Finance

Vietnam’s services platform JupViec snags funding from venture builder STI Holdings

JupViec, a Vietnam-based service platform, has received an undisclosed amount of funding from venture builder STI Holdings, making it the largest institutional shareholder in the company, DealStreetAsia has reported. The funding will help the firm to accelerate staff training, enhance its service quality, and upgrade technological capacity.

Its previous backers are Japan’s Cyberagent Capital and impact fund Patamar Capital.

JupViec serves to connect women-majority gig workers to households who demand helpers.

For the upcoming projects, the startup will provide new service offerings, including viral disinfection, household sanitation, electronics cleaning, and ironing.

Singapore’s knowledge sharing startup Arches receives US$450K from Vietnam-based accounting firm I-GLOCAL, others

Singapore-based knowledge-sharing service firm Arches announced today it has raised US$450,000 funding from Vietnam-based accounting firm I-GLOCAL and individual investors, including Masashi Suekane, Managing Director of Bain Capital Private Equity, Hiroyuki Ono, Partner at ACA Investments, and six other angel investors.

With the funding, reports DealStreetAsia, the startup will continue to grow its operations in Singapore, Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai, and Tashkent.

“In Asia, especially in the fastest-growing economies, industry information belongs to a small group of insiders, and public data and reports available to the market are extremely limited,” said Hiroki Kato, representative director of Arches.

People

Gaming, e-sports startup yup.gg hires two ex-BBH agency execs into leadership positions

Singapore-based yup.gg has appointed David Webster as Chief Commercial Officer and Tim Lindley as Chief Experience Officer.

Both these executives previously worked at BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty). Webster held the role of BBH’s Singapore Managing Director for the past 14 years, leading global and APAC accounts for Nike, Samsung, and Riot Games. Lindley was BBH Managing Partner and Head of Content, working with brands including Nike, Samsung, Riot Games, Sentosa, and YouTube, who’s also a former Red Bull exec.

According to yup.gg, the appointment of Webster and Lindley its executive team is the start of expansion plans across the region.

CEO and Co-founder Rai Cockfield said: “In their new roles Webster and Lindley will develop the demand side of the yup.gg marketplace, deepening partnerships with brands and agencies, and working closely with the platform engineering team to evolve the product experience to fit the needs of today’s brand marketers.”

Business

Global financial settlement network EMQ partners with Singapore’s FAST to establish Southeast Asian presence

EMQ, a global financial settlement network, announced today that it is augmenting its footprint across Southeast Asia with direct connectivity to Singapore’s Fast and Secure Transfers (FAST) network and extensive bank coverage across Malaysia.

“As the digital transformation journey continues in Southeast Asia, enterprises today are increasingly international in scale to capitalise on the cross-border business opportunities. It is fuelling the growth in digital payments, which is expected to exceed US$1 trillion by 2025.

Hence, the ability to make and receive cross-border payments quickly and transparently is critical for businesses to thrive globally,” said Max Liu, Co-founder, and CEO of EMQ.

Also Read: Here’s how global businesses could drive sustainable development

Powered by EMQ’s global financial settlement network, businesses can now have instant access to 19 banks under Singapore’s FAST and bank coverage across Malaysia under one single, secure, and comprehensive API integration. EMQ’s Connect API integration platform is designed to streamline the complexity of making cross-border payments by providing solutions that can scale to meet the needs of businesses with high transaction volumes, enabling them to control their workflows for seamless user experience.

EMQ’s network currently spans across Europe, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, and the Philippines.

In the coming months, the company said it will expand across Africa and the US.
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Picture Credit: JupViec

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Global payments giant Mastercard has announced that it will be leading Indonesian fintech holding company Digiasia‘s Series B funding round.

Other details were haven’t been disclosed.

Mastercard will provide both capital and strategic assistance to Digiasia in strengthening its suite of financial services that the company claims expand the ways individuals and MSMEs can take part in the digital economy.

Also Read: Asia Pacific markets see a significant jump in women entrepreneurs: Mastercard study

Digiasia’s focus is to work together with all stakeholders to increase financial inclusion in Indonesia. The firm is affiliated with several fintech companies in Indonesia with a technological framework that provides security across transactions, guards against risky lending, and allows funds to be accessed and transacted in both digital and physical ways. The companies it has affiliated with are KasPro (digital payment with electronic money), KreditPro (P2P lending) and RemitPro (remittance).

The investment comes at a time when the government and its stakeholders are focussed on driving financial inclusion. According to the Financial Services Authority, Indonesia is looking at the financial inclusion index hitting 76.19, passing the government’s target of 75 per cent for the year. With this, the digitalisation of commerce in the country could help add an additional US$150 billion to the GDP by 2025.

