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Social commerce and millennials are key e-commerce movers in Thailand and around the region

One of the biggest questions for Thailand when we are talking about the growth of e-commerce is essentially this: Is the country ready to be a cashless society?

Speaking at the Priceza Awards on 25 January 2017 in Bangkok, industry leaders Mr. Worawoot Ounjai (CEO of COL Public Company Limited), Mr. Nuttawit Polwattanasuk (MD of LnwShop), Mr. Thanawat Malabuppa (CEO of Priceza Group), Mr. Tarin Thaniyavarn (CCO of Lazada), and Mr. Thananan Arunrugtichai (Assistant Director of Ascend Group) shared their thoughts and predictions on the eCommerce trends in 2017.

According to Mr. Thanawat, the e-commerce economy in Southeast Asia is fast-growing and it is factors such as the quality and reliability of online shopping services that help to drive the growth and acceptance rate in the region. As such, the Priceza Awards was organised to recognise online sellers at the top of consumers’ mind in Thailand.

Also Read: Here’s what Southeast Asia can learn from India’s tryst with cashlessness

Consequently, Mr. Worawoot said he feels the number of Thai consumers who purchase products online is still small compared to retail and physical stores at a mere two to three per cent. Mr. Worawoot shares that he is certain that the potential for online shopping should in fact be five to six time higher at around ten per cent, further explaining that it is omni-channel strategies that Thailand needs right now to strike a balance between physical retail stores and online shops.

A shift toward social commerce

Speaking on what will the trends be in 2017, Mr. Tarin from Lazada stated that the trends is moving toward social commerce, for which he shares his thoughts: that it should be very effective not only in Thailand, but for the whole Southeast Asian e-commerce market.

“People nowadays tend to engage more with electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets. For the e-commerce industry, we refer to this large group as the millennial shopper. And things such as direct interaction with the sellers, and being able to contribute more than just making the online payment during the buying process, are important.”

“The marketplace is a better fit for online shops to sell more and gain recognition, especially for small brands that would like to compete in the market. The reason for this is that creating their own website is hard. If they are not a big brand, and would like to go online, but the cost for website development can be daunting. Not to mention the efforts for integrating payment systems.” In his opinion, Mr. Tarin felt the marketplace platform is still the best option for smaller players.

Moving on to the topic of payment method and whether a better payment system is needed in Thailand, such as cashless payments, Mr. Nuttawit shared his opinion.

“Cashless payment systems are a challenge for Thailand. Many Thai online shoppers still voice their concerns about the safety of online payments.”

Accordingly, Mr. Nuttawit mentioned that many online consumers in Thailand is at a stage where the preferred option is cash on delivery (COD) or to do a direct bank transfer.

On the contrary, Mr. Tarin felt that e-payment systems may apply well in big cities such as Bangkok. However, it would be a challenge in the rural areas. For e-commerce in Thailand, it is a challenge to implement cashless payments, a reality that cannot be ignored, and should be improved.

Mr. Thananan, continued to share his prediction that e-payment systems should be well established in Thailand within two to three years’ time.

“By that time, Thailand will be ready to fully apply the system and integrate it well with all sectors.”

Ready, but a lot of challenges in sight

Thus, when it comes to whether Thailand is ready to become a cashless society in 2017, the consensus is: yes, the country is ready, but there are lots of challenges along the way.

In a consequent session on what millennial shoppers want, Mr. M Khajochi from MacThai.com and Mr. Supadej Sutthiphongkanasai, Moderator at the Tech Offsite TV Show, contributed several insights.

Mr. M Khajochi started by explaining what a millennial shopper is.

“The millennial shoppers are consumers who spend time to search for options. This kind of shopper will spend a lot of time researching before deciding to buy something. They will read reviews; they will want to know more about the product details and benefits.”

Also Read: 3 ways to bounce back from negative app reviews

Mr. Supadej added that this type of shopper is more picky, careful but also impulsive.

“They have the need to spend their money in the best possible way. They want it to be worth the spend. Millennial shoppers will have less time watching TV or reading newspapers and magazines. They spend most of their time on smartphones or any other mobile devices.”

