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Did you know that October 29 is a National Cat Day? If you have a cat at home, it might be a good time to force-hug them and give them a nice treat.

According to an article by KrAsia, a global market research firm Euromonitor shares that the trend of providing a decent life that doesn’t revolve around eating, sleeping, and excreting is called “pet humanisation”. This has caused a spike in startups focussing solely on your pet’s wellbeing, from “social petworking” events, organic food, beverage for pets, to pet insurance.

In Southeast Asia, analyst firm Future Market Insights shares that the pet care market is expected to hit 1.4 billion by 2020, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 6.8 per cent during the forecast period.

Thanks to Taylor Swift, Cat Day is an inspiration for us to go around Southeast Asia and discover startups that use technology to better provide for furry sons and daughters you have at home. These are some of the gems we found.

Furpal, Singapore

Furpal just got a foothold on Singapore’s increasingly crowded pet-tech market. According to an article by Coconuts, tt matches dog lovers to owners for paid playdates, which is proven to be a hit among pet lovers that don’t have or can’t have pets on their own.

Established by Kylie Teo in July 2019, it allows customers to pay start from US$10 per hour for each visitor to spend time with the chosen dog from the app. It’s like Tinder but instead of a human, we get to a dog for our date, and if that’s not the purest thing in this world, we don’t know what is.

Also Read: Startup in Spotlight: Meet Malaysian subscription box service Pets My Heart

Each dog on the platform gets a description of their character traits, basic info about their owner, and available meeting slots. This way, Teo said, the concept of “marketplace” wouldn’t be limited only for pet adoption, but also for just a casual playdate and pet walkers and sitters.

To ensure safety, Furpal said it has a thorough screening system of every owner as well as in-person temperament assessments of the dogs that tend to be more aggressive by nature. Its community vetting process is also meant to ensure that “borrowers” who book a furry pal are aware of the potential risks of playing with dogs.

Furpal said it aims to educate more owners about the benefits of having their dogs socialise with new people, and to help borrowers learn more about dog care from increased interaction with the canines and their owners.

Pawrus, Singapore

Pawrus’ catchphrase is “pet care, simplified”, and it is exactly what it offers Pawrus was founded in 2014 with a mission to educate pet owners on appropriate pet care.

Kevin Yeo, started Pawrus with Jasline Aiw in 2014, when Yeo couldn’t find what he was looking for in a pet care centre because the staff wasn’t too helpful. Now, as co-founder, Yeo, who’s a professional and certified dog trainer claims the title Chief Trainer, while Aiw focusses on styling and pet grooming as a certified professional pet stylist.

Yeo noted that Pawrus focusses on giving it all to customer experiences, to the point where they would remember the pet’s name. Such committed service is achieved with what Yeo called a well-researched content that ensures a top-notch knowledge of products sold on the platform.

“We don’t just recommend just based on internet knowledge. We consult veterinary books and cross-reference the ingredients used for our pet food to know what kinds of allergies that could come up for each brand,” Yeo said in an interview with Vulcan Post.

Similar pet-focussed e-commerces that are based in the country include PerroMart, Nekojam, MOBY’s Petshop, Kohepets, and Poly Pets.

From Indonesia, Petku is also an online pet-supplies e-commerce.

From Brunei Darussalam, there’s Nimanja, the country’s online pet store, and pet retail chain.

The Grateful Dog

In 2017, besties who grew up loving cats and dogs, Rachel Pereira and Sandee Goh launched The Grateful Dog, out of personal concern for the health of their furkids, Lucy the Boston terrier and Clash the beagle. The two found out about the existing negative effects of highly processed kibble and canned food and began a research journey to find a formula with prepared homemade meals for fur babies, and two years later, The Grateful Dog was born.

Both Pereira and Goh are certified pet food nutrition specialists, and The Grateful Dog offers veterinary-reviewed meals with an organic supplement blend in the AVA-certified kitchen.

Also Read: Meet the 8 Southeast Asian startups who will receive US$1-2M each from Sequoia’s Surge programme

The duo shared with The Straits Times that they kicked off operation with a capital of US$64,000, and has now extended its business to ‘The Grateful Give Back’, a platform for dog lovers to help furkids in need.

Similar pet home-cooked meal delivery services include PetChef, based in Malaysia.