The company is working with a number of transport operators to allow for easy payments for services; large vendors such as iRMA and Metrodata who can offer B2B sales financed
by KreditPro; remittance companies like Western Union and Mandiri Syariah, and is digitising the supply chains of DistroPro.

In addition to Mastercard’s financial investment, Digiasia will also leverage its banking and business networks and cybersecurity expertise.

“Financial inclusion is about more than just having people transact money via apps or make online purchases. It’s about finding simple mechanisms that broaden economic opportunities so that people at all levels of society can enjoy the benefits of a modernizing digital economy,” said Safdar Khan, Division President, Southeast Asia Emerging Markets, Mastercard.

“Mastercard is deeply committed in helping Indonesia to exceed its financial inclusion goals, and hence the decision to work with Digiasia, whose suite of financial services is already making a marked difference in the everyday lives of many Indonesians,” he added.

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Picture Credit: Digiasia

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The agritech industry in Indonesia is facing several pressing challenges, including poor infrastructure and digital literacy. The socialisation of the products and the mass market adoption are the other main hurdles.

“Socialising our platform for farmers and clients is a costly process, but this is something that all startups have to go through. Luckily for socialisation, the Indonesian government has introduced and sponsored several programmes to help increase awareness for farmers and fishermen to the available platforms,” said Pamitra Wineka, President and Co-founder of TaniHub.

Click here to know about the other grave challenges and also all the other things you need to know about the country’s agritech ecosystem.

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Singapore’s P2P knowledge sharing startup Kalpha expands to Vietnam

Singapore-based edutech startup Kalpha, which provides a P2P knowledge-sharing platform, will officially launch its application on April 2020 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This also marks its first international expansion.

Founded in 2018 by Jack Soh and Jaden Teo, the startup aims to make learning affordable and universally accessible to everyone.

“We strongly believe that education should be relevant, experiential and personalised in this crazy fast-paced society. Learning from experienced individuals is always more engaging and rewarding as compared to textbooks in a formal classroom environment,” said CEO Soh.

Indian e-scooter rental firm Bounce raises US$6.5M to build an ecosystem of electric vehicles

Bounce, a bike and e-scooter rental firm announced a US$6.5 million investment today, according to TechInAsia. The company recently also raised US$105 million Series D funding, led by Facebook’s Co-founder Eduardo Saverin’s B Capital Group and Accel.

Also Read: Morning News Roundup: Vietnam’s STI Holdings invests in gig workers service platform JupViec

The new funds will be used to integrate electric vehicles (EVs) to its platform, expand regionally, and accelerate profitability.

Bounce aims to move towards sustainable mobility and assist in reducing costs per kilometre.

BEYOND selects OneConnect as strategic tech partner in the bid for Digital Full Bank license

Digital banking consortium BEYOND announced today that it has selected OneConnect Financial Technology, a member of NYSE-listed OneConnect Financial Technology, as the strategic technology partner to jointly develop innovative digital banking products and services for Singapore SMEs and their workforce.

The BEYOND consortium is led by V3 Group through its fintech arm V3 Fintech and Singapore’s contactless payment pioneer EZ-Link, and comprises leaders in the Singapore business community, including Singapore Business Federation, Far East Organization, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance and Heliconia Capital Management.

Gan Chee Yen, Chairman-designate of BEYOND said, “BEYOND is progressively building up a future-ready infrastructure that will position us to support and elevate Singapore SMEs and their workforce. The current economic difficulties experienced by many Singapore businesses and their employees have further reinforced BEYOND’s determination to support digital transformations in order for these businesses to be more sustainable and resilient.”

Tan Bin Ru, CEO (APAC & UAE) of OneConnect, said: “Together with BEYOND, we will create innovative products and services that will better serve consumers, SMEs, as well as other underbanked and underserved segments in Singapore and ASEAN.”

Vidhya Duthaluru named Engineering Head for Uber’s customer care platform

Global ride-hailing company Uber announced today Vidhya Duthaluru has joined as its Global Engineering Head for the customer care platform.

Duthaluru will be involved in leading teams in Uber’s Bay Area and Bangalore tech centres to improve customer support experiences and feedback mechanisms for users worldwide.

Prior to this Vidhya had joined Uber’s Bangalore tech centre in August 2018 to set up a team to build customer care platform technology known as the Customer Obsession team within Uber.

 

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Singapore’s Circles.Life lets go employees despite recent Warburg Pincus-backed funding

Mobile virtual network operator Circles.Life reportedly has let go of several employees and eliminated roles associated with non-priority projects less than a month after snagging investment from global private equity major Warburg Pincus, as reported by DealStreetAsia.