“As a business owner, it becomes very important to follow this trend and keep watch on anything viral. Creating ads based on this behaviour is a good way to target the millennial shopper. They need convenience, and everything should be fast. Fast internet, easier login to online shops using LINE ID or Facebook login, fast delivery. And the most important thing is after-sales service.”

Mr. Supadej highlighted the importance of after-sales service, explaining that the experience can impact businesses in many ways, given that the millennial shopper will lose their loyalty fast if shops do not provide them with on-time-delivery or good communication. This is where social commerce comes into play.

Mr. Thanawat ended the session sharing that the Priceza shopping search engine and price comparison platform has millions of buying intent data every month, that he and his team hopes to gain and share insights on how the eCommerce trends develop in Southeast Asia. Mr. Thanawat envisions Priceza as being part of the efforts in making the retail ecosystem in Southeast Asia as transparent as possible.

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The views expressed here are of the author’s, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them. e27 invites members from Asia’s tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, submit your post here.

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Cuemath is a company that runs after-school programs across India and says it has impacted 10,000 kids in India

Bengaluru math startup Cuemath is hitting the big time following an announcement Monday it raised $15 million from one of Google’s investment arms, CapitalG, and Sequoia India.

Their curriculum was designed by grads and staff from IIT, Stanford, Harvard, Cambridge, and IIM among other top-tier schools, the company told Geektime. They boast a nationwide presence of 200 full-time employees in cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune.

Cuemath operates more than 2,000 after-school programs across India to tutor kids between Kindergarten and 8th grade struggling in different divisions of the field. They claim upwards of 10,000 Indian kids have benefited from their company’s lessons. The money will reportedly go to expanding to as many as 5,000 centers for four times as many children by spring 2018.

“We strive to make children great at math with the belief that math can transform a child’s future,” CEO Manan Khurma told Geektime. “The centers are managed and run by trained and certified Cuemath teachers who share our vision of math excellence.”

Also Read: RML AgTech raises US$4M to provide smart farming solutions in India

This is business, though. Every Cuemath student pays a standard fee, with a certain split in revenues between the company and the teacher.

“Cuemath students go beyond simply knowing mathematical procedures – they can tell you how and why those procedures work. That’s the kind of deep mathematical understanding that our students build.” claimed Nikhil Pawar, Cuemath Head of Curriculum, in the company’s press release.

The company’s expansion in India is a sure thing, but they are eyeing places to start pilots outside of India without naming any specific countries.

“Data and technology is used to define each student’s learning trajectory and guide the Cuemath Teacher on exactly what to teach and how to teach it. We believe this kind of in-person learning is extremely valuable from a young learner’s perspective,” added Khurma.

Also Read: Square the circle: Cuemath raises US$4M to help students crack maths and improve logical reasoning

That is what they say sets the company apart from others, to the point they say they have no real direct competition in the Indian market as of yet. Even if it were to rise, he says that would actually help fulfill the company’s mission statement.

“We’d be more than happy if other players were to take our path in this quest of creating a global math revolution.”

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An original version of the article Google, Sequoia lead $15 million investment into promising Indian edtech startup Cuemathfirst appeared in Geektime.

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These folks can make it even easier to start a business in Singapore

Singapore is one of the best places in the world to do business. It is a rapidly growing country having a passport power rank of 2. If you are planning to launch a new business, there is probably no better place than Singapore.

Starting a new business is challenging, but Singapore has all the help to offer you. It is the second most favourable and easiest country in the world to do business. You get all the help and support from the people, government, businesses, and third parties.

The following five businesses will help you put your startup in Singapore on track in no time:

1. Asia Law Network

Perhaps the best advice that a startup needs is related to local laws, taxation, and all things legal. Asia Law Network offers legal help to businesses as well as individuals. Should you have any legal issues in the Singapore or need guidance, you will get it from Asia Law Network.

Also Read: Pro bono: Practical legal advice about startup fundraising from lawyer Yingyu Wang

You get affordable, instant, and expert advice on pretty much all types of legal issues. The best thing about Asia Law Network is its massive database of local lawyers that helps you find the legal professionals that you need. It has more than 3,500 lawyers registered with the network at this moment.

