A big harvest

• Jala Tech, a 500-backed aquaculture startup, has raised US$6 million. Led by the Althelia Sustainable Ocean Fund, the round also included the Meloy Fund, an American environmental conservation group, and Real Tech Fund, a Japanese deeptech-focused venture capital fund.
• The startup’s future plans include developing auto-feeders, oxygenators, and environmentally-friendly recirculating aquaculture systems. It will also look into sustainable certification standards for shrimp aquaculture.
• With its proprietary, AI-driven platform, Jala helps farmers acquire data such as pond conditions, shrimp growth, harvest prediction, and more. Its system generates recommendations for farmers, enabling them to make optimal farm management decisions.
• As of 2021, more than 6,700 farms use Jala’s platform to increase productivity. The startup facilitates the trade of 200 tonnes of shrimp on a monthly basis.
• Read the full story here.

A sweet deal

• 500-backed used car marketplace Carsome announced a partnership with Tealive, a lifestyle tea brand, to set up Carsome Inspection Points at selected Tealive outlets in Malaysia.
• At these outlets, customers can book a free car inspection. Carsome’s professional inspectors will conduct a 175-point inspection on their cars in about 30 minutes – as fast as having a cup of bubble tea.
• Carsome co-founder and Group CEO Eric Cheng said, “This strategic partnership is part of our expansion plans to extend our strategic footprint and reach out to more customers while offering even more convenience.”
• Upon completion of the car inspection, an offer price will be made. Customers can also opt to put up their cars on Carsome’s platform for bidding. The startup will handle all the paperwork and complete payment in as quick as 1 hour.
• Read the full statement from Carsome here.

Growing the food business

• Co-founder of 500-backed Food Market Hub, Shayna Teh, penned a piece on e27 about the importance of going digital for F&B businesses.
• Food Market Hub is a procurement and inventory system for F&B businesses that processes and consolidates operational data, enabling business owners to make smarter decisions.
• According to Shayna, Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese restaurant chain, has reaped the benefits of being on Food Market Hub’s platform. She shared that in 2020, the chain saw a 31% increase in year-on-year growth as a result.
• Such platforms, she concluded, would be beneficial, cost-efficient, and can potentially help bridge the communication currently faced by both buyers and suppliers in the F&B industry.
• Read the full article on e27.