WeWork picks property veteran Sandeep Mathrani as new CEO in an attempt to stabilise losses [The Straits Times]

WeWork has chosen property industry veteran Sandeep Mathrani to be the new CEO, as Softbank seeks to sustain the lossmaking office space provider after it came close to bankruptcy, according to The Straits Times.

Mathrani will replace Artie Minson and Sebastian Gunningham, WeWork said in a statement. He was previously global head of retail estate for Brookfield Property Partners, a commercial real estate company whose parent company is Brookfield Asset Management.

According to Bloomberg, Mathrani already has a considerable amount of experience in companies dealing with the crisis. He had previously helped GGP, a mall operator, rise from bankruptcy in 2010.

Also Read: WeWork Labs launches foodtech startup accelerator in Thailand

Many companies compelled to begin the ‘work from home experiment’ after the coronavirus outbreak [Bloomberg]

Co-working is out and video chat apps are in as offices shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak. Working from home is no longer an option but it is now a choice, according to reports by Bloomberg.

“It’s a good opportunity for us to test working from home at scale,” said Alvin Foo, MD of Reprise Digital, a Shanghai ad agency with 400 people that’s part of Interpublic Group. “Obviously, not easy for a creative ad agency that brainstorms a lot in person.”

It’s going to mean a lot of video chats and phone calls, he said.

Also Read: Grab, Hyundai launches their first electric vehicle service in Indonesia

While the virus may test that theory on a wider scale, it poses an existential threat to the whole business model of co-working spaces, which has managed to multiply around big Chinese cities in recent years as property rents skyrocketed.

Indian adtech company Adonmo scores US$3M from Ant Financial’s BAce Capital [Tech In Asia]

Adonmo, an adtech company in India, announced that it has raised US$3 million in a pre-Series A round led by BAce Capital, with participation from Astarc Ventures and Mumbai Angels Network, as reported by Tech In Asia.

The proceeds will be used for local operations expansion, to further develop the product, and for hiring.

Founded in 2017 by Sandeep Bommireddi and Sravanth Gajula, the company currently operates in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. The company aims to digitise outdoor advertising media across the country primarily through digital car toppers.

Myanmar’s Get expands portfolio by buying  local fintech startup Daung Capital [Tech In Asia]

Myanmar’s digital commerce platform Get has acquired local lending platform Daung Capital in order to expand its portfolio service over 100 businesses across Myanmar, according to Tech In Asia. The company refused to comment on the financial details for this deal.

“Get’s acquisition of Daung will provide a major growth opportunity for both businesses. Financial exclusion remains a key reason for income inequality in Myanmar,” said Mike Than Tun Win, a serial entrepreneur who will be joining Get Myanmar as executive chairman.

The merged company has will be operating under the name of the Get brand, according to a statement.

Altair announces winners of its startup contest in India

Altair, a global technology company providing solutions in product development, high-performance computing and data analytics, has announced the Altair Start-up Challenge 2020.

Besides, Altair has also announced the winners of its inaugural competition, held in Bangalore in December 2019. The winners are First place, BlinkEYELABS Electronics, IndusTill FarmTech, and Saif Automation.

Altair partnered with Startup India, a government initiative, to build an inclusive ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in India across all industry segments. Its objective is to identify, support, mentor and reward budding startups with its simulation, optimisation and machine learning technologies, in addition to providing a dedicated team of mentors with extensive experience and knowledge.

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Image Credit: Eloise Ambursley

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iSTOX, a one-stop digitised securities issuance, custody, and trading capital markets platform, announced today it graduated from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)’s Fintech Regulatory Sandbox on February 1, 2020.

ICHX Tech Pte Ltd (ICHX), which is the Singapore-based operator of the iSTOX platform, has earned the recognised market operator (RMO) and a capital markets services (CMS) licences from the MAS.

ICHX is a capital markets infrastructure and technology company that was previously the incubatee of ICH Group, a Singapore-based investment firm.

