Last month, a child born in the Dominican Republic was credited with being the eighth billionth person on Earth. This major population milestone was reached only 11 years after the planet’s population ticked past seven billion, and the 10 billionth person is expected to be born sometime around 2050.

That’s a lot of mouths to feed. The United Nations has forecasted that farmers will have to produce 70 per cent more food by 2050 to meet the needs of the world’s growing population.

While planet Earth has been a great provider to human beings, there are limits as to how much it can give. Large-scale food production is already responsible for nearly a third of carbon emissions, and 90 per cent of deforestation as natural ecosystems are converted into farmland.

The environment isn’t the only issue confronting food security for future generations. As the war in Ukraine – which disrupted supplies of feedstock and grains to Asia, Europe, and Africa – has shown, food supplies and production are highly vulnerable to geopolitical events.

Food tech takes centre stage

Technology has revolutionised our understanding of how genomic sequencing can produce more resistant and higher-yield crops and has driven huge advances in alternative foods, such as plant-based analogues and cultivated protein.

Also Read: The opportunities and challenges Singapore’s agritech sector faces

Singapore, the city-state which I call home, has positioned itself to be at the centre of research and commercialisation of these novel foods. As a country with little arable land and which imports as much as 90 per cent of the food its population consumes, it has set an ambitious goal of sustainably producing 30 per cent of its nutritional needs by 2030.

At Nurasa, we are similarly focused on accelerating the commercialisation and adoption of sustainable foods across Asia. We work closely with industry partners and promising food tech startups to ensure that the taste, texture, nutritional value, and price of these sustainable options match consumer demands. Simply put, we all want to eat food that excites us.

But while creating amazing, tasty, and affordable products is a necessary first step to enticing consumers and establishing and growing market share, it is not enough. As some of our most innovative food producers are discovering, there are significant barriers to bringing sustainable food products to market.

Barriers to scaling and commercialising new foods exist

Emerging players need to scale up to place these products in the hands of consumers to disrupt the status quo. Alternative food producers are still first-movers in the use of equipment such as precision fermentation and high-moisture extrusion (HME) to create food analogues. However, in most cases,  the infrastructure for such innovative technologies is prohibitively expensive in order for these emerging food producers to scale up to commercial volumes.

Alternative food producers also face limited access to capital to commercialise their products. Although the sector was estimated to be worth US$1 trillion by 2050, consumer adoption has not been as robust as predicted.

Consequently, investor confidence has fallen, despite growing eagerness to direct capital towards opportunities that contribute to a more sustainable world. Until the alternative protein sector is able to drive mainstream adoption, the challenge of fundraising will remain.

To overcome the core obstacle hampering growth, we need to win consumers over on flavour, texture and nutritional quality and encourage them to appreciate alternative proteins as real food options.

Subsequently, as producers make further improvements and create more food applications and opportunities for consumers to integrate these products into their daily diets, we anticipate a significant shift in habits. Making this a reality will require innovations in product development and formulations,  and emerging startups lacking the relevant technical expertise and capacity will need to rely on support from the broader ecosystem to fill existing gaps and capture demand.

Offering tailored support to scale startups

It’s a critical time for sustainable foods, especially following the conclusion of COP27 negotiations, where food security featured prominently. Without question, the global event has put building a more robust food system on the radar of leaders – but there is still significant work to be done to identify more ethical and environmental ways of production.

New ideas and innovations, such as alternative foods, offer us the opportunity to improve resilience and tackle the effects of climate change. However, as with any nascent industry, challenges remain. Overcoming those will require concerted action through partnerships at every step of the commercialisation journey.

This is why Nurasa, A*STAR’s Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI) and Trendlines Agrifood Innovation Centre (AFIC) have launched the inaugural Food Tech Startup Challenge with the support of Enterprise Singapore.

Also Read: 4 ways you can capitalise on the food tech gold rush in Asia

Currently open for submissions, the challenge calls on entrepreneurs from anywhere in the world, specialising in either the optimisation of alternative proteins – especially through precision fermentation and HME – or the creation of next-generation healthy and tasty functional foods and novel product formats, to participate.

Of particular interest will be how alternative protein startups overcome the key issues of existing plant-based meat: taste, texture, nutrition, and price.

The winners of the challenge will be awarded, among other prizes and incentives, early access to cutting-edge technologies and tools at Nurasa’s Food Tech Innovation Centre as well as the opportunity to work closely with industry leaders to scale up the development of their novel, animal-free food products to the pre-commercialisation stage.

For entrepreneurs keen to crack the Asian market, this challenge is the ideal platform from which they can gain a foothold in the fastest-growing and largest food markets in the world.

At Nurasa, we’re looking forward to helping food innovators explore creative solutions that can lift the barriers to the adoption of alternative foods in this region. From the groundbreaking solutions we’ve seen so far, the future is healthy and delicious – and, more importantly, sustainable.

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Technology underpins almost every facet of 21st-century life: from work to management of personal finances and shopping to connecting with loved ones and setting doctor appointments.

With the emergence of AI, Web3 and 5G, technology will become even more deeply integrated into our personal and professional lives and make digitalisation a non-negotiable for companies in the region. 

