‘Out of this world’ connectivity

• 500-backed deeptech startup Transcelestial was featured in an episode of Business Unusual, a Channel News Asia series on entrepreneurial efforts in the pandemic.
• In the spotlight was CENTAURI, the product using its proprietary laser communication technology. CENTAURI provides up to 10gbps of connectivity at low costs and the fastest time to market.

• CEO and co-founder Rohit Jha shared that when the pandemic hit, internet usage surged as people started working from home, with teleconferencing taking up the most bandwidth. According to him, countries have generally seen a 40–60% growth in internet usage between pre- and post-COVID periods, and the existing networks cannot accommodate this traffic.
• “99% of the world’s data is channeled through massive undersea cables connecting one country to another,” the episode explained.
• How does the startup’s technology circumvent the need for these cables? Mohammad Danesh, CTO and co-founder said putting new fiber optic cables in the ground is expensive, time-consuming, and difficult to do. Transcelestial’s solution requires two devices to connect two points via a laser link, which takes only 10 minutes to set up.
• “Laser communication opens up a part of the spectrum which was previously completely unused,” he shared, adding that the spectrum is “a million times larger” than what is available in standard communications systems.
• This addresses two pain points on the user’s end: bad internet connection on existing networks and rural areas where internet access is poor.
• Danesh said, “We are building a global telco out of space…by building a network of satellites in the lower earth orbit which is blanketing the planet. All of these satellites will be connected to each other with laser communication links and they will be also connected back to the ground with laser communication links as well.”
• Rohit revealed the startup aims to get the technology to certain parts of the world by 2025.
• Watch the full episode here.

From drone to doorstep

• 500-backed Aerodyne Group inked an agreement with international express delivery provider DHL express to collaborate on logistics solutions for life sciences and maritime industries in Malaysia.

• Aerodyne is a drone-based solutions provider driven by artificial intelligence technology.
• Through the partnership, both companies have identified opportunities to improve healthcare-related logistics in East Malaysia as well as the delivery of time-critical essentials to vessels traveling on the Malaccan Straits.
• The overall drone delivery market was valued at US$642.4 million in 2019. Drone deliveries are on the rise as the pandemic fuels the need for contactless services and to reach remote areas to provide aid.
• Julian Neo, Managing Director of DHL Express Malaysia and Brunei, shared that this agreement is part of the company’s commitment to digitizing its services.
• “In tandem with the global rise of drone delivery, our partnership with DHL Express is timely to make this service compliant, as well as technically and commercially viable in Malaysia and beyond,” said Aerodyne Group Founder and Group CEO, Kamarul A Muhamed.

Rocking it up in Indonesian retail

• Shoppers can now get their retail fix at 500-backed Pomelo’s first physical store in Indonesia, which opened at Central Park Mall in West Jakarta.

• This is part of the Bangkok-based fashion e-commerce startup’s plans to expand to Indonesia and Malaysia. It already has a physical presence in Thailand and Singapore.
• According to a press release, the new store features easily recyclable materials using wood and raw metals, among others.
• The startup claims 90% of the materials used in-store can be recycled. In addition, the store aims to “reach its reduce-reuse-recycle goals by selling products with particular designs and weight to reduce its carbon footprint.”
• This is part of the startup’s mission towards sustainability, launching its first sustainable clothing line, Purpose, in 2018, and striking a partnership to develop upcycled packaging.
• Indonesian fans of Pomelo can experience Pomelo’s “Tap.Try.Buy.” online-to-offline feature, where they can pick out products online and try them on at a Pomelo store.
• Pomelo’s app also allows customers to pick up and pay for their orders directly, book a fitting room, and receive updates on their waiting number via its ‘in-store’ mode.
• “Creating a seamless omnichannel experience has always been at the core of what we do at Pomelo, and it’s what allows us to continue expanding our retail presence at a time when other brands may be doing the opposite,” Anders Heikenfeldt, Pomelo’s chief retail officer, said in a statement.

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500 Startups is a venture capital firm on a mission to discover and back the world’s most talented entrepreneurs, help them create successful companies at scale, and build thriving global ecosystems. In Southeast Asia, 500 Startups invests through the pioneering 500 Southeast Asia family of funds. The 500 Southeast Asia funds have backed over 240 companies across multiple sectors from internet to consumer to deep technology. It continues to connect founders with capital, expertise and powerful regional and global networks to help them succeed.

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