Catherine Shu
Senior Reporter
The Latest from Catherine Shu
Jakarta-based investment app Pluang raises $55M led by Accel
Jakarta-based investment app Pluang announced that it has raised $55 million led by Accel. This is a follow-on to its Series B and brings that round’s total to $110 million. The funding will be used
Indonesia’s eFishery raises $90M from Temasek, SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Sequoia Capital India
Indonesia-based eFishery announced today that it has raised what it claims is the largest round of funding by an aquaculture tech startup in the world. The company, which provides feeding devices, sof
Startups at CES showed that elder tech can help everyone
Elder tech startups at this year’s CES demonstrated the potential breadth of the sector. If tech can help an older person live more comfortably, it can also help a lot of other people. After all, th
AARP Innovation Labs takes a holistic approach to elder tech at CES
When young (or youngish) people think of elder tech, they may picture mostly clinical solutions — telemedicine platforms, for instance. Growing older, however, doesn’t just have a physical compone
Southeast Asian open finance startup Brankas gets $20M Series B led by Insignia Ventures
Brankas, an open banking startup for Southeast Asian markets, is entering the new year with a $20 million Series B. The funding was led by Insignia Ventures Partners, with participation from returning
Smarter Health gets $5.15M SGD to reduce healthcare costs in Southeast Asia
Organizing information from providers, insurers and patients not only takes a lot of time, but increases private healthcare costs. Smarter Health, a Singaporean-based startup, develops technology that
We need to pay more attention to ‘age-tech’
For the last two years, many of us have only been able to see our elderly relatives through screens, watching them grow older, trading physical distance for their safety. More than anything else, the
Southeast Asian startups to watch in 2022
As someone who covers Southeast Asia startups and funding stories, the best word I can think of to describe 2021 is “whoa!” This was the year that global investors not only started to pay close at
China’s AI giant SenseTime postpones IPO after US blacklisting
SenseTime, one of China’s most valuable AI solution providers, is putting its $767 million public listing on hold, the company said Monday. The announcement came three weeks after the Hong Kong
SMB neobank Nearside, formerly known as Hatch, gets $58M Series B led by Valar
Nearside, the online bank for SMBs formerly called Hatch, announced today it has raised a $58 million Series B, just seven months after announcing its Series A. The latest round was led by Valar Ventu
Sydney-based medtech startup Harrison.ai gets $129M AUD led by Horizons Ventures
Harrison.ai, a Sydney-based company that creates medical devices with AI technology, announced today it has raised $129 million AUD (about $92.3 million USD) in what it called one of the largest Serie
Indonesia-focused AC Ventures closes oversubscribed $205M third fund
More investor money is flowing into Indonesia’s startup ecosystem. Today, AC Ventures, which focuses on early-stage startups in the country, announced it has raised $205 million in committed capital
Southeast Asia multi-currency neobank YouTrip raises $30M Series A, will launch corporate card
Singapore-based YouTrip, an online bank that focuses on making multi-currency transactions less costly and more efficient, announced today that it has raised a $30 million Series A. YouTrip founder an
GajiGesa, a fintech for unbanked Indonesian workers, lands $6.6M pre-Series A
GajiGesa, a fintech company focused on services for Indonesian workers, announced today that it has raised $6.6 million USD in pre-Series A funding. The round was led by MassMutual Ventures, with part
Months after its Series A, Singaporean robo-advisor Endowus add $35M SGD in new funding
Endowus is the latest investment app in Southeast Asia to raise follow-on funding, adding $35 million SGD (about $25.6 million US) to its war chest. The round was led by Prosus Ventures, the venture f
Melbourne-based mobile ordering platform Mr Yum lands $65M led by Tiger Global
QR code ordering at restaurants has been around for years, but the pandemic increased its adoption as social distancing and hygiene measures went into place. Mr Yum, a Melbourne-based mobile ordering
Deskimo, the on-demand desk booking app, raises $3M and expands to Jakarta
Singapore-based Deskimo, the on-demand app that lets people find co-working spaces and pay by the minute, announced today it has raised a $3 million seed round. It is also soft launching in Jakarta, b
Education startup MindX raises $3.3M to prepare Vietnamese students for tech careers
Vietnam’s digital economy is one of the fastest growing in the world, but the country is facing a growing shortage of IT workers. Many kids want to study coding, but school curriculums are limited,
Homebase raises $30M to help more people in Southeast Asia become property owners
Homebase, a Ho Chi Minh City-based proptech startup that helps people buy homes, announced today it has raised $30 million in equity and debt (the ratio was undisclosed). The company’s business mode
Plentina, a ‘buy now, pay later’ startup focused on emerging markets, raises another $2.2M
Philippines-based Plentina, a buy now, pay later startup focused on emerging markets, announced today it has raised $2.2 million. This brings the fintech’s total funding since it was founded in 2019