Doctor Anywhere, a startup that takes an “omnichannel” approach to healthcare
Date: August 31, 2021
Doctor Anywhere’s omnichannel approach means that in addition to online consultations, it runs in-person clinics, provides home visits, medication deliveries and operates an in-app marketplace for health and wellness products.
Founded in 2017 by Lim Wai Mun, Doctor Anywhere claims it now serves more than 1.5 million users. It is available in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, and recently established tech hubs in Bangalore and Ho Chi Minh City.
NASA taps Kyoto startup to make maps of the wind for drones
Date: August 30, 2021
The Japan Times - News on Japan, Business News, Opinion, Sports, Entertainment and More
MetroWeather Co. makes compact, low-cost lidar sensors that can be used to detect hazards like wind shear, allowing unmanned aerial vehicles to operate in urban environments, Chief Executive Officer Junichi Furumoto said in an interview. The Kyoto-based company will work with TruWeather Solutions Inc. in the U.S. as part of NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research grant program.
Marathon Education makes after-school learning more accessible in Vietnam
Date: August 25, 2021
Marathon Education was created after its founders realized after-school education in Vietnam hadn’t evolved much since they were kids. Some of the most popular tuition centers in big cities teach hundreds of students at once. “They’re packed like sardines and that really has not changed in the past one or two decades when I went to these sorts of classes in Vietnam,” said co-founder Pham Duc.
Hydroponic farming startup Just Vertical cultivates growth at home
Date: August 05, 2021
Vertical hydroponic farming is often seen as a sustainable alternative to traditional growing. It uses 95% less water, has less impact on soil and the urban farms can be placed in food deserts or close to grocers to cut down on transportation costs. But the high-energy usage for lighting the indoor farms has often thwarted cutting down on carbon emissions from agriculture.
MGA Thermal, an Innovative Solution to Energy Storage
Date: August 03, 2021
MGA Thermal wants to help utility companies transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources with shoebox-sized thermal energy storage blocks. The company says a stack of 1,000 blocks is about the size of a small car and can store enough energy to power 27 homes for 24 hours. This gives utility providers the ability to store large amounts of energy and have it ready to dispatch even when weather conditions aren’t ideal for generating solar or wind power. The modular blocks also make it easier to convert infrastructure, like coal-fired power plants, into grid-scale energy storage.
Indonesia begins work on Southeast Asia's largest floating solar plant
Date: August 03, 2021
AKARTA, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Indonesia will begin work on a 145 megawatt (MW) floating solar power project, the largest in Southeast Asia, after state power utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) and Masdar of United Arab Emirates agreed financing for the project on Tuesday.
Indonesia aims to have 23% of its energy from renewable sources by 2025 and the government has said the country will try to reach net zero emissions by 2060 by moving away from coal
Date: July 22, 2021
Singapore-based shared mobility startup, Drive Lah, has raised US$3.2 million in a pre-series A round led by KFC Ventures.
HH VC Investments and Accelerating Asia also participated in the round, along with Robin Chase, co-founder and former CEO of car-sharing firm Zipcar.
Founded in 2019, Drive Lah aims to be an Airbnb for cars, allowing people to rent a vehicle from owners who want to make money from their cars when they are idle. The company believes the solution helps bring mobility to more people while reducing the number of cars on the road.
Now use your body's energy to charge smartphones and watches
Date: July 16, 2021
A novel wearable device converts a finger's touch into a power source for small electronics and sensors.
Engineers from the University of California, San Diego, created a thin, flexible strip that can be worn on a fingertip and generate small amounts of energy when a person's finger sweats or presses against it.
According to the researchers who took part in this study, wearing this strip for 10 hours while sleeping could help charge electronic equipment that could run a watch for 24 hours.
Chinese smart van system provides seamless automated delivery service
Date: July 13, 2021
HK, China, Asia news & opinion from SCMP’s global edition | South China Morning Post
Chinese e-commerce companies have been developing new technology to meet surging consumer demand for express delivery. The volume of packages processed in China jumped from 2.3 billion units in 2010 to 83.4 billion units in 2020, thanks to the exponential growth of China’s e-commerce. At the same time, the country’s labour force shrank from nearly 922 million in 2011 to 897 million in 2018. To cope with rising orders, JD.com has developed one of the country’s most advanced smart delivery van systems.