The company said the layoffs were a part of the company’s year-end review. “While we continue to hire top global talent for our priority business areas, we have also made difficult decisions recently, including eliminating roles whose projects are no longer a priority,” Circles.Life’s statement reads.

Circles.Life, which leases wireless capacity from a mobile network operator at a discount and resells it to consumers, has around 500 employees across its operations in Singapore, Taiwan, and Australia.

honestbee clears out furniture from habitat; police called in

Tensions between honestbee and landlord LHN Space Resources have escalated with police called in on Feb 28 after the embattled startup moved its furniture and fixtures out of its concept supermarket habitat, as per a Business Times report.

When BT visited habitat at 34 Boon Leat Terrace on the afternoon of Feb 28, police officers were seen interviewing staff of LHN. honestbee contacted the police after LHN staff appeared at the premises to question why the startup was moving its furniture out.

When BT visited habitat again on Saturday evening, more furniture, including about 150 chairs and dining tables, were lined up at the entrance of habitat, with a few honestbee vans parked at the loading area.

Also Read: Honestbee to discontinue Singapore food delivery service

A lorry stacked with the tables and chairs from habitat was seen driving away. Though it’s unclear where the furniture was being taken to, BT understands that honestbee has rented a new space in Genting Lane from March 1.

Filipino VC firm Kickstart Ventures to discover the country’s unicorns with US$198M funding disposal

Kickstart Ventures, the venture capital firm based in Makati City, Philippines, has revealed plans to utilise its US$198 million funding disposal in an effort to “nurture promising technology “unicorns” and help innovative companies grow into regional players across Southeast Asia”, as reported by Manila Standard.

“There is a 650-million person opportunity out there in Southeast Asia. We would like to see more Philippine companies thinking about the unmet needs across Southeast Asia, rather than just the Philippines. We would love to see more ambition from them,” said Joan Yao, VP (Investments).

Kickstart Ventures is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom and backed by SingTel and Ayala Corp. It invests in early- to early-growth stage tech startups globally by putting in capital, market access, and expertise in exchange for equity in startups anywhere in the world.

Also Read: Kickstart Ventures to manage Ayala’s US$150M Corporate VC fund in Philippines

It was established with a US$2.4-million seed fund in 2012. Just last year, Ayala announced that it would allocate US$150 million in venture capital initiatives managed by Kickstart Ventures.

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Malaysian e-commerce aggregator iPrice raises US$10 million in Series B financing

iPrice Group, an e-commerce aggregator platform in Malaysia, has raised US$10 million in a Series B funding round, led by ACA Investments, according to DealStreet Asia.

Other participants include Daiwa PI Partners, LINE Ventures and Mirae Asset-Naver Asia Growth Fund.

The company targets expansion beyond its primary price comparison unit, which accounts for 50 per cent of its revenues, operating at a 30 per cent EBITDA margin according to a statement.

Also Read: iprice raises US$4M Series A led by Asia Venture Group, Venturra Capital

“To pursue our next journey, we need to be where the consumers are. We need to engage users directly on our platform, continue our strong presence on Google as it remains a vital starting point for many shoppers, and enable partners across the region, such as media platforms, social media apps, and all the emerging super apps, to provide e-commerce content for their audience,” said Chmelar co founder of iPrice.

AI-driven fashion startup FlixStock raises US$2.5M to launch research centre in Singapore

Indian fashion startup Flixstock, which uses AI to remove the need for hiring models for a photoshoot, announced today that it has raised US$2.5 million from US/Singapore-based early-stage VC firm Wavemaker Partners, according to Tech In Asia. Other participants in this round were Seeds Capital and Leo Capital.

The additional funds will be used to launch a research centre in Singapore and expand in the US markets.

“Images are key to successful e-commerce, but the production of fashion images has never seen any innovation,” said Harindar Keer, Founder and CEO of FlixStock. “We offer a suite of solutions to help retailers create images in large scale at a fraction of the existing costs.”

Also Read: Morning News Roundup: Singapore’s Circles.Life lets go of employees despite recent fundraise

The company currently has seven international offices and more than 60 retailers, globally.

Malaysian startup investment firm NEXEA kickstarts programme for local startups

Malaysia-based startup investment firm NEXEA Angels announced today that it will bring back its programme for local startups and corporations to explore potential partnerships, pilot programmes and acquisitions, according to a press statement. 

Through this, startups will explore pilot projects with different organisations, validate business and explore real-world product testing. 