The license, iSTOX claims, makes it the first capital markets platform using distributed ledger technology (DLT) to feature integrated issuance, custody, and training of digitised securities to be approved and licensed by a major regulator.

Furthermore, iSTOX said that graduating from the MAS sandbox means the removal of restrictions for iSTOX, including limitations on the size of issuance that it can host and a number of investors that can be onboarded.

“We started this just over two years ago as a vision of how investing could be done better. This is a big milestone both for iSTOX and for the financial industry as a whole,” said Danny Toe, Founder and CEO of ICHX.

Also Read: Digital securities trading platform iSTOX raises Series A round

“While capital markets have seen many changes and innovations over the years, the underlying core infrastructure hasn’t really changed since the advent of electronic trading decades ago,” said iSTOX Chief Operating Officer Darius Liu. “We are proud to deliver an operational platform that can address market demand while meeting the regulatory standards and licensing conditions set by MAS.”

MAS Chief fintech Officer Sopnendu Mohanty commented. “This has again demonstrated that proportional regulations through sandbox experimentation can foster innovation and bring new benefits to consumers and the financial industry. We look forward to furthering our collaboration with innovators as we build a smart financial centre.”

iSTOX draws on advanced smart contracts and DLT to streamline the issuance and trading process. By allowing buyers and sellers to connect directly, iSTOX removes long-standing barriers that have prevented a far greater pool of investors from access to private market opportunities with a more flexible, affordable, and inclusive alternative.

Chief Commercial Officer Oi Yee Choo said: “In addition to opening registration for accredited and institutional investors, we’re working hard on a pipeline of exciting issuance across different asset classes.”

Also Read: Capital markets platform iSTOX raises US$5M from Korea’s Hanhwa

Key investors of ICHX include Singapore Exchange (SGX), Asia’s international multi-asset exchange; Heliconia, a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings focussed on investing in fast-growing companies; Japan’s Tokai Tokyo Financial Holdings (via subsidiary Tokai Tokyo Global Investments); Thailand’s Kiatnakin Phatra Financial Group; and South Korea’s Hanwha Asset Management.

Meanwhile, to further strengthening its digitised security ecosystem, ICHX has also partnered with law firms Allen & Overy, Allen & Gledhill, Rajah & Tann, and Dentons Rodyk; with corporate finance advisors SAC Capital and RHT Capital; and with services firms PwC Singapore and audit firm Deloitte.
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Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

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In order to use this feature, users will have to add their Revolut card to their Google Account and simply choose to Google Pay at checkout

Fintech startup Revolut today announced the launch of its latest feature which will allow customers to add their Revolut cards to Google Pay in a company statement.

By integrating the Revolut Visa Card on Google Pay, the company aims to create a more seamless and easy method of transaction for its users. Since Google Pay is one of the most popular methods of payment on sites, apps, stores, and even public transportation network in Singapore for Android phone users, this will also widen Revolut’s reach in the market.

“We know our customers are fast moving away from cash in the majority of the markets we operate in, so integrating with Google Pay is a very positive step forward in enabling our customers to use their money in the way that they want to,” said Lim Wei Han, Global Operations for Card Payments at Revolut.

“Our ultimate goal is to give users a tool to manage every aspect of their financial lives, and the ability to make payments quickly, conveniently and securely is vital to achieving this. We’re excited to offer this feature to our customers in Singapore,” he continued.

In order to use this feature, users will have to add their Revolut card to their Google Account and simply choose to Google Pay at checkout, without having to repeatedly enter the payment information again.

Also Read: Following its recent debut in Singapore, Revolut launches Metal Visa card in the market

The UK-based company has been launching a variety of different features ever since it has made a debut entry into Singapore.

The most recent one being the Revolut metal card, which is crafted from a single sheet of steel, making it weigh three times more than a regular card, creating a sleek and premium finish for its users.

Some of the other benefits also include one per cent cashback on international spend in 28 currencies, free international ATM withdrawals up to S$1,050 (US$774) per month, and a dedicated concierge service for booking everything from flights to festival tickets.