JomPaw, Malaysia

Co-founded by Joanne Lee, Agnez Lim, and Ngan Szu Mun, JomPaw is an online pet lovers community that provides all types of pet services from boarding, walking, training, and even pet taxi.

JomPaw offers a wide range of home-based cage-free services through connecting pet parents with the network of loving and trustworthy pet sitters that provides personalised care 24/7 for pets.

In an interview with First Classe, Lee said: “Our idea stems from our own experience: Sometimes when we send our pets to a boarding service or pet hotel, they come back with ticks.”

Commercial pet services often leave no choice but cage up pets and give not enough attention due to caring for more than one pet. On top of that, not every pet facility can take in less common pets like lizards, snakes, and spiders or pets with specific needs.

To make sure the quality of its service, JomPaw said it will assess the sitters’ experience with pets and the size of their house or car and whenever a request comes in, the matchmaking is being done based on the information provided.

In August 2017, the company participated in the Japan chapter of 500 Startups accelerator, followed by participation in the local WTF Accelerator programme to establish local connections and grow the business.

Similar pet care matchmaking platform that is based in Singapore includes PetBacker, which addresses the trust issues of having a stranger care for your pet using a built-in trust point system for every sitters and walkers profile and a spot check by its team, and soon will as a dog tracking feature that allows app-based pet-tracking.

From Singapore, there’s also Furwy that offers similar services to connect pet owners with pet sitters.

Pets My Heart, Malaysia

Pets My Heart is a Malaysian pet-tech startup that introduces the concept of a monthly subscription box service for pet owners. It was founded by Lam Woon Cherk and a few others to deliver a box of different treats and toys to customers every month.

Pets My Heart curates and customise the content of the box according to the pet that will enjoy the toys and treats. Lam described its business as “an e-commerce store that sells subscription pet gift boxes”.

Each pet gift box by Pets My Heart contains a combination of four to six different treats and toys with different content each month, some of which -the company claimed- cannot be bought from the market.

Pets My Heart aims to pique on the surprise element of not knowing what is in the next box and to help pet owners save time for such things, and save money.

PETOInternational, Indonesia

PETOInternational (PETO) is an Indonesia-based mobile app that offers a range of pet services for a cat, dog, parrot, or hamster. It was first introduced in September 2017 as a “Pet-tinder”, with its main feature PETOdate, a social networking feature to connect pets with their owners in a close community.

PETO was co-founded by CEO Ditya Nandiwardhana and Elmo D. Alfared, who got inspired when encountering difficulties finding a proper medication and partner for Nandiwardhana’s cat.

According to an article in The Jakarta Post, the app offers interactive Hump game that lets pet owners play as their pets and gain points by humping or attacking other pets.

Also Read: 7 startups in Asia pet parents should know

PETO also features Rescue, a feature that allows users to donate and adopt animals, as well as an in-app shop, where users can purchase pet essentials and have them delivered. PETO VETS enables users to locate the closest vet from their area.

PetInsure, Thailand

As the name suggests, PetInsure is a Thailand-based pet insurance startup.

According to Insurance Business Mag, Thailand has a pet industry worth around US$659.5 million, seeking to care for the 9 million pet dogs and cats in the country. Pets are eligible for coverage their entire lives, as long as the policy is renewed.

Its pet insurance packages cover all veterinary bills, including vaccination, treatment for illnesses or accidents, and death. It also offers an in-house veterinary team to provide home-service check-ups for pets.

It won US$6,000 cash prize at the Samart Innovation Award, a competition that aims to strengthen the country’s technology industries.

PetInsure is operating under its parent firm Dong Sung Ki Innovation.

With Singapore leading the region as a country with the most pet-tech operation, Malaysia and Thailand are catching up as the industry has grown into a promising sector. However, frontier markets like Myanmar and Cambodia are yet to welcome pet-tech startup trends.

With more people become more aware of animals’ welfare, including domesticated pets, this list will just keep growing in time to come.
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Photo by BRUNO CERVERA on Unsplash

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In life, change is inevitable; In business, it is vital.

The arrival of new leadership can be an exciting event for companies and can pave the way for greater success in the team, especially if executed well.

While adopting a team is a tricky ball game; I’ve noticed that changes have always offered new challenges, as well as opportunities, that spark new energy in the members of the team and the organisation at large. When a leader, whether an external hire or an ingrown manager, adopts a team, they will face challenges and hurdles.

