Harpoen One of Three Asian Startups to Win World Summit Awards
The mobile-loving World Summit Awards (WSA) 2013 has finally found its eight winners for each of the eight competing categories, and three Asian startups managed to claim prizes for outright wins. This...
View ArticleNo Amazon Appstore for Indonesia and China – Here’s the Full List for Asia
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) announced yesterday the expansion of its Android Appstore to “nearly 200 countries” but didn’t specify the full list. So we asked Amazon where in Asia-Pacific its app store will...
View ArticleWith 18,000 Restaurants to Be Listed, Zomato’s Next Asia Launch Will be...
Delhi-based Zomato seems to be expanding its restaurant reviews platform at a fair speed. After launching in London in January, the startup then went to Manila in March and most recently down to...
View Article42% of the world’s Internet users live in Asia
Asia, as we have noted repeatedly before, is home to the biggest internet populations across the world. These maps show us, with some staggering data, what that looks like.
View ArticleIndia’s Micromax eyes Russia and Eastern Europe as new smartphone markets
It’s not just China’s homegrown smartphone makers that are going global. India’s Micromax is set to launch in Russia and Romania by the end of the year. Micromax is close to overtaking Samsung in...
View ArticleIntel Capital has so far invested over $2 billion in Asian startups
There are a lot of venture capital funds out there, many of whom are playing close attention to what’s happening with startups in Asia. Perhaps the most recognizable name is Intel Capital, the venture...
View ArticleThe Change School in Bali helps entrepreneurs slow down to speed up
Most entrepreneurs see a company with the word “ventures” tacked onto the end and naturally assume it’s a VC or private equity firm, and rightly so. At first sight, it may seem like Grace Clapham’s...
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Corsair hosts the first ever Corsair Asia Cup, registrations now open
Corsair is stepping into the Dota 2 eSports scene with the first-ever Corsair Asia Cup. The tournament will feature 12 qualifying teams and the following invited teams: MVP (Korea) Titan (Malaysia)...
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How two Sri Lankans are building a robotic cloud in Switzerland and Japan
The robot from Laputa, the Studio Ghibli island in the sky, and inspiration for Rapyuta’s name. As the robotics industry gains steam, one question is looming large: how do you make and where do you put...
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Rocket Internet has a go at job classifieds with launch of Everjobs
Rocket Internet churned out a new startup today with the launch of Everjobs. It’s a jobs classifieds site that launches first in Sri Lanka and Myanmar. Though the name is new, the site actually stems...
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12 international VC firms that have invested in South Asian startups
As smartphone usage booms across Asia and web services become more commonplace, private equity firms and venture capitalists are exploring the lucrative potential of the region. There are a number of...
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Asia’s mobile and broadband internet speeds, in one infographic
How fast is your internet? How much does it frustrate you? Although you likely have a few options for your broadband and mobile data plans, the answers to those questions are largely dictated by which...
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This Indian VC is looking toward Indonesia for early stage startups
Japanese investors like SoftBank, CyberAgent Ventures, Rebright Partners, and IMJ Investment Partners have established solid footing in Indonesia. So have big Chinese internet firms like Baidu. Even...
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Their startup survived a tsunami and Sri Lanka’s fledgling internet. Now it’s...
It was in the early 2000s when a group of five young, ambitious high school graduates from Sri Lanka realized their burning desire to strike out on their own. They were enthusiastic about...
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6 years after a bloody civil war, Sri Lanka bets on startups, attracts investors
Sigiriya, Sri Lanka When you visit Sri Lanka, it’s hard to imagine that the beautiful, teardrop-shaped island was once the ground of one of the bloodiest civil wars in history. Two ethnic groups – the...
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Social payments startup Kashmi is ready to launch with new seed funding
Image credit: Kashmi Peer-to-peer (P2P) payments startup Kashmi has secured S$700,000 (US$497,000) in seed funding, it announced today. The startup allows users to send and receive money regardless of...
