Startups

Visitor arrivals in Japan exceeded 1 million for the third straight month in February.
Travel & Leisure

Asian startups push Japan's tourism sector into digital age

Online sales platforms replace paper tickets and handwritten reservations

7 April 2023
GoTo and its CEO, Andre Soelistyo, are grappling with how to make the superapp and e-commerce company profitable. (Source photos by Getty and Reuters) 
Business Spotlight

Indonesia's GoTo far from profitability one year after listing

Investors shun stock amid sea of red ink, as regional peers' prospects brighten

7 April 2023
DigiAsia is betting on its first-mover advantage in Indonesia's embedded finance industry as it pushes for growth. (Screenshot from DigiAsia Bios' website) 
DealStreetAsia

Indonesian fintech DigiAsia Bios looks abroad after SPAC merger

B2B startup eyes Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines for expansion

6 April 2023
Founded in August 2014, SJ Semiconductor offers a 12-inch wafer bumping and testing service, an advanced wafer-level processing technology that is key to semiconductor packaging. (Screenshot from SJ Semiconductor's website) 
DealStreetAsia

China's SJ Semiconductor raises $340m; valuation now at $1.8bn

Company aims to expand 3D multi-chip integration and packaging project

5 April 2023
Singapore-based Little Farms is a boutique grocery chain sourcing organic fruit, vegetables and fresh produce from independent suppliers and farmers in Australia, Europe and the rest of the world. (Screenshot from Little Farms' website) 
DealStreetAsia

Singapore grocery chain Little Farms secures $1.5m in funding

Temasek Holdings subsidiary Heliconia Capital invests through equity and debt

4 April 2023
Engineers were the most sought-after workers in Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam, according to a study conducted by Singapore-based staffing platform Glints and Monk's Hill Ventures.
Startups

ASEAN startups face talent crunch despite tech layoffs: study

Early-stage companies compete with enterprises to hire growing pool of job seekers

4 April 2023
Founded in 2019, Swap Energy builds charging infrastructure for two-wheeled electric vehicles. (Screenshot from Swap Energy's website) 
DealStreetAsia

Indonesian EV battery startup Swap Energy raises $7.2m

Ondine Capital leads funding round that includes SBI Kejora Orbit Fund

3 April 2023
Analysts point that out that the commercial real estate sector is particularly sensitive to rising rates, weighing on hopes for a revival in the market. (Source photo by AP)
Market Spotlight

From Hong Kong to Japan, commercial property sector faces chill in Asia

REITs could lose out as China reopening hopes fade and interest rates bite

3 April 2023
Ledger was founded in 2014 with the goal of becoming a global force in so-called critical digital asset security. (Source photos from Ledger website and Reuters)
DealStreetAsia

Singapore's True Global Ventures invests $24m in crypto company

French startup Ledger offers USB-type wallets for holders of digital assets

1 April 2023
EazyDiner is targeting expansion to reach 100 cities in India by the end of this year.
30 March 2023
A subsidiary of Germany's Talanx Group is backing Thai insurtech startup Roojai. (Source photos by AP and screenshot from Roojai's website) 
DealStreetAsia

Thai insurtech Roojai raises $42m led by Germany's Talanx Group

Startup to use some of funds for expansion into Indonesia and the Philippines

29 March 2023
Unlike many of his Chinese peers, tech entrepreneur Ryan Zhang seeks customers outside of China. (Photo courtesy of Notta)
China tech

Chinese tech entrepreneur bets big on Japan -- but not China

Founder of voice-to-text app finds attractive market away from home

29 March 2023
Ola is likely to offer other two-wheeler manufacturers the in-house software it uses to sell electric scooters directly to consumers, according to sources.
Companies

India ride-hailer Ola mulls branching into more digital services

Sources say startup considering software sales, cloud computing

28 March 2023
Dagangan is focused on selling and delivering food, clothes and other items to people in rural areas. (Screenshot from Dagangan Indonesia's YouTube page) 
DealStreetAsia

Indonesian e-commerce startup Dagangan finalizing funding round

Sources say talks are ongoing, investors could change

27 March 2023
Extreme Entropy Technology focuses on maximizing energy asset life cycles for industrial parks and companies. (Photo courtesy of the company)
36Kr/KrASIA

Chinese startup offers AI-driven energy management services

Extreme Entropy Technology plays key role in China's 'double carbon' policy

26 March 2023
The landmark Sofitel Brisbane Central has has over 400 rooms. (Screenshot from Sofitel Brisbane Central's website)
DealStreetAsia

Singapore's CDL to buy Brisbane's biggest hotel for $119m

Canada's Brookfield selling Sofitel property in Australian city

25 March 2023
Chinese investment firm Triniti Capital has secured a commitment to its latest fund from an industrial park developer jointly established by the governments of China and Singapore.
DealStreetAsia

China's Triniti targets $290m fund to back chip companies

Fund also has mandate to invest in display technologies and new energy

23 March 2023
Founded in 1984, Bain Capital has $160 billion in assets under management.
DealStreetAsia

University of Michigan commits $35m to Bain Asia-Pacific fund

China, Japan, South Korea, India and Australia are among fund's targets

22 March 2023
Vietnamese ride-hailer Be Group will go electric with VinFast scooters and cars in a fast-growing economy struggling to ditch fossil fuels. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Automobiles

Vietnam's VinFast EVs enter ride-hailing with Grab rival Be Group

Vingroup chair finds new use for vehicles amid low deliveries in U.S., Vietnam

22 March 2023
Founded in 2015, Livspace offers services including renovation, false ceilings, wall painting and modular kitchens. (Screenshot from Livspace's website)
DealStreetAsia

Asian home interior startup Livspace lays off nearly 2% of staff

Singapore- and India-based company trims workforce of 5,000

20 March 2023
Private equity firm CVC has around $146 billion in assets under management.
DealStreetAsia

CVC Capital buys $155m stake in Indonesia's Samator Indo Gas

Investment will support Indonesian gas producer's push to expand

17 March 2023
The funding round values Stripe at around $50 billion, the company says, down from $95 billion in 2021. (Source photos by Reuters)
Finance

Singapore's GIC and Temasek join Stripe's $6.5bn fundraising

Payments giant looks to ASEAN for growth as valuation almost halves

16 March 2023
Founded in 2014, 99 Group has so far raised over $80 million. (Screenshot from 99 Group's website) 
DealStreetAsia

Singapore property tech company 99 Group raises fresh $11m

Real estate portal operator gets money in Series C round extension

16 March 2023
The young Chinese acoustic AI technology service Ensound helps customers detect abnormal sounds coming from faulty equipment. (Photo courtesy of the company)
36Kr/KrASIA

Chinese acoustic AI startup detects equipment faults

Ensound secures new funding in Series B round

15 March 2023
An EHang flying car ferries passengers during a test flight in Japan. (Photo by Toshiki Sasazu)
Aerospace & Defense Industries

China's flying car developer eyes ASEAN aerial tour market

EHang CFO says prior certification at home eases regulatory process abroad

15 March 2023