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Agritech is a growing sector in Asia. And it’s just about time, too.

For a specie that relies on crops for a large portion of their food, humans have not really been that great at developing agriculture. The growth rates of agricultural production and crop yields have slowed the past few years, and while that may be attributed the declining food needs of a declining global population, it should also be taken into account that almost 800 million people are undernourished.

With Asia supporting the food needs of 60 percent of the global population in roughly 23 percent of the world’s agricultural land, and with volatile climate changes,  land constraints due to urbanisation, and a growing population coming into play, Asia needs technology to sustain agricultural growth.

Also read: This robotic machine can detect, locate and pick the harvestable crops from your farm and store them in a bin

While agritech in Asia is young, it is growing, and several startups in Asia are now directing their eyes on tackling agriculture problems from sustainable crop management, increasing yield, and even financing. Here are a few startups putting agriculture in the general public’s viewfinder:

Build your own farm with Cityfarm

We bring the farm to the city

The Malaysia-based Cityfarm launched in 2016 with the aim of creating self-sustaining food supplies in the cities. The company uses Hydroponics technology, allowing soil-less farming in urban centers, and launched a 450 sq ft indoor vertical show farm with controlled environment capable of producing 2000 heads of lettuce monthly. Cityfarm distributes kits and supplies for indoor farming as well as offers courses for beginners.

Science-backed farming with MimosaTek

We aspire to implement precision agriculture in every farm

Agricultural practices in Vietnam are largely still manual and experience-based – something that MimosaTek is aspiring to change. Founded in 2014, the company has developed a cloud-based system that lets farmers control and manage farms with the use of sensors to monitor the environment, alerts on unfavourable environmental factors, crop progress monitoring, crop database, and remote irrigation execution through mobile phones. The system allows farmers to manage crops and farm plan based on collected data on daily environment and historical crop database. MimosaTek has recently won the Vietnamese round of the Seedstar World Competition and will compete at the Seedstars Summit in Switzerland in March 2017.

Plant vicariously with iGrow

Everyone can plant.

Founded in 2014, iGrow is an online marketplace for the general public to invest in crops. Through a mobile app, investors get to choose the seeds they want to purchase based on their budget, interest, and expected returns, which would then be planted by farmers in the iGrow network. The app also provides the investor with real-time updates of crop progress and as tracker for profit shares. Headquartered and operating in Indonesia, iGrow has helped over 2,000 farmers and utilised over 1,000 hectares of land for farming.

Also read: Agritech startup iGrow reaps seed funding from East Ventures, 500 Startups

Water crops correctly with FlyBird Farm Innovations

Improving the livelihood of farmers through innovation and technology

One important aspect of farming is irrigation – but for farmlands without access to ample water, the correct time and quantity of of irrigation is not only important but may be the difference between a productive and non-productive farming cycle. Enter FlyBird Farm Innovations, a startup that develop solutions to automate the irrigation process. With products such as sensor-based irrigation controllers based on soil moisture and temprerature, volume-based irrigation controllers based on preset water quantity, and timer-based irrigation controllers, the company aims to ensure resource sufficiency and irrigation efficiency for better farm and crop management. Based in India, FlyBird Farm Innovations also developed a mobile app controller that allows farmers to remotely control and monitor irrigation as well as have access to data analytics for farm planning.

Farm anywhere with Living Greens Organics

We bring the freshness of nature in your daily lives

Farming need not be limited to farmlands, as Living Greens Organics has set out to prove. Having developed specialised organic rooftop farming solutions, the company also offers products and services such as rooftop fruit farming, outdoor green walls, indoor green walls, herb stands, and consultancy for organic farming and medicinal plants. Living Greens Organics is headquartered in India and has converted over 100 homes into organic homes.

Supply chain efficiency with CroFarm

We’re creating India’s first zero wastage digitized supply chain of agricultural produce

With India’s preventable post-harvest loss has been estimated to equal Australia’s total production, CroFarm set out to develop a supply chain system that connects the consumers directly to the farmers to avoid wastage. Retailers use a mobile app to place and confirm their orders and delivery times, as well as to make payments while farmers use the system to access data on produce specifications required by the market and accept digital payments. CroFarm is currently is headquartered in Delhi, India and is backed by Pravega Ventures.

