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Dear reader,<\/p>\n
The latest State of the ASEAN Technology Ecosystem Report CY2024<\/em> underscores a paradox in the region\u2019s startup landscape\u2014while capital deployment is stabilising, early-stage founders continue to struggle with fundraising. This reflects a broader global trend where investors remain cautious, prioritising proven business models over speculative growth.<\/p>\n The sharp 23% decline in deal volume highlights a key challenge: the scarcity of dedicated seed funding. Without robust early-stage investment, ASEAN\u2019s startup pipeline could face long-term constraints. While Series A and B funding appear to be stabilising, founders are often forced to accept lower-than-expected valuations, signalling a market still favouring investors over entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n Geographically, the shifting focus beyond Singapore and Indonesia suggests a maturing ecosystem, where emerging markets like Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines offer fresh opportunities. However, capital invested remains below pre-pandemic levels, reinforcing the uneven recovery.<\/p>\n Sector-wise, fintech\u2019s dominance is unsurprising, given its established role in the region. What\u2019s more striking is ASEAN\u2019s relative lag in AI investment, especially compared to North America and Europe. This suggests a potential gap in deep tech funding that could hinder long-term innovation.<\/p>\n Ultimately, despite challenges, founder optimism remains strong. However, without renewed early-stage capital and stronger investor-founder alignment, ASEAN\u2019s tech growth may remain constrained.<\/p>\n Sainul, —–<\/p>\n REGIONAL<\/strong><\/p>\n Fundraising remains tough in ASEAN despite capital stabilisation<\/a> Chocolate Finance takes US$374M hit in 2-week withdrawal spree<\/a> Philippine startups break records in 2024: What\u2019s driving the boom?<\/a> SEA embraces crypto payments, but security and merchant adoption lag<\/a> Millennials, Gen Z will shape 79% of SEA\u2019s fintech landscape by 2030: Report<\/a> Blibli posts 14% revenue growth in 2024<\/a> SeaX Ventures unveils US$6M climate fund to back startups focusing on carbon reduction<\/a> Flagright clinches US$4.3M to bolster AI-native anti-money laundering solutions<\/a> Singapore Deep Tech Alliance charts new course for impact-driven innovation<\/a> Meet the 7 founders from SEA <\/a>selected <\/a>for EY\u2019s Entrepreneurial Winning Women 2025<\/a> 1337 Ventures invests in Philippines-based Betterteem<\/a> FEATURES & INTERVIEWS<\/strong><\/p>\n SEA\u2019s US$48B agritech revolution: Startups cultivating a smarter future<\/a> For SMEs eyeing global growth, efficiency is everything: Insights from Payoneer\u2019s Nagesh Devata<\/a> INTERNATIONAL<\/strong><\/p>\n OpenAI nears US$40B funding round led by SoftBank<\/a> Trump may cut China tariffs to secure TikTok deal<\/a> ByteDance pressures US team as TikTok Shop falls short<\/a> US-based 2am VC targets India\u2019s Gen Z with new US$25M fund<\/a> BYD targets 800K overseas EV sales by 2025<\/a> SEMICONDUCTOR<\/strong><\/p>\n From lab to fab: Inside Applied Ventures\u2019s stage-agnostic deep tech investments<\/a> Malaysian chip designer SkyeChip secures investment from Gobi Partners<\/a> AI boom drives increased demand for semiconductors: Industry leaders<\/a> ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n Is AI the end of originality or a new dawn for creativity?<\/a> AI infrastructure: The unsung hero of technological innovation<\/a> Responsible technology and AI: Shaping Asia\u2019s digital future<\/a> THOUGHT LEADERSHIP<\/strong><\/p>\n US consumer confidence dips: How it\u2019s hitting Asian stocks, crypto and beyond<\/a> US tariffs vs crypto wins: An economic shift<\/a> The shifting geopolitics of sustainability, energy, and climate<\/a> The impact of eSIM on international roaming and travel<\/a> Embracing sustainability: A circular design perspective on e-waste<\/a> Profitable e-commerce: Making real money in the new year<\/a> How fintech in Asia is enabling and making education affordable for everyone<\/a> Navigating the diverse crypto regulatory landscape in Southeast Asia<\/a> How to tackle employee mental health to build a resilient workforce<\/a> A better way to work: independent doers lead the way<\/a> The post Ecosystem Roundup: ASEAN fundraising struggles | Chocolate Finance sees US$374M withdrawn in 2 weeks | OpenAI nears US$40B round<\/a> appeared first on e27<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dear reader, The latest State of the ASEAN Technology Ecosystem Report CY2024 underscores a paradox in the region\u2019s startup landscape\u2014while capital deployment is stabilising, early-stage founders continue to struggle with fundraising. This reflects a broader global trend where investors remain cautious, prioritising proven business models over speculative growth. The sharp 23% decline in deal volume […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":263,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=261"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":264,"href":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261\/revisions\/264"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.fresnoforeclosure.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nEditor.<\/p>\n
\nAs per a January Capital report, fintech remained the most active sector in 2024 in ASEAN, followed by healthtech, F&B\/agritech, and software\/AI | The total number of deals completed witnessed a 23 per cent year-on-year decrease.<\/p>\n
