A boost for space

• The Queensland government has approved for a small rocket launch pad to be built in the state. It will be built by 500-backed rocket startup Gilmour Space Technologies.
• According to its co-founder and head of launch operations James Gilmour, the new launch site will fulfill requirements for low-earth orbit (LEO) launches.
• The startup is launching its first Eris rocket next year with several Australian payloads onboard. They include a fire detection satellite by Fireball International.
• Gilmour Space is also looking at another proposed launch site in South Australia.
• Read the full article on ZDNet here.

Healthcare for the masses

• Two people behind 500-backed digital health startup mClinica have been featured on Prestige’s 40 Under 40 list this year — CEO and founder Farouk Meralli and COO Vasil Rusinov.
• According to Vasil, the startup has connected more than 200,000 pharmacy professionals from tens of thousands of pharmacies across Southeast Asia through its app SwipeRx.
• Farouk added that in Indonesia, one in every three licensed pharmacists is on the platform.
• He also shared that when the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, they worked with Johns Hopskins and several other institutions to help tackle healthcare issues at the pharmacy level.
• Watch the full interview with Farouk and Vasil here.

A positive outlook

• According to a news report by Channel News Asia (CNA), internship opportunities in Singapore have rebounded from the pandemic. CNA cited data from 500-backed career platform Glints showing that openings have jumped 1.5x compared to pre-pandemic levels.
• Tara Hill, Regional Operations and Partnerships Lead at the startup said that a pre-pandemic survey conducted by Glints on over 300 employers found that only 2% were open to remote work. This number shot up to over 25% after the pandemic hit.
• The news report concluded that interns that have gone through a virtual internship perform as well as peers who have completed a physical one.
• Watch the full coverage on Channel News Asia here.

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500 Startups is a venture capital firm on a mission to discover and back the world’s most talented entrepreneurs, help them create successful companies at scale, and build thriving global ecosystems. In Southeast Asia, 500 Startups invests through the pioneering 500 Southeast Asia family of funds. The 500 Southeast Asia funds have backed over 240 companies across multiple sectors from internet to consumer to deep technology. It continues to connect founders with capital, expertise and powerful regional and global networks to help them succeed.

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