Additionally, startups will also gain mentor support and funding from NEXEA and its co-investment partners. Partners include property developer UEM Sunrise Berhad, Spritzer, Delloyd Group, shopper360 and Allianz General Insurance Company Berhad.

“The idea is about bridging the gap between startups and industry players – many startups desire a working relationship with corporate entities and our role is to help startups attain it,” explained Ben Lim, Managing Partner of NEXEA.

Singaporean knowledge-sharing startup Arches raises US$450K to expand its database

Singapore-headquartered knowledge-sharing services firm, Arches, has raised US$450,000 from Vietnamese accounting firm I Global and other individual investors, according to Deal Street Asia.

With this funding, the startup aims to expand its current database and continue to grow operations in Singapore, Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai and Tashkent.

“In Asia, especially in the fastest-growing economies, industry information belongs to a small group of insiders, and public data and reports available to the market are extremely limited,” said Hiroki Kato, representative director of Arches.

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Image Credit: Flaunter.com

 

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Ever since I’ve been very young (which admittedly has been a long time ago), I’ve always striven for that perpetual pot-of -gold-at-the-end-of-the rainbow. Meaning, I always wanted to do the best that I could do to whatever it was I put my mind to.

Most times, this tendency to overachieve has worked in my favour. Come exams time and I’d be the first one to set up my daily schedules and study regime. During my professional life, it has manifested in the various successful career transitions I’ve made. 

Different strokes

I started off my career as a print journalist with Khaleej Times in Dubai, a 21-year-old who was given the heavy responsibility to report on the economic affairs of the United Arab Emirates as well as reporting on its foreign policy. After a few years, I realised that as much as I truly loved writing, TV was the next best thing.

I then moved to India to start my career as a broadcast journalist with one of India’s most well-known news channels but admittedly at the bottom of the television ladder. 

A lot of my friends and family at the time were concerned by my lack of supposed skills and even tried dissuading me from it. Once I moved there, the power of the medium was addictive and I soon started getting more comfortable in front of the camera and admittedly more confident in the skills I was gaining.

I then became one of the youngest foreign correspondents with an international news channel and at 25, was covering floods, civil strife and witnessing politics at a grand stage with a vantage viewpoint, all while still being very new to broadcasting.

Along the way, I was helped by several mentors and friends, who through their deep wisdom and words of support, through evenings of coffees and solidarity,  made me more confident in my choices. 

Inner critic

But surprisingly, throughout this time, the inner critic inside me started getting louder. Every time I would finish one broadcast report, which would be watched by millions, and even after receiving positive feedback from my colleagues and viewers, the inner critic would keep saying and repeating “ you’re an imposter” “they’ll find you out sooner than later” or “you’re not good enough”.

Also read: Women in tech: Carman Chan’s Click Ventures is one of the most consistent VC funds globally

Being a woman made it harder and simpler at the same time. Harder because you had to constantly prove to everyone that you’re good enough, strong enough and smart enough.

Simpler because it gave me the drive to achieve anything I could set my mind to, even during the deepest darkest moments of despair, which were aplenty. 

Starting over

I then made yet another transition when I moved to Singapore in 2013- from journalism to strategic communications. This was after being in journalism for more than a decade and once again, that inner critic’s voice started getting louder. 

From clients who were very happy with the communications counsel I was giving to colleagues whose voices of recognition kept getting louder, I could still not silence that ever perpetual inner critic.

She would pop out at the most inappropriate of moments- right before a big meeting, just as I’m speaking with journalists about a new product launch or even whilst having a video conference with some of my dearest colleagues.

She was the strongest when I was in some very recent unsupportive work environments, which made me realise that toxicity breeds negativity, the antithesis of creativity, and one which I wanted to consistently avoid. 

TED talk

Last year, I also gave my first TEDX talk and my inner critic had a great time then. She kept telling me how my talk was useless, how no one would care about what I’m talking about and how I’m going to make a massive fool of myself on stage. I almost believed her and thought of making a lame excuse to get out of it.

But in the end, I thought about all the people whose stories I’ve witnessed and how great an injustice I would be doing to them if I didn’t make their voices heard.

And, I’m so glad I did that as I not just enjoyed delivering the talk but more importantly, it became a landmark for me to follow when my self-doubt becomes at its loudest. 

Just a mirage

It was just a month ago that I then made a decision. I decided to let her go. 

All her shades of critique directed at my work, my body, my writing, how I’m not a good enough colleague, mother or daughter — I decided to hit back. I’m now not going to race after perfection because I’ve realised that’s just a mirage.

A mirage that makes us go through intense amounts of disappointment without letting us savour the moments of happiness that we can generate for ourselves and by that extension, for others. 

