Hyphen Partners

#BuzzingDealsOfTheWeek ➤ heymax.ai | Gives You a Free Trip, Every Year. : US$2.6 million Heymax allows users to earn reward points, Max Miles, through purchases from over 500 businesses, including Lazada, Shopee, Grab, Klook, and Foodpanda. These Max Miles can then be converted into miles and loyalty points at airline and hotel partners. •⁠ Stage: Seed round •⁠ ⁠Industry: E-commerce, Loyalty Programs /Singapore •⁠ ⁠Investor: January Capital, Ascend Angels, and XA Network ➤ AEROFUGIA: Undisclosed Aerofugia is a Chinese flying taxi startup working on a five-to-six seater tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft with a range of 200 kilometers. •⁠ Stage: Series B •⁠ ⁠Industry: Electric Vehicles / China •⁠ ⁠Investor: Orinno Capital, TH Capital - 华控基金 and CAS Star ➤ SmartHR, Inc.: US$140 million SmartHR is a cloud-native human resources management platform for employee management and administration, growth, talent management, and employee productivity. •⁠ Stage: Series E •⁠ ⁠Industry: HR tech/ Japan •⁠ ⁠Investor: KKR and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan ➤ Xurya Daya Indonesia: US$55 million Xurya is a solar energy firm that offers rooftop solar rentals without any initial cost. •⁠ Stage: Venture round, series unknown •⁠ ⁠Industry: Climate tech/ Indonesia •⁠ ⁠Investor: Norfund, Swedfund, Clime Capital, British International Investment, and AC Ventures ➤ Samsara Eco: US$65 million Samsara Eco has developed a patented technology, EosEco, which creates enzymes to recycle plastic waste such as textiles into raw materials. •⁠ Stage: Series A+ •⁠ ⁠Industry: Green tech/ Australia •⁠ ⁠Investor: Temasek, Main Sequence, Wollemi Capital, Lululemon Athletica, Hitachi Ventures, DCVC, and Titanium Ventures 👉 Hit the "Follow" button for more news like this to stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene 🚀 👉 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/gTztaHUG #startupfunding #SEA #venturecapital #investments

There is rising optimism in the Asian IPO market, despite not-so-good numbers so far. 👉 A Nikkei Asia report based on EY data noted Southeast Asian IPOs slid between January and June 17 this year. Deals by 23% and proceeds by 60% year-on-year. 👉 Elsewhere in Asia, China was one of the biggest losers. It had 44 new listings for the same period with US$4.6 billion raised. Deals dropped by 75% over last year, proceeds were down 85%. 👉 Overall, Asia Pacific, excluding India, had 216 listings worth US$10.4 billion till June 17th this year. Listings were down 43% from a year ago, while proceeds plunged 73%. Even with the numbers worsening due to the economic slump, analysts feel the rest of the year for Asia appears promising. Southeast Asia, particularly, is now deemed ripe for IPO activity. But where does this confidence come from? 👉 Well, Asian companies have used the downtime to cut costs and bring back financial discipline, re-igniting US investors’ interest. 👉 Meanwhile, optimism is returning to global public equity markets on the back of surprisingly robust market performance, declining inflation, and lower volatility. 👉 Mature startups in Southeast Asia are already preparing for potential IPO windows. Notably, there is a strong interest in US listings from regional companies. 👉 Hong Kong, where companies raised the least half-yearly proceeds in over two decades in H1 2024, is also seeing signs of recovery. As per EY, over 100 companies are in the IPO pipeline, including some large ones. 👉 India will be another strong driver of the Asian IPO market. It bucked the depressing trend by leading globally with 151 IPO deals raising US$4.7 billion in proceeds between January and June 17. Asian companies expected to go public in the coming months include ultra-fast fashion retailer SHEIN, Hong Kong-based EV firm Hozon Auto, Indian carmaker Hyundai Motor India Ltd.,  and Japanese chipmaker KIOXIA Group. 💡 Read more about it in our latest edition of #ICYMI: https://lnkd.in/giykguUf 💡 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 💡 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/gBjcqnXz #startupfunding #southeastasia #whatisnew #techtrends

