According to the new Singapore Early-Stage Emerging Tech Startups 2023 landscape report released by SGInnovate, in 2023, Singapore’s early-stage emerging tech startup ecosystem experienced a significant surge in funding, reaching pre-2021 levels, driven primarily by increased investment in the Agrifood and Sustainability sectors. Total funding for these startups rose to US$402 million, marking a 56 per cent year-on-year increase from US$253 million in 2022. This growth was further underscored by a 1.5x rise in seed-stage deals, signalling a broader shift towards early-stage investment activit ..read more

Decentro founder and CEO Rohit Taneja Indian fintech infrastructure platform Decentro expanded into Southeast Asia in March 2023 by launching its Ledgers module in Singapore. With Asia-Pacific being a hotbed for digital banking solutions. Decentro aims to double its regional business growth by the end of 2024, tapping into the substantial market demand for new-age financial solutions. In this interview with e27, Decentro’s founder discusses the company’s products, plans in Southeast Asia, and upcoming funding round. Excerpts: What are the key features and functionalities of Decentro’s produc ..read more

In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into wealth management strategies is poised to reshape investment paradigms. This transformation is further amplified by the rise of tokenised funding, leveraging blockchain technology to democratise access to investment opportunities. This article explores the intersection of ESG principles with tokenisation, examining its implications for the future of finance. Introduction The concept of ESG integration in finance refers to the incorporation of Environmental, Social, and ..read more

Visit Echelon X to learn more about the program. Get your tickets here! From a growth standpoint, any business owner or financial manager would be faced with the daunting and laborious task of overseeing international payments. Steep transaction fees and volatile foreign exchange rates often eat on the cash flow and company profits.  Additionally, recipients may not receive their funds on time due to slow processing times or transaction problems. In the latter case, businesses are often left without much support, and options for multi-currency solutions are scarce. As ..read more

FPT Corporation founder and chairman Truong Gia Binh Vietnamese tech company FPT Global has announced a strategic partnership with multi-national corporation NVIDIA to build an AI Factory in Vietnam. FPT plans to invest US$200 million in building an AI factory, which will provide a cloud computing platform for AI research and development (R&D) in Vietnam. Also Read: Exploring the boundaries of AI: What AI can or cannot do? The AI factory consists of supercomputer systems operating on NVIDIA’s latest technology (including a suite of applications – NVIDIA AI Enterprise development technolo ..read more

Despite global efforts to promote recycling and build a circular economy, certain types of waste often slip through the cracks due to their perceived difficulty and expense to treat. Wet wastes, characterised by high water content, including food and agricultural waste, sewage and oil sludges, fall into this category. With more than 80 per cent of the world’s wet waste ending up incinerated, landfilled, or illegally dumped, the environmental and financial costs are staggering. However, amidst these challenges lies a promising opportunity for those willing to innovate and transform wet waste i ..read more

In the digital age, data centres stand as the bedrock of technological advancement, facilitating everything from cloud computing and cryptocurrency to sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Yet, as these infrastructures burgeon, they grapple with the intertwined challenges of skyrocketing energy demands, security (both physical and cyber) vulnerabilities, and the urgent call for sustainability amidst looming climate change. These challenges unfold against a complex geopolitical backdrop, where the imperatives of energy security and data protection intersect with global susta ..read more

Visit Echelon X to learn more about the program. Get your tickets here! At its core, Echelon serves as a platform dedicated to gathering key innovators with the goal of fostering collaboration among startups, investors, corporates, SMEs, government bodies, and various ecosystem players by offering valuable tools and knowledge. This annual gathering, attracting top brands and industry figures, grants attendees exclusive access to market insights, growth initiatives, a digital marketplace, market entry strategies, brand enhancement opportunities, and a platform for networkin ..read more

YouApp aims to revolutionise the dating landscape by streamlining the compatibility assessment process. Instead of laboriously consulting experts and sifting through personality tests, the app’s AI swiftly calculates compatibility based on inputs from Chinese, Indian, and Western astrological charts and insights from the Myers-Briggs model. This amalgamation of ancient wisdom and contemporary psychology enables YouApp to deliver compatibility predictions in seconds, sparing users the time-consuming task of manual evaluation. Drawing from a vast database and leveraging the expertise of special ..read more

A photo from EPiC 2023 Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) has announced the 71 finalists that will demonstrate at its annual global Elevator Pitch Competition (EPiC) on April 26. Of these, 80 per cent are semi-international finalists and 20 per cent from Hong Kong. The top startups were selected by judges from the regional semi-finals in Silicon Valley, Stuttgart, Singapore, and Hong Kong. They will battle for a chance to target the US$45 million investment to be arranged, up to US$5 million in HKSTP venture funding, US$240,000 in cash prizes, plus partnership opportu ..read more