A tech-driven juggernaut

• I firmly believe that technology alone can solve most of the challenges typical to a developing country,” said Maliha Quadir, founder and Managing Director of 500-backed Shohoz, in an interview.
• According to The Daily Star, Shohoz has become one of the most trusted digital brands in Bangladesh. In 2015, the startup was set up as an online ticket booking platform. In the next three years, it began offering ride sharing, food delivery, and truck rental services.
• Since the pandemic, the startup has also launched Shohoz Health, a video consultation service with over 100 specialized doctors. Users can obtain prescriptions and arrange for delivery of their medicines from over 100 pharmacies. The startup’s latest addition is Shohoz Learn, an edtech platform offering e-books from the world-renowned publisher Scholastic.
• Read the full interview on The Daily Star here.

Second chances

• 500-backed social enterprise Boxgreen runs its production facility out of Changi Prison Complex in Singapore. The 500-backed startup worked with Yellow Ribbon Singapore, an initiative to rebuild the lives of ex-offenders to help them enhance their employability, to move its operations to the prison complex in mid-2019.
• Four ladies, who were first hired for mixing and packing for the startup’s snack box subscriptions, now supervise up to 20 inmates.
• Andrew Lim, co-founder of the startup, said, “The best way to uplift a person is to provide them an opportunity to work, to give them a means of income, to raise their dignity, and to allow them to feel good and confident about themselves.”
• Watch the full video here.

A sweet escape

• In collaboration with Chupa Chups, the lollipop brand, 500-backed fashion startup Pomelo has debuted an apparel line created with sustainable cotton.
• Inspired by the traditional raspberry, orange, cola lemon, and strawberries and cream flavors of the Chupa Chups lollipop brand, the collection is a take on “the retro-rave trend” while leveraging the iconic Chupa Chups look.
• Check out the collection on Pomelo 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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