A New Zero-Emission Hyperloop Port Offers Ground Transport at 'Airplane Speeds'
Date: July 08, 2021
The much-hyped hyperloop is one step closer to becoming a reality with the announcement of HyperloopTT's HyperPort concept.
HyperloopTT (the letters stand for Transportation Technologies) announced this week that its HyperPort, developed in partnership with terminal operator Hamburg Hafen und Logistik AG, is going into certification design review.
Smart foam material gives robotic hand the ability to self-repair
Date: July 06, 2021
Singapore researchers have developed a smart foam material that allows robots to sense nearby objects, and repairs itself when damaged, just like human skin.
Artificially innervated foam, or AiFoam, is a highly elastic polymer created by mixing fluoropolymer with a compound that lowers surface tension.
VinBrain wins ACM SIGAI industry award 2021 for excellence in artificial intelligence
Date: July 02, 2021
E-commerce platform Leflair set for Q3 comeback
Date: June 24, 2021
Leflair was established in 2015 by two French young entrepreneurs, Loic Gautier and Pierre-Antoine Brun. It acted as an e-commerce platform for branded goods and flash sales. It did not operate as an online marketplace, but worked directly with brands and official distributors in Vietnam and overseas.
Most new wind and solar projects will be cheaper than coal, report finds
Date: June 23, 2021
News, sport and opinion from the Guardian's global edition | The Guardian
Almost two-thirds of wind and solar projects built globally last year will be able to generate cheaper electricity than even the world’s cheapest new coal plants, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena).
The agency found that the falling cost of new windfarms and solar panels meant 62% of new renewable energy projects could undercut the cost of up to 800 gigawatts (GW) worth of coal plants, or almost enough to supply the UK’s electricity needs 10 times over.
Solar Powered Bioreactors Could Make Food Cheap and Sustainable
Date: June 22, 2021
The protein is made by first capturing carbon dioxide from the air and then converting it into formate that bacteria can use to grow. At a certain stage, the organism is harvested and then processed into a protein powder that can be consumed, hence the name ‘Single Cell Protein (SCP)’. Since the bacteria grows in bioreactors, the process can be carried out in even the most barren lands.
Germany's First 3D-Printed Residential Building is Near Completion
Date: June 22, 2021
Now, after 100 hours of 3D printing and ten months, the building is close to completion. With only five weeks left to the finish line, the house will begin to accept visitors from August on, and it already looks spectacular.
The house is built by PERI, a family-owned building company, who teamed up with the Danish manufacturer COBOD who supplied the printer. The building technology used in the making of this house, which was put into practice in Germany for the first time, has come through all of the regulatory approval processes
Proptech set for strong growth in Vietnam
Date: June 22, 2021
HCM City (VNS/VNA) - As technology develops and demand keeps increasing in the property sector, proptech will develop in a similar way to fintech, experts have said.
Proptech, or property technology, has developed strongly in Vietnam with many start-ups being launched and attracting investment from major players and many services being developed to meet market demand.
Cyber safety authentication ecosystem formally launched
Date: June 12, 2021
The cyber safety authentication ecosystem at the address of https://tinnhiemmang.vn is a co-work between NCSC and Vietnam Information Security Association (VNISA).
This system is developed to answer the high demand of the community seeing that even though cyberspace has brought about convenience to the public, it also possesses a certain level of risk, leading to various scams lately.
This is because, with such a huge amount of information that is changing so rapidly in cyberspace, Internet users find it challenging to select correct products and services from prestigious organizations.
New digital primary care platform to launch in South Africa
Date: June 11, 2021
Webrock, venture capital and private equity company headquartered in Stockholm, has partnered with Healthforce, a digital health company majority-owned by South Africa’s leading retail pharmacy chain Dis-Chem, to launch a Swedish healthcare app Doktor.se in South Africa. Doktor.se enables users to find, book and access quality healthcare
SiCepat-NFC Indonesia joint venture to ramp up the mass-market use of EVs in Indonesia
Date: June 10, 2021
NFC Indonesia, a subsidiary of digital distribution company M Cash Integrasi, has formed a joint venture with SiCepat, an Indonesian logistics company, to enter the Electric Vehicle (EV) sector.
