Breaking glass ceilings

• Val Yap, founder of 500-backed insurtech startup PolicyPal, was recently selected to be featured on The Peak Power List 2021. The list honors fearless women who have pushed the limits of gender equality and equity in their respective fields.
• In 2016, Val launched PolicyPal with just three people. The platform consolidates insurance policies in a simple and accessible way, allowing users to identify coverage gaps. Today, the startup is staffed by over 30 and helps over 100,000 users manage their policies.
• Faced with skepticism from industry traditionalists, it was a challenge being a first mover in the insurtech scene. The pivotal point for PolicyPal came when it graduated from a government-sponsored incubator for high-potential fintech start-ups.
• Since then, Vap said the platform has the largest database of policies. The startup is currently using artificial intelligence to develop new insurance products including bicycle and pet insurance.
• Read the full piece on The Peak here.

Doing a world of good

• Established in 2017, 500-backed abillion has grown into a community of 300,000 hailing from 130 countries. The plant-based review app has raised US$6.5 million so far. 
• “During its initiation, abillion raised US$2 million in seed funding, which broke records as the most significant seed round for a plant-based start-up that year in Singapore,” founder Vikas Garg told Lifestyle Asia.
• Vikas also integrated the element of charity into the app. Every member who posts a review on the app receives US$1, which they can then donate to selected organizations. abillion aims to donate one million dollars this year and so far, it has already exceeded 700,000 reviews on the platform.
• On building the startup, he said, “One thing I have learnt is the importance of creating an amazing team, who continue to inspire me (and each other) every day. The abillion team is super diverse, which is important as it means that everyone brings a fresh perspective to the table.”
• Read the full interview on Lifestyle Asia here.

Building relationships

• “Every supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The supply chain industry is huge, and many of the upstream things you don’t see–the manufacturing, raw materials, finished goods–are all powered by shipping and haulage,” said Alvin Ea, co-founder of 500-backed Haulio to KrAsia.
• He believes more people are starting to realize the significance and presence of the haulage industry. And Haulio has been part of this journey of transformation with its mission to empower the lives of all truck drivers across Southeast Asia.
• “I grew up with truck drivers. Many of them have been doing the same thing for the past 20 years, and they’ve been using fax machines and pen and paper to run their businesses,” he shared. “Now, they are kind of left behind in this new digital era because they want to change but don’t have the know-how.”
• Haulio gives traditional hauliers the right tools and technology to bring their operations online. According to Alvin, this enables sharing in an industry rife with competitors.
• Read the full interview on KrAsia here.