#BuzzingDealsOfTheWeek ➤ HOMA2U : US$625,000 Homa2u sells new or unused building materials and interior finishes, focusing on sustainability in the renovation sector. •⁠  Stage: Pre-Series A (ongoing) •⁠  ⁠Industry: E-commerce /Malaysia •⁠  ⁠Investor: Asia Fund X from MSW Ventures and Pavilion Capital. ➤ Carro: US$55.5 million  Carro is a leading online used car marketplace in Southeast Asia, with proprietary pricing algorithms for buying and selling cars through its AI-enabled platform.  •⁠  Stage: Debt financing •⁠  ⁠Industry: Used car marketplace / Singapore •⁠  ⁠Investor: HSBC’s ASEAN Growth Fund ➤ Travel Wallet 트래블월렛: US$10 million  Travel Wallet lets users exchange funds and make payments in 46 different currencies with a prepaid card. •⁠  Stage: Venture round, series unknown •⁠  ⁠Industry: Fintech/ South Korea •⁠  ⁠Investor: Lightspeed ➤ Peak3 (formerly ZA Tech): US$35 million     Peak3  is an end-to-end tech partner for the insurance industry, involved in everything, from crafting new insurance products to processing claims.  •⁠  Stage: Series A  •⁠  ⁠Industry: Insuretech/ Singapore •⁠  ⁠Investor: EQT Group and Alpha JWC Ventures ➤ Paywatch: US$30 million   Paywatch is an earned-wage access services provider that lets workers access a part of their accumulated salary in real time. •⁠  Stage: Series A  •⁠  ⁠Industry: Fintech/ Malaysia •⁠  ⁠Investor: Third Prime, Vanderbilt University and University of Illinois Foundation ➤ k-ID: US$45 million     k-ID is building tools for online youth safety that can help game developers comply with age-related regulations. •⁠  Stage: Series A  •⁠  ⁠Industry: Cyber security/ Singapore •⁠  ⁠Investor: Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed, Konvoy, TIRTA Ventures, Okta, and Z Venture Capital ➤ LeeKr Technology: US$137.8 million    LeeKr Technology is a Chinese new energy automobile and autonomous driving firm. •⁠  Stage: Series C •⁠  ⁠Industry: Automobiles / China •⁠  ⁠Investor: Chery Holding Group Co., Ltd., CyberNautea, Hangzhou Fuchunwan New City Development Fund, Hefei Baohe Innovation Investment Fund, Hefei Construction Investment Capital, Huaying Investment, and Sealand Innovation ➤ bitsensing Inc.: US$24.5 million   Bitsensing is an imaging radar tech company that provides solutions for smart cities and the automotive industry. •⁠  Stage: Series B •⁠  ⁠Industry: Deep tech/South Korea •⁠  ⁠Investor:  Korea Development Bank, HL Mando, Industrial Bank of Korea, AJU Capital, LIFE ASSET MANAGEMENT, and SCL Investment 👉 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 👉 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/gBjcqnXz #startupfunding #SEA #venturecapital #investments

2023 wasn’t a shiny year for tech mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in Southeast Asia, especially after the high of 2022. 👉 With businesses forced to put their expansion plans on hold due to the global financial crunch, the tech M&A deals in the region fell to 114 in 2023 from 174 in 2022, per a new report by DealStreetAsia. 👉 This year so far hasn’t turned out all that well for tech M&As. In the first five months of this year, there were 40 deals in the region, of which Singapore contributed 21 and Indonesia 5. But…experts believe there remain several drivers that may help revive tech M&As in Southeast Asia this year. The list includes the need for digital transformation, a growing focus on renewables and green tech, local market consolidation, regional conglomerates expanding into new economy sectors, government initiatives supporting economic growth and critical industries, and strong financial investor appetite with a significant dry powder to deploy. Some cues have begun emerging: 👉 Private equity activity in Southeast Asia grew significantly in Q1 2024, with 17 deals worth US$586 million, compared to 9 deals worth US$447 million in Q1 2023, signaling positive momentum for the region. 👉 Parallelly, tech companies across Asia have begun eying expansion, as investor confidence rebounds from previous lows. Perhaps, the second half of 2024 will see the tech M&A game flip in the region, as businesses prep up for the next wave of growth in the age of AI. 💡 Read more about it in our latest edition of #ICYMI: https://lnkd.in/gFnrwjUs 💡 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 💡 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/g3c2b-UP #startupfunding #southeastasia #whatisnew #techtrends

