Startups

Sirclo offers companies an online store dashboard and other services. (Screenshot from Sirclo YouTube page) 
16 February 2023
Government and private-sector representatives take part in an economic dialogue in Singapore on Feb. 15. (Photo courtesy of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
International relations

Singapore to kick off Japan-ASEAN initiative on startups

Panasonic, Itochu and others to seek pitches and partnerships in region

16 February 2023
China's Alibaba Group Holding has unloaded its remaining stake in Indian digital payment platform Paytm.
China tech

Alibaba exits India's Paytm app with $166m sale

China tech company completes serial offloading of shares in payment platform

14 February 2023
Magenta operates under three segments: EVET (EV fleets), ChargeGrid (charging stations) and chargers. (Source photos: screenshots from Magenta's website) 
DealStreetAsia

Indian EV charging and mobility solutions startup raises $40m

Magenta aims to expand charging-related businesses

13 February 2023
Dalian Wanzhongyuncang's store will take advantage of China's duty-free program for cross-border e-commerce. (Photo by Shin Watanabe)
Companies

China e-commerce startup to open big box store for Japan, other imports

Dalian company partners with foreign regional banks to find products

11 February 2023
Indian startup Pan Health sells baby diapers, adult incontinence products, sanitary napkins and feminine hygiene products. (Photo by Yuki Kohara) 
DealStreetAsia

India diaper maker Pan Healthcare bags $48m

Startup to use funds to strengthen distribution network

8 February 2023
Keenon Robotics server robot delivers food on trays at a restaurant in Shanghai.
China tech

Chinese unicorn aims to sell half of robot waiters outside mainland

Keenon Robotics ramps up global expansion after zero-COVID lean years

8 February 2023
ABC Impact invests in companies that demonstrate a commitment to sustainable development and the generation of positive social or environmental impacts.
DealStreetAsia

Temasek-backed ABC aims to raise $600m for second impact fund

Singapore fund seeks investees committed to sustainability, positive social impacts

7 February 2023
Indonesian health tech startup Klinik Pintar has big expansion plans. (Photo courtesy of Klinik Pintar) 
Health Care

Indonesia's Klinik Pintar aims to add 100 digital-driven clinics

Ambitious startup seeks higher productivity in analog-heavy health industry

7 February 2023
eFishery controls feeding routines via smartphone at the company's lab in Bandung, Indonesia. (File photo by Shinya Sawai)
DealStreetAsia

Indonesia's eFishery to increase focus on U.S. in exports push

Startup seeks to expand operation to overseas as Vietnam, Thailand and India

6 February 2023
WhiteCoat has already rolled out services in Indonesia and Vietnam offering digital consultations with local doctors and second-opinion consultations with Singapore doctors. (Source image from WhiteCoat website)
DealStreetAsia

Singapore digital health care group plans to raise $25m

WhiteCoat to expand doctor consultation services to Malaysia and Thailand

3 February 2023
Amanda Murphy, HSBC's head of commercial banking for South and Southeast Asia, is looking to set up a lending fund in Indonesia. (Source photos by HSBC and Reuters)
Finance

Banks, investors fill ASEAN tech funding gap with loans

HSBC eyes Indonesia as part of lender's Southeast Asian 'growth engine'

3 February 2023
Keisuke Honda, a soccer player turned venture capitalist, was AC Milan's first Japanese player and played for Japan in three World Cups.
Automobiles

Soccer star Keisuke Honda's fund invests in India-focused EV startup

Tokyo-based Terra Motors eyes expansion in core market

2 February 2023
DALI says that the Philippines is among the highest food-spending and disposable-income markets in Asia. (Source photos by screenshot from DALI Stores' website) 
DealStreetAsia

Malaysia's Creador invests $55m in Philippines-focused DALI Stores

Fund's founder says country will be among its most active investment markets

1 February 2023
Singapore-based Coda Payments was among the handful of new Southeast Asian unicorns last year, and Lazada ranked first in the region in overall deal value. (Source photos by screenshot from Coda Payments' website and Reuters) 
Startups

ASEAN startup fundraising slumped in 2022 but still up from 2019

Investors turn to early-stage deals amid dimmer IPO prospects for tech ventures

1 February 2023
Indonesia is second only to Singapore in number of startups produced among Southeast Asian countries.
Startups

Japan's MUFG launches $100m fund to back Indonesian startups

Megabank looks to boost Indonesian subsidiary Danamon with tech collaborations

1 February 2023
Flash Express has 35,000 workers and a fleet of 17,000 vehicles in Thailand alone. (Photo courtesy of the company)
Startups

Thailand's first unicorn Flash Express hits the gas in Philippines

CEO Komsan Lee wants to be No. 1 courier in neighboring market by year's end

29 January 2023
GIMO users can keep track of their pay and get rapid access to money they have already earned. (Source photos by screenshot from GIMO's website) 
DealStreetAsia

Vietnam wage access platform GIMO raises $4.6m in latest funding

Blue-collar workers can use app to get near-instant access to earned money

26 January 2023
Founded in 2008, Vertex Ventures China has offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. (Source image from Vertex Ventures China website and Akira Kodaka)
DealStreetAsia

Vertex Ventures raises $375m so far for fifth China-focused fund

Temasek-backed company manages U.S. dollar and yuan funds

25 January 2023
Founded in 2015, India's Log9 plans to pursue pilot projects overseas. (Source image from Log9 Facebook page)
DealStreetAsia

Indian battery startup Log9 gets recharged with $40m in funding

Company plans to to boost production capacity, look abroad

24 January 2023
Fully homomorphic encryption enables the processing of encrypted data without giving access to it. (Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash)
Technology

Japan's Kioxia joins startup on high-speed encrypted computing

Project would enable business collaboration without divulging secret data

24 January 2023
The Bigo Live platform uses artificial intelligence to help users find relevant streams based on their interests. (Source image from BIGO Technology website)
DealStreetAsia

Singapore's Bigo expects Web3 to fuel livestreaming growth

Company rolling out features such as 3D avatars to lure users

23 January 2023
Japan aims to increase annual investment in startups by more than tenfold by fiscal 2027. (Photo by Hirofumi Yamamoto)
Startups

Japan to remove limit on overseas investment by startup funds

Portfolio cap seen hindering ability to attract foreign investors

23 January 2023
Chinese startup AirWhiteWhale expects e-commerce will continue to spread to smaller cities, boosting demand for air shipments. (Photo courtesy of the company)
36Kr/KrASIA

Chinese startup offers large cargo drones eyeing demand surge

AirWhiteWhale devices ship heavy loads at less cost than piloted aircraft

22 January 2023
PhonePe plans to beef up its infrastructure, develop data centers and build financial services offerings.
DealStreetAsia

PhonePe raises $350m, now one of India's most valuable fintechs

Private equity firm General Atlantic leads fresh round of funding

20 January 2023