Asia Law Network has assisted Lien Foundation, Characterist LLC and several other Singapore-based businesses in finding the right lawyers.

Best for: Finding lawyers in Singapore, legal assistance, and taxation.

2. A1 Business PTE Ltd

A1 Business PTE Ltd is your one-stop business solution in the Singapore. It offers a whole lot of services catering new businesses, such as budgeting, training, accountancy, business registration, and more.

It is one of the best resources for new businesses that need help in starting their venture in Singapore. For instance, should you need help on business registration, A1 Business will not just guide you but these guys will help you in actually registering your startup.

Some of the local businesses that A1 Business has helped in getting off the ground include SG Incorp, RockWorth, and several others.

Best for: Business registration, budgeting, accountancy, and training.

Also Read: How to conquer the 8 biggest challenges of running a small business

3. East Ventures

Need funds for your startup? East Ventures offers early stage funds to the startups in Singapore and several other countries. It has funded Singapore-based startups Kaodim and Shoppr, for instance.

East Ventures has invested in more than 150 businesses worldwide with a focus on Asian startups. If your startup idea is appealing and innovative, don’t hesitate to send a proposal to East Ventures.

Simply send them an email with the startup details, and they will get back to you with details.

Best for: Early stage startup funding.

4. ACP

A Singapore-based venture capital firm that is owned by investors and seasoned entrepreneurs, ACP offers funds, mentorship, and strategic help to startups in Singapore. It has partnered with six companies and is sure to help your business, if it has something great to offer.

ACP normally invests in early growth ventures and the investment ranges from US$200,000 to US$4 million. The best thing about ACP is that these guys go an extra mile to help the startups they fund.

Best for: Raising funds and getting strategic help and training.

5. Collision 8

Collision 8 is the perfect place for your startup where you can meet new minds. It is a coworking space located in downtown Singapore. As with coworking spaces in the country and around the region, membership goes beyond the work space. There are several benefits of being a part of Collision 8, which can help you raise funds, build your own team, socialise, meet new businesses, find partnership opportunities, and much more.

Also Read: 7 hacks to optimise your coworking experience

It gives you access to resources and connections that will help you grow your startup quickly.

Best for: Co-working, socialising, networking, raising funds, and finding partnership opportunities.

Singapore is the face of Asia. Make your startup the face of Singapore.

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The views expressed here are of the author’s, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them. e27 invites members from Asia’s tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, submit your post here.

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MoneyGram is listed on NASDAQ exchange, making the deal is Ant Financial’s first acquisition of a US-listed company

Ant Financial, the Jack Ma-owned fintech company, has acquired the US-based money transfer service Moneygram in a deal worth about US$880 million.

The acquisition marks a significant step into the Western market for Ant, which has never acquired a US-listed company. Ant was spun off from Alibaba ahead of the e-commerce giant’s IPO in 2014 and has grown into the most dominant fintech company in Asia.

In September 2016, Ant made its first foray into the US through a much smaller deal when it purchased the eye-scanning technology startup EyeVerify.

Also Read: Ant Financial enters Southeast Asia with investment into Ascend Money

“The acquisition of MoneyGram is a significant milestone in our mission to bring inclusive financial services to users around the world,” said Ant Financial CEO Eric Jing in a statement.

“We are committed to continuing to invest in MoneyGram’s workforce and growing jobs in the United States, where MoneyGram has made a mark with outstanding customer service, innovative products and industry-leading technology and compliance programs,” he added.

For MoneyGram, the company will remain headquartered in Dallas, Texas and continue to operate under its brand. MoneyGram’s service allows people to transfer money via desktop or mobile and helps users with bill payments, money orders and it can process official cheques in some markets. It has a global reach.

This deal will significantly increase MoneyGram’s transaction volume as it will add a network of up to 630 million Ant users into its network.

As part of the acquisition, Ant Financial will buy all of MoneyGram’s common and preferred shares on a diluted basis and cover or refinance its debt. Subject to shareholder agreement and regulatory approvals, the deal is expected to be officially closed in the second half of 2017.

