Niantic announced yesterday that its next augmented reality mobile game will be Pikmin Bloom, a collaboration with Nintendo. The free game is available now for iOS and Android in Singapore and Australia, but will roll out globally in the coming days. Like Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom will encourage players to get outside and explore their […]
Doyobi, a Singapore-based edtech startup focused on teachers, gets $2.8M seed
The edtech boom has focused primarily on students, but teachers are learners, too. Doyobi, a Singapore-based professional development platform, wants to give educators new, more engaging ways of teaching STEM subjects. The startup announced today it has raised $2.8 million in pre-Series A funding led by Monk’s Hill Ventures. The round included Tresmonos Capital, Novus […]
Vertical Oceans aims to grow sustainable shrimp in huge ‘aqua towers’ inside cities
John Diener, the CEO of an aquaculture nutrition and genetics company, would visit hundreds of shrimp farms as part of his job. But gradually he became frustrated by some of the environmentally unsustainable practices used in many locations. One night, his wife bought some frozen shrimp to cook for dinner and he realized the industry […]
ThoughtFull gets $1.1M seed to make mental health support more accessible in Southeast Asia
Depression and anxiety were taking a serious toll on peoples’ well-being even before COVID-19, and the pandemic prompted more interest (and venture capital) in mental health startups. While many of the highest profile mental health startups, like Calm or Headspace Health, are based in the United States, more attention is also being paid to emotional […]
Upmesh wants to build a community-driven discovery app for Southeast Asian live commerce
The founders of Upmesh were building a game on top of Twitch’s API when they realized something about another group of livestreamers. Even though selling through Facebook Live has been gaining popularity in Southeast Asia for years, many vendors are still going through their comments afterward and using pen-and-paper to collect orders. Upmesh was created […]
“it smelled good, but… in my mind it already belonged to someone else”
piratefsh wrote a short series of blog posts about allowing herself to become a perfume aficionado, starting with “Every month or so, about two weeks before my period starts, my nose gets hypersensitive.” (Content note for vomiting.) Part two: “Sales a…
‘Dystopian world’: Singapore patrol robots stoke fears of surveillance state
Trial of robots to police ‘undesirable’ behaviour such as smoking or breaching social-distancing rulesSingapore has trialled patrol robots that blast warnings at people engaging in “undesirable social behaviour”, adding to an arsenal of surveillance te…
Coronavirus treatments: the potential ‘game-changers’ in development
After positive clinical trials for antiviral drug Molnupiravir, it joins other medicines that have shown promiseCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe first clinical trial results showing a positive effect for a pill that can b…
Russian authorities arrest cybersecurity giant Group-IB’s CEO on treason charges
Russian authorities have arrested and detained Ilya Sachkov, the co-founder and chief executive of Group-IB — one of the biggest cybersecurity companies in the country — on charges of treason. Details about Sachkov’s detention remain unclear but it was reported by Russian media as authorities searched the company’s offices, reports Reuters. State news agency Tass […]
Aspire raises $158M Series B to build a full-stack “financial operating system” for Southeast Asian businesses
Aspire, the Singapore-based neobank that wants to become an “end-to-end financial operating system” for Southeast Asian businesses, is moving closer to its aspirations with a $158 million Series B. The round consisted of $58 million in equity and $100 million in debt, and was led by an undisclosed global fintech-focused growth equity investor, with participation […]