Also read: 27 Asian startups that kick ass

Crowdfunding for farmers with Cropital

Doing good comes with great rewards

Funding for farming cycles remains to be one of the problems of Philippine farmers with most of them relying on loan sharks with high interests rates as most farmers do not have the proper documentation for bank-backed financing. Oftentimes, this results to farmlands not being optimised for farming. A cross between fintech and agritech, Cropital seeks to address this issue and developed a crowdfunding platform to support farmers. Currently in Beta phase, the company has already finished 2 farming cycles of 23 farms in the Philippines and is currently in the third cycle. The company is also looking into partnering with farmers of Napier plants to grow grass for use in biomass conversion.

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Be creative, and provide a pleasant e-shopping experience

Conversions are one of the most important steps in the sales funnel for any e-commerce platform. However the era ‘build it and they will come’ is long over in the field of e-commerce businesses. If you want to compete, then you need to be more proactive in marketing your platform.

The e-commerce marketplace is growing more crowded by the day, which is why you should make sure your platform is optimised for sales. Competition is tough, and customers are faced with many options — both in generic and niche e-commerce — that any misstep might make your potential customers check the next available e-commerce site instead.

Most online shoppers have very little understanding of how an e-commerce site works, and once you lose a customer, your chances of getting that customer back are slim to none due to the high competition.

To help mitigate theses risks, here are the some powerful, surefire ways to increase your e-commerce sales:

1. Establish a responsive web design

Your e- commerce website design is an important factor you must consider if you want to attract customers to buy your products. Responsive design makes it possible for your website to adapt perfectly to any mobile and desktop screen size. It does not matter whether your customers are using small phones or big desktop screens; responsive design will ensure that your products are displayed stylishly and uniformly on the screen.

There is a high chance of making better sales when your website showcases products that look appealing and stunning. Besides, the number of consumers using mobile phones to surf the web are on the rise, and having responsive online store will definitely help you generate sales.

2. Introduce extra offers

Most big e-commerce sites use extra offer tactics to increase sales. Any page that customers use to arrive on your site should have additional features such as extra offers, related products, call-to-action, continue shopping link, and so on. Shopping must not stop at a particular product. Take every opportunity to upsell, especially with products that will interest customers.

You will be surprised how some customers will end up buying more than what they initially intended. This tip will help your customers discover other best-selling products, just in case they no longer want to buy the one that originally brought them to your site.

3. Integrate best-selling features

Incorporating best-selling products on your e-commerce site will help your customers gain better insights into which products are high in demand. Most customers prefer to see products that other customers are already buying — people love patronising trending products, after all. You can integrate this feature on the bottom or sidebar of every page showcasing awesome images of each featured product.

You will need to determine which are the best-selling products on your platform, in the first place. You can then use that knowledge to increase sales, keep customers on your site longer, and promote products bought by other like-minded customers.

4. Leverage social media networks

Don’t neglect the power of social media engagement strategy to increase sales. Engage with your customers on major social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus, and the rest. Social networks are among the useful places people turn to when searching for local products or services.

You can do several things on social media: Establish your presence, showcase your products, and engage with potential customers. Discuss your trending products on your page, and encourage friends and followers to share your posts. There is a big chance that they will also share information about products they like.

Integrate social media icons on your site, so customers can easily share information and links about your products with their family and friends. Social media networks are an effective marketing platform you can’t afford to overlook.

5. Be creative

This actually applies to just about any startup or business idea you will execute. So many people are selling online, and they might actually be selling the same thing as you are. But with creativity, you can stand out. Your shop will be very boring if you are not creative enough to provide a good environment for your customers.

There is always room for improvement in every e-commerce site. Find that gap, and work on it. You’ll be amazed at how a little improvement will help increase conversions on your site.

6. Encourage comments and reviews

Online customers are mostly driven by the opinions of their friends, social network contacts, and other customers concerning products they want to buy. Since they are not touching the product physically before purchase, some insights on the performance of the product by other buyers can help increase their desire to buy. Reminding a potential customer that they are not alone can go a long way in closing a sale.

Customer ratings and reviews are an important strategy, especially in big online marketplaces. Thus, platforms like Amazon use reviews to win their customers heart. You can implement that on your site, too. Don’t worry about negative reviews — studies show that customers perceive a good balance between positive and negative reviews as more honest, instead of having all-positive ratings and reviews.

7. Offer discount codes

Giving out discount codes is one of the surefire ways to increase e-commerce sales — these can encourage customers to buy more than they originally intended. You can offer a limited time price discount for a certain date, or you give out free products for every purchase of a certain quantity. You can also offer limited-time discounts, so that your customers will be encouraged to make their purchase decision sooner.

Another form of discount is offering free shipping when a certain price or volume is met. It all depends on how far you can go to make a sale.

