now, we are directly approaching chain F&Bs as our early adopters. Eventually, we plan to expand through strategic partnerships, including collaborations with Point-of-Sale (POS) providers,” says Dolorso.

Despite having a start with the F&B industry, Ridge would not stop there. It plans to scale its technology to other verticals such as e-commerce, retail, pharmaceuticals, and fintech. According to the company, while these companies may have different markets, KPIs and use cases, they require the same infrastructure, technology and implementation.

“The grander vision of Ridge is to democratise analytics and AI throughout the country. As we progress, we foresee Ridge as an analytics platform adopted by businesses spanning diverse industries, enabling them to make informed, data-driven decisions,” says Dolorso.

“Where businesses can be ‘powered by Ridge’ – equating to optimised processes, best-in-class products, and guaranteed customer satisfaction.”

Behind the technology

The Philippines-based Ridge was co-founded by three seasoned talents in the field of data and AI. Each of the co-founders holds a master’s degree in data science and brings a diverse range of expertise to the table.

Dolorso has a background in before transitioning to data science and data governance. CTO Dennis Diego has a background in software development, while Chief Growth Officer (CGO) Cedric Corro is a data science and educator.

Also Read: How Salmon aims to promote financial inclusion with AI banking in the Philippines

“Although we’re just starting out, we’ve already engaged with renowned names in the F&B sector. Additionally, we’ve been incubated with Archipelago Labs. This partnership has provided us with invaluable support, resources, and guidance to bring Ridge to life. We successfully concluded our demo day on August 12. This event provided us with the platform to introduce Ridge to potential investors and partners, a noteworthy milestone in our early journey,” Dolorso says.

Ridge is currently bootstrapping its business, though the company is open to fundraising in the future, primarily seeking strategic partners to help it maximise its existing technology.

“Our main goal for this year is to test and refine Ridge alongside our early adopters. Paving the way for our beta launch, followed by the full go-live scheduled for the next year,” Dolorso closes.

“We’re closing our final list of PoC clients that will be able to use Ridge at no cost while having our team as de facto data consultants during this phase.”

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Image Credit: Ridge

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According to Semrush, 93 per cent of marketing professionals achieve success. And as the digital world continues to shift, social media marketing continues to explode as the chief preference of companies to market their products. 

Connecting with other businesses, either in a collaborative spirit or as a case study for your digital marketing plans, and using the digital world as a business-to-business marketing platform will allow you to make better, more consistent connections. According to IMA, creating an effective plan is paramount for businesses to keep up with potential customers who are always connected to the internet and your business.

B2B marketing has undergone a seismic shift in its landscape since 2020, with COVID-19 introducing the need for new types of remote payment options and the necessity of businesses to adapt their marketing strategies to reach people almost exclusively online. 

This meant adopting mobile-centric marketing strategies for some businesses, including greater social media presence and optimising their websites for mobile navigation and purchases. According to data, 64 per cent of marketers believed mobile optimisation was a successful marketing strategy. 

The impact of digital transformation on marketing strategies

Digital transformation is a term that marketing strategists know all too well. It is introducing digital technology into every aspect of your business. Keeping up with the times is critical, and adapting your marketing strategies to suit the digital age is crucial to successfully marketing your products.

Last month, social media marketers were using Instagram Reels and TikTok the most to market their products, capitalising on the popularity of short-form video content among users and the ability to integrate social media trends into marketing their products. 

Also Read: Gushcloud’s winning formula: Navigating authenticity, innovation, and tech in influencer marketing

The use of digital platforms as marketing tools has meant that businesses are having to create YouTube channels for the first time or become more attuned to short-form videos and learning how to craft them effectively for an audience that’s keen to see, buy (or not) and move on within about 60 seconds.

Instagram emerges as a top choice for B2B marketing 

Surveys conducted by the trade show Jewel Ads indicate that among social media platforms, 47 per cent of marketing professionals now prefer Instagram as their primary method of marketing their products, with LinkedIn sitting at 40 per cent. 

In comparison, Facebook brings up the rear at only 13 per cent. As digital platforms change and morph, so do customers’ marketing plans and choices. 

Reasons behind Instagram’s popularity 

As you can see, Instagram has become a hugely successful platform for B2B marketing. But why? There are myriad factors behind Instagram’s popularity, generating more than 20 times the engagement of LinkedIn.

Volume of users 

A simple first explanation for Instagram’s popularity is that the users’ volume is much higher. Instagram has more than one billion active users per month. Almost half of Instagram’s users post to their Instagram stories each day. For a business, each active user, especially those that utilise the Story feature- is a potential customer.

Instagram users buy via Instagram 

The proof is in the proverbial pudding, with a conversion rate of nearly 75 per cent of Instagram’s users spending their money via the platform. Therefore, the marketing potential of Instagram’s Reels and posts has been proven. 

Featuring products in posts 

The ability to feature actual products in posts on Instagram makes it much easier for the end-user to click and purchase. Featuring easily shoppable products in posts leads to more web traffic and more customer purchases, with 80 per cent of users making purchasing decisions after seeing products on Instagram. 

The future of B2B marketing in the digital age 

B2B marketing in the digital age is only going to increase as the years roll on, with the role of artificial intelligence and data-driven marketing increasing throughout 2023 and beyond, including the use of chatbots and digital assistants, reducing the need for companies to hire human beings to tackle technical problems or provide helpdesk support to customers with more simple requests.

Utilising data-driven approaches for targeted marketing 

Consumer data is now more readily available than ever, thanks to AI data mining and the willingness of consumers to share their location and other information with companies when they purchase their products. This massive volume of data can finally be utilised time-sensitively with artificial intelligence. 

Also Read: Tried-and-tested marketing strategies for startups across all stages in Singapore

Using AI to data-mine allows companies to use a much more targeted marketing strategy. “Targeted marketing” generates “relatable data” from individuals’ readily available personal information and web use habits. This year 46 per cent of companies used “relatable data” for the first time. 

Removing human emotion from this part of marketing to other people allows companies to utilise facts and numbers to make better marketing decisions.

Personalisation and customisation 

Making marketing campaigns personal increases the interconnectedness between businesses and their customers. Public Service Announcements, at least those televised that we remember so vividly from the 2000s and 1990s, were so memorable because they connected with the audiences in often brutal and shocking ways. 

While you don’t have to rely on a shock factor, getting to know your audience via personalised advertisements and strategies is critical. Over 72 per cent of consumers responded better to marketing that connected them to the company or brand. 

AI and automation

As marketing continues to evolve in the digital age, the increase in AI usage will prove pivotal in a company’s scheme success or failure, with over 61 per cent of companies already using artificial intelligence and 88 per cent of companies believing they must use AI more by increasing automation to keep up with the competition and create more positive customer outcomes. 

The market is responding positively to the introduction of artificial intelligence and its potential to change the marketing game for businesses drastically. The future of all industries seems bright with the adoption of AI, including the manufacturing industry (to the tune of US$3.78 trillion by 2035), an industry typically associated with hands-on work done by people.

Based on the evidence, artificial intelligence will continue to dominate the space, giving companies a better picture of how their clients receive their campaigns. 

The need for businesses to connect with their client’s social media and go where their clients consume content is also increasing. To stay relevant and increase revenues, businesses must develop a solid social media presence and interact increasingly with their ever-connected clientele. 

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