Also Read: Ant Financial partners with US payment tech companies Verifone and First Data

Stockholders are being offered US$13.25 per share.

Alex Holmes will stay on board as the CEO of MoneyGram.

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Berrybenka CEO Jason Lamuda.

Indonesian online fashion store Berrybenka secured new funds at the end of last year, the startup announced today. It’s an “eight-figure amount” in US dollars from Maj Invest Private Equity, Asia Summit Capital, the SoftBank-Indosat Fund, and other local investors.

After this round of funding, Berrybenka CEO Jason Lamuda says the startup will explore new areas like using social media and messaging apps to reach customers and increase offline activities like selling through pop-up stores.

The plan for this year is to open twenty pop-up stores, in addition to a few permanent ones.

Last year Berrybenka opened 14 pop-up stores. The plan for this year is to open twenty more, in addition to a few permanent shops.

With these offline stores, Berrybenka believes it can introduce new services. It wants its customers to be able to order online but pick up the goods at a Berrybenka shop. You can also try the clothes on first and only pay for those you like.

This year, Berrybenka wants to strengthen its presence on messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Line. It plans to launch a chatbot assistant named Stella, which can handle customer questions and complaints on those channels.

Berrybenka also plans to introduce new fashion lines, such as Berrybenka Curve and Berrybenka Premium, to address different types of tastes.

Established in 2011, Berrybenka raised seed funding from East Ventures in 2012, and series A from Gree in January 2013. It then secured a US$5 million series B round in November that same year from TransCosmos and Gree Ventures.

Berrybenka has several competitors in Indonesia, including Zalora, which is backed by Rocket Internet, and local startup Sale Stock.

Just a few months ago, some companies in the fashion ecommerce category had to trim down team size – Berrybenka was one of them. But Jason said at the time that the layoffs were “minor” and that the overall plan is still to grow and boost profitability.

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Berrybenka CEO Jason Lamuda.

Indonesian online fashion store Berrybenka secured new funds at the end of last year, the startup announced today. It’s an “eight-figure amount” in US dollars from Maj Invest Private Equity, Asia Summit Capital, the SoftBank-Indosat Fund, and other local investors.

After this round of funding, Berrybenka CEO Jason Lamuda says the startup will explore new areas like using social media and messaging apps to reach customers and increase offline activities like selling through pop-up stores.

The plan for this year is to open twenty pop-up stores, in addition to a few permanent ones.

Last year Berrybenka opened 14 pop-up stores. The plan for this year is to open twenty more, in addition to a few permanent shops.

With these offline stores, Berrybenka believes it can introduce new services. It wants its customers to be able to order online but pick up the goods at a Berrybenka shop. You can also try the clothes on first and only pay for those you like.

This year, Berrybenka wants to strengthen its presence on messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Line. It plans to launch a chatbot assistant named Stella, which can handle customer questions and complaints on those channels.

Berrybenka also plans to introduce new fashion lines, such as Berrybenka Curve and Berrybenka Premium, to address different types of tastes.

Established in 2011, Berrybenka raised seed funding from East Ventures in 2012, and series A from Gree in January 2013. It then secured a US$5 million series B round in November that same year from TransCosmos and Gree Ventures.

Berrybenka has several competitors in Indonesia, including Zalora, which is backed by Rocket Internet, and local startup Sale Stock.

Just a few months ago, some companies in the fashion ecommerce category had to trim down team size – Berrybenka was one of them. But Jason said at the time that the layoffs were “minor” and that the overall plan is still to grow and boost profitability.

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Strategies and high-impact techniques in generating higher lifetime value per customer

With an endless stream of information bombarding us from all directions, capturing and keeping the attention of customers is becoming a Herculean task for companies. As a result, companies are shelling out more and more cash to distinguish themselves from the white noise and catch the eye of new customers.

It’s now more important than ever to measure that cost to engage and eventually convert a follower into a paying customer. According to Hubspot, a Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is defined as the “average amount of sales and marketing expenses you invest to acquire a single customer.”

