Welcome to the first Daily Markup monthly roundup. This inaugural issue includes the top stories in the month of March, and perhaps some stories you might have missed.

This month, we look at 500-backed startups making major moves in their respective industries with noteworthy partnerships, successful funding rounds, and innovative product launches. Space tech startups showed some love for Mother Earth: Gilmour Space has committed to launch a bushfire-detecting satellite and Singapore-based Aliena is working on ultra-low power tech to keep space sustainable.

• Co-founder C. C. Chang of 500-backed Taiwanese online booking platform FunNow revealed the startup is eyeing a Southeast Asia expansion. It is also working on its Series B round of funding.
• “We are aiming to become one of the top three online lifestyle booking platforms in Singapore and Bangkok within three years,” she said.
• More details in Daily Markup #208.

Other top stories in March:

• Fintech startup Curlec was selected as one of 12 to be part of EY Foundry, a dedicated incubation program for early-stage startups in the accounting, tax, fintech, legal tech, regulation tech, and HR tech space.
• InvestaX, a licensed digital securities issuance, investments, and trading platform launched the world’s first Digital SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies) using smart contracts and blockchain technologies.
• Three Australian space companies, including rocket startup Gilmour Space, unite to launch a bushfire detection satellite into orbit.
• Singaporean space tech startup Aliena entered a collaboration with Aurora Propulsion Technologies for the development of technology for in-space propulsion.
• Payments infrastructure Singapore startup Xfers joined forces with Payfazz, an Indonesia-based fintech platform, to form a new financial entity called Fazz Financial Group (FFG).
• e-scooter startup Neuron Mobility announced it is expanding its services to Korea, starting with Seoul’s capital city, following the Korean government’s recent introduction of stricter rules on how e-scooters should be ridden and operated.
• Singapore-based logistics startup Haulio has successfully closed a pre-Series A investment round.

Other stories you may have missed:

• Grab launched a vaccine center in Bali, the first in Southeast Asia with a drive-thru and walk-in option.
• Customers of RaRa Delivery can now enjoy the platform’s live chat feature with real-time status update notifications.
• A partnership between Clinikk and property company Colive gives Colive members to teleconsultation sessions with Clinikk doctors at ~US$3.40 for 6 months.

Missed out the last Daily Markup? Go here to check it out.

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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.

This post is intended solely for general informational or educational purposes only. 500 Startups Management Company, L.L.C. and its affiliates (collectively “500 Startups”) makes no representation as to the accuracy or information in this post and while reasonable steps have been taken to ensure that the information herein is accurate and up-to-date, no liability can be accepted for any error or omissions. All third party links in this post have not been independently verified by 500 Startups and the inclusion of such links should not be interpreted as an endorsement or confirmation of the content within. Information about portfolio companies’ markets, competitors, performance, and fundraising has been provided by those companies’ founders and has not been independently verified. Under no circumstances should any content in this post be construed as investment, legal, tax or accounting advice by 500 Startups, or an offer to provide any investment advisory service with regard to securities by 500 Startups. No content or information in this post should be construed as an offer to sell or solicitation of interest to purchase any securities advised by 500 Startups. Prospective investors considering an investment into any 500 Startups fund should not consider or construe this content as fund marketing material. The views expressed herein are as at the date of this post and are subject to change without notice. One or more 500 Startups fund may have a financial interest in one or more of the companies discussed.