\nIt has slashed the firm\u2019s assets under management (AUM) by some 40% | The genesis of Chocolate Finance\u2019s troubles, arguably, lay in its decision to pull the plug on transactions via payment services provider AXS.<\/p>\n
\nThe Philippine startup scene is booming with record investments and fintech growth\u2014but can it sustain momentum amid lingering challenges?<\/p>\n
\nFor 51% of respondents in the region, the speed and efficiency of transactions are the paramount reasons for embracing crypto payments | However, security risks were cited by 43% of users as a major barrier.<\/p>\n
\nBy 2030, UnaFinancial anticipates the total number of fintech users in the region to reach 505.6 million from the current 400 million.<\/p>\n
\nThe Indonesian omnichannel commerce firm’s direct sales business grew 66% to US$51.89M | Meanwhile, its marketplace sales, including travel and lifestyle products on tiket.com, rose 26% due to higher customer demand.<\/p>\n
\nSeaX Zero plans to invest in 15 to 20 startups by the end of 2025, deploying initial cheques between US$100,000 and US$500,000.<\/p>\n
\nThe investors include Frontline Ventures, Y Combinator, and Pioneer Fund | Flagright’s no-code platform offers a centralised solution encompassing dynamic risk scoring, automated case management, real-time transaction monitoring, and AML screening.<\/p>\n
\nThe SDTA has marked the past year with significant milestones, including the launch of a non-profit division, which is designed to leverage philanthropic and catalytic capital for projects outside the traditional venture capital model.<\/p>\n
\nThis bespoke executive initiative aims to identify and champion a select group of high-potential founders who have established profitable enterprises.<\/p>\n
\nBetterteem is a business intelligence platform that leverages AI to predict and mitigate employee resignations while enhancing workplace satisfaction | It has secured clients in Thailand, Singapore, South Korea, and the Philippines.<\/p>\n
\nSoutheast Asia\u2019s agritech market, projected at US$24-48B by 2030, grows with IoT, AI, and startups enhancing efficiency and sustainability.<\/p>\n
\nAccording to the Payoneer SVP of APAC, steady cash flow is critical for SMEs to survive economic instability.<\/p>\n
\nAdditional investors include Magnetar Capital, Coatue Management, and Founders Fund. According to PitchBook data, this round could value OpenAI at US$300B, nearly doubling its US$157B valuation from October 2023.<\/p>\n
\nByteDance must sell TikTok to a non-Chinese buyer by Apr. 5 or face a US ban due to national security concerns | Trump indicated he may extend the deadline and offer tariff reductions to encourage a resolution.<\/p>\n
\nTikTok’s shopping division failed to hit its goals in the US last year, and leadership is cracking down, company insiders told Business Insider | During a call, Bob Kang, the company’s China-based e-commerce head, singled out the US team as underperforming.<\/p>\n
\nSet to close by July, the new fund plans to invest in up to 30 Indian startups at the pre-seed to seed stages | Its average ticket size ranges from US$500,000 to US$1 million.<\/p>\n
\nTo address potential tariff challenges, BYD plans to assemble vehicles locally while sourcing key components from China | It’s building factories in Brazil, Thailand, Hungary, and Turkey but has no plans to enter the US or Canada due to tariffs.<\/p>\n
\nApplied Ventures’s Global Head Anand Kamannavar speaks about the key focus areas, investment criteria, trends, and expansion.<\/p>\n
\nThe funding will bolster SkyeChip\u2019s talent acquisition, business expansion initiatives, and working capital | SkyeChip designs and develops semiconductors for cutting-edge applications in areas such as AI and high-performance computing.<\/p>\n
\nAccording to industry leaders at the Nano Electronics Roadshow and Conference, they observed a sharp uptick in semiconductor consumption, with expectations for substantial growth moving forward.<\/p>\n
\nThe future of creativity extends beyond adapting to AI; it’s about riding the wave to unlock new imaginative dimensions.<\/p>\n
\nWhile AI’s applications and ethics dominate discussions, the crucial infrastructure powering its development remains a silent force shaping our future.<\/p>\n
\nHong Kong leads responsible AI development in Asia, balancing innovation with ethics through governance, transparency, and inclusivity.<\/p>\n
\nAsian markets tread cautiously as Trump’s tariff plans loom, impacting stocks, currencies, and crypto amid shifting economic trends.<\/p>\n
\nTrump\u2019s 25% auto tariff shakes markets, impacts industries, fuels crypto shifts, and raises big questions on trade, inflation, and policy.<\/p>\n
\nPolicy shifts in Europe, the UK, and Canada reveal a new balance between sustainability, energy security, and geopolitical strategy.<\/p>\n
\neSIMs simplify travel\u2014no roaming fees, SIM swaps, or WiFi hunts. Stay connected seamlessly and affordably worldwide.<\/p>\n
\nExplore sustainable design’s impact on tackling e-waste, focusing on responsible product lifecycles and recycling for a greener future.<\/p>\n
\nIn the world of e-commerce, the most common tailwinds are the events and occasions when people are ready and willing to shop more.<\/p>\n
\nFinancing has always been the key barrier for enrolment and retention, and is a top-of-mind issue for schools.<\/p>\n
\nCryptocurrency regulation and adoption in Southeast Asia vary widely, reflecting each country’s unique circumstances.<\/p>\n
\nWorld Mental Health Day is the perfect opportunity to reflect on how organisations have supported their workforce.<\/p>\n
\nNo matter how you\u2019re employed, embracing change is the best way to stay relevant; and independent doers are leading the way, let\u2019s keep up.<\/p>\n