But never fear — you don’t need to resign yourself to paying top dollar to lure in interested buyers. Employing a few high-impact, efficient strategies to lower those basic costs can help generate a higher lifetime value per customer and bulk up overall revenue.

Measure and analyse

As with any other number, it’s important to establish a measure and establish a baseline, set some goals and track your progress.

CAC is a fairly basic idea with a complicated calculation based on your business model. The two primary numbers that factor into this equation include the number of new customers in a given period and the output of dollars to wrangle those converts. That includes everything from the cost of any campaigns you deploy, and overhead including the salaries of those invaluable sales reps.

For example, let’s say you create a brilliantly designed direct-mail campaign. Calculate the cost for the campaign, including the price of the mailing list, printouts, labour and even the stamps to get everything sent via snail mail. Then measure the outcome. How many customers sought out your product/service as a result of that direct mailer? Divide the two and you have the cost to acquire a new customer via this direct mail campaign.

Now you can apply this equation to find the dollar amount for your overall CAC. Knowing that crucial calculation can help you create a plan of action to minimize that number as much as possible.

For context, the ConversionXL blog and venture capitalist David Skok recommend the lifetime value (LTV) for a customer should be about three times the CAC, depending on how much capital a company has on hand.

Get a handle on your web content

You can expect the majority of your prospective customers are doing their homework before ever contacting a sales rep. So it’s in your best interest to ensure your customers have all the information they need within a few strokes of their computer keyboard.

Make it easy for your customers to educate and build awareness themselves. As Calgary SEO recommends, ensure that the content on your website is clear, concise and makes a compelling case for your product or service. Address any sticking points, because strategic content can quell any fears or perceived risks. Include clear calls to action and believable ROIs for customers to view.

Where possible, also include customer reviews and testimonials to aid in the comparison process.

Offer a ‘try-before-you-buy’ demo

During the ramp up to making a sale, potential converts can grow skittish before agreeing to sign on the dotted line. But sometimes giving them a taste of what you have to offer can cause them to clamber back for more.

If it makes sense for your product/service, court your customers with a free trial. The ability for a prospect to try before they buy allows you to show off how your whirlygig or must-have service is a good fit for their needs. A trial period also builds confidence in your brand and can help convert customers into full-on brand advocates.

Some current examples of companies offering excellent trial-period programs include Amazon Prime and HootSuite Pro.

Reward brand advocates

Remember those brand evangelists I just mentioned? Leverage those kind words and compliments from your biggest fans with a referral program.

Word-of-mouth referrals are still powerful, maybe even moreso in our 24/7 digital world. With constant conversations happening on a variety of forums and social media platforms, you can bet people are likely talking about your brand. And a good word and a stamp of approval from one customer to the next still carries far more weight than any pitch from a well-versed company rep.

In their own way, those brand advocates are doing much of the sales work for you. So take the time to identify those repeat customers and brand ambassadors. Reward them and provide them with an incentive to send you those invaluable new prospects. For loyal advocates who genuinely love your product, they’ll be more than happy to spread the word and will deeply appreciate the extra reward.

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The views expressed here are of the author’s, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them. e27 invites members from Asia’s tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, submit your post here.

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Some things to remember when there are strings attached

Since I came back to Malaysia, I have had the privilege to speak to many different people in the entrepreneurship ecosystem: Startup founders, startup employees, incubator/accelerator CEOs, aspiring entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone who cared to discuss with me about venture funding in the SEA startup scene.

I learnt a great deal about the ecosystem by listening to these narratives and experiences. However, when I contrast this to my VC experience in London, there is a common theme that kept coming up: that the VC only provides capital, but everything else that comes from them are generally bad.

These are the examples of what I have been hearing:

• “I only want VC money, not them messing around with my business.”
• “VC is this evil overlord that will wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me about my growth metrics when I finally found a night where I can sleep.”
• “VCs are just so arrogant; they think they have it all because they have the money.”

While these opinions may have been true to some extent, the VC industry is also undergoing a mindset shift due to a more competitive landscape in deal sourcing. (It’s a 50-year-old industry ready to be disrupted, ironically.)