A recent study found that around 70 per cent of enterprise businesses in Singapore have plans to increase their adoption of new technologies to improve operational efficiency and enhance customer experience. While this is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, firms should be mindful that customer expectations around the products and services they interact with now change more rapidly than ever. 

Customers are becoming more tech-savvy, and with a better understanding of technology comes less tolerance for poor customer or user experience. While most businesses have implemented one-off digital transformations, many have realised that this method does not optimise current infrastructure to harness new technology and reap its benefits fully. To do so requires an interactive approach instead, and companies must implement digital acceleration as an ongoing process.  

Here are three ways organisations can ensure that the kind of service modern customers seek is delivered: 

Outside-in thinking

Customers are increasingly demanding seamless digital experiences, and technology players in the region are taking note. At present, 59 per cent of APAC businesses are stepping up investment in customer experience management to meet emerging expectations. In this new digital battleground, businesses that are able to create new experiences that satisfy customer needs while fueling loyalty and advocacy will come out on top. 

Also Read: How to adopt the right engagement model to delight your customers

Companies must consider customer expectations at every stage of their business processes, from initial ideation to final delivery.  An effective way of doing this is by taking an “outside-in” approach where a business is looked at from the customer’s perspective. Subsequently, digital processes, tools, products and major decisions are based on what’s best for the customer’s overall experience.

Leverage data to deliver personalised experiences

Data is the fuel of the digital future, and organisations are increasingly using it to drive better business insights and deliver more hyper-personalised customer experiences. In a rapidly evolving digital environment, having easy access to user data allows tech players to keep up with real-time consumer trends for better decision-making. In fact, 94 per cent of businesses in Singapore have increased their utilisation of business analytics to better leverage the data available and improve decision-making. 

According to Meta and Bain & Company’s annual SYNC Southeast Asia (SEA) report, the region is way ahead of its peers when it comes to the adoption of fintech and web3, including metaverse-related tools.

Customer acquisition and retention are essential to growing market share not only locally but in the region. With Southeast Asia leading in the adoption of such future technologies, companies should leverage various technology solutions, including martech ones.

These can be integrated into existing digital infrastructure and systems can support marketing teams in reaching various customer segments as organisations look to expand. Essentially, the more businesses understand their customers, the more accurately they can predict what they want, innovate products, and work towards an omnichannel experience that better engages customers accordingly.

Create an agile environment to keep pace with change

To survive and thrive in today’s fast-moving market, organisations must be flexible, adaptable and proactive. The rapid development of the digital environment has further demanded quicker and more effective deliveries of high-quality and innovative products. This means that agility and adaptability are essential for technology companies to continue delivering value to their customers, whose demands and priorities now change more quickly than ever. 

But despite the current wave of technological disruptions, new global research by Harvard Business Review Analytic Services found that only 30 per cent of APAC businesses are prepared for unexpected changes. 

Customer experience should be central to every technology company’s digital acceleration strategy, with agile processes and systems implemented that can quickly adapt to the ever-changing demands of the modern customer.

Organisations should also consider working with the right partners to accelerate the deployment of new digital technologies. Engaging expertise to set up a digital acceleration strategy can also help companies free up resources that can be put to more efficient use.

At the end of the day, it is crucial that businesses can sustain and adapt quickly to evolving industry landscapes. Building bespoke solutions to offer customers the best possible experience can make all the difference for a successful digital strategy. 

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As the older generations start to age out of the market, whole new sets of workers are starting to enter. These new, younger workers have different expectations, different wants, and different desires for a job.

Today, workers 18-24 change jobs an average of 5.7 times. This is a dramatic difference from the two to three changes those of the older generations would make.

When it comes to differences, that’s just one of many. Another very large change is the growing popularity of remote work. The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown that followed brought remote work into popularity out of necessity. Although years later, people still show a massive preference for it. 32 per cent of knowledge workers have gone as far as to quit their job because it wasn’t remote. 

61 per cent would go as far as to switch jobs if they were offered a remote alternative. Overwhelmingly workers today prefer flexible, digital work. It’s not surprising either, and remote work leads to more family time, more savings, and less hassle. In response, jobs are moving in this direction. Although that is just one way in which employers are changing to adapt to the new workforce.

Changes in culture

Many of the other most prominent changes involve changes in culture. While older generations enjoy strong competition and moving up the chain, that is no longer the case. Modern workers tend to have a much stronger preference for cooperation and affirmation. A workplace with strongly bonded teams and a lack of hierarchy are becoming more popular.

Also Read: How OppTy aims to save time and change the recruitment game forever

Another cultural shift is the move towards the wellness of employees. Sitting down and grinding away for ten hours in gruelling conditions isn’t as accepted as it used to be. Instead, workplaces designed for comfort, with realistic breaks and even perks, are much more popular. 

Remote work at its peak

Moving away from culture, small businesses are gaining popularity after their downfall. This comes as a side effect of the growth in remote work. Removing the costs of big business while operating digitally gives smaller businesses a chance to really specialise and flourish. 

Remote work at large promotes more original and diverse ideas. The possibility of hiring people across different states, regions, or even countries brings new perspectives. People are now valued for their originality instead of being punished for it. These are all just a few of the trends that are taking place in higher-wage knowledge-based industries.