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Image Credit:  Kay

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Let’s get the decade started on a great note

There are reasons why the year 2019 was an important one for the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem.

In addition to the inherent excitement of preparing for a new decade, throughout 2019, we had also witnessed monumental moves made by startup ecosystem players –both in the region and beyond.

Funding continued to pour into the region, breaking new records and giving birth to new unicorns. Investors are also beginning to look into new territories, both in terms of geography and industry sectors.

On a global level, we saw companies such as WeWork facing public scrutiny with their strenuous journey towards IPO. Much closer to home, we saw Honestbee facing their own troubles.

Ecosystem players had also made head-turning comments; a great example would Lippo Group founder Mochtar Riady’s statement on cash-burning. While they might have a negative tonality to it, these updates had triggered discussions about fostering sustainability and building a stronger ecosystem.

Also Read: Mark your calendars: Echelon Asia Summit happens 14th and 15th of May

Lastly, we saw how different ecosystem players –from startups to government to corporates– are working closer than ever to achieve a common goal.

This is why as we, at e27, prepare for the next Echelon Asia Summit, we realise that the event is going to happen at a unique timing.

Whatever steps you are taking in this critical moment will either make or break your next decade. There are opportunities to seize and challenges to face; people who have made their marks and the lessons that they carry.

It has always been our mission to empower entrepreneurs with tools to build and grow their companies. With that in mind, we identified the three pillars that will support the foundation of the next decade for Southeast Asian startup ecosystem.

In the tradition of Echelon Asia Summit, we divided these pillars into three different stages, providing curated content to help you prepare for the next decade:

Apex

Two major reports —Asia Partners 2019 Internet Report and the e-Conomy SEA Report 2019 by Google, Temasek, and Bain&Company— have identified the next decade as the Golden Age of Southeast Asian startup ecosystem. In this period, not only will the region to experience growth, but it will also see new territories to explore.

Also Read: In photos: 5 moments you missed if you skipped Echelon Asia Summit 2019

Through this stage, we will learn from those who had successfully navigated this treacherous water –and those who had failed to do so. Because both failures and successes are great teachers in their own right.

To get to the peak of the mountain –the apex– you will need all the equipment you can get. In this stage, we will learn about those tools and how to use it.

Infinity

Sustainability comes in every form, from financial to environmental. For members of the startup community like us, having sustainability as a goal encourages us to rethink our moves and renew our thought patterns.

Hopefully, we will come out stronger as we discover improved ways of doing things, from acquiring customers, managing our finances, to maintaining healthy company culture.

We are not here to become a firework –exciting as it happens but slowly fades into silence. We are here to work towards infinity.

Alliance

The tech industry does not stand in a silo, and this notion becomes more apparent as the years go by.

Gone are the days when regulators are seen as the enemy to innovation, as startups and governments fostered a stronger collaboration than before. Also, every business is basically a tech business now, as we begin to see the addition of digital elements to non-tech businesses such as hospitality and lifestyle.

In the end, we are all after the same goal. This is why, instead of waging war against each other, we decide to build an alliance.

Also Read: Photos from Echelon Asia Summit 2019 grand finale

So, do you find yourself prepared for the new decade? What are the lessons that you need to learn, and the ones you are prepared to share? Are you ready to build connections that will take you places?

If you do, then we are looking forward to seeing you at Hall 7, Singapore Expo, on May 14-15.

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Hundreds have already gotten their passes for Echelon Asia Summit 2020. Do you have yours? Get them today and don’t miss out on a great start to an exhilarating new decade for the startup ecosystem. Register today >>>

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There has never been a better time than now to be a tech investor in Southeast Asia.

The region’s tech companies saw investments worth US$5.99 billion in just the first half of 2019, with early-stage investments rising sharply. Tech companies, many of them just a few years old, are transforming traditional industries today.

Take Tokopedia for instance. The first Indonesian unicorn dreamt of uniting buyers and sellers dispersed across the country’s 17,000 islands through an online marketplace. The company had to reimagine online payments, with seven out of 10 people in Indonesia not having access to banking services.