Let’s discuss what you can do to make your transition smooth.

The new kid on the block –

You’ve recently joined the company and you are a stranger here. It feels like people are watching your every move, like a predator waiting for you to make one mistake and fall into the trap. Chances are that the team is well acquainted with each other and you feel like a fish out of water. In this scenario, you’ve got to make sure you get off on the right foot. Some of the steps you can take to start are:

1. Get to know them: A common mistake here is spending too much time on getting to know what the previous manager was like and his way of working. Your aim should be to get to know the business and more importantly the people you are working with.

• Start by knowing what they do: Try to understand the scope of each member’s role and responsibility beyond the specifics of their job. How do they fit into the bigger scheme of things?

• What do they like: Take time to determine the satisfaction levels of the team members with their current roles. This can be a great time to change up outdated or unnecessary processes and inefficient work distribution.

• What are their aspirations: Try to assimilate as much information as you can about how they want to grow professionally. Even if they are perfectly happy with their job, this will help you understand how you can further develop them and aid them in taking on new responsibilities.

2. Foster Collaboration: A vital part of making teams work is encouraging them to collaborate. Take some time out to let the team have fun. A team dinner or a simple pizza party in the company garden. We often underestimate the power of a change in the environment. New environments often make us more receptive to other changes.

You can spice up team outings by adding a few elements of fun through some simple games. Here’s a list of a few cool activities you can try at your next team outing. Don’t be afraid to open up a little. A certain amount of vulnerability is appreciated when dealing with new people.

3. Set Clear Goals: It is important to set clear goals and set processes in place to ensure smooth achievement of goals, but don’t make the mistake of trying to change current processes and revamp everything at once.

Instead, try a 30-60-90 day approach for each team member. Don’t forget to take into account their aspirations, the time required to rework old methods and also get acquainted with new responsibilities. This will give them a clear picture of what is expected of them and will make them feel involved. Discuss the 30-60-90 day plan you chalk out for them and modify it to manage expectations and capabilities. You can use this sample template to create plans for your team members

The newly honed diamond –

This breed of a manager is fairly new to the management scene but well acquainted with the company. Familiarity breeds contempt and hence your most important task as a new manager is to –

1. Build credibility: How do you do that?

Step 1: Learn – it is true that knowledge is power, and if a team member feels that their manager is not competent enough, it affects their perception of you.

Step 2: Listen – you will be surprised to know how much you can gain by simply listening to your team members. Have a chat with them, talk them through an overview of the plans you have for the team, share your joy and involve them in the process of you becoming a better leader.

Step 3: Be humble: All that being said a leader must acknowledge his strengths and weaknesses. Never and I mean never take credit away from your subordinates and make it yours. You must take pride in the achievements of your team members but remember to give credit where it’s due and acknowledge the knowledge and efforts of your team members.

Also Read: The 4 principles of hiring an omnipotent founding team for your startup

Step 4: Be genuine: Don’t paint a fake picture in the minds of your team members. Be as transparent as possible while preserving the integrity of your role and the company at large.

2. Set boundaries: You know these guys, they have been your pals you’ve been trained with some of them. Laughed at perverted jokes over a few drinks, had embarrassing moments etc … We’ve all been there, but this needn’t deter you from carrying out your responsibilities.

Now, this can be tricky because you definitely will face pushback. People will try to test your boundaries, miss deadlines, and some may even call your usual behaviour arrogance. All said and done; you are now a leader, act like one.

Don’t avoid social situations; modify your approach a little. Have two drinks instead of a hundred at company social events. Avoid discussing your personal life in too much detail as far as possible.

Adopting a team isn’t a cakewalk. Team dynamics are primarily affected by their leader and every action you take, will determine how accepting the team will be toward your leadership.

I hope you benefit from these pointers and can put them to use.

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Editor’s note: e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.

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Image Credit: Pascal Swier

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Countless people wonder what it takes to be a leading futurist. I have broken down the process into five easy steps.

1. Update your LinkedIn Profile. You may be surprised what a difference that makes. Before you know it you, will be inundated with messages by people seeking your help with the future.

2. Pay a freelancer to make you a nice animated video featuring cyborgs, U.F.O.s and upbeat music. Be sure to include lots of 0s and 1s in the background. Think matrix. A light sabre or two also don’t hurt. But stay clear of the aliens (too 90s).