Job-market roundup

This is important to mention. While these changes can be really positive and prominent, they’re not happening on every level. In fact, they’re not even happening in the fastest-growing job markets. Out of the 10 fastest-growing job markets, six make less than US$32,000 a year. These are jobs like waiters, fast food employees, packagers, and menial lower-skilled labour. 

Jobs like these are not really seeing many of these cultural changes. The industry is too brutal and unforgiving to allow it. Even when looking at the four jobs that do make more than $32,000, not all would see these changes. Nurses, for example, are in a similarly high-stress, unforgiving industry.

Luckily the other three jobs, software developers, general and operations managers, and market research analysts, do benefit from these changes. This is generally positive, but the question arises, if most people aren’t benefiting, what can be done? Luckily there are some universals. 

Also Read: How Recruitery plans to help people who affected by tech layoff

Universally more creative, well-rounded, emotionally competent employees are desired. The job market is moving towards a more wellness-based, cooperative place, just more slowly for some. Technology is looking to be the great unifier in this respect, slowly creating more opportunities for creative work. Although inevitably, some people will be left behind.

This puts those looking to enter the job market today in an interesting place. The set of skills required and expectations can vary wildly depending on what field one enters.

Final thoughts

What should new workers be trained for? More soft skills to be well-rounded, or more direct skills to be able to simply get a job?

Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to the question. What is clear is that things are changing and that regardless of what industry one occupies, one should be prepared. This doesn’t mean completely changing one’s expectations. It doesn’t mean fundamentally trying to revamp one’s resume and skillset. It just means keeping an eye on what changes are occurring and making sure not to swim against the flow.

There are countless ways in which the world is changing today, but few are as important as the job market.  Unemployment globally fluctuates, it never tends to get too high or too low. What does dramatically shift in work culture and having a job mean? The factory workers of the 1800s had an experience incomparable to workers today. Workers in the year 2080 may be able to say the same thing.

 The difference is there is the power to know about the shifts and to adapt. Knowledge is power, and everyone has the chance to be knowledgeable. This is the number one power of the job market today. 

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Thai VC Krungsri Finnovate lines up US$43M for startup funding in 2023
The fintech VC aims to launch an US$8M early-stage fund by Q2 2023; It will allocate another US$8M to Finnoverse (dedicated blockchain fund) and US$28M to Finnoventure (PE fund).

JD.com’s Richard Liu threatens to fire execs amid slow growth
In two meetings between Nov. and Dec. 2022, Liu described some of the company’s executives as “liars,” without naming any specific individuals.

Chinese driverless car firm Freetech nets ~US$100M funding
The investors are Chaos Investment, TCL Industries, BAIC Capital, and Hengxu Capital; Freetech creates a full-stack solution for autonomous vehicles; It designs and manufactures its own cameras, radar, lidar, and domain controllers.

Chinese GPU developer Moore Threads raises US$215M Series B
The lead investors are China Mobile Digital New Economy Industry Fund and Hexie Health Insurance; Moore Threads recently launched Chunxiao GPU architecture, which can be used for gaming, AI, and datacentre workloads.

Mamaearth parent firm to raise US$48M via IPO in India
The firm will put 46.8M existing shares in an offer-for-sale scheme; Investors participating in the scheme include co-founders Varun Alagh and Ghazal Alagh, as well as investors Sofina, Fireside Ventures, and Evolvence India.

Alibaba replaces CTO, appoints group CEO as cloud unit head
Wu Zeming has replaced Cheng Li to be the new CTO; Chairman and CEO Daniel Zhang Yong has been appointed president of Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, as well as the firm’s enterprise communications firm DingTalk.

Singaporean Alchemy Foodtech nets US$3M in extended bridge round
The investors include Thai President Foods, Pine Venture, Thai Union, Heritas, and SEEDS Capital; Alchemy Foodtech provides tasty, healthier food options that reduce the negative impact of excess carbs and sugar on people’s health.

What to expect from Web3 gaming in 2023
Entering 2023, we believe a few final aftershocks of the FTX collapse will reverberate through the market but that the damage is largely done; Over the last year, bad actors have been exposed and weak companies have failed.

China’s first national NFT marketplace to launch next week: Report
The state-backed platform will serve as a secondary market for NFTs and digital asset copyrights; The project aims to regulate and avoid excessive speculation in secondary NFT markets.

Indian startups laid off close to 20,000 employees in 2022
Since the beginning of the year, about 50 startups have laid off a large number of employees, citing funding constraints and restructuring; Others have shifted the blame to employees’ performance, calling the layoffs standard.

China’s Nio expects to sell fewer EVs amid COVID-19 crisis
Nio has adjusted its outlook for the fourth quarter of 2022, aiming to sell 38,500 to 39,500 vehicles, down from 43,000 to 48,000 vehicles in its original outlook.

How all-electric, self-driving Clearbot helps tackle ocean plastic pollution in Asia
Clearbots has operations in India and Hong Kong and is looking to expand to the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore soon.

Chart your own path, for the future is what you make it: Rachel Lau of RHL Ventures
Setting RHL and building it to become Malaysia’s largest homegrown VC has been the biggest challenge and highlight of Lau’s career.