The joint venture will be called Energi Selalu Baru (ESB) and will focus on the distribution of electric motorcycles, battery exchange, and its supporting services.
Vietnamese startup uses AI for surveillance cameras
Date: June 07, 2021
VietNamNet News - Breaking News Updates, Latest News Headlines
AI Camera Home is a product line used to protect families and children from theft. AI Camera Shop is a product line for stores with features such as automatic customer counting, business analysis, and conventional anti-theft capabilities.
AI Camera Office is for corporate customers to install at headquarters and offices. Thanks to AI integration, this product line has the ability to perform automatic timekeeping. The AI camera is capable of counting people entering and leaving the store, and also recognizing people who wear masks.
Ripe Robotics starts trials with fruit picking robot Eve
Date: June 04, 2021
Ripe Robotics was founded two years ago. “We were looking for problems that could be solved with new technology, but hadn’t been solved yet”, Hunter Jay says. “Fruit picking was among the clearest of those. Computer technology got to the point where it could recognise fruit and tell how ripe it is. Field robotics were getting cheaper. We thought we could combine this to develop a machine that could pick fruit fully automatically.”
Tracking wristbands for quarantine management to be tested
Date: June 04, 2021
Tracking wristbands for managing Covid-19 quarantine protocols will be trialed next week, the Authority of Information Technology Application has said.
The wristband, developed by tech firm Ginnovations, utilizes GPS technology and will send out an alert if the wearer exits a quarantine zone.
IFC funds two wind power projects in Vietnam
Date: May 27, 2021
The International Finance Corporation is set to provide a financing package of $57 million for two wind power projects in central Vietnam.
Industrial appliance maker Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Corporation (REE) will build the two plants in the provinces of Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan with a total capacity of 54.2 megawatts.
Philippine startup Fortuna Cools and its eco-friendly coolers made from coconut
Date: May 25, 2021
The startup will soon launch its second product, the Nutshell Cooler, as an eco-conscious consumer product in key international markets. It seeks to fill a glaring gap in an eco-conscious market without any eco-friendly options.
“The Nutshell Cooler is built with our same natural fibre insulation that we’ve developed over the past few years. But there are various differences in the design to make it suitable for outdoor recreation and casual use (e.g. trip to the beach, weekend getaway, even grocery shopping)”
Snap's new Spectacles put augmented reality front and center
Date: May 21, 2021
Snap's new Spectacles sound interesting, and they very well could be, but for now, you won’t be able to buy them. Instead, Snap is positioning the new glasses as a tool for AR creators to “reimagine the way we communicate, live, and explore the world together through AR experiences built in Lens Studio.” With any luck, perhaps some rogue developer will use the glasses to create the first truly must-have AR app that pushes the tech mainstream.
Highly Sensitive LiDAR System Enhances Autonomous Driving Vision
Date: May 20, 2021
A team of engineers from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Virginia developed a first-of-its-kind light detecting device that rapidly amplifies weak signals bouncing off of faraway objects.
In doing so, it could massively improve the vision of self-driving cars, robots, and digital mapping technologies. The workings of their new device are outlined in the journal Nature Photonics.
Ultra-realistic robot artist puts on a self-portrait show at the Design Museum
Date: May 18, 2021
The Design Museum reopens this week with an ultra-realistic robot artist and its series of self-portraits intended to raise a debate around the future of technology.
Ai-Da, named after and modelled after pioneering scientist Ada Lovelace, is life-size and has a robotic arm and cameras in its eyes to create self-portraits and uses a cutting edge language model that allows it to answer questions from onlookers.
Startup with daily salary payment app bags $3 million funding
Date: May 13, 2021
Nano Technologies, a startup that lets workers in Vietnam access their earned wages immediately through an app called VUI, has raised $3 million in seed funding. The oversubscribed round was led by returning investors Golden Gate Ventures and Venturra Discovery, and included participation from FEBE Ventures, Openspace Ventures and Goodwater Capital.