It is astonishing to think that more than a decade ago, it took Tokopedia two years to raise the initial capital to start the business, as its e-commerce model was new to the region then.

But times have changed. Southeast Asia’s emerging tech space is drawing attention — and investment — globally, from Silicon Valley to Shenzhen and Tokyo. Of Southeast Asia’s 11 tech unicorns five of them attained that status in just the last two years.

An exciting phenomenon is powering the rise of such transformational tech companies today. I call it technification.

Also Read: Fitness marketplace ClassPass becomes Unicorn with its latest US$285M fundraise

Technification is transformation done right

Technification is not just about using tech in your business operations, it is the use of technology to transform industry verticals — education, finance, healthcare, retail, and anything in between.

It is about completely changing the way that business is done, and creating new business models. Importantly, it is not about opportunistic productivity gains or simple digitalisation of real-world goods and services.

For instance, a logistics company using data analytics and Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors to increase digital traceability of delivered goods is not technification. That is just making services digital rather than analogue.

A company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to strategically optimise third-party logistics assets across an entire service vertical — from deciding where logistics assets should be built, to optimising delivery routes and customising users’ experiences — now that is technification.

A first mover in China: Cainiao

I first witnessed the raw power of technification in China. During my four years as a Venture Partner at GSR Ventures, I saw multi-billion-dollar tech companies that did not exist ten years ago dominating industries across the board.

Cainiao is one first-mover that has transformed the face of logistics in China.

In 2010, the logistics market in China was fragmented and inefficient. The norm then was for firms to contract separate carriers for asset-based logistics, storage and warehousing, and independent service providers in supply chain and inventory management.

Also Read: Today’s top tech news: Zhiyun Health nets US$144M, progressing towards China’s “healthcare unicorn” status

Saddled with poor service standards, ineffective package tracking methods, and dismal delivery timeliness, it is no wonder that the top 20 logistics companies controlled only 5.5 per cent of the market.

When Cainiao came along, it used technology to reimagine every part of the logistics value chain — from automating entire warehouses to crowdsourcing last-mile delivery partners, and even plans to use unmanned helicopters for inter-city deliveries.

How successful is it? Cainiao is now valued at RMB 100 billion (US$20 billion) and processes 70 per cent of all packages in China.

Companies such as Cainiao, Alibaba, Didi Chuxing, and Liepin.com harnessed tech to provide cheaper, more efficient, and seamless services, and in doing so, won over consumers and the market.

Alibaba, which invested in Cainiao and Didi Chuxing, is the world’s fourth-largest internet company specialising in retail and e-commerce, while Didi Chuxing is China’s leading ride-hailing provider and Liepin.com is the country’s largest e-recruitment portal by revenue.

First-movers in Southeast Asia: Ninja Van and Glints

While technification is in full swing in China, it is just starting in Southeast Asia. Like China in the mid-2000s, Southeast Asia is in the midst of modernising its infrastructure, meaning its industry verticals still consist mostly of traditional, brick-and-mortar business models. Also like China, Southeast Asia has a mobile-first population with a growing middle class — in other words, a tech-savvy consumer base ready to pay for tech-enabled services.

I work at Monk’s Hill Ventures, that spends time looking for entrepreneurs who will go after big chunks of the economy and who use technification to make a real difference. One of the first companies we invested in is Ninja Van, a last-mile logistics company that is changing the logistics landscape in the region.

Also Read: Southeast Asia is the promised land for tech startups. Here’s what we need to make that a reality

Ninja Van is laser-focused on getting a package to your doorstep — a critical issue in Southeast Asia. Also known as last-mile logistics, this stage of the shipping process has always been an issue because of the inefficiency and cost of delivering small volumes of packages to distant, and often inaccessible, locations.

While there are already three million e-commerce deliveries executed daily in Southeast Asia, e-commerce is expected to account for almost 40 per cent of the region’s US$300 billion internet economy by 2025.