2022: A year of digitalisation, adaptability through the lens of the innovate team
We did a lot of pivoting this year but our goal to provide equal opportunities for startups to connect with the right network remained unchanged.

What investors need to know about Bitcoin halving
Bitcoin halving has happened thrice in the past, we can anticipate what would happen to Bitcoin’s value before, during, and after the event.

How can e-commerce brands tap into US$600B social commerce market potential
As modern-day consumer becomes more reliant on their mobile devices, promptness is valued above all else when it comes to social commerce.

The future of job market: Dramatic changes and cultural shifts
Knowledge is power, and everyone has the chance to be knowledgeable; this is the number one power of the job market today.

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A few years ago, Sidhant Gupta, an ocean lover, and Utkarsh Goel, a techie, visited Bali, Indonesia, as part of their course at the University of Hong Kong. Miffed by the growing the ocean plastic pollution in the archipelago, a top contributor to global plastic pollution, the duo decided to leverage their technical expertise to tackle it.

Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, of which about 14 million tons end up in the ocean every year. Plastic makes up 80 per cent of all marine debris. While many solutions are available to address this problem, they are grossly inadequate.

“Existing solutions are slow, with some communities still using paddle boats and diesel-powered boats for fishing trash. We realised technologies like Artificial Intelligence could address this problem effectively.”

This led the duo to start Clearbot in 2019.

Clearbot is a remotely operated vehicle designed to perform various tasks in the marine sector, including data collection, site monitoring, marine pollution cleaning, and goods delivery. Powered by an electric motor, it can complete these tasks without human intervention.

An autonomous platform, Clearbot maps and cleans the ocean using autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The AI system allows operators to tackle multiple tasks remotely.

The beauty of Clearbot lies in its simplicity, as it can be easily deployed in any water body without complex installation requirements. This makes the technology accessible to governments as well as individuals, he says.

“Instead of hiring ten people to handle different things, you hire one to handle multiple Clearbots for different uses. The Clearbots also give you valuable data within minutes — locations visited, trash collected, and other custom information that matters to you,” explains Founder Gupta.

Also Read: Alibaba fund, Gobi, Earth VC back AI-powered all-electric and self-driving robot Clearbot

Gupta, a serial entrepreneur, aims to develop the world’s first autonomous marine platform to map and clean the oceans and preserve marine life. In the past, he built businesses backed by Alibaba and Razer.

Goel, CTO, has an extensive background in AI, Computer Vision and Deep Learning, executed projects on university campuses, and built open-source tools for the data science and machine learning community.

Clearbots, a winner of several awards, including the JUMPSTARTER 2022 Global Pitch Competition, has operations in India and Hong Kong and is looking to expand to other Asian countries, such as the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore, soon.

In India, the startup is piloting its services for the “Clean the Ganga” project. “We are partnering with the government to provide an AI-based solution for cleaning trash, collecting hyacinths, performing surveillance, and even moving goods shortly,” Gupta adds.

There is growing awareness about the dangers of climate change and the need to protect the oceans. This has laid the foundation for adopting advanced technological solutions for combating these issues. “We believe that Clearbot can play a crucial role in solving these problems, especially in areas where conventional methods are impractical because of cost, human resources or lack of infrastructure,” he says.

In addition to helping prevent marine pollution, Clearbots also help reduce carbon emissions by eliminating the need for manual labour or fuel to power boats and AUVs. The product is entirely electrical, reducing the carbon footprint considerably compared to boats powered by fossil fuels.

The prices of Clearbot vary depending on the location, existing infrastructure within the region, the project’s scope, and the deployment duration.

“Since we provide a custom solution to our clients based on their specific requirements, we offer free consultations to understand their needs and provide a detailed proposal. Once a project has been sanctioned, we offer a detailed breakdown of the costs, including the hardware and for hosting the platform on our cloud servers, which are charged monthly.”

As of now, the startup serves different clients from various industries, including property management companies, government departments, and brands with sustainability goals. For these clients, it performs multiple services, including pollution recovery (i.e. collecting marine trash, oil, and hyacinths), surveillance and inspection and goods delivery.

Among its clients are the Drainage Services Department in Hong Kong, the Highways Department in Hong Kong, Sino, Kingspan, and Modern Terminals.

Last month, Clearbot closed an undisclosed seed funding round with Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund and Gobi Ventures, with participation from Earth Venture Capital, Asia Sustainability Angels, and CarbonX Capital.

In his view, scaling up operations is Clearbot’s top priority and the most significant challenge. “We need to grow our team so that we can be more efficient in our operations and keep up with the demand that we see internationally. To do this, we recently raised funding, which will help scale up our business further with more time and resources to create an easily deployable and sustainable platform for solving the most pressing issues facing our oceans today.”

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The present cryptocurrency market is undoubtedly bearish, leading many casual investors to be sceptical about investing in Bitcoin.

But those who understand how Bitcoin is designed are looking forward to a potential surge in Bitcoin value in 2024, which is when an event known as “Bitcoin halving” is slated to occur. It would be the fourth Bitcoin halving since the cryptocurrency’s inception in 2009.