Walmart acquires virtual clothing try-on startup Zeekit
Date: May 13, 2021
Retail giant Walmart announced this morning it’s acquiring the Tel Aviv-based startup Zeekit, which allows consumers to virtually “try on” clothing when shopping online. The company leverages a combination of real-time image processing, computer vision, deep learning and other AI technology to show shoppers how they would look in an item by way of a simulation that takes into account body dimensions, fit, size and even the fabric of the garment itself.
Getir, 10-minute grocery delivery service enters London, eyes to expand in more cities in UK
Date: May 12, 2021
International Business, World News & Global Stock Market Analysis (cnbc.com)
LONDON — A new crop of start-ups in Europe are offering to deliver people’s groceries in just 10 minutes, fueled by venture capitalists and an acceleration of online commerce during the coronavirus pandemic.
Turkey’s Getir, Germany’s Gorillas and Britain’s Dija are just a few of the apps promising users 10-minute grocery deliveries. It’s an increasingly crowded market with many new entrants attempting to gain a strong foothold in local markets.
Vietnam’s Sky Mavis receives US$7.5M Series A to grow its blockchain game Axie Infinity
Date: May 11, 2021
A technology-focused game studio, Sky Mavis creates virtual worlds with player owned-economies and marketplaces for trustless trading of unique digital assets, besides infrastructure that enables its products to reach millions of players worldwide.
Axie Infinity, which is a top game on Ethereum, is a virtual world full of fierce, adorable pets, called Axies, which can be battled, collected and even used to earn an income.
Aspire serves modern business owners with ease, speed and transparency
Date: May 11, 2021
Launched in May 2020, Aspire’s online business accounts are targeted to startups and small- to medium-sized enterprises, and do not require minimum deposits or monthly fees.Aspire’s business accounts and that adoption was driven by two main reasons. The first was Aspire’s transition to a multi-product strategy early last year, after focusing on corporate cards and working capital loans. The second reason is the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it harder for companies to open accounts at traditional banks.
HSBC Cuts CO2 Emissions by 161 Tonnes a Year With Latest rPVC Card Scheme
Date: May 10, 2021
HSBC Singapore has announced its intentions to phase out single-use PVC plastic; with the overhaul due to begin from the second half of 2021. Globally, this transition will substantially reduce CO2 emissions by 161 tonnes a year, while saving 73 tonnes of plastic waste per year.
The programme – which will include physical changes to HSBC’s debit, credit, and commercial cards – is part of the bank’s strategy to reduce its carbon emissions and achieve net-zero in its operations and supply chain by 2030 or sooner.
Vietnam Establishes Research Group to Study Regulations on Cryptocurrencies
Date: May 04, 2021
Business, Legal, Tax, Investment, Accounting News | Vietnam Briefing (vietnam-briefing.com)
Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance on March 30, established a research group, which began an in-depth study of cryptocurrencies, with a view to achieving legislative reform for the industry in the near term.
While cryptocurrency trading and use are gaining popularity globally, the Vietnamese legislation makes no reference to such transactions.
Weav: the Universal API for Commerce Platforms
Date: April 27, 2021
Weav says that by using its API, companies can prompt their business customers to “securely” connect their accounts with selling platforms, online marketplaces, subscription management systems and payment gateways. Once authenticated, Weav aggregates and standardizes sales, inventory and other account data across platforms and develops insights to power new products across a range of use cases, including lending and underwriting; financial planning and analysis; real-time financial services and business management tools.
Tiny nanotechnologies are poised to have a huge impact on agriculture
Date: April 26, 2021
Nanotechnology might sound like science fiction, but it represents technologies that have been developed for decades. Nanotechnological approaches have found real-world applications in a wide range of areas, from composite materials in textiles to agriculture.
Agriculture is one of the oldest human inventions, but nanotech provides modern innovations that could dramatically improve the efficiency of our food supply and reduce the environmental impact of its production.