Also Read: What do Venture Capitalists want? Getting under the skin of Asia’s most influential VCs

To be fair, VCs have a legitimate reason to be paranoid, because they placed their bet on founders and they have fiduciary duties to their Limited Partners who have set aside a pool of capital for 5 to 10 years. VCs have their metrics to hit, as well. They are in for the long term.

The best VCs will live by the motto of DBDB: Don’t be a douchebag — because their access to superb deals, like Salesforce.com, Facebook and AirBnB are tied to how well they maintain their reputation in the industry. They understand their success is dependent on how well their portfolio companies are doing.

I like to think that both parties want the mutually favourable outcomes from every closed deal. So here are my two cents:

Do your due diligence

As much as VCs conduct due diligence on founders, founders also need to conduct DD on interested VCs. These are five questions that founders should consider when they are deciding if they should take the money from the VCs:

Do they have the relevant operational and team building experience to advise you on dos and don’ts in running a startup?

A great VC will be able to provide relevant ‘been there done that’ experience when you are facing a sales bottleneck or recruitment problem. A great VC can help you to stay focused and prioritise on the important tasks. A great VC has the extensive Rolodex (well, today it’s probably CRM) to connect you to the right person when you need professional services such as admin, legal and accounting services.

Do they have the relevant scaling experience (or necessary network) to help you grow your business when you need to scale to another market?

For example, when I was working at Illuminate Financial previously, one of our US-based portfolio companies took us onboard because they wanted to expand to the Europe. After the deal was closed, their employee #1 came to London and worked in our office, to expand their market until they are mature enough to start their own London office.

What is their stance on follow-on funding?

How much help will they give to help you raise a subsequent larger round with their connectivity with the downstream VC? Upfront Venture has a database of downstream VC that was built by their latest partner, Kevin Zhang, as outlined by Mark Suster in one of his latest Medium posts.

How wide is their network within the VC industry, and are they able to introduce you to other investors that will help you close a larger round?

This is something founders/investors often overlook. Who have they co-invested with? Do they have the capacity to help you plan for the next round of fundraising, for example in organising fundraising event and refining investor decks?

Do they have the relevant sales network to help you sell your business or strike partnerships with key players in the space?

This is probably the cheapest but most valuable asset a VC can offer to their portfolio companies. For example, once you achieve product-market fit, will they be able to introduce you to bigger potential clients or form relationship with potential channel partners?

For example, a B2B FinTech solutions for the financial institutions would benefit from VCs with an extensive network within the financial industry (with notoriously long sales cycle) to help connecting the sales team to the decision maker in the institutions. At Illuminate Financial, I saw firsthand how the partners made numerous high-quality introduction through both their formal and informal industry relationships for our portfolio companies that eventually led to successful sales deals.

Also Read: Learning from your investors: Tips from 5 top venture capitalists

How much ad-hoc support will they give you when you are in trouble?

This is a very hard question, but I would also argue it’s one of, if not, the most pivotal question to answer. Founders know that starting up a new venture is an arduous journey and there are millions of ups and downs that you need to deal with. Thus, a healthy support system is very important to keep founders going. When things are not going well, VC-founder relationships are tested.

Are they just going to step aside, be passive aggressive and leave you alone? Or, are they going to be a proactive partner that pull all their network/resources together to weather the storm? Try speaking to founders of an unsuccessful portfolio company and ask them about the situation when things went south. The way the VC handles such a situation tells almost everything about them as a partner.

Fred Wilson beautifully summarises the essence of this in one of his famous “When Things Don’t Work Out” blog post:

“When everything goes well, you really don’t need that much from a VC. Of course, I have added value in all of my winners. But it’s the ones that don’t work that I have left my blood, sweat, and tears on. And that’s the paradox of being a VC that cares. Which is the only kind of VC you want to work with.”

This should not be a checklist for founders, rather it is a suggestive framework to approach potential investments. Founders should evaluate which aspects are more relevant to the stage of their business and prioritise those when looking for a partnering VC. For example, team-building skills are more relevant in the earlier stage, but scaling experience is more relevant at a later stage.