What is Bitcoin halving, and how does it impact Bitcoin’s value? Here’s everything investors should know about the upcoming halving.

What is Bitcoin halving?

Bitcoin halving is a mechanism built into the cryptocurrency’s code by its creator, Satoshi Nakamoto.

To understand how it works, first, remember that Bitcoin transactions are validated by a decentralised network of users known as miners. Miners compete to be the first to verify groups of transactions or blocks. Only after this rigorous computing process can these new blocks be added to the Bitcoin blockchain.

As a reward, miners who successfully validate blocks earn a certain number of Bitcoin tokens — currently 6.25 BTC. So for every new block, 6.25 BTC are released into the overall circulating supply of Bitcoin.

However, Bitcoin is designed such that the reward is halved after every 210,000 blocks. So, come the next Bitcoin halving, the reward will go down to 3.125 BTC. This tightens the supply of new Bitcoin on the market.

Also Read: Can Bitcoin help us in the fight against climate change?

This tightening mechanism essentially makes new Bitcoin increasingly scarce, thus preserving or even heightening its value.

In contrast, the fiat money supply is practically ever-increasing, which leads to inflation. Furthermore, the fiat supply is controlled by governments and lacks the transparency and pre-programmed regularity of Bitcoin halving.

What happens to Bitcoin during halving?

Because Bitcoin halving has happened thrice in the past, we can anticipate what would happen to Bitcoin’s value before, during, and after the event.

Below is a short history of previous Bitcoin halvings:

• November 2012: This was the first Bitcoin halving, during which mining reward went from 50 BTC to 25 BTC per block. In anticipation of this event, many investors bought into Bitcoin, so from about November 2011 to November 2012, the price of Bitcoin went up by over 340 per cent. After Bitcoin halved, the price of Bitcoin continued to soar for the following year. BTC peaked around 1 year after halving, in November 2013, when its price had surged to nearly +8,000 per cent of the original price.
• July 2016: The second halving was in July 2016. Again, an upwards trend had formed ahead of the event — about nine months prior — leading BTC’s price to increase by +112 per cent. Bitcoin enjoyed a bull run after the mining reward was halved. This time, the bull run lasted 18 months, at which point BTC peaked at about +2,800 per cent, its price at a halving point.
• May 2020: The third and most recent halving was in May 2020. Again, Bitcoin’s price began to climb in the lead-up to the event, starting slightly over a year before. BTC then soared dramatically from US$8,800 to US$69,000, or about +784 per cent, in the 18 months following the halving event.

What can we expect for the next Bitcoin halving?

The next Bitcoin halving was originally slated to occur in May 2024, but because mining activity has surged recently, it is now expected to take place in March 2024.

If data from the three previous Bitcoin halvings is anything to go by, we can anticipate a market rally before, during, and after the event.

• Before halving: We would expect increased investor interest in the lead-up to Bitcoin halving. According to an analysis by crypto service provider Matrixport, BTC starts rallying about 15 months before halving, on average. (If that’s the case, BTC’s price will decrease in December 2022 or January 2023.)
• During halving: Matrixport expects BTC to rally to US$63,000 by March 2024, the date of the expected fourth Bitcoin halving. However, the halving event tends to brighten, bringing about some volatility, according to Forbes.
• After halving: After the initial volatility, the period after Bitcoin halvings has historically offered even more dramatic surges in prices. Typically, Bitcoin enjoyed bull runs of about 12 to 18 months before hitting its new peak.

Investors should bear in mind, of course, that past performance cannot always reliably predict future price movements.

What happens after the last Bitcoin halving?

Bitcoin halving will not happen forever. Once Bitcoin hits the fixed supply cap of 21 million BTC, there will be no further new BTC released as rewards for miners, and therefore no further need for halving.

The last halving is expected to occur in 2140, which is when all 21 million BTC should have been created and be in circulation.

Does this spell the death of Bitcoin as a financial system? No. After the last halving, miners will be paid transaction fees in lieu of BTC. This ensures the long-term sustainability of the cryptocurrency.

Why invest in Bitcoin with a licenced fund manager?

The upcoming halving event has stimulated renewed interest in Bitcoin, the grandfather of cryptocurrencies.

Also Read: 13 years on since the birth of Bitcoin, it’s now blockchain’s time to shine

It’s a powerful reminder that Bitcoin was ingeniously designed with safeguards against inflation and in-built supply control mechanisms. There can only ever be 21 million BTC. This makes Bitcoin compelling as a store of value, hence the appeal for many long-term investors, including companies like MicroStrategy.

However, professional investors must proceed with care to avoid risky crypto exchanges and platforms, especially after recent events.

Fintonia’s Bitcoin Physical Fund is an institutional-grade fund managed by Fintonia Group. The purpose of the fund is to allow accredited investors to participate in this growing asset class in a safe and frictionless way with best-in-class security and regulatory practises in place.

Fintonia Group is a Singapore-based fund manager licenced by the Monetary Authority of Singapore with a provisional licence in the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority in Dubai. We comply with strict standards and regulations regarding client funds and with proper due diligence conducted on the management team to ensure adequate experience and qualifications in terms of risk management.

