Ecosystem Roundup: Philippines set to take uncommon high spot for IPOs in SEA; Why Robert Downey invested in a Singapore startup

Korean retailer Shinsegae Group invests in Seize; As per DealStreetAsia sources, the funding has been routed by the group’s newly-formed company VC arm Signet Companions; The retailer continues to identify important alternatives in Seize’s cell platform adoption. Extra right here

Quick tempo of digital adoption spurs Beenext to ramp up early-stage investments in Vietnam; Beenext will goal startup that serve industries contributing to VN’s development story equivalent to industrial improvement, actual property and consumption themes; It usually invests within the vary of US$500K-US$1mn. Extra right here

Why ‘Iron Man’ star Robert Downey Jr. locations his wager on Singapore’s RWDC Industries; RWDC develops cost-effective biopolymer materials options, that are naturally produced by bacterial fermentation of plant-based oils or sugar; Thus far, the biodegradable plastic startup has raised almost US$170M from a clutch of buyers equivalent to Vickers Enterprise and Downey’s fund FootPrint Coalition. Extra right here

Transcelestial raises US$2mn from Ayala-backed Kickstart Ventures, enters Philippines; Its Centauri machine offers a wi-fi distribution community between buildings, conventional cell towers, street-level poles and different bodily infrastructure; Transcelestial is constructing what it claims to be an area laser community to “ship a step-change in web connectivity globally”. Extra right here

Dole Asia launches US$2mn “Sunshine for All” fund; It’s a part of its bigger “Dole Promise” initiative launched in 2020; The fund goals to perform targets together with offering entry to sustainable vitamin for 1bn individuals by 2025, having zero fossil-based plastic packaging by 2025, and net-zero carbon emissions in operations by 2030. Extra right here

Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam have big potential in APAC for neobank development: A UnaFinancial examine says the 4 SEA nations have roughly the identical diploma of attractiveness as India and Singapore; Australia is essentially the most engaging nation for on-line banking. Extra right here

China simply fifty fifth on e-commerce index attributable to low web entry; Regardless of being residence to a few of the world’s largest e-commerce corporations, the nation obtained a decrease rating than Ukraine and Oman on the most recent B2C e-commerce index revealed on Wednesday, which measures an economic system’s on-line procuring assist. Extra right here

Meet the 23 startups accepted into SMU Enterprise Improvements Generator’s maiden programme; An equity-free and industry-agnostic programme, it leans barely in the direction of digital and sustainable city applied sciences; The 4-month-old programme will present startups with monetary assist, mentorship, entry to neighborhood occasions, masterclasses, the Greenhouse workspace, and credit from company companions. Extra right here

Why disaster-tech in Asia holds nice potential, and the way to scale the sphere; Regardless of rising sophistication in delivering response, aid, and restoration efforts, options on the bottom are removed from reaching their full potential; In assessing funding methods into catastrophe help, the Middle for Catastrophe Philanthropy (CDP) and Candid discovered that solely 2% was allotted for constructing resilience and 4% in the direction of catastrophe preparedness in 2018. Extra right here

How HappyPlus app helps corporates measure the happiness index of workers; The Indian startup focuses on creating and creating completely satisfied and wholesome habits for working professionals; The app has six parameters throughout which individuals can fee their happiness — timescale, our being, achievements, relationships, work-life, and meaningfulness. Extra right here

AI social media influencers on the rise in Singapore; The variety of digital influencers in the marketplace is probably going nonetheless in its double digits in comparison with actual human influencers, however they’ve already begun competing with human influencers for partnerships with manufacturers. Extra right here

Philippines set to take uncommon high spot for IPOs in SEA; Traders and bankers say shopper retailers and actual property funding trusts are lining up file fundraisings that would high US$4bn in 2021, greater than the mixed tally of the final seven years, in response to Refinitiv knowledge. Extra right here

Why logistics startup Pickupp constructed an e-commerce arm to assist home-based companies in S’pore; Pickupp’s versatile supply home windows and helpful scheduling function allow clients to be nimble and capitalise on enterprise alternatives; The startup additionally makes use of a hybrid of freelancers and in-house supply fleet to cater to fluctuating ranges of demand. Extra right here

Indonesian tech startups think about going public; Tech corporations would possibly see the prospect of going public in Indonesia as of venture as a result of native retail buyers are but to really perceive the enterprise mannequin of tech corporations; By going public, these tech corporations can familiarise regulators about their enterprise fashions to encourage additional relaxations for the sector. Extra right here

How Thai VC SCB 10X helps to construct the way forward for blockchain monetary options; The agency invests in early-stage startups — as much as collection C rounds — from all around the world and in addition helps with constructing applied sciences in some instances; It establishes joint ventures and partnerships with chosen growth-stage startups as nicely. Extra right here

Singapore units apart US$760mn to co-fund digital options with companies; A brand new Rising Expertise Programme will co-fund the prices of trials and the adoption of frontier applied sciences equivalent to 5G and AI, which is able to assist corporations commercialise their improvements. Extra right here

Indonesian banking regulator says Sea Group’s Shopee has acquired Financial institution BKE; The purpose is to remodel it right into a digital financial institution; Shopee has but to make an official utility with the banking regulators to remodel Financial institution BKE right into a digital establishment, however they’re “presently making ready the infrastructure to take action.” Extra right here

Asia’s cloud kitchens count on supply growth to outlast COVID-19; Cloud kitchens and meals deliveries haven’t solely turn into wildly standard through the pandemic however they’ve additionally negated the necessity for prime areas; Massive names like Jollibee Meals, Seize and Central Eating places Group are making huge investments within the sector. Extra right here

Thai authorities is banking onbio-, round and inexperienced (BCG) mannequin to propel restoration; Based mostly on Thailand’s strengths in agriculture, wealthy pure assets and variety of organic assets and bodily geography, the BCG technique will give attention to selling 4 industries: farm and meals, healthcare and medical companies, vitality and biochemicals, and tourism and the inventive economic system. Extra right here

Malaysia set to roll out 5G by the year-end; Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin mentioned the nation will emerge as one of many first on this area to construct a 5G ecosystem utilizing Web and cloud companies in real-time to allow immediate sharing of data; A complete of US$3.7bn might be invested over a interval of 10 years for the implementation of 5G nationwide. Extra right here

Private finance agency CompareAsiaGroup rebrands as Hyphen Group; The non-public finance agency additionally mentioned it tracked an over 80% income development in 2020, pushed by over 650K monetary product functions; Final yr, Hyphen acquired Seedly from Shopback as a measure to seize the millennial demographic. Extra right here

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Photograph by Eugenio Pastoralon Unsplash

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