Stronger than ever
- e27 published a list of notable startups in Malaysia in 2021 that have shown resilience in the pandemic. 25 were selected and eight are 500-backed startups. Let’s have a look:
- Carsome – In a share-swap deal with Catcha Group, the used car marketplace acquired a percentage of Australia-listed iCar Asia and turned into Malaysia’s first technology unicorn.
- Supahands – The Malaysian data labeling platform was recently acquired by Singapore fashion analytics startup Omnilytics for US$20 million.
- LottieFiles – The open-source animation file format platform raised US$9 million in a round led by M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund.
- Naluri – Closed US$5 million in funding, which it will use to expand in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as launch its digital health services in Thailand and the Philippines.
- SPEEDHOME – The property rental platform secured US$1.7 million in funding and aims to expand regionally to 10 other cities in the next five years.
- iPrice Group – The online shopping aggregator announced US$1.5 million financing from South Korean foodtech company Woowa Brothers.
- Aerodyne Group – The drone startup announced a strategic investment and partnership with a consortium of Japanese investors.
- Favful – The online beauty platform was acquired by iMedia, a Malaysian integrated digital media group for an undisclosed amount.
- Read the full list on e27 here.
A package deal
- MaGIC, a Malaysian agency supporting innovation and creativity in the country, has launched MaGICARE, a care kit for local startups to weather the pandemic. The agency partnered with 500-backed digital health startup Naluri to include its Digital Mental Health Support services.
- Under this program, startups can tap into resources for mental health and well-being assistance. This includes subsidized one-on-one counseling sessions and one-on-one support through professional counseling or therapy.
- Startups will also have access to a 24/7 careline through the Naluri Community Programme. Calls are unlimited, and the program is manned by a team of clinical psychologists and registered counselors.
- In addition, there will be webinars and emotional well-being assessments conducted by a clinical psychologist.
- Get more details here.
Lessons from a unicorn
- How did 500-backed Bukalapak become an ‘all commerce’ publicly-listed startup? CEO Rachmat Kaimuddin will shed some light on this topic on October 13 at the upcoming Tech in Asia Conference 2021.
- In the session, he will speak about:
- How Bukalapak has stayed one of Indonesia’s top e-commerce players for over a decade despite being in a competitive market
- What does it mean to be an ‘all commerce’ company?
- What it’s like being the first tech unicorn in Indonesia to go public
- The startup’s plans for the future.
- This session is complimentary for Tech in Asia’s Core and Live subscribers.
- A single pass is available for US$59. According to Tech in Asia, signing up for this session also gives you access to all sessions at the conference.
- Details and registration here.
