Fighting with facts

• The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) tapped into 500-backed mClinica to deploy activities in Indonesia under the USAID Tuberculosis Private Sector (TPS) project.
• According to the startup, the agency leveraged its digital network of more than 105,000 pharmacy professionals via its SwipeRx app.
• mClinica said it designed and deployed posters in its app and social media pages. Over five weeks, more than 180,000 app and social media users were exposed to messages encouraging routine screening and referral of presumptive tuberculosis patients.
• The result? The startup claimed that the campaign yielded a 29% engagement rate, suggesting that it had successfully captured the attention of pharmacy professionals.
• Read the full case study here.

Changing mindsets

• 500-backed Carousell released The Carousell Recommerce Index 2021 Report to highlight the trend and importance of sustainability and recommerce. It covers eight markets – Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
• Based on its user survey, 72% of Carousell Group users reported having made secondhand purchases before, of which 3 in 10 buy secondhand whenever possible. 68% gave ‘value for money’ as the reason, while 21% chose environmental reasons.
• Since the launch of its Free Items category in March 2020, it claims that more people are giving things away instead of discarding them.
• “Carousell’s vision is to inspire others to make secondhand as their first choice. This is a shift that will be crucial for the environment and one that we predict will take the spotlight in the next decade,” co-founders Lucas Ngoo, Marcus Tan, and Siu Rui Quek said in a joint message.
• Download the full report here.

Uplifting businesses

• 500-backed e-commerce startup Una Brands has launched in Indonesia, committing to investing US$35 million in 2022 to support local brands. It plans to do so through acquisition, working capital injection, operational support, and international expansion.
• According to the startup, it has signed exclusive agreements with several Indonesian brands and is targeting to acquire 15 in 2022.
• “We not only see an opportunity to acquire the best local brands but also help them expand in Indonesia and globally while making Indonesia a strategic sourcing hub for our portfolio outside china, which is our current hub,” said co-founder and CEO Kiren Tanna.
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