3. Take a picture of yourself wearing an augmented reality device. You can also use a free stock photo. People don’t need to know how you look. Your job is to focus the eyes of your audience on the future. (Note: the picture above is not me)

4. Watch all the science-fiction movies you can get your hands on. And be sure to tell anyone you meet in future that the future just needs a little imagination (that’s where you come in.)

5. Don’t overdo the technology bit. Talk about grand, heart-wrenching topics like love, world peace and what it means to be human. An odd philosopher’s quote also won’t hurt. As Aristotle put it, …

By the way, that bit about science-fiction may actually work. It apparently did for Arthur C. Clarke, the American science fiction author credited with predicting today’s computers and videoconferencing in 1976. Some other things he got wrong. So perhaps it’s best to stick to the immediate future (aka the second after this.) It’s less exciting, but a lot easier to predict.

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Editor’s note: e27 publishes relevant guest contributions from the community. Share your honest opinions and expert knowledge by submitting your content here.

Join our e27 Telegram group here, or our e27 contributor Facebook page here.

Image Credit: Pixabay

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn

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Facebook announces that it has partnered with Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) for the second edition of Facebook Accelerator Singapore (previously Startup Station Singapore). The programme will run for six months, looking to support data-driven startups.

By joining the programme, startups will have access to in-person training, mentoring, and an opportunity to network with regional venture capital and investors as an effort to help them grow.

For the second edition, participating startups are required to demonstrate the use of Facebook tools and trends, such as Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Messenger, and social commerce. Also, startups that intend to adopt trusted data and AI practices, such as IMDA’s trusted data-sharing framework and/or model AI governance framework would also be considered for the program.

The official statement from the companies states that it aims to continue the support for Singaporean and regional startups to grow and develop a community of innovative businesses.

Virginia Yang, Director of Developer Partnerships and Programs, Facebook APAC said, “We see that the startup community is making the most of building with new technologies. Through this program and with our partners we are proud to continue to support by offering mentorship, design and product deep dives as well as access to the investor community — so that they can build and grow sustainable businesses that can impact our lives and our communities.”

Also Read: Facebook launches “hangout spot” for startup, developer communities in Jakarta

The programme was known as Startup Station Singapore before, and it welcomed 10 startups from the region to participate in a specially designed program that empowered data-driven startups in Asia to accelerate their businesses with values of people’s trust, transparency, and control over their data at the core. Participants also presented at Demo Day back in August 2019.

“IMDA supports Facebook Accelerator Singapore as part of our effort to nurture a vibrant data innovation ecosystem. We are encouraged to see many startups incorporating best practices in the responsible use of data as part of their data-enabled services and applications,” said Yeong Zee Kin, Assistant Chief Executive (Data Innovation and Protection Group) of IMDA.

The second edition of the program is now open to applicants from across the region. The Facebook Accelerator Singapore team will be reaching out to startup communities in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia to encourage them to apply to the program.

Applications for startups open 1 November and close on 14 January 2020, powered by Plug and Play, an innovation platform for tech startups around the world.

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Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

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Japan’s Paidy gets US$143M in funding – Press Release

Paidy Inc, a Japan-based payment provider offering instantly-issued credit, today announced additional funding worth US$143 million.

The funding consisted of a US$83 million Series C extension from the likes of PayPal Ventures, Soros Capital Management LLC (a Robert Soros Enterprise), JS Capital Management LLC (the family office of Jonathan Soros), Tybourne Capital Management Ltd. and one more undisclosed company. It also included the participation of existing investors such as Eight Roads Ventures.

The remaining of the funding is a US$60 million in debt financing.

In a press statement, Paidy said that it will focus on increasing its customer base to 11,000,000 accounts by the end of 2020. It plans to achieve this by acquiring large-scale merchants and offering additional financial services.

Indonesia to open startup ecosystem hub in Papua – DailySocial

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo announced the upcoming launch of a startup ecosystem hub in Papua, DailySocial reported.

In a press statement, the president said that the setup of the facility –which will include an incubator and accelerator programme and a dormitory– is aimed to foster tech entrepreneurship in the region.

Set to be built in the city of Kotaraja, the facility will be run by locally owned company PT Papua Muda Inspiratif.