Using Plastic Waste to Build Better Radiation Shielding
Date: April 26, 2021
The study, conducted by researchers from Basaveshwar Engineering College, in India, highlights a new method for recycling the tons of plastic waste accumulated each year, much of which ends up polluting the ocean — 10 million tonnes of plastic waste end up at sea every year, according to the World Economic Forum
The researchers recycled waste plastic and other byproducts from the iron and steel industry to demonstrate how waste polymers can be ground into powder and turned into lightweight, but dense materials that are required for shielding gamma and neutron radiation.
JOCO Electric Bike Service Launching In NYC
Date: April 23, 2021
The service, powered by shared mobility platform Vulog, will start with 30 stations and 300 e-bikes located around Manhattan on Monday, expanding to 100 stations and 1,000 bikes by June. This is not the first new shared operator to hit the streets of New York this year.
Razorpay - India's First Converged Payment Solution
Date: April 03, 2021
Razorpay is the only payments solution in India that allows businesses to accept, process and disburse payments with its product suite. It gives you access to all payment modes including credit card, debit card, netbanking, UPI and popular wallets including JioMoney, Mobikwik, Airtel Money, FreeCharge, Ola Money and PayZapp.
Vietnam becoming an R&D hub for global tech giants
Date: April 19, 2021
The South Korean giant also has other R&D centers in Vietnam to research into mobile devices, household electrical appliances, artificial intelligence, and data analysis.
The Qualcomm R&D center opened in June last year in Hanoi with four laboratories for developing wireless technologies (4G, 5G) and camera technologies and boosting the performance of mobile device batteries. It has around 50 engineers, all of them Vietnamese.
Vietnam Smashes 2020 Solar Capacity Records
Date: April 10, 2021
Once again Vietnam has set another local record in its solar sector. This time it is for rooftop solar installation. At the end of 2020, the country’s rooftop solar installations added 9.3 gigawatts (GW) to its national grid. Vietnam raised the bar even higher after its first unexpected solar boom in 2019 when the country racked 4.5 GW worth of installations in less than two years after the feed-in-tariff was launched. The recent achievement has effectively made Vietnam the world’s third-largest solar market in 2020.
Vietnam grants land lease exemption to science center
Date: April 09, 2021
The exemption applies to an area of 17 hectares (42 acres) of the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE) in the coastal town of Quy Nhon of central Binh Dinh Province from 2011 to 2020.
The center will also be freed from late rental payment fees in accordance with the land lease exemption.
The decision was made by the government in response to a proposal by the physicist.
Zwipe partners with fintech to supply Pay ONE biometrics for payment cards in France
Date: April 08, 2021
Biometrics News, Biometrics Companies, Explaining Biometrics (biometricupdate.com)
Be ys is a fintech provider with a presence on three continents and more than three thousand employees, according to the announcement. It specializes in mass processing, storage and security of sensitive data and digital identity. The company has operated in France’s health sector for more than 20 years, and has recently expanded to serve legal professionals, landlords, banks, and international enterprises. The company operates its own data center in France and is a Qualified Trust Services Provider.
New Zealand startup Mint Innovation recycles gold from electronic waste
Date: April 01, 2021
New Zealand startup Mint Innovation uses microbes and low cost chemicals to recover precious metals from e-waste.
Gadgets that we throw away, like cell phones and computers, are a rich source of precious metals.
A record 53.6 million tonnes of electronic waste was generated worldwide in 2019, according to the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2020. The raw materials in this e-waste were worth around $57 billion - with iron, copper, and gold contributing most to this value. But only a sixth of that value ($10 billion) is recovered in an environmentally sound way.
Friz raises seed funding from YC, 500 Durians to help freelancers manage their finances better
Date: April 05, 2021
Friz leverages data insights to provide financial products including credit cards, personal loans, insurance, savings and investment products for freelancers.
Friz, a Singapore-based fintech startup focused on providing financial services for freelancers, has raised an undisclosed amount in pre-seed funding from investors, including Y Combinator, 500 Durians, 500 TukTuks, Iterative VC and other prominent angel investors.
Vietnam inaugurates first AI research center in Hanoi
Date: April 03, 2021
Vietnam sets a goal of being listed in Top 4 in ASEAN and Top 50 of the world in terms of AI research, development and application by 2030.
The first AI international research center in Vietnam has just been launched at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST).
The center was founded under the model of a mixed international research institution, which is jointly invested and run by HUST and Naver Group from South Korea.