Yet, according to the Google,Temasek and Bain e-Conomy SEA 2019 report, logistics infrastructure in Southeast Asia is still underdeveloped and large numbers of people live in remote, suburban areas – this is where Ninja Van sees opportunity.

Logistics is not the only sector in the region ripe for technification.

The nature of recruitment industry requires a human touch, and this is what differentiates Glints’ business model. As opposed to purely online recruitment platforms, Glints enables real recruiters to leverage data and recruitment process automation, making Glints’ recruiters far more efficient than traditional ones.

Clients of Glints today — which include Go-Jek, FWD Insurance and UOB Bank — make successful hires much faster at 28 days on average, compared to industry standards of 40–50 days. Furthermore, they do this at recruitment costs that are 40 to 100 percent cheaper to boot.

Roughly half of Southeast Asia’s US$3 trillion GDP is driven by the service sector, and yet inefficiencies exist in all of its industry verticals. This gap is where entrepreneurs are using technified business models to create value.

Building tomorrow’s iconic companies

As Southeast Asia’s tech entrepreneurs disrupt retail, transportation, logistics, supply chain, recruitment, insurance, and even financial services, investment opportunities are opening up. VC investment in Southeast Asian tech companies hit US$3.4 billion in the first half of 2019, a threefold increase from the same period in 2018. And with so much capital pouring in, you have to be strategic about where you invest it.

My advice for prospective investors? Take time to understand the region. More important than just following trends, you need to know the local scene. Know the people and sectors you are investing in and build networks. Work with your founders on building a regional strategy that can effectively scale their business.

Also Read: Disrupting venture capital in Southeast Asia and the competition around it

For entrepreneurs building companies in Southeast Asia, reimagine the sector you operate in and think hard about transformation through technification. You might be helming the region’s next unicorn — or who knows, you might just be in a class of your own.

When technification took China by storm, it created new multibillion-dollar companies that became major players in the global economy. Southeast Asian unicorns are already gaining traction as the region gets more international interest. There is no better time to look towards Southeast Asia — you might just stand to gain from the rising tide of technification in the region.

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Ridesharing company Grab has partnered with Hyundai to launch its first electric car service GrabElectrik as part of its effort to support the Indonesian government’s vision to boost and nurture electric vehicle (EV) car ecosystem, according to a press statement.

The Hyundai IONIQ Electric vehicles will be ready to operate as GrabCar Elektrik at Terminal 3 of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The Indonesian government has targeted two million EVs by 2025, aligned with the EV Ecosystem Roadmap which was launched in December 2019.

Along with governmental support, Grab has started a #LangkahHijau (“green steps”) campaign which is aligned to the partnership with World Resources Institute (WRI), supporting the use of EVs to reduce air pollution and fight the climate change.

Additionally, Indonesia also intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 29 per cent in 2030, of which electric vehicles seem to be a major part of. Tax will also be exempted for electric vehicles in the city, according to regulation.

Also Read: Filipino Senator seeks to declare the Singaporean founder of Angkas persona non grata

“Electric vehicles are the business of the future. President Jokowi’s commitment to developing this sector increasingly demonstrates Indonesia’s conducive investment ecosystem. The Indonesian government is also committed to advancing the domestic electric car battery industry by using abundant nickel reserves in Indonesia. We appreciate the participation of Grab and Hyundai who have collaborated with the government to be the pioneers in this strategic investment,” said Bahlil Lahadalia, Chairman of the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).

Both companies express their commitment towards boosting and nurturing EV car industry under the new roadmap called Strategy 2025, under which Hyundai will foster Smart Mobility Devices and Smart Mobility Services as two core business pillars to facilitate the company’s transition into a Smart Mobility Solution Provider.

Major transportation companies in Indonesia, such as taxi giant Blue Bird, have also been making expansion to the EV sector with the launch of their EV services.

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Image Credit: Grab

 

 

 

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Zapflow’s story started when CEO and Founder Mikko Pirinen ran the M&A and CVC departments of a telecommunications firm with more than 80 transactions under its belt. In his role, Pirinen and his team experienced first-hand the pain of managing large amounts of data using Excel, rather than a purpose-built tool for investing workflows.