Also read: These four women are changing the venture capital landscape across Southeast Asia

From someone who was ashamed to share her work on social media, express herself more openly, I’ve become more comfortable with my own authentic voice. I’m no longer ashamed because I no longer want to be perfect. I just want to be the best version of myself. 

And how do I pull it off?

Here’s my list of how I’m silencing my inner critic and I hope that by sharing this, you can do it for yours too:

Picture yourself 15 years from now: Once you picture yourself, ask yourself at that time, “how did this moment or situation impact me?” If it’s trivial enough not to be remembered 15 years from now, then it’s probably not worth stressing about right now.

Challenge your inner critic: When you hear that voice of self-doubt creeping up, challenge him/her and tell him/her with “I’ve got this, thank you”. And stay away from those who bring her/ him out. 

Do the best you can without beating yourself over it: We all want to be the best professionals, best parents, partners and caregivers to whom we love. But we’re also human. Cut yourself some slack and give yourself some self-love.

Self-love: This is the best investment you can do in yourself. Go talk a walk, get that massage, watch that movie, eat that pizza or just go dancing on your own. Whatever makes you happy, go for that. It doesn’t make you selfish, it makes you selfless as you then have the capacity to give more. 

Surround yourself with positivity: This is the hardest, especially if you’re working. Whilst you can’t get rid of toxic workplaces, what you can choose is to not let them affect you and instead, surround yourself with people who make you feel good about yourself. And those who aren’t, you know what to do with them. 

On that note, I’m wishing each of you a great, healthy and happy start to the new year! Let’s go find our happiness and silence that inner critic.

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Sign up for the e27 Webinar with Contributor Prerna Suri: How to believe in yourself when no one else does

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. Become a thought leader in the community and share your opinions or ideas and earn a byline by submitting a post. We are discussing inclusivity at work and women all of March. Share your thoughts, tips and best practices on how we can make the startup ecosystem more inclusive, gender and culture diverse.

Join our e27 Telegram group, or like the e27 Facebook page.

Image credit: Sandie Clarke on Unsplash

The post What every (wo)man needs to know now: Stop striving for perfection appeared first on e27.

Singapore-headquartered ShopBack shares how it grew its value proposition in the Southeast Asian e-commerce space and attained year-on-year growth

The exponential growth of e-commerce has been one of the largest contributors to the rise of Southeast Asia’s digital economy. In 2019, Southeast Asia’s internet economy hit US$100 billion (or S$135.84 billion) for the first time — with e-commerce and ride-hailing platforms continuing to beat even the most optimistic of predictions.

Against this backdrop, ShopBack was launched to assist consumers in finding better deals, while helping merchants be more effective in marketing their products and services in the ultra-competitive online space.

Buy that fancy dress at half-price, and get some cash back? Yes, please!

“ShopBack is a platform that enables consumers to uncover value when they make purchases through our platforms on the website, mobile app, or [browser] extension. We also serve merchants by sending them traffic and orders to their respective platforms,” explains its Chief Commercial Officer Candice Ong.

“E-commerce platforms pay ShopBack a commission when we redirect customers to their platforms and if they make a purchase there. We then give a sizeable portion of this commission back to the consumers in the form of cashback, which is a reward for using ShopBack,” Ong added.

The company counts digital players like Lazada, Shopee, Agoda, Booking.com, Amazon, and eBay amongst its merchants and boasts a usage rate of at least one order every three seconds, with annual transaction volumes growing 250% year-on-year, reaching US$840 million just five years since its establishment.

How does ShopBack keep an even keel through its growth?

Previously working with Credit Suisse and leading e-commerce website Zalora, Ong, who currently manages ShopBack’s regional marketing and country teams, is no stranger to scaling digital platforms based on data-driven decisions. She shares with e27 some tips guiding ShopBack’s growth in the region.

Being savvy about how your customers’ shop

Southeast Asians’ constant search for value and the “better deal” in every facet has seen both consumers and merchants turn to ShopBack, Ong said.

“We have seen strong traction from merchants as we are seen as an effective media channel, given that we only charge for successful transactions,” she pointed out.

To successfully reach out to merchants and consumers, ShopBack has placed a strong emphasis on building local market knowledge, typically hiring local talent in each country who are comfortable interfacing with colleagues from across the region. 

Ong added: “It’s also very helpful to go down to the ground often to better understand the market conditions, as changes can happen quickly in this space.”

ShopBack’s emphasis on building local market knowledge by hiring local talent in each of its markets and “going down to the ground often to better understand the market conditions” have placed them in good stead.

Consumers’ browsing and purchasing behaviours also vary across the different markets ShopBack operates in, and consequently, these insights drive how the company’s marketing campaigns are designed and run.