The takeaway

The best VCs are like partners/consultants. They are there to help you out when you need a hand. They actively guide founders to better understand their business and formulate solutions together when necessary. They trust founders’ business decision as much as they trust their investment decision. Achieving founder-VC fit is going to give you, as a founder, the competitive advantage you need to gain an edge and grow your business in the long run.

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This was originally posted on the author’s blog.

The views expressed here are of the author’s, and e27 may not necessarily subscribe to them. e27 invites members from Asia’s tech industry and startup community to share their honest opinions and expert knowledge with our readers. If you are interested in sharing your point of view, submit your post here.

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Japanese backing for Indian games, home tuition for next-gen math, and local snacks from the little nooks of South India: they’re among the lucky seven startups that got funded even as the winter of funding continues.

99Games

The 99Games team.

99Games, which is part of Udupi-based app development company Robosoft’s repertoire, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Japan’s Dream Incubator. Existing investors Kalaari Capital and Ascent Capital participated in the round.

Udupi is better known for its dosas than startups, but Robosoft has proved you don’t have to be in urban centers like Bangalore to hit global markets. Support from the Japanese investor is expected to boost its global ambitions by helping with market access.

See: In a small town in India, this startup has made millions

NowFloats

Hyderabad-based NowFloats helps small businesses come online and find new consumers. It has closed a series B funding round of US$10 Million from Iron Pillar and IIFL, along with existing investors Blume Ventures and Omidyar Network.

NowFloats is expanding its value proposition to handle transactions for small businesses. It is also making its automated SEO product available on the cloud for larger enterprises to integrate into their websites.

See: 45 hot software product startups from India and their cool ideas

Cuemath

The core team of Cuemath: (from left) Anushray Gupta, Nikhil Pawar, Manan Khurma, and Akshay Kumar.

Edtech startup Cuemath has raised US$15 million in series B funding from CapitalG and Sequoia Capital. CapitalG (earlier known as Google Capital) is the growth equity investment fund of Google’s parent company, Alphabet.

Cuemath supports after-school tutoring in math for K-8 students. It has 2,000 centers across the country run by Cuemath-certified teachers. Many of them are educated women needing a home-based career opportunity.

Cuemath aims to fill a gap in the school education system. “Given the way technology is evolving, the most valuable ability in a few years from now will be that of complex problem-solving, and the best way to build that ability is a strong math foundation. Schools, by design, cater to only a limited subset of math,” says Cuemath founder and CEO Manan Khurma.

See: 10 top-funded edtech startups bucking the trend in India

NativeSpecial

Thenkuzhal murukku. Photo credit: Wikimedia.

Food tech startup NativeSpecial has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from the Indian Angel Network and Madurai-based Native Angels Network. The Tamil Nadu-based startup has an online portal to distribute traditional snacks and sweets.

It provides hard-to-find delicacies like Tirunelveli halwa, Srivilliputhur palkova, and Nagercoil Nendran chips to aficionados scattered across the country. The Tirunelveli halwa, for instance – a sticky concoction of wheat, sugar, cardamom powder, ghee (clarified butter), and water – apparently gets its unique taste from the Thamirabharani river water.

NativeSpecial is looking to expand beyond Indian shores with the funding. “The company senses a huge market potential among South Indians in the US, where we had a trial festival sale,” says founder and CEO Baskaran Veluchamy. It has a close competitor in Place of Origin, incubated in Bangalore’s Axilor accelerator.

See: Mouth-watering startup attracts South Indian angels with Tamil treats

Zeotap

Stephan Schwebe and Projjol Banerjea, co-founders of Zeotap

Berlin-based Zeotap, which has a joint venture in Bangalore, has raised US$13 million in series B funding from US-based New Science Ventures and Here, a provider of mapping and location-based services backed by German auto companies. Existing investors Capnamic Ventures and Iris Capital also participated in the new round.

Zeotap has tied up with telecoms companies across Europe and Asia to use their customer data for targeting mobile ads. It also has partnerships with a leading security company and a navigation services provider for their data.

