Flying to oil & gas near you 

• Drone tech will soon benefit the oil & gas sector too, thanks to a strategic partnership between Aerodyne Oil and Gas, a subsidiary of 500-backed Aerodyne Group, and Malaysia state energy firm PETRONAS’ technology commercialization arm, PETRONAS Technology Ventures (PTVSB).
• In addition to optimizing operations, the two firms are looking to reduce carbon footprint and improve workers’ safety in the energy industry. They will also explore the viability of drone solutions in handling higher payloads and longer distances to increase logistics efficiency and speed.
• Both companies will also look into technology enhancement, human capital development, the establishment of related regulations and standards, as well as push to liberalize the usage of drone services in Malaysia.
• “Pooling our expertise and resources to develop unique and creative solutions for today’s challenges in the O&G sector is an exciting approach and will enable both parties to tap into opportunities in Malaysia and beyond,” Aerodyne Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer Kamarul A. Muhamed said.
• Read the full story in TechNode Global.

A card up the sleeve

• A new, virtual card makes shopping fast and accessible! 500-backed digital credit platform Kredivo launched the Infinite Card in collaboration with Mastercard and Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero), one of the largest banks in the country.
• The Infinite Card works just like a credit card, allowing Kredivo users to transact using Kredivo’s credit limit across all of Mastercard’s online merchant network.
• Umang Rustagi, CEO of Kredivo Indonesia said, “The Infinite Card, as the name implies, will provide unlimited access to online transactions, anywhere and at any time, for our nearly 5 million Indonesian customers. This innovation dramatically reduces the accessibility gap between traditional credit card holders and Kredivo customers.”
• Linked to a Kredivo account, the interest rates for the card are the same as those offered by Kredivo: 0% for 30 days and 3-month installments and 2.6% per month for 6- and 12-month installments.
• Check out the full article here.

Breaking the glass ceiling, together

• Female success is often attributed to outlying factors such as looks and cunning instead of their hard work and abilities, noted Dana von der Heide, Founder & Chief Commercial Officer of 500-backed Parcel Perform. This starts a vicious cycle that prevents women from getting leadership roles.
• While women have made significant strides towards gender equality, she cited a 2020 report revealing that the global gender pay gap is stuck at 16%, while women in some countries are paid as much as 35% less than men. This gender bias is also prevalent in entrepreneurship, where women face more challenges when fundraising.
• How can we push the needle forward? Both females and males have the same responsibility for achieving gender equality, she feels. “Male leaders have to exercise their majority, stand behind their promises for diversity and equality, and act on them with the intent to level the playing field. Leaders should identify females they can sponsor and mentor to lift them up from a career perspective. Women need to have role models to be visible so others can get inspired by them,” she elaborates on the roles of leaders.
• Oh, by the way, she walks the talk – Parcel Perform has close to a 50-50 ratio of male and female team members across its offices globally.
• Read the full interview here.