Clout Kitchen raises USD 4.45 million to level up creator-powered gaming
Clout Kitchen, a startup creating artificial intelligence-powered experiences for gaming and pop culture, has secured USD 4.45 million in a seed funding round co-led by a16z Speedrun and Peak XV’s Surge. Other investors include AppWorks, Hustle Fund, Antler, and gaming creators like Gabby Dizon (Yield Guild Games) and Kun Gao (Crunchyroll).
Founded in 2024, Clout Kitchen is led by entrepreneurs from the gaming and creator economy industries. Its flagship product, Backseat AI, is an AI-powered in-game companion for League of Legends players, co-developed with Tyler “Tyler1” Steinkamp, one of the world’s top gaming content creators. Backseat AI offers real-time gameplay advice, providing personalized, creator-led tips to users.
Clout Kitchen plans to use the funding to scale its team, develop additional features for Backseat AI, and expand into new markets. It also aims to further integrate creators into its platform, enabling new ways of engaging with their fanbase.
Salmon raises USD 30 million to scale financial services in the Philippines
Salmon, a financial services provider in Southeast Asia, has closed a USD 30 million Series A2 equity financing round, with key institutional investors including the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Abu Dhabi’s Lunate contributing beyond their pro-rata rights.
Operating in a country where only a fraction of the population is fully banked, Salmon is aiming to close the financial inclusion gap in the Philippines, a market with a projected bankable population increase from 65 million in 2022 to 85 million by 2030. Salmon’s offerings include point-of-sale financing in retail locations, where customers can secure loans for essential goods like appliances with a minimal down payment. Its proprietary scoring algorithm is said to enable quick credit decisions, using diverse data sources like FinScore’s alternative credit scores.
This new capital will be used to scale Salmon’s lending business, launch new financial products, and deepen its presence across retail locations in the Philippines.
Pending regulatory approval, a portion of the funds will be allocated to strengthening the capital base of Rural Bank of Sta Rosa, Salmon’s licensed bank in the Philippines.
Meta awards AI innovation grants at Singapore event
With AI becoming an increasingly central focus, tech giant Meta has announced the launch of an Asia Pacific accelerator program and plans for a Singapore-focused incubator, both designed to help startups enhance their expertise in AI, particularly with Meta’s open-source model, Llama. These initiatives will offer startups access to Llama, along with mentorship and technical support to drive innovation.
Both initiatives were unveiled at a launch event held at Meta’s APAC headquarters in Singapore, which coincided with the finals of the “APAC AI Accelerator” program. The event was attended by Singapore’s minister for digital development and information, Josephine Teo, alongside Meta’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg.
During the event, Meta awarded grants to standout startups that showcased impactful applications of Llama. More than 720 companies from 13 countries participated, proposing solutions to challenges in education, public services, and economic development.
The regional winner, Pakistan’s Traversaal.ai, received a USD 100,000 grant for its Urdu language model, designed to connect 250 million Urdu speakers worldwide. Two runner-ups from Indonesia and New Zealand were awarded USD 15,000 and USD 10,000, respectively.
Canterly grabs seed funding to transform equestrian management
Singapore-based Canterly, which promises to bring the equestrian industry into the digital age, has secured an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Antler, according to e27.
This round follows Canterly’s pre-seed raise in June, which was also backed by Antler.
In an industry still dominated by paper schedules and clunky software, Canterly’s platform integrates horse care, client management, staff scheduling, and financial transactions into one sleek system. The global equestrian industry has long needed an overhaul, and Canterly is looking to be the one-stop solution for facilities—from riding schools to polo clubs.
With this new funding, the startup is charging ahead to accelerate product development and expand into key markets like Singapore, Malaysia, ANZ, and the Middle East. Over the next year, it plans to onboard 60 equestrian facilities, helping them cut operational waste and optimize growth.
GMA Ventures and TNB Aura back RockMedical’s expansion
Hofer Development Corporation (HDC), a Philippines-based company behind the RockMedical brand, has secured an undisclosed investment co-led by GMA Ventures and Singapore-based TNB Aura.
RockMedical’s healthcare and wellness products are currently available in more than 10,000 stores across the Philippines. In a joint statement, GMA Ventures and TNB Aura said that the investment taps into the booming health and wellness market, which they believe is poised for significant growth in the coming years.
Synnax raises USD 550,000 to expand decentralized credit intelligence platform
Synnax, a decentralized credit intelligence platform, has raised USD 550,000 in its latest funding round, bringing its total to USD 1.55 million. The round was backed by Wintermute Ventures and TON Ventures.
Synnax’s platform delivers predictive financial forecasts for both public and private companies, addressing the biases found in traditional credit ratings. Its flagship “Credit Intelligence” protocol provides real-time credit analytics, empowering investors and businesses to make more informed decisions. Additionally, Synnax operates SynQuest, a Telegram-based mini app that captures community sentiment data to further enhance its financial predictions.
The fresh capital will be used to refine the Credit Intelligence protocol, grow SynQuest’s user base, and drive innovation in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space.
Truely, Jazro, First Circle, and more led recent headlines:
- Truely, a travel eSIM provider enabling global mobile connectivity, raised USD 3.5 million in seed funding, led by 1982 Ventures with participation from Beenext and Kopital Ventures. Angel investors such as JJ Chai (formerly of Airbnb), Kum Hong Siew (formerly of Airbnb), HY Sia (Tranglo), Mohammad Gharaybeh, Qin En Looi, Eric Dadoun, and Gilbert Relou also joined the round.
- Jazro Robotic Academy, a Malaysian robotics education startup incubated by Petronas Innovation Garage (PING), raised MYR 1.2 million (USD 285,000) from Gobi Dana Impak Ventures, a Gobi Partners-managed fund.
- First Circle, a provider of digital financial services in the Philippines, secured USD 7 million from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in a funding round joined by Endeavor Catalyst, Fasanara Capital, and existing investors Insignia Ventures Partners and Accion.
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