Leveling up

• In response to the growth of the gaming industry in Indonesia, 500-backed e-commerce startup Bukalapak has partnered with another 500-backed startup, itemku, an Indonesian-based online marketplace catered to the gaming industry.
• Following this announcement, Managing Partner of 500 Startups Khailee Ng confirmed that Bukalapak has acquired itemku.
• Both companies will work closely in creating greater access to video games for Indonesians, including distribution of products from itemku to gaming customers who are in the country’s rural areas.
• In addition, they will develop new projects in the near future together.
• Read the full article on MARKETECH APAC here.

An ace up the sleeve

• 500-backed fashion startup Pomelo plans to launch its own business-to-business (B2B) unit, Prism. The startup will offer services like demand planning and logistics for other fashion and lifestyle brands through this unit.
• According to co-founder and CEO David Jou, this move comes to boost revenue as physical store sales and traffic has dropped, while e-commerce remains strong.
• Its B2B service has drawn brands like Levi’s as customers.
• Pomelo plans to add 44 more physical stores on top of its 25 existing locations. It is also experimenting with having customers try on clothes at home in a partnership with ride-hailer Grab, another 500-backed startup.
• Read the full article on Reuters here.

Doctors on call

• Shohoz Health, a digital healthcare service by 500-backed super app Shohoz, was launched in the midst of the pandemic last year. It aims to bring physicians online to help people gain access to specialist doctors and medication.
• Citing data by the World Health Organization, the article revealed that the current doctor-patient ratio in Bangladesh is only 5.26 per 10,000 persons, which places the country at the second bottom position in South Asia.
• The startup claims to have over 150 medical specialists on its app who can be accessed through video conferencing from any part of the country.
• The service also allows users to receive prescriptions along with medicine delivery from different local pharmacies.
• Read the full feature on Dhaka Tribune 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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