From smarter farms to healthier homes, 500-backed startups are raising the bar for better living. FarMart secured ~US$10M to transform food supply chains across the world, while Enya is bringing safer, organic period care to more women. They’re joined by innovators at Grab with their Generative AI breakthroughs, and Pandai with their gamified learning content — all part of a growing wave of founders building better, smarter solutions for everyday life. Dive into this month’s highlights below.
Missed our last highlights issue? Check it out here.
- FarMart raises ~US$10M to power smarter and faster food supply chains across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond
- Enya raises new funding to bring organic cotton and safe period care products into homes and workplaces across Asia and the Middle East
- CARSOME achieves first full-year profitability with US$10.5M EBITDA, and celebrates the team’s 10th anniversary
- Grab’s 9-week Generative AI sprint led to launch of new assistant tools for 9M+ micro-entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia
- Pandai’s interactive and gamified learning app help over 90% of their students see improved grades in just 2 months
- NodeFlair reveals how Generative AI is reshaping tech talent salaries in Asia amidst uncertainties and layoffs
- Grab’s superapp ecosystem is helping to reduce carbon emissions, cut waste, and build a cleaner Southeast Asia by 2040
- Carousell users cut carbon emissions equal to the impact of planting 9 million trees by making secondhand their first choice
- From starry-eyed dream to a spacetech startup: Aliena’s engines keep space junk out to leave the cosmos clean for future generations
- Ringkas and Rumah123 team up to simplify mortgages with an efficient and transparent application process for aspiring homeowners in Indonesia
- Transcelestial and YTL brings superfast internet connectivity to all corners of Malaysia, accelerating AI adoption and digital transformation
- Neuron Mobility eyes Singapore comeback after success in the UK, Australia, NZ, and Canada
- Aereo partners Seed Group to bring AI-powered drone tech to advance smart & sustainable cities across MENA, supporting UAE Centennial 2071 and Saudi Vision 2030
- Halogen Capital’s Hann Liew believes Malaysia is one of the best places to invest in crypto — and investors can do it tax-free
Other stories from 500-backed companies you may have missed:
- Kredivo commits to improving financial education as Paylater trends become the choice of young people
- Lingokids introduced ‘Theater’ in selected markets, a curated, ad-free video experience designed to provide children with high-quality educational and entertaining content
- A subsidiary of Emtek Group increased their stake in Bukalapak through an acquisition of 9.73 billion shares
- WORQ and Sealy teamed up to bring premium napping pods to WORQ’s spaces
- Aerodyne Group eyes drone production in Uzbekistan