Today, Zapflow is on a mission to help professional investors make better decisions with less effort by helping them manage all their core workflows and collaborate more effectively with their team members, advisors, portfolio companies and LPs.

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This article was first published on nfinitiv.

Image Credit: Sunyu Kim on Unsplash

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According to the freshly released East Ventures Digital Competitiveness Index (EV-DCI) 2020 Report, the rapid development of digital economy in Indonesia only occurs in urban areas and several provinces with high technology early-adopters.

This condition has led to a digital divide between Indonesia’s numerous islands as the largest archipelago in the world.

Data from the report shows that Indonesia’s overall digital competitiveness records a high competitiveness score for the communication and information tech utilisation aspect. This means that the country has a high level of tech adoption on smartphone ownership and internet access.

Indonesia also scores high for the infrastructure aspect, indicating that cellular data networks have been more evenly distributed across the country today.

Meanwhile, human resources and entrepreneurship receive the lowest score, which says a lot about tech talent scarcity issue in Indonesia. The limitations of educational institutions to produce a skilled IT workforce plays parts in the condition.

Also Read: A decade of innovation: How East Ventures is building Indonesian tech ecosystem from the ground up

The low entrepreneurial score itself shows that despite high penetration and distribution of network and internet, only a small number of Indonesians are opening businesses or utilising technology in their workplace.

The report also notes that provinces on the island of Java records the highest EV-DCI score in comparison to other provinces.

It highlights developmental inequality with a huge gap between the city that ranked first (Jakarta) and the city that ranked second (Bandung).

Willson Cuaca, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at East Ventures, explained that the cities with the highest EV-DCI score are the best places to start a new digital business as the likelihood of early adoption is high.

“The digital economy promises inclusivity and equal economic opportunities for all Indonesians. However, Indonesia is oftentimes only assessed from the development of certain big cities such as Jakarta, while there are still many cities untouched by the promise of the digital economy. By allowing everyone to participate in the digital economy, Indonesia could convert demographic bonuses into demographic dividends; turning potential into reality,” Cuaca said.

Also Read: East Ventures invests in Indonesian rental marketplace CUMI, eyeing growth and expansion

Despite its disparity with Jakarta and the DKI Jakarta province, West Java sits as the province with the best source of the skilled digital workforce, students, and lecturers, as well as the availability of school programmes related to digital skills.

Mapping the market

EV-DCI was released to give a full picture of Indonesia’s digital economy, so that stakeholders can take strategic steps to equalise digital access and technological capabilities throughout the country.

Cuaca stated that digital companies founded by local and young entrepreneurs have “successfully” increased economic access and productivity in the major cities of Indonesia, especially in Jakarta.

Furthermore, issues of inequality revealed in the report might turn into a “supporting material” for companies such as gojek, Tokopedia, and Traveloka to continue expanding their wings to other parts of the country.

Some tech companies that managed to have a better distribution serving other regions in Indonesia are education platform Ruangguru, which has been used by students in all 34 provinces, and the writer community of online media IDN Media, that already has a presence in each part of Indonesia.

Also Read: A look into one of the most active early stage VC firms this year

Another example is Moka POS, the POS platform that has made a presence in Papua. E-commerce solution provider Sirclo has supported online sellers located in East Nusa Tenggara, while budget hotel booking platform Airy has partnered with property owners in Bitung and Samosir.

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Image Credit: East Ventures

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Government and organisations in Asia Pacific are realising the benefits of new technologies as digital spend is expected to have reached US$375.8 billion in 2019. Spending on technologies that enable the digitisation of business practices, products and organisations is also forecasted to steadily increase all the way through to 2022, as we enter an era of digital native enterprises.

While our workflows continue to evolve in a digital-led world, the role of the developer will become more instrumental in driving business growth and enabling organisations to compete in a global economy. 

Software and coding have become so pervasive. They are now a necessity in the modern workplace in Singapore and Asia Pacific. While business leaders and non-tech teams do not need to be software development experts, it is important they gain an element of fluency so they remain relevant, and understand how to best run business operations.