Also Read: Paying online without a credit card? Japanese startup Paidy just raises US$15M to push the effort

Govt officials around the world targeted for hacking through Whatsapp – Reuters

In an exclusive report, Reuters wrote that senior government officials in multiple US-allied countries were targeted earlier this year with hacking software that used WhatsApp to take over users’ phones.

Citing people familiar with the investigation process, the report stated that a “significant” portion of known victims are high-profile government and military officials spread across at least 20 countries on five continents.

It suggested that the hacking could have broad political and diplomatic consequences.

Keyless raised US$2.2M in pre-seed funding – Dealstreet Asia

London- and Singapore-based cybersecurity startup Keyless has raised US$2.2 million in pre-seed funding led by blockchain venture firm gumi Cryptos Capital, Dealstreet Asia wrote.

The funding round also included the participation of Ripple Labs, Blockchain Valley Ventures and LuneX Ventures.

Describing itself as the world’s first distributed biometric authentication and identity management platform, Keyless is in the midst of developing a deep tech solution that aims to tackle cybercrime and make passwords obsolete.

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Image Credit: Timo Volz on Unsplash

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Livspace, digital home interiors, and renovations platform announced that it has launched its operations in Singapore.

Livspace was founded in 2015 by Ramakant Sharma and Anuj Srivastava, seeking to provide a three-sided marketplace and a design automation platform that connects designers, vendors, and consumers. It is a full-stack service that offers consumers a home decoration and renovation experience from design to installation.

Livspace also has Canvas, its proprietary design-to-installation cloud platform, launched in 2016, that unifies the fragmented ecosystem of home renovations – including homeowners, designers, micro-studios, and vendors.

Livspace uses data science-enabled algorithms to match homeowners with designers based on style preferences, budget, the scope of work and timelines. Homeowners – through the Canvas platform – can see quick mock-ups that give the look-and-feel of their home.

The company then assures the delivery of the project, using technology to make the experience as seamless as possible.

Also Read: Livspace raises US$15M to help you personalise the interior of your home

“Over the next 30 months, we are aiming to build Livspace into a US$500 million business operating across APAC and solving the renovation problem for tens of thousands of homeowners. Singapore marks the first step in our APAC growth and will serve as the headquarters for our global expansion,” said Livspace’s CEO and Co-Founder, Anuj Srivastava.

Ravindran Shanmugam, Country Head of Singapore for Livspace. “We are looking to strengthen our presence in Singapore by injecting US$30 million for our business expansion and to grow our team.”

The company plans to base central teams and over 250 employees in Singapore.

Over the next two years, Livspace said it will onboard thousands of freelance designers, contract manufacturers, OEMs, and brands to build the e-commerce supply chain for the home improvement industry.

Livspace also plans to create an omnichannel experience using AR, VR, and platform-integrated physical design experience centres.

Also Read: Livspace secures US$70M from TPG Growth, Goldman Sachs, Jungle Ventures, others

Livspace has raised over US$103 million in the capital by investors including TPG Growth, Goldman Sachs, Bessemer Venture Partners, Jungle Ventures, Helion Ventures, and UC-RNT.

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Singapore-based e-commerce company Qoo10 has acquired ShopClues, an online marketplace in India, for US$70-100 million, The Economic Times reports.

This an all-stock deal is the culmination of a prolonged hunt for a buyer by ShopClues, which at its peak was valued at US$1.1 billion in late 2015, says the report citing three unnamed sources.

ShopClues has confirmed the development to ET.

The deal is not completed yet. As part of the buyout, Qoo10 will also acquire Momoe, the payments arm of Clues Network, parent of ShopClues.

Qoo10 operates localised online marketplaces across Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong.

ShopClues was founded in 2011 by Sandeep Aggarwal. Unlike other marketplaces, which tend to focus on mobile, electronics, computers and branded fashion, ShopClues mainly focusses on unstructured categories. The firm is backed by GIC, Tiger Global, and Nexus Venture Partners.

The e-commerce company had a tumultuous past as its co-founders fought with each other over several issues, including an illicit relationship. In September 2017, Sandeep filed first information report or FIR (the equivalent of Writ of Petition) against his co-founder-wife Radhika Aggarwal and CEO Sanjay Sethi, accusing them of criminal conspiracy to kick him out of the company.