BNPL Platform Fundiin Secures Funding for Vietnamese Market Expansion
Date: March 31, 2021
Fundiin, a Vietnamese Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platform, has raised an undisclosed sum during its venture funding round led by 1982 Ventures and Zone Startups Ventures.
This round of funding will allow Fundiin to expand their early lead in the market to serve a growing waitlist of merchants and their customers.
As part of its investment in Fundiin, Scott Krivokopich, Managing Partner at 1982 Ventures has joined its board of directors.
Pay for shoes in instalments? ‘Buy now, pay later’ shopping gaining ground in Singapore
Date: March 29, 2021
This alternative payment method, primarily for e-commerce, has seen red hot growth in overseas markets, especially Australia, Europe and the United States, for some time now, although it is starting to stir concerns among some regulators about the ease with which shoppers can make purchases.
Nervotec app displays all your vital health signs within a minute
Date: March 28, 2021
Apart from monitoring vital health signs, Nervotec can also store vaccination and swab tests reports to ensure companies remain compliant to new workplace management measures imposed by authorities. Snap yourself using your smartphone camera and have your vital health signs displayed in under a minute? Though it may sound too good to be true, that is exactly what Nervotec promises its users.
Homebase becomes first Vietnamese startup to get accepted into Y Combinator
Date: March 26, 2021
Part of Y Combinator’s latest batch, Homebase was founded in 2019 to give prospective buyers in Vietnam an alternative to traditional financing. Homebase acts as a co-investor, buying a share of property with customers, who then have the option of purchasing equity from Homebase until they take full ownership, or selling the property for their portion of the proceeds. In the meantime, buyers pay rent to Homebase that corresponds to the company’s stake, and have full usage rights to the home, so they can live in or rent it.
Made-in-Vietnam AI system detects human face in a second
Date: March 26 2021
“My idea is also supported by an enterprise to develop commercialized products. They will provide smart software, hardware including an identification camera, lane gate, and automatic barrier. My team is responsible for making the software for the identification and control system,” Son told Hanoitimes.
Hong Kong-based viAct raises $2M for its automated construction monitoring platform
Date: March 25, 2021
Founded in 2016, viAct currently serves more than 30 construction industry clients in Asia and Europe. Its new funding will be used on research and development, product development and expanding into Southeast Asian countries.
The platform uses computer vision to detect potential safety hazards, construction progress and the location of machinery and materials. Real-time alerts are sent to a mobile app with a simple interface, designed for engineers who are often “working in a noisy and dynamic environment that makes it hard to look at detailed dashboards,” co-founder and chief operating officer Hugo Cheuk told TechCrunch.
Vietnam pilots Mobile Money project for cashless payments
Date: March 23, 2021
Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has given the green light for the Mobile Money pilot project, thereby allowing mobile phone subscribers to use their telecommunications accounts to make money transfers and payments up to a limited value for products and services strictly in Vietnam.
DyRET robot can rearrange its body to walk in new environments
Date: March 23, 2021
DyRET, the Dynamic Robot for Embodied Testing, or “the animal” in the Norwegian of its creator, Tønnes Nygaard, was designed to explore the idea of a shape-shifting robot. Each of DyRET’s four legs has two telescopic sections, so that it can change the length of its thigh or shin bones. The adjustments are made by motors built into the legs and the lengths can be changed automatically while the robot is operating.
Abodu's backyard homes can now go from contract to completion in as little as 30 days
Date: March 20, 2021
Abodu, one of a slew of startup companies pitching backyard homes and office spaces to Californians in an effort to help address the state’s housing shortage, has instituted a new “Quickship” program that can take an order from contract to construction and installation in about 30 days.
Behind the quick turnaround time is a pre-approval process that was first rolled out in Santa Fe and came to Los Angeles in recent weeks.
An Israeli town is testing air traffic control for drones
Date: March 18, 2021
SiCepat, an end-to-end logistics startup in Indonesia, announced today it has raised a $170 million Series B funding round. Founded in 2014 to provide last-mile deliveries for small merchants, the company has since expanded to serve large e-commerce platforms, too. Its services now also cover warehousing and fulfilment, middle-mile logistics and online distribution.