Code and open source are a part of our lives

Code is powering and underpinning every facet of our lives, from how we connect as citizens to our governments, how we shop or access medical records, to how we communicate with our families, live, and work. 

Software has become a key driver of innovation, making coding an absolute necessity to survive and thrive in the modern world. As a result, more organisations in Asia Pacific are tapping into the open-source community to access the wide range of skills available globally, and re-use existing public code. 

Also Read: 9 essential tech skills anyone interested in startups should learn

Open source also enhances collaboration among teams and departments, fostering a smarter way of working and driving innovation, through the implementation of open source best practices within the organisation’s firewall. Called inner sourcing, this practice leads businesses to become more efficient by breaking down barriers and silos, so teams can share skills and better collaborate across the entire organisation. 

This creates a company culture where big ideas thrive, and where everyone contributes to innovation.  

Coding is becoming a life skill

Coding and the adoption of open source practices have much more to offer than just access to technical skills. It can benefit professionals from various backgrounds. 

Coding encourages critical, logical and creative thinking, problem-solving skills, and helps unlock cognitive functions. When fostered, all of those can add incredible value to an organisation, helping businesses create new opportunities and allowing professionals to broaden their career development paths. 

Using the power of open source also enables people to share ideas, experiences, contribute to each other’s projects, which ultimately creates a culture of collaboration and an open business mindset. 

Making an essential skill accessible to anyone, anywhere 

As the demand for tech and coding literate employees continues to rise, it has become obvious that coding should be introduced through education programmes and school curriculum. The Singapore government is taking a step in the right direction by introducing coding to classrooms, with the implementation of a 10-hour programme for upper primary students in 2020.

While we’re starting to see great progress in the education space, it will still be a decade before today’s students are introduced to the workforce. A report shows that 1.7 million students have learned to code on GitHub, 55 per cent more than last year. This is encouraging but we’re only scratching the surface – taking into consideration that there are approximately 200 million college students across the world.

Therefore, it is every organisation’s responsibility to implement coding and open-source literacy trainings as part of its corporate professional development programs. 

The good news is that coding is much more accessible than most business leaders might think. There is a rapid increase in the open-source communities across Asia Pacific.

Also Read: 6 tips for building a successful software development team

Singapore is ranked second for the highest percentage growth of open source contributors and overall contributors across the globe with a 77 per cent increase in 2019 as compared to the previous year.

This is a healthy sign that more members of the workforce are equipping themselves with new skillsets to create impactful software.

Open source platforms provide a fantastic avenue to make coding accessible to anyone, whether you are experienced or have no understanding of software development. The open-source community offers access to a unique pool of public global resources, and millions of qualified developers who are happy to help upskill more individuals.

Coding has become a core part of organisations’ DNA. It is the powerhouse behind every digital project, continuously evolving as every part of the business deepens its digital journey.

Coding literacy needs to become top of mind across the board, from the marketing, sales and operations teams, up to the C-Suite. By gaining coding skills, each individual will become an active contributor to delivering successful innovations, and be empowered to break down silos, create efficiencies, as well as foster a more collaborative and open business mindset. 

It is now up to businesses and government leaders in Asia Pacific to work together to ensure coding literacy be weaved into education and professional training programs, so we can prepare the workforce of tomorrow and equip organisations to succeed in a fast-paced, digital world. This is how our region can become an exporter of innovation.

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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.

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

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A friend working in a marketing agency recently asked me if there is any simple and non-technical way to optimise native advertising campaigns, given that major native advertising platforms are still quite new to marketers.

As a performance marketer transitioning from managing accounts on Google and Facebook to now working in a native advertising company, I can empathise with the pain of helplessness on campaign optimisation.

After all, native advertising just emerged and seems mysterious even nowadays. Here is what I shared with him. 

Put context words in the sentence

Instead of writing down headlines plainly, crafting your message by putting more context words, such as time and space, can be of great help to earn the reader’s attention.

