On this week’s top stories, two Indonesian fintech startups lead the charge. Join us in congratulating team Bibit for their latest funding round and team iGrow on their recent acquisition. Proptech is also hot news, with CEO of Urbanmetry Cha-Ly Koh weighing in on ‘property overhang’ in Malaysia and MHub signing two important MoUs.
Missed our rundown of the biggest stories in April? Check it out here.
Funding & acquisitions in fintech
- Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending startup iGrow was acquired by payments company LinkAja in its move to expand into online financing, especially for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Read more here.
- Robo-advisor platform Bibit has raised US$65 million in a funding round. It plans to develop and launch new products, expand its team, and invest in financial education and awareness among young people. Details here.
Forging partnerships
- Digital manufacturing startup Arcstone signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indonesian Ministry of Industry. The key objective is to advocate and execute educational programs on digitalization. Read on.
- Proptech startup MHub signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with construction technology (contech) companies. This strategic partnership aims to increase efficiency in the real estate sector. More about the agreements here.
Hear from founders
- Cha-Ly Koh, founder, and CEO of property data startup Urbanmetry spoke on the issue of property overhang in Malaysia. She believes that COVID-19 has given the real estate industry some breathing room. More on the interview here.
- From launching a product that has never been seen before in the market to winning awards, fintech startup Curlec has since processed close to US$250,000,000 on its platform. Hear more from co-founder Zac Liew here.
- In an interview, founder of review app abillion, Vikas Garg said that the platform uses ‘gamification’, to encourage users to stay active on the app. Find out more here.
A business for good
- An interview with CEO of ecommerce startup Bukalapak Rachmat Kaimuddin shed some light on how it has been contributing to the growth of Indonesian SMEs in its pursuit of ‘a fair economy for all’. Read more here.
Other stories you may have missed:
- Bicycle insurance startup Laka has partnered with Fietstest.nl, the independent ‘try before you buy’ bike test company for Dutch consumers. Laka’s bicycle insurance will be offered with the purchase of a new bike after each test ride.
- E-scooter startup Neuron Mobility is on a quest to make riding safe. It has partnered with Brake in New Zealand and Citizens’ Coalition for Safety and Seoul Gangnam Police Station to promote and strengthen safety requirements.
- Last month, Carousell Hong Kong won the Tithe Ethical Consumption Social Enterprise Supporter Award Scheme’s SE Supporter Award, which recognises collaboration between social enterprises and corporates.
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