Startups

People shop at a vegetable market in Ahmedabad, India on June 15.
IPO

Zomato market debut ignites India's tech stock listing boom

B2B startups make compelling case ahead of IPOs amid strong investor appetite

23 July 2021
The stellar debut, which was advanced by four days, reflected investor interest in internet-based consumer startups that are expected to thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic and comes at a time when India's stock market is near all-time highs.
IPO

Zomato soars in India market debut to $12bn valuation

Shares soared 82.8% after opening at 116 rupees in pre-open trade

23 July 2021
Mynt, the startup behind the popular GCash financial services app, aims to become the Philippines' most valuable fintech company. (Screenshot from GCash's YouTube page)
Finance

Ant-backed Philippine fintech Mynt targets 'double unicorn' status

GCash mobile wallet operator seeking $2bn valuation in next fundraising

23 July 2021
Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC has achieved its best performance since fiscal year 2015.
Finance

Singapore's GIC leans more on private markets as returns rise

Sovereign wealth fund posts best performance since 2015 amid cautious optimism

23 July 2021
Hyflux's liquidation has been approved, allowing judicial managers to start selling the company's remaining assets, though investors are likely to get little. (Photo by Weixian Lim)
Startups

What liquidation of Singapore's Hyflux can teach entrepreneurs

Once-brilliant startup's failure screams 'hire good managers early'

21 July 2021
Swiggy's food deliveries have boomed in recent months during India's nationwide lockdown to try to suppress a massive COVID-19 resurgence that has left over 400,000 people dead. (Photo by Punit PARANJPE / AFP)
Startups

India's Swiggy raises $1.25bn led by SoftBank

Food delivery startup's latest fundraiser heavily oversubscribed

20 July 2021
PatPat delivers baby clothes and matching family outfits to consumers across over 100 countries and regions. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
DealStreetAsia

US-based babywear startup raises $510m from Chinese investors

Online retailer PatPat to expand into Middle East and South America

20 July 2021
The welfare and pay of gig economy drivers have come to the fore as companies focus on ESG.(Photo by Ken Kobayashi) 
Climate Change

Grab and Gojek commit to 'carbon zero' ahead of public listing

ASEAN tech startups embrace ESG factors amid growing pressure

19 July 2021
SkyDrive demonstrates an experimental "flying car" in August 2020. (Photo courtesy of SkyDrive)
Startups

Former Sony, Toyota engineers accelerate Japan aerospace startups

Experience with jets and robots advances 'flying cars' and moon exploration

18 July 2021
India's leading digital payment provider Paytm announced its planned IPO on Friday, following tech start-up Zomato, which last month announced a $1.1 billion listing.
IPO

Paytm sets India's largest-ever IPO, targeting $2.2bn

Digital payment provider rides on growth momentum from COVID restrictions

16 July 2021
SoftBank Group Chief Financial Officer Yoshimitsu Goto says the company's stance in China remains unchanged, despite regulatory clampdown on some tech majors. 
SoftBank

SoftBank's investment strategy in China unchanged: CFO

Goto says company needs to manage country risk as Didi faces regulatory crackdown

13 July 2021
Temasek's net portfolio value rose to SG$381 billion from SG$306 billion, a respite for the Singapore government-owned investor, whose one-year total shareholder return had tapered off in recent years. (Photo by Keiichiro Asahara)
Companies

Singapore's Temasek records returns of 24.5%, highest in a decade

State investor reaps bumper net profit of $42bn in last fiscal year as markets rebound

13 July 2021
Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai intends to give "Greater Bay Area ... innovators and entrepreneurs a bigger platform for growth."
Startups

Alibaba to back $257m 'Greater Bay' venture fund

Investments aimed at boosting entrepreneurship in South China megalopolis

13 July 2021
Wisdon's smart meter reads the numbers with an accuracy of up to 99%. (Photo Courtesy of Wisdon).
36Kr/KrASIA

Chinese startup's smart meters are faster and cheaper to read

Near perfect accuracy helps automate inspection process

13 July 2021
Masayoshi Son's Softbank Group is back after previously selling its stake in India's Flipkart. (Source photos by Masaru Shioyama and AP)
Startups

SoftBank returns in Flipkart's $3.6bn funding round

Appetite for Indian startups strong as Chinese tech comes under scrutiny

12 July 2021
E-commerce company Bukalapak is a spearhead in Indonesia's digitalization drive. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
IPO

Indonesia's Bukalapak launches up to $1.5 bn IPO

E-commerce unicorn's listing could be local stock exchange's biggest ever

9 July 2021
Temasek does not just back promising young companies, it also grows them by investing at the earliest stage. Software developer Affinidi and cybersecurity expert Istari are companies it has founded.
Business Spotlight

Singapore's Temasek in for long haul with in-house startups

State-owned investor takes early bets by creating its own companies

9 July 2021
Zomato, one of India's leading tech unicorns, is hoping to raise $1.25 billion in an IPO. 
Startups

India's Zomato to launch $1.25bn IPO next week

Food delivery unicorn plans to make more acquisitions with listing proceeds

8 July 2021
The Chinese music streaming app Boomplay is focusing on the African market. (Photo by Takeshi Kumon) 
Media & Entertainment

Popular Chinese music streaming app Boomplay growing fast in Africa

Impetus comes from the dominant presence of smartphones made by parent

4 July 2021
GoTo President Patrick Cao answers questions at the online event.
Startups

GoTo 'well integrated' as Indonesia enters lockdown: President

FT-Nikkei webinar highlights growing clout of Asia tech companies in pandemic

29 June 2021
Virtual meetings and other "new normal" practices have set the stage for an entrepreneurial heyday far from big cities.
Datawatch

Fast vaccinations and easy money spell boom times for entrepreneurs

As cubicle dwellers make their 'departures from big cities' opportunities follow

29 June 2021
There are many new entrants to the Thai food delivery market, but none has reaped a profit yet. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Food & Beverage

Thai food delivery sector still hungry despite business boom

Government caps fees to protect restaurants while riders demand more pay

28 June 2021
A West Bengal campaign rally in April. Indian elections are generally seen as free and fair, but critics say civil rights are under threat.
Comment

Indian leaders fail to understand danger of new IT rules

Critics cite future threats to country's role as 'world's largest democracy'

28 June 2021
Autel's Evo II is the world's first foldable drone with an 8K camera. (Photo Courtesy of Autel Robotics)
36Kr/KrASIA

Autel Robotics challenges DJI with high-performance drones

Shenzhen-based company tops globe's dominant player by adding 8K camera

27 June 2021
SoftBank's Vision Fund 2 joined a $140 million funding round by Vianai Systems, an Indian artificial intelligence software startup by Vishal Sikka, former CEO of Indian IT services giant Infosys. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi, Reuters, and AP)
SoftBank

SoftBank makes rare early bet on startup by ex-Infosys CEO

US AI company Vianai Systems to launch products as early as this year

24 June 2021