A group of more than 80 prominent fact-checking organizations around the world is pressing YouTube to take action against COVID misinformation, which still prevails on the platform now two years into the pandemic. “As an international network of fact-checking organizations, we monitor how lies spread online — and every day, we see that YouTube is […]
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 attention to the region’s tech ecosystems, but also began putting real money into them. Backed by international LPs, Southeast Asia-focused […]
Google’s Area 120 launches Qaya, a service offering web storefronts for digital creators
A team at Google is today launching a new service called Qaya, which will allow creators to easily set up new web storefronts where they can sell their products and services directly to their audiences. The project is the latest to emerge from Google’s in-house project incubator, Area 120, which was recently a part of […]
Indonesian insurtech startup Fuse gets $25M Series B extension to expand further in Southeast Asia
Indonesia-based insurtech startup Fuse announced today it has secured $25 million of Series B extension round as it plans to enter more countries including Thailand and Vietnam in Southeast Asia. The startup has closed three funding rounds of Series B within the past six months, bringing the company’s total raised to over $70 million. The […]
Indonesian fintech Flip secures $48M in Series B to support expansion
Flip, an Indonesia-based fintech startup, announced today it has raised $48 million in a Series B to accelerate its growth. The funding brings Flip’s total capital raised to $65million. Sequoia Capital India, Insight Partners and Insignia Ventures Partners co-led the Series B round. Flip is Insight Partners’ first investment in Indonesia. The startup plans to […]
‘Whoops, purrs and grunts’: previously unheard fish sounds from restored reef – video
From whoops to purrs, snaps to grunts, and foghorns to laughs, a cacophony of bizarre fish songs have shown that a coral reef in Indonesia has returned rapidly to health.Many of the noises had never been recorded before and the fish making th…
Hong Kong fintech unicorn WeLab raises $240M to buy Indonesian bank
A virtual bank is soon coming to Indonesia. WeLab, a Hong Kong-based fintech unicorn, announced Tuesday its acquisition of Bank Jasa Jakarta (BJJ), an Indonesian commercial bank. With the deal, WeLab is planning to launch a digital bank to capture the country’s enormous unbanked population in the second half of next year. A consortium led […]
Indonesia: death toll rises to 13 after eruption of Semeru volcano
Dozens more were injured when the highest volcano on densely populated Java island spewed a huge cloud of ash into the airThe death toll from the eruption of the Semeru volcano on Indonesia’s Java island has risen to 13, with nearly 100 more more inju…
Indonesia-focused AC Ventures closes oversubscribed $205M third fund
More investor money is flowing into Indonesia’s startup ecosystem. Today, AC Ventures, which focuses early-stage startups in the country, announced it has raise $205 million in committed capital for its oversubscribed Fund II, more than double its original target of $80 million. Investors include World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Disrupt AD, the venture […]
Indonesia’s GoTo Group raises over $1.3B in first pre-IPO close
Indonesia-based startup GoTo Group announced today it has secured more than $1.3 billion in the first close of its pre-IPO funding. The latest round was led by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), with participation from Avanda Investment Management, Fidelity International, Google, Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Primavera Capital, SeaTown Master Fund, Temasek, Tencent and Ward Ferry. […]