Hi there, it’s Robin.
Southeast Asians are in for a treat as on-demand services seem to be ready to scratch every conceivable itch.
Right here in Singapore, pet owners can now commute with their pets, thanks to Grab. A beta version of GrabPet was launched this week. And just when the last-mile transportation industry seems to be all about electric scooters and bicycles, Grab is testing out the adoption of the three-wheeled vehicle, “Bajaj” as an alternative short-distance transport in Jakarta.
What about the need to be more environmentally friendly during longer rides? Grab is now looking at launching electric vehicles in Indonesia, not too long after introducing electric vehicles to its fleet in Singapore.
Go-Jek is also busy fundraising as it plans to offer more of its services across the region.
American Business Magazine Fast Company has recently ranked Grab second in its list of 50 most innovative companies in the world for 2019.
Meanwhile, the tech scene in China is experiencing a slowdown. After a number of big restructuring plans were announced among Chinese tech giants towards the end of last year, now some are undergoing major layoffs to prepare for a tough year ahead. Chinese ride-hailing darling Didi was affected and now JD.com is following suit.
Read on to find out more interesting stories from last week, and feel free to tip us if you have news or you just want to give us some feedback, email us at [email protected]. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Here are some stories you shouldn’t miss.
Southeast Asia
YouTrip assists Singapore Police Force to bust credit card fraud syndicate
PayPal to launch fintech education program in Singapore
Bigo kickstarts global expansion starting in India
Seed-stage medtech startup See-mode raises $1m
Facebook’s first accelerator program in Asia kicks off, welcoming 11 startups
Go-Pay teams up with NGO Filantropi Indonesia for digital donation programme
Indonesian e-commerce pioneer Bhinneka opens official store – on Lazada
ABCC Exchange secures funding from crypto investors in Singapore
Thailand reveals plans for ‘ASEAN’s biggest digital innovation hub’
China
Huawei’s risk to 5G networks “manageable”, says UK intelligence
Hong Kong-based edtech startup Acadsoc secures eight-figure Series C1 financing round
JD Finance comes under fire for privacy violations
Huawei founder says daughter’s arrest was politically motivated
ByteDance’s Douyin launches first game to take on Tencent
Alibaba increases stake in investment bank CICC
ByteDance said to target $14.8b revenue in 2019, doubling what it made last year
Logistics firm Lalamove nabs $300m Series D funding
Klook appoints its first CCO in bid to expand global footprint
Insights/ Interviews
Southeast Asia’s burgeoning digital gaming market
Can an app streamline Singapore’s medical care?
Go-Pay rules Indonesia’s mobility payments, Ovo leads offline: Report