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

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

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

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

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

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

CARRO launches certified pre-owned automall in Indonesia

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Singapore’s blockchain ecosystem shows growth in 2020: OpenNodes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Image Credit: SOLshare

The post In Brief: Impact Partners invests US$1.1M in solar energy marketplace SOLshare, CARRO opens used car automall appeared first on e27.