Fintonia Group works with insured and licenced third-party custodians with state-of-the-art security measures where Bitcoins are stored in cold wallets. The client’s funds are segregated and not co-mingled with Fintonia funds, as required by regulations.

Speak to us for more information on our Bitcoin Physical Fund and gain insights into the best time to buy into Bitcoin.

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This April, Netflix surprised investors when its total audience fell for the first time in over a decade.

Thankfully, Netflix had a secret weapon – the Asia Pacific (APAC) market.

Between April and June 2022, Netflix added one million subscribers from the region due mainly to the popularity of TV shows like South Korea’s Emmy-award-winning Squid Game. APAC was the only region that Netflix added subscribers in that quarter.

GWI’s latest study on  ‘Why TV streaming services have their eyes on APAC‘ tells us that this makes perfect sense. Businesses and advertisers now have a big opportunity to learn about this growing audience and effectively reach them. Below, I’ve shared five key trends that will be useful to keep a pulse on.

Streaming is growing, and ads do not bother consumers as much anymore

In the latest wave of data, GWI reported that the time people spend watching online streaming has overtaken traditional TV for the very first time in APAC, and time spent watching online TV will only increase.

Also Read: What Netflix really missed? Not earnings

The more time people spend watching TV online, the more advertisements they will watch. Yet, contrary to popular belief, ads are not likely to dissuade APAC TV watchers from their streaming activities.

Why? APAC consumers are the most likely to approve of ad-supported tiers and to say they would exchange their personal data for free services. Tighter wallets due to economic pressures are a contributing factor. This also means that if ad-based subscription models were to land anywhere, there’s a good chance that it would be in APAC.

Mobile-first, but TV sets are still not going anywhere

More people in APAC are streaming content on their mobile phones than on TV sets, despite the fact that the opposite proved true in other parts of the world. The number of mobile streamers here is only growing.

Outside China, the number of people using TV subscription services on their phones grew by 33 per cent between 2018 and 2021. 57 per cent in APAC say they use their phones or tablets to watch on-demand TV, which means that mobile-friendly content is key to engage.

Nonetheless, TVs are still the go-to device for a good number of markets. This included half of the APAC markets that GWI studied, like Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam. Around two in five APAC consumers now own a smart TV – a 25 per cent jump in the last two years – and 52 per cent say they use a TV set to watch on-demand content.

This is good news for advertisers. Google reports that Connected TV (CTV) users are more engaged and emotionally invested, being more likely to watch with someone else. Better audio and visual quality also lead to a more immersive experience. People who stream content through their TV sets are skewing older and wealthier compared to those who watch on mobile.

Indian food delivery service Swiggy understood this well when they adopted a CTV-first strategy that targeted customers who were ordering while streaming the Premier League. Swiggy reached 47 per cent more high-income households, raising its profile and prompting viewers to download the app – a true success story.

Consumers are re-evaluating the streaming services they are subscribed to

Just as the COVID-19 situation clears, the cost-of-living crisis hits. None of us can really catch a break.

This has led to APAC consumers becoming more price sensitive towards in-home entertainment purchases. The good news is that the crisis is not affecting their love for TV streaming. The bad news – consumers in APAC are streamlining their entertainment expenses.

Among the APAC markets, GWI studied – around one in four streamers in five of these markets are thinking about cancelling a TV subscription, citing ‘paying for too many services already’ or ‘wanting to use another one instead’ as the main reasons for doing so.

It might be fair to say that there is a limit to the number of platforms consumers are willing to pay for, and that limit may get smaller as inflation continues to bite, especially in parts of the region where price sensitivity is higher. Only time will tell which services will come out on top in each market, and the choice of where to advertise must be made wisely.

Value and original content triumph price concerns

Nonetheless – it’s value that APAC consumers are prioritising when making their decisions on entertainment subscriptions. Content that is relevant to their interests (60 per cent) and original content (49 per cent) are more important to them than price.

GWI’s data shows that interest in cultural channels, lifestyle shows, and soap operas is falling in APAC. The lack of sports in 2020 also contributed to its decreasing popularity, and we will soon see if major events like the World Cup will bring sports fever back.

Also Read: Streaming the dream: How live streaming technology can increase access to brands

Challenging times have made people more drawn to genres that offer an escape from everyday reality – including drama, comedy, and children’s TV. In particular, Korean dramas and Japanese anime shows are catching on in many different parts of the world. GWI’s July Zeitgeist data showed that more than half of foreign content viewers globally say they’ve enjoyed content from other countries and want to see more of it. This could be why Disney+ is spending big and looking to serve up 50 new APAC originals by 2023, producing plenty of local language content.

In terms of which streaming channels are currently leading the pack – GWI’s ‘Why People Watch‘ study shows that it is Netflix in APAC, followed by iQiyi, and then Disney Hotstar.

Strong competition from short-form video platforms

GWI’s 2022 Global Media Landscape Report shows that outside of China, the number of consumers using TikTok globally has grown 40 per cent since Q4 2020.

TV streaming services are now competing for viewers’ attention with other forms of media like short-form video platforms. Twitter and YouTube, for instance, are gaining traction, especially among younger generations. India is YouTube’s biggest market. Over two-thirds of Instagram users are watching videos on the platform every month.