See: How Zeotap unlocks treasure chests of telco user data for mobile ads

Practo

(From right) Practo CEO Shashank ND in a fireside chat with Harsimran Julka at Tech in Asia Singapore 2016.

Healthcare startup Practo has raised US$55 million in series D funding led by China’s Tencent. Three new investors – Thrive Capital, Ru-Net, and Recruit – joined the existing investors in this round.

The Bangalore-based startup aggregates over 200,000 doctors across a network of 10,000 hospitals, 8,000 diagnostic centers, and 4,000 wellness and fitness centers in India, Brazil, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore. Its marquee investors include CapitalG (earlier known as Google Capital) and Yuri Milner.

See: What Tencent, Google Capital, Yuri Milner bring to the operating table for Practo

Wydr

Photo credit: Keoni Cabral.

Mobile commerce startup Wydr has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from its initial investors, Bessemer Venture Partners, Stellaris Venture Partners, and Jungle Venture Partners. Singapore-based Axis Capital also participated in this round.

Wydr is an app-based marketplace connecting retailers with manufacturers and wholesalers across categories like fashion, home, automotive, and electronics. The Gurgaon-based startup was launched in March last year. Its founder and CEO Devesh Rai was earlier a founding member and VP of ShopClues, an ecommerce company with a focus on small-town India.

See: As Flipkart rides in choppy waters, investor attention shifts to other plays in ecommerce

Converted from Indian rupees. Rate: US$1 = INR 68.13.

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And it has a more adorable name – Little Fish

Last year, US tech giants Amazon and Google made aggressive pushes to bring their conversational AI assistants into homes of ordinary folks.And it proved rather successful: Amazon Echo has sold over five million units since its launch in 2015, and while Google did not release sales figures, conversational user interface analytics company VoiceLabs said Google Home users grew by four times over the Christmas period last year.

Clearly, the demand is high. And it is easy to see why. These AI assistants are compact and offer a wide array of everyday functionalities – users can order an Uber, play an audiobook, check the weather, or shop online simply by issuing a voice command.

So it’s only a matter of time before Asia’s tech conglomerates make their play in this space. Earlier this month, A.I Nemo (Ainemo), a Chinese startup that specialises in smart robot companions, teamed up with web service giant Baidu to develop what is essentially its answer to the Amazon Echo or Google Home.

The voice-controlled family robot, Little Fish (Xiaoyu Zaijia), is powered by Baidu’s new AI assistant DuerOS. It is able to translate languages, check stock prices, look up locations, and read the news. However, its more noteworthy features are those that are not available on its rivals.

You see, unlike Amazon Echo or Google Home, Little Fish comes outfitted with an 8 inch IPS video screen with a 1280×800 resolution, and a 1080p webcam.  This means users can stream video or conduct video chats. Apart from that, Little Fish can also make regular phone calls, book movie tickets, hotels, and even pay cellphone bills.

The DuerOS AI employs machine learning to learn more about the user over time. Interested parties can download a free app that will allow them to experiment with communicating with Little Fish.

Also Read: Baidu kicks off its US$3B fund for tech investment

There are four versions of Little Fish. The base version, which retails for RMB 1,699 (US$250) comes loaded with 1 gb of cloud storage, and an additional 10 gb for one year. But for the tier above it (which costs US$320), a 5,000 mAh battery power pack is offered, and it allows users to move the screen using a remote control.

Both versions allow for 100 minutes of talk time each year. Each additional minute costs RMB 0.20 (US$0.03).

“We believe family robots will be the next big category to join everybody’s home. The goal is to be useful and reliable, helping to solve real problems in people’s lives,” said Chenfeng Song, founder and CEO of Ainemo, in an official press release.

“Families, especially with kids and seniors, will now have the opportunity to connect with family members and manage their everyday lives by simply talking to a robot. Little Fish is the ultimate A.I. virtual assistant, offering users a level of control and communication like never before,” he added.

Little Fish responds to the call of “Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu” so it’s targetted for the Chinese market. It is not known whether when, if ever, it will be released for an English speaking audience. Perhaps this would be a good tool to practice Mandarin.

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Image Credit: Ainemo

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