“For instance, consumers in developing markets are much more active during weekdays and on mobile, whereas consumers in more developed markets like Singapore, Taiwan, and Australia spread their shopping behaviour more evenly throughout the week, and may use both the mobile and desktop platforms. This influences how we decide between weekday and weekend campaigns for different markets,” Ong illustrated.

Insights on Southeast Asians’ browsing and purchasing behaviours – which vary across markets within the region – drive how ShopBack’s marketing campaigns are designed and run.

Appeal to the mobile-first Southeast Asia customer

With the dominance of mobile in many developing markets, ShopBack has given attention to building a quality mobile experience. For instance, ShopBack offers App-to-App integration, so that customers can be redirected from the ShopBack App to merchants’ Apps seamlessly and reliably.

“We’ve seen tremendous uplift for merchants who have done App-to-App integrations with us, and will continue to do more to improve the mobile experience for our users,” Ong shared.

She added, “Likewise, since desktop is popular in markets such as Australia, Singapore, and Taiwan, we wanted to enhance the desktop experience by building the ‘ShopBack Cashback Button’. This is a browser extension that automatically notifies users if an online store is eligible for cashback, saving them both time and money.”

Different strokes for different [markets]: From seamless App-to-App integration for mobile-dominant developing countries to a browser extension for desktop users in countries like Australia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

In this spirit of customer-centricity, ShopBack has also created new features to enhance users’ buying experiences in the offline world. Its latest product, ShopBack GO, is a step into the food and dining space. Launched in partnership with Visa and Mastercard, the feature helps users discover and decide where to eat while saving them time and money — essentially, they get to dine out and be paid.

“By providing offline merchants such as F&B operators with a digital marketing platform, ShopBack empowers them to make better business decisions,” Ong remarked. “This is just a taste of things to come, as we believe there are other opportunities to develop new business models in this fast-growing space.”

Be prepared to fail, learn, and try — a lot

The fast-changing nature of e-commerce is heightened by the different consumer and merchant profiles in each of the Asia Pacific countries ShopBack serves, be it in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Australia, and very soon, Vietnam.

“I think being prepared to learn by iterating is critical in such a dynamic and diverse landscape. What might sound good in theory may not work the way you hoped it would when you put it to the test in the market. It underscores the need to understand the local context and competitive landscape and have the humility to accept that you might be wrong so that a better solution can be found,” Ong said.

“What might sound good in theory may not work the way you hoped it would when you put it to test in the market”, Ong highlights, unscoring the need to understand the local context and having the humility to accept that you may be wrong.

She also credits the tenacity of ShopBackers who drive operations on the ground.

“A lot of ShopBackers have given up the creature comforts of past jobs, be it flying premium airlines or staying in luxury accommodation to do what they do now, and it reflects the grit and sacrifice that is needed to operate in these markets.

“I think that hiring well and having a strong culture, does enable individuals who are best fit to join and stay with the company. We also pay attention to employee engagement by monitoring and acting on feedback in our quarterly surveys,” Ong noted.

Never compromise on culture fit

The emphasis on culture is even more pronounced for senior hires, where ShopBack’s hiring committees test for culture fit during interview rounds that sometimes span many hours.

Internally, ShopBack’s training and development budget allows employees to acquire new skills and knowledge, be it through attending training programmes or completing online courses. The company also routinely invites external speakers and conducts formal training sessions to onboard employees on using internal tools so that they too, are fluent in making data-driven decisions.

Given how fast things in the tech world move, Ong is on the lookout for talent with the hunger to keep learning, as well as the humility to take feedback.

“Our wish list also includes the ability to problem solve by first principles: to be able to navigate the “why” and create a pathway through ambiguous situations. Also, being able to galvanise action without having direct managerial oversight is a key requirement to getting things done in a startup, especially when reporting structures are fairly flat,” she said.

Hunger to keep learning, humility to take feedback, ability to problem solve and navigate through ambiguity – qualities essential in the fast-moving tech world, and attributes that ShopBack looks for in their hires.

“Little” no more

The journey for ShopBack is just starting. With supporters such as Ebates, the US behemoth in the cashback space now partnering ShopBack, this once small company from Block 71, an enclave in the western region of Singapore for up-and-rising startups, has ambitions to serve even more customers wherever they are in this part of the world, and maybe one day, beyond.

Its recent partnership with Ebates brings operating experience in the cashback space, effectively reinforcing Shopback with the might and track record of a global cashback brand. This signals a bright future for the company as they usher in a new era that seeks to revolutionise the e-commerce space.

Ong: “This is just a taste of things to come, as we believe there are other opportunities to develop new business models in this fast-growing space.”