The popularity of short-form video and social media platforms is only going to grow, which brings an opportunity for different viewing formats to work together and complement each other rather than cannibalise the other.

A great example of this in action was the 2021 Netflix series Arcane debuting across Netflix and Twitch to accommodate Netflix users and those who prefer free-to-use platforms.

As the online TV streaming landscape continues to see shifts, hits from economic pressures, and increasing saturation and competition, one thing’s for sure and reassuring – TV streaming is only going up.

It is crucial for businesses and advertisers to keep a close track of the industry and consumers’ preferences and stay tuned in to what and how people want to watch.

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Rachel Lau is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Malaysian VC firm RHL Ventures focusing on growth capital investments in Southeast Asia.

Before establishing RHL Ventures as a partner in February 2016, Lau was VP at Heitman Investment Management in Hong Kong and Australia.

Lau also serves on the Leadership Team of the Hong Kong chapter of Ellevate (formerly 85 Broads), a 34,000-member global network of professional women. She also sits on the Program Committee of EMpower, an international not-for-profit organisation that supports at-risk youths in developing countries.

In 2018, Lau was named one of the 50 People Redefining the Way We Live by Business Times Singapore. 

Lau graduated from Australian National University with a Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction (double major in Accounting and Finance) and received a Master of Law (major in Business Law) from the University of Sydney.

In addition, Lau represented Malaysia in rhythmic gymnastics in various tournaments and the British Council as a delegate in the Young Global Citizen Summit to solve global poverty and human rights issues.

She is a regular contributor of articles for e27 (you can read her thought leadership articles here).

In this candid interview, Lau talks about her personal and professional life.

How would you explain what you do to a five-year-old?

The easiest way to explain is to say I invest in people that change the world.

What has been the biggest highlight/challenge of your career so far?

RHL Ventures was founded in 2016, and we have always been focused on driving transformative growth in the ASEAN through investing in small and medium-sized companies in the region. Setting up RHL Ventures and building it to become Malaysia’s most prominent homegrown VC has been my career’s most significant challenge and highlight.

Also Read: Your identity should not be limited to what you do at work: Sheryl Chen of Qualgro

How do you envision the next five years of your career?

The best way to progress in life is through having a goal and working towards it. The next five years of my time will be focused on building RHL as the go-to VC in the region.

What are some of your favourite work tools?

The best tool ever created was Microsoft Excel. I am a pure nerd at heart.

What’s something about you or your job that would surprise us?

We all have a side of us that people don’t know. What surprises many people is that we invest in the unknown, taking risks into young innovative solutions. We believe in new ideas and support them in making their dreams a reality.

Do you prefer WFH or WFO, or hybrid?

The best version of me is when I am around people. So, Work from Office. I love the energy in the office, the chats, the lunch meetings, all of it.

What would you tell your younger self?

A piece of advice I will always hold close to me is to never listen to people who put you down. Destiny is not what you are born into; chart your path, for the future is what you make it. Be fearless, take risks, fall, and cry, but keep going.

Can you describe yourself in three words?

Disciplined, calm and fearless

What are you most likely to be doing if not working?

Reading. I love always keeping myself updated with new things. It is the one thing that everyone should cultivate.

What are you currently reading/listening to/ watching?

Listening to Smash Mouth’s All-Star and watching Money Heist.

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Join the e27 contributor community of thought leaders and share your opinion by submitting an article, video, podcast, or infographic.

The post Chart your own path, for the future is what you make it: Rachel Lau of RHL Ventures appeared first on e27.

2022 has been fruitful and filled with growth and challenges, especially for the Innovate team. In a nutshell, our 2022 was focused on digitalisation, adaptability, building a solid foundation, and collaboration. These elements are vital for businesses to thrive in today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving business environment.

“If it’s not working, change it.”

We did a lot of pivoting this year but our goal to provide equal opportunities to startups and founders and to connect you with the right network remains unchanged.

Here’s a recap of what we did and the lessons you can take away from it:

Geography is no longer our master

In the last few years, we have seen a digital transformation happen faster than before. We were limited by geographical and anthropogeographical access, but with most processes now digitalised, it opened a whole new set of opportunities and challenges for everyone.

We worked with Zoom, which is now expanding its vision to support startups innovating hybrid workforce collaboration and delivering happiness to their customers. We organised:

• A webinar where we talked about what customer experience and customer communications are. You can watch the recording here.
• An in-person roundtable with selected VCs to empower companies in the ecosystem to build a memorable customer experience for all its customers and stakeholders.

We are also running the Meta Community Accelerator Programme for the third time to support online communities in APAC and Bangladesh. With community building at the heart of e27, we are honoured to empower online communities by providing them with the necessary tools, training, guidance, and connection to grow and nurture their communities.

We have supported 50+ communities to achieve their goals, conducted their dream activities, and connected them with relevant connections to further amplify their impact. What started as a hobby for some and a safe space for others, these community leaders are continuously providing value to the people around us.

Also Read: A year in review: How e27 served the tech ecosystem in 2022

What used to be physical has now turned digital, and we are no longer bound by geography.