#BuzzingDealsOfTheWeek ➤ Amartha: US$17.5 million Founded in 2010 as a microfinancing tech platform, Amartha provides rural micro-enterprises, particularly those run by women, access to affordable capital. •⁠ Stage: Venture round, series unknown •⁠ ⁠Industry: Fintech / Indonesia •⁠ ⁠Investor: Accion ➤ Buyandship: US$6 million Founded in 2014, Buyandship is a cross-border e-commerce platform that lets shoppers in over 12 countries access various international marketplaces. •⁠ Stage: Series B extension •⁠ ⁠Industry: E-commerce / Hong Kong •⁠ ⁠Investor: Altara Ventures ➤ ArrowBiome: US$1 million ArrowBiome develops lysins, proteins that specifically target and eliminate harmful bacteria, and offers them to personal care and specialty chemical industries. •⁠ Stage: Seed round •⁠ ⁠Industry: Biotech/ Singapore •⁠ ⁠Investor: Cocoon Capital ➤ Paper.id: Undisclosed Founded in 2017, Paper.id helps over 600,000 SMEs manage and streamline their business invoices and payments digitally. •⁠ Stage: Series B •⁠ ⁠Industry: Fintech/ Indonesia •⁠ ⁠Investor: Square Peg ➤ BayaniPay: US$3 million BayaniPay offers digital banking and remittance services, primarily targeting the Filipino-American community. •⁠ Stage: Series A extension •⁠ ⁠Industry: Fintech/ the Philippines •⁠ ⁠Investor: Wavemaker Partners, PTGB, and Talino Venture Studios ➤ Stanly: US$8 million BayaniPay offers digital banking and remittance services, primarily targeting the Filipino-American community. •⁠ Stage: pre-Series A •⁠ ⁠Industry: Fan engagement/Hong Kong •⁠ ⁠Investor: C Capital, AppWorks, Goodwater, and Palm Drive Capital 👉 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 👉 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter hashtag #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/gbgHMYwF #startupfunding #SEA #venturecapital #investments

Southeast Asia has a chance to transform the climate crisis into an opportunity. The region has committed to cutting emissions by 32% (or approx. 2.4 GtCO2e) by 2030 under the current climate policies to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target. To that end, green investments in the region went up 21% year-on-year to US$6.3 billion in 2023. However, it is just a drop in a bucket. Southeast Asia needs US$1.5 trillion in cumulative investment in the energy and nature sectors to fund the green transition by 2030. Nevertheless, there is a window of opportunity. As per a recent report by Bain & Company, GenZero, Standard Chartered, and Temasek, Southeast Asia can use this coming transition to not only decarbonize but also drive its competitiveness and economic growth. Given that the region has just begun its decarbonization journey, it can still opt for economically beneficial ways to tackle this problem. In fact, the report predicts that the region can add annually US$300 billion of new revenue from the green economy by 2030. To unlock the opportunity, the region has to take one step at a time. The researchers at Bain & Company and GenZero have identified six areas of investments, to begin with—green fuel sources, process optimization, improved farming practices, nature-based solutions, greener transport, and energy-efficient buildings. They have further zeroed down on 13 investible ideas that can deliver meaningful near-term impact and immediate emissions reductions. Ideas such as improving energy efficiency for data centers and buildings, developing utility-scale renewable energy plants, promoting sustainable agriculture practices and forest conservation, and backing electric passenger vehicles and charging infrastructure, among other things. These investable ideas can bring in US$150 billion in revenues by 2030. Investing in these particular areas can create a win-win situation for the region—decarbonization plus accelerated economic growth. If that is the case, it can surely bring in more investments to ultimately reach a net zero target. 💡 Read more about it in our latest edition of #ICYMI: https://lnkd.in/gbgHMYwF 💡 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 💡 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/g3c2b-UP #startupfunding #southeastasia #whatisnew #techtrends

#BuzzingDealsOfTheWeek ➤ Deemples: US$2 million Deemples is a golfing platform that helps golfers find and join available games, or create their own game and let others join. •⁠  Stage: Venture round, series unknown •⁠  ⁠Industry: Sports tech / Malaysia •⁠  ⁠Investor: V Ventures ➤ wrtn technologies: US$18 million   Wrtn is an AI agent that aggregates several LLMs including ChatGPT4, Stable Diffusion 3, and Claude 3 to enable users to chat with AI, search news in real-time, and create AI characters, among other things. •⁠  Stage: Pre-Series B  •⁠  ⁠Industry: AI / South Korea •⁠  ⁠Investor: BRV Capital Management, Z Venture Capital, Capstone Partners, and the Industrial Bank of Korea ➤ The Sandbox: US$20 million The Sandbox is a user-generated, virtual gaming world where players can build, own, and monetize their gaming experiences. •⁠  Stage: Strategic funding round •⁠  ⁠Industry: Gaming/ Hong Kong •⁠  ⁠Investor: Kingsway Capital, Animoca Brands, LG Tech Ventures, and True Global Ventures ➤ Mober Technology Pte., Inc.: US$6 million  Mober is an EV logistics firm that helps companies decarbonize their fleet quickly, accelerating their sustainability goals. •⁠  Stage: Pre-Series A  •⁠  ⁠Industry: Logistics, Climate tech / the Philippines •⁠  ⁠Investor: Clime Capital ➤  iPiD: US$ 5.3 million International Payment Identity (iPiD) is a fintech firm specializing in global payments infrastructure and payee verification •⁠  Stage:  Pre-Series A •⁠  ⁠Industry: Fintech / Singapore •⁠  ⁠Investor: Monk's Hill Ventures, QED Investors, and Quona Capital 👉 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 👉 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/gTztaHUG #startupfunding #SEA #venturecapital #investments