Goodbye ATM cards? OCBC to roll out face verification at ATMs
Date: March 18, 2021
SINGAPORE: Forgot to bring your OCBC ATM card? You will soon be able to check your bank account balances or withdraw cash by scanning your face at the bank’s ATMs.
In an announcement on Thursday (Mar 18), OCBC said it will be enabling face verification for bank transactions at its ATMs.
This roll-out of facial biometrics for ATM services will start off with account balance enquiries at eight selected ATMs from Friday.
Sunseap, Amazon sign agreement for clean solar energy to be tapped from JTC's solar farms
Date: March 15, 2021
AMAZON has signed an agreement with Singapore solar energy provider Sunseap Group, marking its first renewable energy project in the Republic.
When completed in 2022, the project will be among the largest aggregated moveable solar energy systems designed and installed in Singapore, said Amazon in a blog post on Monday.
The Vietnam-Built Electric Bike Looking To Replace Your Car
Date: March 09, 2021
The bikes themselves are the result of some inventive design and engineering, but the story of how they came to be made in Vietnam is perhaps representative of an often-overlooked capability that exists here to manufacture this kind of product from the ground up.
Vietnam successfully clones endangered pig breed
Date: March 16, 2021
For the first time, Vietnam has successfully cloned the endangered Vietnamese Pot-bellied pigs using a somatic cell cloning technique.
The National Institute of Animal Sciences under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced Sunday that four baby Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs have been reproduced through a cloning technique involving somatic cells derived from ear tissues.
Singapore testing on-demand courier delivery by autonomous robots
Date: March 11, 2021
Singapore is trialling the use of autonomous robots to make deliveries in Punggol, paving the way for wider use of robot "couriers" for on-demand delivery services.
The one-year trial, which began in February, will see two robots by local technology company OTSAW deliver parcels and groceries to the lift lobbies of seven Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks - involving about 700 households - at Waterway Woodcress.
Green Li-ion raises US$3.45M to make Li-ion battery recycling 'faster, profitable'
Date: March 05, 2021
Green Li-ion, a greentech startup in Singapore specialising in sustainable industrial solutions for battery rejuvenation, announced today that it has raised US$3.45 million in seed funding.
US-based cleantech company LiNiCo Corporation led the round, which also saw participation from TES (IT lifecycle services ), HAX SOSV (hard tech VC), and Entrepreneur First (EF).
Indonesian logistics startup SiCepat raises $170 million Serieas B
Date: March 05, 2021
SiCepat, an end-to-end logistics startup in Indonesia, announced today it has raised a $170 million Series B funding round. Founded in 2014 to provide last-mile deliveries for small merchants, the company has since expanded to serve large e-commerce platforms, too. Its services now also cover warehousing and fulfilment, middle-mile logistics and online distribution.
Flourish, a startup that aims to help banks engage and retain customers , raises $1.5M
Date: March 05, 2021
Berkeley-based fintech Flourish has raised $1.5 million in a funding round led by Brazilian venture capital firm Canary. Founded by Pedro Moura and Jessica Eting, the startup offers an “engagement and financial wellness” solution for banks, fintechs and credit unions with the goal of helping them engage and retain clients.
Vietnamese electric vehicle brand VinFast to manufacture solid-state batteries
Date: March 05, 2021
Vietnamese automotive startup, VinFast, which is currently developing a range of premium electric vehicles, has announced that it will manufacturer solid-state batteries to be used in its future line-up. It has signed an MOU with Taiwanese solid-state battery manufacturer ProLogium, which will enable VinFast to use ProLogium’s patents to manufacture solid-state batteries in Vietnam.
Loship secures investment from Skype co-founder
Date: March 02, 2021
Loship, Vietnam’s fast-growing one-hour-delivery e-commerce startup, has announced its latest investment from Skype co-founder Jaan Tallinn.
This capital injection marks Loship as the first portfolio company of MetaPlanet in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. The investment comes four months after the startup secured capital in a bridge round led by Vulpes Investment Management.
Twilio is investing up to $750 million to become a minority owner in Syniverse Technologies
Date: March 01, 2021