Adaptability over sustainability

Put in a different context, sustainability is the ability to sustain your operations and support your customers, but sustaining your operations is not enough to meet the rapidly changing needs and expectations of your customers – especially in the digital world.

We partnered with CleverTap to discuss with key growth and top marketers in the region how to adapt and integrate optimised customer growth and retention strategies on mobile touchpoints to be able to double down on retention and win in the markets in which our businesses operate. 

We just finished our roadshow events in Jakarta and Singapore this year, and we are going to Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines in 2023 to discuss how you can craft innovative customer experiences.

Stay tuned to the events’ updates and registration openings through this link.

Building a solid foundation for innovation

Innovation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The best innovation comes in response to long-standing problems we are facing, and having a stable foundation allows us to explore and innovate freely.

We have been using maps to navigate around cities and places. But despite having a lot of updates to our maps, approximately 75 per cent of the world is poorly addressed, leaving them underserved. 

We teamed up with UNL Global to host a webinar to talk about how they are planning to develop a next-gen micro-location and mapping technology to build maps that bring your business forward, empower your delivery agents, and build the internet of places.

Having accurate data and mapping play a significant role in your business operations. And In the context of e-commerce and last-mile delivery, it refers to the delivery of products and services quickly and seamlessly and to your customer’s doorstep.

Click here to watch the webinar recording.

Collaboration over individual endeavours

There are many benefits to collaboration. With this, individuals and organisations can pool their knowledge, skills, and resources and can achieve more than they could alone. Collaboration can also foster creativity and innovation as it encourages the sharing of ideas and the development of new approaches.

This year we worked with SAP and XS APAC over a series of engagements. Starting with a series of webinars focused on you can do business with large enterprises, a virtual roundtable with investors where they talked about how they can support investor portfolios, and a panel discussion during this year’s Echelon Asia Summit!

Also Read: ‘Focus on your north-star vision’: 30 startups speak of their learnings in 2022

The engagement focused on the importance of Startup-Corporate collaboration to boost:

• Innovation: By collaborating with a startup, a corporation can access this innovative thinking and potentially bring new products or services to market. Click here to learn how you can do business with enterprises to help you focus and improve your product.
• Offering more cost-effective solutions: Startups may be able to offer more cost-effective solutions to problems faced by corporations, potentially leading to cost savings for the corporation, especially during these challenging times. Click here to learn how you can optimize business solutions through customer-centricity.
• Access to new markets: Through collaboration, startups and corporates can work together to reach a wider set of audience, reach new markets, and impact more people. SAP shared some key points on regional expansion in the last Echelon Asia Summit 2022. See how you can explore corporate partnerships as a pathway to scaling your startup here.

Speaking of access to new markets, this year, we teamed up again with JETRO (Japan External Trade Organisation) for their 2022 Global Acceleration Hub Programme to support Japanese startups with their plans for overseas expansion. We’ve worked with:

• Credit Engine: a SaaS products provider for the financial sector that provides services that cover the online lending process to debt collection with data-driven digital technology.
• Cross Sync: Provides iBSEN – real-time monitoring of ICU patients and their severity using AI and ICT. They provide D-to-D Tele-ICU telemedicine service with an AI monitoring function.
• Terra Drone: Focuses on providing drone utilisation services for oil and gas, renewables, terminals, survey, and processing and storage.
• TB-M: Focuses on developing and manufacturing ecological new material, LIMEX – a composite material of over 50 per cent made of limestone. LIMEX has been developed in Japan that provides ecological and economic benefits

If you would love to work with them, please let us know, and we would be more than happy to connect you!

Collaboration is not just limited to startups or corporates partnering with each other or other entities to support their vision and mission. We also work with our network to connect startups with the right investors.

Together with Techstars, Facilitated the Demo Day with 200+ attendees and made more than 130+ matched connections with investors and strategic partners over a two-day programme split between Global Scale and Clean Tech cohorts.

The selected 26 startups also underwent a series of sessions to help address the issues they are facing specific to their companies to help them build and grow their companies. The event was attended by mentors, investors, and other startups, with more than 80 per cent of the attendees looking for business opportunities with the startups.

Collaboration can take many forms, and by working with other organisations, businesses can access new ideas, resources, and expertise and can achieve more together than they could alone.

Looking back at 2022

In recap, digitalisation, adaptability, building a solid foundation, and collaboration are all key factors that can help businesses to thrive in today’s fast-paced and constantly evolving business environment. By adopting these strategies, businesses can stay competitive, achieve their goals, and create value for their customers, employees, and shareholders.

What’s in store for 2023

2022 posed a different set of challenges, and we are anticipating that some of these challenges will remain.

As we mentioned, we did a lot of pivoting this year but our goal to provide equal opportunities to startups and founders and to connect you with the right network remains unchanged, and it doesn’t end here!

Send an email to programs@e27.co to see how we can work together to craft the right story to showcase your brand, how you can get connected and engage the community in Southeast Asia, and how you can amplify your impact. This is where you start!

This article has been co-written by Selma Ayuanshari and Mayeda Bidushi.

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Image credit: Canva Pro

The post Looking back at 2022: A year of digitalisation, adaptability, and collaboration through the lens of the innovate team appeared first on e27.