Also Read: These early-stage funding rounds have made October the busiest time of the year

This came almost six months after Aggarwal accused Radhika of stripping his voting rights at the company and having an illicit relationship with Sethi. In a series of Facebook posts, he had also accused her of “intentionally and deliberately kicking out other founding team members by collaborating with once illicit love affair partner” and “changing web history, tempering with Wikipedia and lying in the press.”

The problem between the couple started when Sandeep, a former equity analyst at US-based financial services firm Collins Stewart, was arrested in 2013 by the FBI over insider trading charges. According to the investigation agency, Sandeep tipped off Richard Lee, a portfolio manager at hedge fund SAC Capital about a pending deal between Microsoft and Yahoo. Sandeep was consequently banned by the US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) from trading after he pleaded guilty. He was later released on a US$500,000 bond until trial.

After a few months, he came back to India. Upon his return, he found something wrong in the company and that his wife deliberately avoided him. He grew suspicious about her behaviour, as she appeared more close to Sethi.

Sandeep claims that he founded ShopClues in 2010 using his personal savings. Radhika and Sethi were hired later as Vice Presidents. Sethi was later inducted as Co-founder. When Sandeep was arrested in the US, he nominated Sethi as the new CEO to the Board and Radhika to be a Board member.

When he came back to India in August 2014, Sandeep claims, he found that ShopClues changed Sandeep’s right to nominate a board member way back in April 2014 and he was kept in dark by the two.

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Helpling, the online marketplace for household services, announces that it has secured US$22 million investment from ProSiebenSat.1, a European media group. Lakestar and Mangrove Capital also come back to invest in this round.

Collectively, Helpling claimed that it has raised a total of US$97 million in funding since launching in early 2014. It entered Singapore in 2015 via the acquisition of a local business called Spickify.

The company said it will use the new investment to drive growth and expansion across additional verticals.

Philip Huffmann, Co-Founder of Helpling said: “The investment is an important step towards Helpling becoming the hub for all home services. We will now move to the next phase of enabling as many people as possible to find and provide help at home.”

Also Read: Sendhelper wants US$300K to take on Helpling in Singapore

Helpling is a platform that connects households with adjacent service providers such as air conditioning servicing, laundry, and furniture assembling. On the website or via the app, customers can book a vetted and insured cleaner and gain back free time within a couple of clicks.

In the Asia Pacific, the company has established firm market strongholds in Singapore and Australia- with plans to expand into new markets.

James Lim, Managing Director of Helpling Asia Pacific: “The Singapore business has grown 15 folds since its launch and is still one of the fastest-growing markets within the Helpling Group.”

For service providers, the platform makes it easier to access new clients and to manage when and where they want to work.

Helpling was founded in early 2014 by Benedikt Franke and Philip Huffmann. Among its investors are Mangrove Capital, Lakestar, APACIG, Rocket Internet and Unilever Ventures.

Also Read: Household services marketplace Helpling raises funding from Swiss media group

Helpling said that its main markets are Germany and Singapore at the forefront of its innovation. Currently, Helpling offers its services in 10 countries: Australia, Germany, Italy, France, Ireland, UK, UAE, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Singapore.
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SoftBank wires US$1.5B to WeWork before cash runs out [Bloomberg]

WeWork said it received an early payment of US$1.5 billion from SoftBank Group, as the co-working company was weeks away from running out of money.

As a result, a slate of governance changes went into effect Wednesday, including the replacement of co-founder Adam Neumann as chairman and the assignment of five board seats to SoftBank, which will take a majority stake. WeWork also said it appointed a new independent director to the board, Jeff Sine, co-founder of financial firm Raine Group.

“This financing package enables the company to accelerate the path to profitability,” Marcelo Claure, WeWork’s new executive chairman, said in a statement.

Child Health Imprints raises US$2.3M in pre-Series A funding [press release]

Child Health Imprints (CHIL), a Singapore-based company focusing on neonatal-clinical care improvement, today announced that it has raised US$2.4 million in pre-Series A funding, led by HealthXCapital, with participation from Enterprise SG and other HNIs.

CHIL is engaged in the development and application of cutting-edge informational and computational technologies including IoT, Artificial Intelligence and predictive analytics to the practice of medicine in neonatal intensive care units across the world with the objective of making an early diagnosis of critical diseases and improving the overall quality of healthcare which is being provided to neonates.