If you can’t think of any context word, you are not alone. There is a more straightforward way to understand and implement this idea.

Also Read: YouAdMe: Flipping the advertising industry on its head with the power of connection and creativity

In my case, I would self-brainstorm from the angle of making up a story, a.k.a. storytelling. This allows me to have a specific scene in my brain and all I need to do is describe the scene pertinently, which further helps me come up with a catchy headline.

A case study from Sharethrough is a great example to explain. 

Original headline: A note of the efficiency and safety of our planes

Revised headline: How man’s age-old dream to fly like a bird may hold the solution to aircraft efficiency

The revised headline includes the element of context words and provides a clear picture (or story) for readers to imagine. Consequently, the revised one is more likely to win clicks. 

Use metaphors to spark the reader’s curiosity 

Metaphors, if used correctly in headline writing, can make your native advertising more engaging than ones with context words only and further result in a higher click-through rate.

Also Read: How AI is changing mobile advertising in 2019

This tactic, however, may require a certain level of talent to carry out as not all metaphors are idiomatically applicable and can be correctly related. Any explanation nuance should be carefully examined.  

In my experience, storytelling, the strategy shared in the first passage, can also help cultivate the ability to craft a powerful metaphorical headline.

Here is another example from Sharethrough to demonstrate headlines that utilize metaphors.

Original headline: 5 ways to improve your morning routine

Revised headline: 5 ways to bring a little sunshine into your morning

With just a few words changed, the revised headline quickly sparks readers’ curiosity and drive people to click on the headline to know what the magic is to make their day.

Use pictures that resonate readers

Native advertising is well-known for its relatively strict policies on creatives standard. For instance, overly promotional creatives that could pass the scrutiny on Google or Facebook are very likely to be rejected on native advertising platforms.

Also Read: An end of Google-Facebook advertising duopoly could be a boon for adtech

Despite that, creatives remain a paramount factor to persuade readers on natives ads as our brains are wired to imitate everything we see, according to a study, and cherry-picked pictures that create resonance can significantly drive click impulse.

Considering the visual impact of human behaviour, rather than picking up pictures featuring your products or services solely, you should select the one with the action element you’d like readers to take.

Take skincare products for example. A picture featuring someone applying the facial cream can create stronger resonance and emotional engagement and further encourage readers to imitate.  

Once they subconsciously start to imitate, they would recall your brands and buy your products or services at some point in the future.

Catch up with the latest trends 

Including topics about holiday seasons and viral trends in creatives designing and headlines, writing can as well bring you a surprising result as the above tactics do.

This tactic is extremely helpful with improving the campaign performance as typical native advertising platforms are essentially built on partnering with news portals and blogs to form native networks.

Also Read: 8 tips for a successful Instagram advertising campaign

Internet users on those publishers can easily identify whether the content they are consuming is up-to-date or not. They are likely to skip your native ads once they find out the headlines or pictures are outdated.

With that said, any wittiness of the current trend represented on creatives can greatly appeal to internet users and further earn extra points for your native advertising campaigns.

Based on the A/B test I conducted a while ago, I did see a huge increase in conversion rate when headlines included specific holidays or special events, such as the presidential election, as compared to those that didn’t include. 

Repeat the above four periodically

As the internet becomes our everyday life, internet users are exposed to tons of various information and increasingly get tired of repetitive or same content easily.

Worse still, the circumstance of advertising fatigue will only become more common and there is no sign of slowing down.

Any way to fix this urgent issue? Yes, there is and it’s probably the only way — be diligent to change your campaign creatives and headlines often.

Also Read: How startups can get the most out of their advertising dollars

While it sounds daunting to proceed, because content production oftentimes requires resource and time to complete, what you should do is slightly adjust headlines and creatives.

For example, changing a few words in headlines and adding some new elements to creatives are sophisticated enough to make your native advertising as fresh as it used to be.

Don’t be lazy. You should mark on your calendar to remind yourself of refreshing your creatives from time to time and eventually you will realise how powerful and critical this step is on improving your native ad performance.

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