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This article first appeared here.

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Humans are naturally wired to be oriented towards the other and sociality is a dominant factor that has shaped our physiological and emotional needs. This makes the idea of co-working space a popular option amongst independent workers and startups.

It is based on the concept of connecting and communicating with like-minded individuals, thus giving rise to another trend called “co-living” — a housing solution where people with common interests share a living space together.

This is great for working professionals, freelancers and travellers moving to a new city. Here, e27 lists down nine leading co-living spaces perfect for working professionals, travellers and freelancers across Southeast Asia.

1. Dojo Bali

Located in the south coast of the Indonesian island of Bali in Canguu, Dojo offers a two-storey co-living space a few minutes away from the famous “Echo Beach”. This space mostly attracts a vibrant community of freelancers, startups and founders from across the globe.

All rooms have an en-suite bathroom and access to a shared kitchen, chill-out areas, pool, garden and an area for sunbathing. Situated near local warungs (cafes), grocery stores, gym, yoga studio, health food shops and bars, the coliving space also has a coworking space just minutes away.

However, it is tough to find rooms here, and pre-booking is recommended. For individuals who are on a tight budget, this might not be the best option. 

What’s unique about it: Dojo soft landing package including airport pickup, SIM cards, surfing lesson, and yoga lesson, among other perks, so you don’t have to worry for anything.

Location: Bali, Indonesia

Contract terms: No contract but a minimum of 7 days stay

Cost: US$1140/month for the package.

 

2. Draper Startup House

Draper Startup House (formerly ‘Tribe Theory’) aims to create an “entrepreneurial-centric accommodation” by utilising hostel beds to put like-minded people under one roof.

It is clean and well-maintained with spacious dorms and washrooms. This makes it an excellent steal for entrepreneurs who are on the go looking for opportunities and meeting other like-minded individuals.

Also Read: Tribe Theory rebrands to Draper Startup House after a US$3.5M investment from Tim Draper

Every location is strategically built so that residents don’t have to worry about availability of food, groceries, etc. Even though it can be difficult to find accommodation for long-term, pre-booking is highly recommended.

What’s unique about it: Budget-friendly and offers tools for aspiring entrepreneurs like Draper Startup House Ventures, where entrepreneurs can submit pitch decks to the Draper Venture Network, events among others.

Contract terms: No contract but limited availability for long-term residents

Location: Singapore, Bangalore, Bali, Austin, Lisbon, Manila, Yangon, Tallinn

Cost: Pricing depends on the country

 

3. Hmlet 

Hmlet is a fully-furnished serviced co-living apartment in Singapore that has widely spread across different regions in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney.

It guarantees a membership plan with a fully-furnished home, utilities, unlimited WiFi, weekly cleaning, maintenance, access to community events for people looking for flexible and easy options.

The apartments are located in prime business areas in Singapore. The different room sizes offer flexibility in price without compromising on location.

What’s unique about it: Flexibility in pricing options. Members can choose from ‘master’, ‘regular’, or ‘pocket rooms’.

Contract terms: 3 months minimum lease period

Location: Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney

Cost: US$900/month onwards.

 

4. Spiced

Located in the capital city of Vietnam, Spiced advertises itself as “having the comfort of Airbnb with a co-working space”. All bedrooms come with a comfortable bed and a private bathroom. Guests also have 24×7 access to the co-working space. All utilities, room cleaning and laundry, are included with most co-living options.

If you’re at Spiced, food is also not something to worry about as a community-spiced lunch is organised every day where members can connect with one other.

What’s unique about it: Delicious Spiced Community Lunch

Contract terms: No contract but limited availability for long-term residents

Location: Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Cost: US$608/month.

 

5. Cove Living

Apart from having a ready-to-move-in housing option, Cove Living in Singapore uses AI to find the right flatmate based on one’s living habits, values, and interests. The company meets all the residents who apply through the viewing process and chats with everyone and understands individual requirements. The data is then added to the website.

Also Read: Flexible housing platform Anyplace enters Southeast Asia, teams up with coliving operators

It comes with three membership plans — normal plan, flat-sharing, and studio apartment, all which have different perks attached to it.

What’s unique about it: Finding a flatmate through AI

Contract terms: Flexible with a three-month minimum stay 

Location: Singapore

Cost: US$1220/month onwards.

 

6. Lyf

A vibrant co-living space, lyf caters to both the work and play elements of residents. It caters to both short- and long-stay residents (millennials, technopreneurs, self-starters, digital nomads, and aspiring entrepreneurs).