The CHIL cloud platform (iNICU) also integrates laboratory results, and bedside clinical observations. It then analyses the data in medically comprehensive formats leveraging Machine Learning and Deep Learning technologies, which
enhances the overall quality of healthcare provided to neonates in NICUs. Post-discharge of baby from NICU, discharge data is pushed into iCHR (integrated Child Health Record). It automates growth monitoring, prescription and lab investigations, vaccination record & scheduler for the child.

MX Player raises US$110M from Tencent, Times Internet [press release]

MX Player, a video player and video OTT platform in India, has received US$110 million in fresh funding from Tencent and Times Internet. The deal marks Tencent’s second investment into a Times Internet asset, after it invested in Gaana, the music streaming platform, in 2018.

Since its formal OTT launch in February 2019, MX Player claims to have bagged over 175 million monthly active users in India and over 275 million monthly active users worldwide. Its OTT service is now live in 5 countries.

In 2018, Times Internet acquired a majority stake in MX Player, which was then a video playback app, from Chinese mobile games firm Zenjoy, which continues to be a shareholder.

Singapore’s ST Telemedia leads US$40M funding in Big Data firm Datameer [DealStreetAsia]

Temasek-backed investor ST Telemedia had led a US$40-million funding round in Datameer, a San Francisco-based big data analytics and visualisation company that seeks to build out its global sales and engineering capabilities.

In a statement, Datameer said its existing investor ST Telemedia was joined by shareholders Redpoint Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Nextworld Capital, Citi Ventures, and Top Tier Capital Partners in the funding round.

The company said it will use the fresh funding to expand its capabilities in the enterprise data preparation and exploration market and to finance the market introduction of its Neebo solution. Neebo is a cloud-native self-service solution that allows teams of analytics and data scientists to create, discover, use and share trusted assets in hybrid landscapes, Datameer said.

Mitsui to manufacture electric vehicle motors in India [press release]

Mitsui & Co. plans to build a US$14 million plant to manufacture electric vehicle (EV) motors in India, in partnership with leading Taiwanese motor manufacturer TECO Electric & Machinery.

The plant, in Bengaluru, Karnataka state, is expected to commence full production by the end of next year, generating 110,000 high-efficiency motors per year.

The investment is being made by a joint venture, TEMICO, set up in April 2018 by Mitsui (40 per cent) and TECO (60 per cent) to pursue the development, manufacturing, and sales of EV motors and EV powertrains globally.

Shinichiro Omachi, Managing Director of Mitsui & Co. India said: “The plant creates 200 jobs and will contribute to the growth of India’s EV industry, local manufacturing and reducing air pollution. Sustainability and mobility are key growth areas for Mitsui and we are investing more in EV businesses as the world moves towards a low-carbon society.”

The joint venture will establish a local company, TEMICO India, to build the plant, which will produce EV traction motor for electric vehicles.

The plant is Mitsui’s second major EV venture in India following its investment in SmartE, India’s first and largest three-wheeler electric mobility service, in July.

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While the fintech sector continued to become a prima donna in the Southeast Asian tech ecosystem –considering the number of fintech companies that announced their funding rounds each month– the month of October also brought forth plenty of exciting new sectors to consider.

Within one week, we even saw two funding announcements from New Protein companies. These announcements indicated a greater appetite to invest in companies that are working in solutions to save the environment –for example, by developing the alternative to conventional meat.

Another unique, unheard of sector is maritime tech, which we saw one funding announcement of.

The following is a list of the early-stage funding round that we manage to cover in October:

Milleu Insight
Funding round: US$2.4 million pre-Series A
Investor(s): MassMutual Ventures

With the new funds, the Singapore-based analytics startup aims to expand into four new markets in Southeast Asia: Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

Also Read: As September ends, wake up to these notable early stage funding rounds of the month

Paper.id
Funding stage: Undisclosed Series A
Investor(s): Golden Gate Ventures, Modalku

The Indonesian SaaS platform plans to use the funding to improve its digital invoicing and bookkeeping system.

Crewdible
Funding stage: US$1.5 million in pre-Series A
Investor(s): Global Founders Capital

The Indonesian micro-warehousing platform will use the funding to build a stronger presence in big cities across the country, marketing efforts, and most importantly to improve the platform to support massive traffic and other needs.

