Catherine Shu
Writer
The Latest from Catherine Shu
Faraday Future plans to go public through a SPAC deal
Faraday Future, the electric vehicle startup with a messy and complicated past, is planning to go public through a special purchase acquisition company (SPAC) deal. The company’s chief executive Car
Macrometa, an edge computing service for app developers, lands $7 million seed round led by DNX
As people continue to work and study from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, interest in edge computing has increased. Macrometa, a Palo Alto-based startup that provides edge computing infrastruct
The roadmap to startup consolidation in Southeast Asia is becoming clearer
While Southeast Asia’s startup ecosystems are still young compared to those in China or India, it has matured over the last five years. Unicorns like Grab, Gojek and Garena are continuing to grow, a
E-scooter startup Neuron Mobility adds $12 million to its Series A for expansion in Australia and New Zealand
Neuron Mobility, a Singapore-based e-scooter rental startup, announced today that it has added $12 million to its Series A. Led by Square Peg, an Australian venture capital firm and GSR Ventures, this
Travel activities platform KKday raises $75 million Series C as it focuses on ‘staycations’
With lockdowns around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the travel industry especially hard. In Asia, however, several startups are adapting by focusing on domestic activities (or “stayca
Indonesian fintech startup BukuWarung gets new funding to add financial services for small merchants
A month after completing Y Combinator’s accelerator program, BukuWarung, a financial tech startup that serves small businesses in Indonesia, announced it has raised new funding from a roster of high
Philippines payment processing startup PayMongo lands $12 million Series A led by Stripe
Stripe has led a $12 million Series A round in Manila-based online payment platform PayMongo, the startup announced today. PayMongo, which offers an online payments API for businesses in the Philippin
Indonesian cloud kitchen startup Yummy gets $12 million Series B led by SoftBank Ventures Asia
Yummy Corporation, which claims to be the largest cloud kitchen management company in Indonesia, has raised $12 million in Series B funding, led by SoftBank Ventures Asia. Co-founder and chief executi
Mobileye signs driver-assistance deal with Geely, one of China’s largest privately held auto makers
Mobileye’s computer vision technology will be used in a new premium electric vehicle called Zero Concept from Geely Auto Group, one of China’s largest privately held automobile manufacturers. Mobi
Facebook gives more details about its efforts against hate speech before Myanmar’s general election
About three weeks ago, Facebook announced it will increase its efforts against hate speech and misinformation in Myanmar before the country’s general election on November 8, 2020. Today, it gave
Japanese startup Nature launches Remo 3, its home appliance smart remote, in the US and Canada
Nature, a Japanese hardware startup that focuses on IoT home devices, announced the launch of Nature Remo 3, its home appliance smart remote, in the United States and Canada today. Priced at $129, the
Singapore-based Syfe, a robo-advisor with a human touch, raises $18.6 million led by Valar Ventures
Syfe, a Singapore-based startup that wants to make investing more accessible in Asia, announced today that it has closed a SGD $25.2 million (USD $18.6 million) Series A led by Valar Ventures, a finte
TikTok, WeChat and the growing digital divide between the US and China
Over the past decade, the dynamic between Chinese and United States tech companies has undergone dramatic shifts. Once seen as a promising market for American companies, that narrative flipped as Chin
Ride-hailing was hit hard by COVID-19 — Grab’s Russell Cohen on how the company adapted
Ride-hailing services around the world have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Grab was no exception. The company is one of the most highly-valued tech startups in Southeast Asia, where it op
SmartNews’ Kaisei Hamamoto on how the app deals with media polarization
Six years ago, SmartNews took on a major challenge. After launching in Japan in 2012, the news discovery app decided that its first international market would be the United States. During Disrupt 2020
SmartNews’ U.S. app unveils new features for the elections, COVID-19 and local weather
At TechCrunch Disrupt today, SmartNews announced the release of major new features for the American version of its news discovery app, designed to make it easier for users to get updates about the ele
Justice Department says WeChat users won’t be penalized under Trump’s executive order
In a Wednesday filing in federal court, the United States government said that users who use or download WeChat “to convey personal or business information” will not be subject to penaltie
Lightspeed announces the launch of its Southeast Asia operations
Lightspeed Venture Partners announced the launch of its Southeast Asia operations today. Based out of the firm’s new regional headquarters in Singapore, Lightspeed’s team there will invest in
Homage’s Gillian Tee on how technology can serve the world’s aging population
It’s always a pleasure to chat with Homage co-founder and chief executive Gillian Tee because of her nuanced take on how technology can help elderly and other vulnerable people. According to the Uni
Homage announces strategic partnership with Infocom, one of Japan’s largest healthcare IT providers
Homage, a Singapore-based caregiving and telehealth company, has taken a major step in its global expansion plan. The startup announced today that it has received strategic investment from Infocom, th