The space boasts “Instagrammable… social zones” that consist of co-working spaces and an area for hackathons, innovation talks, music jamming sessions, cooking sessions, and workshops which are organised weekly by lyf’s Ambassador of Buzz (AOB).

The length of stay can be tailored, from short term to long term. Typically, condominium rental units have a minimum stay of three months.

What’s unique about it: The laid-back chill vibe, Instagram worthy

Contract terms: No contract for short term rentals and 3 months minimum for condominium rentals

Location: Singapore, Cebu, Shanghai, Fukuoka, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok

Cost: Pricing depends on the country

7. Hub Hoi An

This is for those who want to stay away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Hub Hoi An is a co-living and co-working space in Vietnam offering a professional work environment for remote workers, digital nomads, local entrepreneurs and freelancers.

Events, workshops, open talks, networking dinners, excursions, daily community lunches and social meetups are hosted regularly in this space.

Also Read: The future way of life is co-living, and these 7 Thai spaces help pave the way

They have options of living in a ricefield homestay or a villa with a complete package that includes perks like one free bicycle, unlimited Vietnamese coffee, SIM card and free lunches.

What’s unique about it: Package perks, location

Contract terms: No contract for short term rentals and 3 months minimum for condominium rentals

Location: Hoi An, Vietnam

Cost: US$966/month depending on the living option.

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Image Credit –  Helena Lopes

 

The post From co-working to co-living, these 7 brands in Southeast Asia have got you covered appeared first on e27.

Every month the team at e27 runs the monthly Startup of the Month poll where we put the spotlight on the most outstanding startup of that month, giving it the extra attention that it deserves. Five startups are selected internally by taking into account idea, team, funding and founders. Three eventually make it to the final round, where we take in votes from our Telegram community.

The winner for February is none other than GTRIIP, a Silicon Valley-Singapore-based startup that eliminates the need for paperwork in hotels using biometrics driven sensors in smartphones.

From the minute a guest checks in …

When you check into a hotel, you know the constant hassle of filling out all the paperwork and providing a government-issued ID card. For too many hotels, spas, and casinos, this paperwork gets in the way of creating a smooth guest experience. But there is no way that this process can be avoided.

One must wait for the document to print, then sign it, and then wait for the staff member to scan and copy it. This tedious paperwork takes time away from leisure.

But what if there was a way to make the process quicker, easier, and leaner?

Founded in 2014, one of GTRIIP’s offerings enable guests to have a better check-in process by using their smartphone’s fingerprint and facial recognition systems.

The AI-powered system then registers and verifies the guests’ profile “instantaneously”, cutting down the time taken to less than five minutes.

Also Read: GTRIIP raises Series B funding to take its digital identity solution into new APAC markets

“During my travels, one of the pain points I encountered personally was the registration of information. For example, when I fly, there is the immigration information that I have to fill up (each time). I was once stuck in a hotel lobby for 15 minutes after a late-night flight but I couldn’t get a room as the front desk was understaffed,” said founder Maxim Thaw Tint to Business Times.

“It consists of my first name, last name, passport number and more. When I arrive at the hotel, the hotel’s front desk will give me a registration card that also requires the same kind of information. One thought that came to mind was why this process had to be so manual,” he continued.

Currently, GTRIIP has partnered with leading hotels like Park Hotel Group, Amara Singapore and Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa, aiming to approach one million check-ins.

GTRIIP’s partners also include Assa Abloy Global Solutions and Salto Systems Asia.

The backers

The company has raised a total of US$1.5 million in funding over three rounds, with their latest Series B funding round announced on February.

Participants in their funding round include Japanese VC firm GlobalBrain, Kepventure and Japan’s Accord Ventures and M1.

Tint also said that the company envisions a future where people can travel without any photo ID or access card. According to him face and biometrics suffice as our identity and this would be enough to make geographical mobility seamless.

The company currently has 20 employees and claims to have completed installations for 13,000 rooms and access points, enabling more than one million digital identity check-ins.

Diversification of product lines beyond hospitality for other commercial properties, such as tenant access and visitor access has also been expressed by the company.

Also Read: Startup of the Month, January: Singapore-based biotech startup TurtleTree

In addition to GTRIIP, the e27 community also voted for Credify and Forward School as the runner-up for the Startup of the Month title.

Credify provides secure and cost-effective blockchain-driven Universal Identity and Trust System solutions to companies in e-commerce and digital finance whereas Forward School integrates co-learning, and co-living spaces together for aspiring IT professionals to succeed in the fast-paced tech sector.

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Image Credit: Proxyclick Visitor Management System

 

The post Startup of the Month, February 2020: GTRIIP, a paperless hotel check-in platform appeared first on e27.