Despite a more challenging macroeconomic landscape, 500-backed startups are going strong this month with aquaculture company eFishery reeling in US$200M to expand their reach to 1 million ponds, and cleantech company Hydroleap landing US$4.4M to bring their sustainable wastewater treatment technology across Asia Pacific.

Congratulations are also in order for proptech company UrbanMetry and superapp Grab, who were honored by the World Economic Forum and TIME respectively.

Missed our last highlights issue? Check it out here.

• eFishery reels in US$200M to expand Indonesia’s aquaculture farming community; aims to reach 1M ponds by 2025
• Hydroleap raises US$4.4M to treat wastewater across Asia Pacific with tech that eliminates ~95% of industrial pollutants
• iMotorbike raises US$2.6M to expand in Malaysia & Vietnam and to drive sustainability in the two-wheeler space
• NodeFlair raises US$2M to help tech professionals advance their careers, starting with payslip-verified data
• First Move empowers consumer-focused early-stage startups in SE Asia with up to US$100,000 and mentorship
• Horangi acquired by global cybersecurity firm to enhance its services in the cloud and beyond
• UrbanMetry is first in Malaysia to be awarded ‘2023 Technology Pioneer’ by World Economic Forum
• Grab honored as ‘TIME100 Most Influential Companies’ for building an inclusive digital economy in SE Asia
• Vishal Harnal on what makes a good leader and the impact he hopes to see from the next generation of leaders
• SwipeRx partners Sanofi for learning platform to upskill pharmacists and professionalize pharmacy in the Philippines
• Prenetics joins forces with renowned scientist Dennis Lo to combat cancer with affordable early detection test
• CARSOME introduces complimentary insurance coverage to protect the unemployed
• Aereo’s drones are creating jobs for people while settling disputes and increasing financial access for farmers
• Transcelestial’s shoebox-sized device brings internet to 240+ people on a remote island and saves a telco company US$3M
• WORQ launches first self-service coworking space on an island for digital nomads and workcationers
• GoWork business grows over 2x with ‘scale-as-a-service’ for companies to build complete & connected satellite offices in Indonesia
• BloomThis launches physical retail store to provide the personal touch in an increasingly digitalized world
• YAS announces blockchain-powered microinsurance coverage for luxury watches

Other stories you may have missed:

• Gilmour Space Technologies is collaborating with the Sovereign Manufacturing Automation for Composites CRC and the University of Queensland (UQ) on a research partnership to create a low-cost solution for safeguarding space launch vehicles and spacecraft from intense heat and pressure
• Koperasi Kakitangan PETRONAS Berhad (KOPETRO) entered into a strategic partnership with CARSOME to strengthen the automotive industry in Malaysia
• Ultra Milk, one of Indonesia’s main dairy product producers, joined forces with Tezos ecosystem builder TZ APAC and NFT launchpad Gaspack to unveil digital collectible, the ‘Icownic Patch‘