Anthony Tan, Co-founder of Grab
How did emerging markets in SEA fare in 2020?; While COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the region, with 1.38M confirmed cases in SEA as of December 2020, emerging markets such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar have remained relatively unscathed, with Myanmar suffering the greatest impact among the three. More here
Grab demands strong control by founder in gojek merger; Grab is seeking several clauses as condition for merger, including giving CEO Anthony Tan sizeable voting power in the company, veto rights over bard decisions as well as having influence over his own compensation. More here
Can VCs leverage AI to improve the investment process in coming years? Experts speak; In the realm of VC, the notion of applying AI is no doubt attractive; However, the question is where could AI be truly impactful?; Because within early-stage venture investing, very often you are faced with incomplete information and even a lack of data. More here
China’s digital yuan threatens sprawling Alibaba empire; If China introduces the digital yuan, new apps that assist payments will also appear; Even if it does not immediately lead to the strongholds of Alipay and WeChat Pay crumbling, the two companies’ oligopoly might collapse. More here
What the hell is an AI factory?; The key AI technologies used in today’s business are ML algorithms, statistical engines that can glean patterns from past observations and predict new outcomes; Along with other key components such as data sources, experiments, and software, ML algorithms can create AI factories, a set of interconnected components and processes that nurture learning and growth. More here
Indonesia’s digital economy attracting investments from global tech giants; It has been actively trying to attract more foreign companies to set up shop here, as part of these companies’ relocation strategies away from traditional locations like China; To make relocation and establishment more attractive, about 4K hectares in Central Java province has been allocated in the Batang Industrial Park for interested firms. More here
At 19, this Singapore Polytechnic student runs a US$25M tech startup; Harsh Dalal’s software development company Team Labs has clients such as Coca-Cola, Google and Hilton; He manages 120 staff in eight cities while keeping up with schoolwork at the Singapore Polytechnic. More here
Start the year right with a growth mindset; Building a business needs both flexibility and excellent planning for continued success; Thus, it is crucial that the management should be properly organised and should remain focused despite the changing times. More here
Pandemic speeds up digital drive in Thailand; The country has been moving towards becoming a society that uses less cash as consumers use digitised networks and devices, with money transfer stimulus programmes and the pandemic accelerating cashless transactions. More here
Nokia selected by Thailand’s dtac as its first 5G partner; The deal will see an accelerated large-scale deployment of 5G on low-band spectrum and high-capacity mmWave technology, as well as enhancements of the existing networks utilizing 2300MHz, 2100MHz and 1800MHz spectrum; This combination will provide superior coverage and faster data speeds to subscribers. More here
Meet Lucy, the digital bank platform that aims to empower female entrepreneurs; Setting itself apart from other digital banking platforms, the startup focusses on female migrant worker and home business owners as its target audience; While the company aims to expand its service to the whole of Southeast Asia, they start out with Singapore first. More here
For Tony Fadell, the future of startups is connected and sustainable; The man credited with creating the iPod and building the iPhone has identified a few really difficult things that he sees as big investment areas going forward; They include the electrification of everything, the digital connection of everything, the rise of biomanufacturing, and the eradication of waste. More here
Korea’s LG signs US$9.8B deal to produce EV batteries in Indonesia; It will construct an integrated electric battery factory from upstream to downstream; Mines, smelters, precursors, cathodes, cars, recycling facilities will be built in Indonesia; The project will be located in North Maluku and Central Java. More here
The post Ecosystem Roundup: Grab demands strong control by founder in gojek merger; China’s digital yuan threatens Alibaba empire appeared first on e27.