View ArticleWhy investing in Sri Lanka is like turning the clock back for Google India chief
With takas.lk set to raise the largest round of funding in Sri Lankan history, Rajan Anandan explains that ecommerce is only five years behind India.
View ArticleRocket Internet’s property portal Lamudi raises $31.4m from existing backers
Lamudi’s co-founder and managing director Kian Moini says their goal is to become the biggest real estate platform in markets where they operate.
View Article500 Startups launches $25m fund for India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
Any guesses on the name? Hint: It’s not 500 Samosas.
View ArticleRocket Internet’s ‘Uber for budget hotels’ launches in Singapore and 3 more...
Zenrooms faces lots of rivals as startups seek to improve Southeast Asia’s budget hotels.
View ArticleRocket Internet merges ecommerce sites Daraz and Kaymu across Asia
The new entity will be called ‘Daraz Group’ with centralized operations in Pakistan.
View ArticleGoogle Southeast Asia & India head, others launch VC fund for Sri Lankan...
This new Singapore-based fund will focus on startups that want to expand out of the island.
View ArticleSri Lanka isn’t synonymous with world class tech. But that might be about to...
Media site Roar.lk and venture capital fund BOV Capital have a similar mission for Sri Lanka: spread the word about the island as far as possible.
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Here’s what Jack Ma should buy next
Photo modified by Tech in Asia; original photo credit: UN Climate Change. Ever since Jack Ma’s Alibaba took control of Lazada in a US$1 billion deal last year, there’s been speculation about what the...
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With $4m new funding, Rocket Internet’s Zen Rooms sets its sights on more...
Photo credit: Zen Rooms. Zen Rooms, Rocket Internet’s hotel booking platform for cost-conscious travelers, today announced it raised US$4.1 million in series A funding from Redbadge Pacific and SBI...
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You can score a $1m seed round even in Sri Lanka. These founders show how.
ODoc founders Heshan Fernando, Sohan Dharmaraja, Dr. Janaka Wickremesinghe, and Inshard Naizer. Photo credit: oDoc. The island nation south of India with its gorgeous beaches, rainforests, and ancient...
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Alibaba grows empire yet again with South Asia acquisition
Alibaba founder Jack Ma / Photo credit: Alibaba China’s online shopping giant Alibaba grew its fledgling worldwide empire today with yet another fresh acquisition. Alibaba is now the owner of Daraz, an...
View ArticleIn brief: Lamudi scores funds to double down on Indonesia, Philippines
The real estate portal will use the funding to expand its coverage to other aspects of property transactions.
View ArticleIn brief: Sri Lanka top property portal acquires Lamudi’s local business
LankaPropertyWeb plans to expand its reach and property portfolio via the acquisition.
View ArticleSri Lanka-based healthtech firm ODoc nets $1m in pre-series A round
Funds raised will be used to expand operations and develop its customer experience across the healthcare and insurance verticals in the region.
View ArticleSingapore smart-home startup banks $8m in series A round
The company expects to expand into newer markets in Southeast Asia like Cambodia and plans to break into Australasia and Europe by the end of the year.
View ArticleChina tech execs wave white flag as crackdown takes toll
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View ArticleHow Circles Life supports the development of its employees
At the core of the company’s values is empowerment.
View ArticleIn 50 Words: Alipay+ expands to Sri Lanka with LankaPay partnership
The partnership enables users of Alipay+ and its network of e-wallets to transact with 400,000 LankaQR merchants in Sri Lanka.
View ArticleSri Lanka’s startup ecosystem has all it needs to thrive
The country’s ecosystem is ready to take off if it can adopt an outward-looking mindset, tap the diaspora, and find local talent ready to take risks.
View ArticleWhy Sri Lanka’s startup scene is ready to take off
We look at what Sri Lanka needs to do to develop its startup scene, and India’s Zomato confirms talks to acquire Paytm‘s movie and ticketing unit.
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