Startups
Disrupting industries, and Vertex Venture’s double purpose
Singapore-based Vertex Venture Holdings Ltd invests in disruptive technologies and companies in Asia and the US, hoping to make a profit – but also to ensure it has an interest in any company that ends up disrupting the markets its parent company, Temasek Holdings, is looking at.
Rocket Internet’s APACIG launches e-commerce site in Myanmar, Bangladesh
Singapore-based Asia Pacific Internet Group (APACIG), a joint venture between Germany’s Rocket Internet and Qatar’s Ooredoo, has announced the launch of its general merchandise e-commerce platform Daraz (www.daraz.com) in Bangladesh and Myanmar (called Shop.com.mm).
Soft Space lands Maybank and Maxis in latest mPOS deal
Digital payments technology provider Soft Space International Sdn Bhd announced that Maybank Bhd and Maxis Bhd have agreed to a partnership that will see the mega-corporations using the startup’s mPOS (mobile point-of-sale) technology.
SGX and Clearbridge Accelerator in JV to plug funding gap
The Singapore Exchange (SGX) said it has signed an MoU with Clearbridge Accelerator to form a JV company to develop a fundraising platform which aims to address financing gaps faced by SMEs and entrepreneurs.
Sports social network ONz on cloud nine
The past nine months have been surreal for William Yap, the cofounder of ONz Studio Sdn Bhd – not only did he and his cofounders transform an idea into an actual product, they also managed to make it part of a nationwide government campaign.
Australia’s Cobra invests US$1mil in Malaysia’s Wine Talk
Sydney-based Cobra Group has agreed to invest US$1 million in Wine Talk's business for a 20% equity stake, the Malaysian online wine delivery service company said in a statement.
Alpha7 kicks off ‘COO-as-a-Service’ offering for SMEs
Singapore-based tech consultancy startup Alpha7 has launched a cloud-based computing platform to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) deal with the increasingly complex and costly nature of running a business in Asia Pacific.
Corporations the missing link in accelerator ambitions: IDA
Corporations bring three crucial opportunities to the table: An established customer base; existing infrastructure; and deep domain knowledge of their respective industries. By engaging with startups, they in turn get to tap into innovation.
Community, personal safety social network MyHero powers up
Malaysian mobile social network MyHero is looking to power up, having just moved its Android app from beta to an official launch and with an iOS version slated for a mid-February release, while the team behind it is looking to spin off into a separate company and go regional.
Unilever Foundry eyes Asian startups with Singapore launch
FMCG giant Unilever expanded its startup engagement programme Unilever Foundry to Singapore, the third market after the UK and the Philippines, and announced three new pilot project briefs involving its brands Lux, Clear and Lifebouy.
