Stronger than ever

• e27 published a list of notable startups in Malaysia in 2021 that have shown resilience in the pandemic. 25 were selected and eight are 500-backed startups. Let’s have a look:
  • Carsome – In a share-swap deal with Catcha Group, the used car marketplace acquired a percentage of Australia-listed iCar Asia and turned into Malaysia’s first technology unicorn.
  • Supahands – The Malaysian data labeling platform was recently acquired by Singapore fashion analytics startup Omnilytics for US$20 million.
  • LottieFiles – The open-source animation file format platform raised US$9 million in a round led by M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund.
  • Naluri – Closed US$5 million in funding, which it will use to expand in Singapore and Indonesia, as well as launch its digital health services in Thailand and the Philippines.
  • SPEEDHOME – The property rental platform secured US$1.7 million in funding and aims to expand regionally to 10 other cities in the next five years.
  • iPrice Group – The online shopping aggregator announced US$1.5 million financing from South Korean foodtech company Woowa Brothers.
  • Aerodyne Group – The drone startup announced a strategic investment and partnership with a consortium of Japanese investors.
  • Favful – The online beauty platform was acquired by iMedia, a Malaysian integrated digital media group for an undisclosed amount.
• Read the full list on e27 here.

A package deal

• MaGIC, a Malaysian agency supporting innovation and creativity in the country, has launched MaGICARE, a care kit for local startups to weather the pandemic. The agency partnered with 500-backed digital health startup Naluri to include its Digital Mental Health Support services.
• Under this program, startups can tap into resources for mental health and well-being assistance. This includes subsidized one-on-one counseling sessions and one-on-one support through professional counseling or therapy.
• Startups will also have access to a 24/7 careline through the Naluri Community Programme. Calls are unlimited, and the program is manned by a team of clinical psychologists and registered counselors.
• In addition, there will be webinars and emotional well-being assessments conducted by a clinical psychologist.
• Get more details here.

Lessons from a unicorn

• How did 500-backed Bukalapak become an ‘all commerce’ publicly-listed startup? CEO Rachmat Kaimuddin will shed some light on this topic on October 13 at the upcoming Tech in Asia Conference 2021.
• In the session, he will speak about:
  • How Bukalapak has stayed one of Indonesia’s top e-commerce players for over a decade despite being in a competitive market
  • What does it mean to be an ‘all commerce’ company?
  • What it’s like being the first tech unicorn in Indonesia to go public
  • The startup’s plans for the future.
• This session is complimentary for Tech in Asia’s Core and Live subscribers.
• A single pass is available for US$59. According to Tech in Asia, signing up for this session also gives you access to all sessions at the conference.
• Details and registration here.