GGV Capital to separate China business amid geopolitical tension
GGV Capital was one of the companies under review by a US congressional committee in July that aimed to investigate American firms over their funding of Chinese technology companies, the Wall Street Journal had reported.
Malaysian pension fund KWAP launches US$107M vehicle to invest in startups, VCs
Dana Perintis will allocate 50% of the corpus for direct investments into startups and the other half to invest in funds-of-funds; KWAP seeks to select 10 VCs in total from 38 proposals received earlier this year.
Singapore, India among top countries by number of ‘scaleups’: report
Five Asian countries – China, India, Israel, Singapore, and South Korea – make up half of the top 10 countries with the most scaleups’, a Startup Genome report found; The report defined scaleups as startups valued at or above US$50M.
LeapFrog Investments joins bolttech captable with a US$50M investment
This brings the insurtech company’s Series B round to US$246M; bolttech will use the new capital to grow in emerging markets and expand its technology-enabled ecosystem for protection and insurance for emerging consumers.
Japan’s Terra Drone acquires Indonesian drone services firm Avirtech
Avirtech – which also has offices in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand – uses AI to optimise pesticide spraying and map out farms for better crop management; Terra Drone is a Japan-headquartered drone and urban air mobility tech provider.
‘Indonesia needs more female investors willing to back female founders’
Helen Wong of AC Ventures says in Indonesia, women entrepreneurs are not just fulfilling a social role but are driving economic growth; Investing in women-led businesses is not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do.
Mekong Capital invests US$21M in Vietnamese genetic testing firm
Gene Solutions has developed triSureFirst, a noninvasive prenatal test for detecting abnormalities of chromosome numbers in the fetus.
2C2P records US$15M loss in 2022 as it invests in employees
The reversal came despite a 10.3% year-on-year increase in revenue to US$124.5M; The payments firm’s majority backer is Chinese fintech giant Ant Group.
Peak XV leads US$12M round in startup that simplifies visa applications
Atlys allows users to apply for visas from anywhere in the world through its platform; Aside from unifying the process in one place, the platform helps predict visa processing time while reducing rejection rates.
VinFast delivers 11,315 units in H1 2023
For Q2, the Vietnamese EV maker said 9,535 electric vehicles were delivered, representing an over 5x growth compared to Q1 2023; However, the number appears to be far below its chair Pham Nhat Vuong’s expectation of selling 50K cars this year.
The copyright issues around generative AI aren’t going away anytime soon
Over the past year or so, artists have filed suit against Stability AI, Midjourney and DeviantArt, arguing that models released by the companies infringe on their copyrights by training on the artists’ works and generating outputs in their styles.
Alternative protein startup INSEACT acquired by Karang Foodie
INSEACT specialises in producing sustainable insect protein for aquaculture, starting with shrimp feed; It uses waste from palm oil operations as a raw material to feed the insects.
Startup Genome reveals how local and global connections drive startup scalability
Despite the importance of connectedness on a global level, this did not mean that local connectedness did not play a role.
Chinese video games generate US$17B revenue in overseas markets in 2022
In 2022, the US, Japan, South Korea, and Germany were key destinations for China’s mobile game exports, with the US, Japan and South Korea collectively accounting for over 56% of the total revenue, a report says.
Recharge Capital implements thematic-first strategy to empower women’s health industry
It has appointed Margaret Wang to spearhead operations in the APAC region; In June, Recharge Capital launched a US$200M women’s health fund backed by the likes of Peter Thiel, The Disney Family, The Olayan Family, and Ian Osbourne.
SC Ventures launches fintech platform addax.
It is designed to empower banks and financial institutions to accelerate their digital transformation, deliver new business models, serve new customer segments and derive new revenue streams.
We see prevalence of robotics, IoT solutions across the globe: SIMPPLE CEO
SIMPPLE, which recently listed on the Nasdaq, IoT devices and robotics to empower facility owners to streamline their operations.
Is it possible to regulate artificial intelligence?
The issue of whether AI should be regulated, and to what extent, heated up this summer when UN Secretary General António Guterres convened the first ever UN Security Council meeting to discuss its potential dangers specifically.
‘Semiconductor making nations set for growth as AI takes center stage’
In this interview, Alpha Intelligence Capital CEO Antoine Blondeau also discusses the hurdles that large enterprises may face in adopting AI successfully.
20 global investors fuelling Southeast Asia fintech boom in 2023
International investment powerhouses drive Southeast Asia’s fintech revolution, backing innovative startups in 2023’s dynamic market expansion.
How Grab develops products that support driver-partners’ productivity
Once the first version of the solutions is built, Grab will invite driver- and delivery partners to test it in real-life situations.
BasisAI co-founder steps down from Aicadium
Liu Feng Yuan’s BasisAI was acquired by Temasek subsidiary Aicadium in 2021; This news comes months after Aicadium investigated Liu because of a whistleblower complaint involving staff departures at BasisAI.
TikTok vs Shopee EC war in SEA: How can startups leverage the competition?
In this piece, we spotlight startups capitalising on the TikTok vs. Shopee battle in Southeast Asia’s social and live commerce scene.
The future of Indonesia’s payment services: 3 predictions for the advancement of direct debit
The accessibility and adoption of diverse digital payment methods have experienced a significant surge throughout Indonesia.
Why inclusive hiring matters for a startup ecosystem
A truly inclusive workplace is one where Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (PWIDs) are able to learn, thrive and be respected.
Post-pandemic education: Why edutech remains a game-changer
It is an exciting time for the world of edutech as we are now presented with the unique opportunity to push boundaries and reinvent ourselves.
Striking the balance: AI, leadership, and the modern workplace
Leaders should embrace transparency, include staff in AI-related decisions, and offer thorough training to overcome reluctance.
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The image used in this article is AI-generated.
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