Edukasyon.ph
Funding round: Undisclosed Series A
Investor(s): EduLab Capital Partners, Obunsha Ventures, Alternate Ventures, Foxmont Capital Partners, Lorinet Foundation, French Partners, First Asia Venture Capital, and KSR Ventures

Since its launch in 2015, Edukasyon.ph has enabled access to education for about 10 million visitors annually.

Yummy Corp
Funding round: US$7.75 million in Series A
Investor(s): SMDV (Sinarmas Digital Ventures), Intudo Ventures, East Ventures, Agaeti Ventures, Sovereign’s Capital, and Selera Kapital by Sour Sally Group

With this investment, Yummy Corp said it is targeting 200 locations for the year 2020 across Jakarta and other major cities in Indonesia.

Also Read: 5 valuable things I learned about the angel investment and early stage funding scene in Southeast Asia

GDP
Funding round: US$1 million in Seed
Investor(s): Angel investors

Singapore-headquartered fintech startup GDP Inc. has already established offices in five locations (Singapore, The Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Estonia) and soon to be in Hong Kong and China.

Ento
Funding round: Undisclosed Seed
Investor(s): Rapzo Capital (lead)

Malaysian new protein startup Ento said that the funding will be used for production and regional market expansion.

RoomMe
Funding round: Undisclosed Series A
Investor(s): BAce Capital

Indonesia-based co-living startup RoomMe is BAce’s first known investment in Indonesia.

Fuse
Funding round: Undisclosed Series A
Investor(s): EV Growth

The Indonesian insurtech startup said that it raises “a couple of million” US dollars, aimed at helping it expands to eight major cities in the country.

StickEarn
Funding round: US$5.5 million in Series A
Investor(s): East Ventures, SMDV, Grab, OVO, Agaeti Ventures

The Indonesian O2O adtech startup said that the funding will enable it to “explore new opportunities from different verticals and enhance its data and analytics capabilities.”

MyCash
Funding round: Undisclosed Seed
Investor(s): 500 Startups, Ng Sek San

The Singapore- and Malaysia-based fintech startup will use the investment to acquire remittance licenses in the two countries.

Also Read: Early stage fundraising: What it takes to win over investors that best fit your team

Cricket One
Funding round: Undisclosed Seed
Investor(s): 500 Startups, Masik Enterprises

Vietnam-based new protein startup Cricket One plans to use the funding for further R&D and study of the cricket protein structure.

Yours
Funding: US$3.5 million in Seed
Investor(s): Surge, Global Founders Capital, Kindred Ventures, and an undisclosed celebrity fund

The Singapore-based personalised skincare startup plans to use the funding to focus on improving computer vision and Machine Learning to achieve personalisation at scale.

Sampingan
Funding: US$1.5 million in pre-Series A
Investor(s): Golden Gate Ventures (lead), Antler

Indonesia-based on-demand workforce platform Sampingan plans to use the money to expand operations by providing businesses with more extensive options to scale.

Claritecs
Funding: US$600,000 in pre-Series A
Investor(S): INNOPORT, Bernhard Schulte, angel investor

The Singapore-based maritime tech startup will use the funding to support product development and market roll-out.

FazWaz
Funding: “seven figure” pre-Series A
Investor(s): Undisclosed

The Thailand-based proptech company will use the funding to expand its market share in Thailand and to continue its overseas expansion into the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

NuSpace
Funding: Undisclosed Seed
Investor(s): BEENEXT

NuSpace, a Singapore-based nano-satellite company that provides IoT connectivity and data platform services, stated that the funding will help “accelerate momentum” for their product launch.

Autify
Funding: US$2.5 million in Seed
Investor(s): Global Brain Corporation, Salesforce Ventures, Archetype Ventures Inc., individual investors

Autify, the AI-powered software testing automation platform, plans to use the seed funding to reinforce product development and sales systems, as well as to explore the international market.

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

Zipmex
Funding: US$3 million in pre-Series A
Investor(s): Infinity Blockchain Holdings

Zipmex, a Singapore-based currency exchange focussed on providing retail and institutional investors the ability to invest securely in cryptocurrencies, plans to accelerate its Asia Pacific expansion plans.

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Image Credit: You X Ventures on Unsplash

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