Bfree, a Nigerian credit management fintech has embarked on global expansion after raising $1.7 million in a pre-Series A round, to tap the opportunities in emerging markets, where digital lending apps have recently sprung up in droves. Funds that participated in the latest round included 4Di Capital, Octerra Capital, VestedWorld, Voltron Capital, Logos Ventures, and […]
Asia’s factory workers at the sharp end of the west’s supply chain crisis
Migrant workers ate and slept in factories swarming with Covid, sealed off from outside worldFor weeks, Hoang Thi Quynh* worked and slept inside a garment factory in Tien Giang province, in southern Vietnam. She would start her shift at 7.15am and then…
Predicting the next wave of Southeast Asia tech giants
Despite the impressive growth and stellar companies grabbing headlines and tons of capital, Southeast Asia is only just entering the next phase of development.
Weatherwatch: sea rises threaten low-lying land in Vietnam
South-east Asian country has a monsoon climate, and 15% of land is less than five metres above sea levelLong and narrow, stretching from 9 to 23 degrees north of the equator, Vietnam is situated totally within the tropics. Like many countries in south-…
“Have Pity on Us, Let us Land”
The Skyluck Journals. “In 1979, the Skyluck carried 2,700 refugees fleeing Vietnam into the Hong Kong harbour, where they were forced to remain on board for more than four months. Andrew Nguyen and his family were among them. Forty years later, his mot…
Thailand’s fintech startup Ascend Money lands $150M at a $1.5B valuation
Ascend Money, the Thailand-based fintech startup behind TrueMoney, an e-wallet service, announced today it has raised a $150 million Series C round at a valuation of $1.5 billion. The Series C round was led by Charoen Pokphand Group, which is a major shareholder of Ascend Money, with participation from Bow Wave Capital Management and returning […]
Vietnam-based CoderSchool gets $2.6M pre-Series A to scale online course platform
CoderSchool, a Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam-based online coding school startup, announced today $2.6 million in pre-Series A funding to scale up its online coding school platform. This round was led by Monk’s Hill Ventures, with participation from returning seed investors Iterative, XA Network and iSeed Ventures. CoderSchool raised a seed round led by TRIVE […]
Amu Darya, Brahmaputra, Ganga, Indus, Irrawaddy, Mekong, Yangtze
The Third Pole is a multilingual site focused on the Himalayan Mountains, the rivers that originate there and the stories of the peoples who live in its watersheds. Stories on unravelling air pollution in Asia. Songs about loss, longing and rivers in …
‘Hunger was something we read about’: lockdown leaves Vietnam’s poor without food
Vietnam was a Covid success story but the latest lockdown, with people unable to leave the house even for food, is leaving tens of thousands hungryWhen the strictest lockdown to date was imposed in Ho Chi Minh City, Tran Thi Hao*, a factory worker, was…
Hanoi’s balconies and barricades – in pictures
Overlooking Hanoi’s deserted streets, tiny balconies have become places of refuge during the coronavirus lockdown as city residents squeeze desks, yoga mats and chairs into the spaces to get their share of fresh air. Below them, everyday objects – bamb…