8. Optimise your user interface

Your e-commerce platform should make it effortless for customers to find the product they want. Make sure your home page communicates your value proposition, and that the interface is user-friendly and easy to navigate.

Don’t try to pack everything into the home page, but instead provide a search feature that will help your customers to easily locate their desire product — you can even help them narrow things down by price, and other factors.

9. Strategise with hover ads

Hover ads are a very useful online marketing tactic you can implement that can help increase e-commerce sales. Ads come with special offers or other important information that will encourage customers to take action. Hover ads are a great tool that can also help increase subscriptions and followers to your site.

10. Improve site and image design

The human eye is mostly attracted to good product design, so using eye-catching images for your products will go a long way in boosting your sales. Be professional and let your product design motivate your customers to have more interest. Use captivating and beautiful product images.

Conclusion

There is no magic bullet to boosting sales and cementing your lead in the e-commerce industry. Implementing the above tips can help you solidify your presence, boost conversions, and gain repeat customers.

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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.

Featured Image Copyright: wavebreakmediamicro / 123RF Stock Photo

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Startup aims to make it easier to look for localised stock content in SEA 

As the old saying goes: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” This is particularly true in this age of visual storytelling and shorter attention spans, when photos and videos are the most engaging content, particularly on social media.

We see this trend in journalism, where, for instance, BBC News has been experimenting with Instagram Stories to engage a younger audience with photos, videos, and animated stills.

Meanwhile, visual content marketing has become a vital tool for engaging an otherwise jaded or easily distracted audience.

And with companies continuing to invest in online advertising and e-commerce, the estimated US$4B stock photo industry is expected to grow even more. It is this industry that startup Raydar, which is based in Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, aims to disrupt with the launch of a first-of-its-kind stock photo search portal that combines search with an e-commerce checkout.

“Searching for stock photos has long been a global pain point with users needing to jump from site to site to search and compare photos, even more so in Southeast Asia where localised stock content is still in its early days. By aggregating the top stock photo brands from Asia and the world into a simple website, combined with a strong search engine, we save our users at least 50 per cent from their previous search time,” Keith Teo, Co-founder and CEO of Raydar, said in a press statement.

Also Read: Start 2017 right with these 5 essential visual marketing trends for your marketplace

The difficulty in finding localised stock content is certainly evident in a lot of the generic material used for advertisements and other collateral, or news stories and other articles. Raydar aims to make the lives of these content creators easier by simplifying the process to just one click, with its proprietary “Find Similar” feature. Raydar’s search recommendation technology also leverages on machine learning and artificial intelligence.

The search portal brings together 11 global stock photos brands, including 123RF, Alamy and Mint Images. These partnerships give users access to more than 100 million paid stock photos and/or 70,000 free high quality stock photos.

Its e-commerce checkout feature has also simplified the buying process. Unlike other sites, Raydar does not require a monthly subscription or a minimum number of photos to be purchased.

Fittingly enough, Raydar was born because of Teo’s own frustration with looking for high-quality stock photos for strong visuals when he was still a marketer for Swiss conglomerate ​DKSH​.

Also Read: Branding basics: Logo design tips for startups

“Our platform saves designers many hours per week, freeing them up to work on creative executions or service new clients, resulting in tangible positive financial impact,” Teo said.

In this increasingly competitive world, brands will need strong visuals to stand out and differentiate themselves from other companies — so that their customers can literally see the difference.

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Every country has a currency, and for a Smart Nation, data is cash

Acknowledging that data analytics is indispensable to the success or failure of Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative, the country’s government is planning to roll-out a data sandbox this year to facilitate experimentation and innovation.

The initiative was discussed and elaborated upon in a speech by IMDA Assistant CEO Khoong Hock Yun at WBA Vision Forum: Asia in Singapore today.

“We [are trying] to align the data sets so there are more opportunities for data to be discovered. And then allow interested, qualified, parties to come on board to solve new challenges,” he said.

Cloud computing is going to be a crucial part of this initiative, and along with that the development of cloud security protocol.

“Cloud is the natural means for us to share limited resources to achieve results,” said Khoong.

Khoong said one of the biggest challenges in a disruptive world is the technology usually crosses various domains. This was exemplified by the merger of the Infocomm Development Authority and the Media Development Authority last year to form the Info-communications and Media Development Authority because the line between the media and infocomm sectors began to blur.

To combat this challenge, Khoong said different regulatories need to work together — and that ‘sandbox’ initiatives could become the norm.

“So putting together this matrix, we need to find what makes sense. If it goes across domains, then different regulatories need to come together,” he said.

Also Read: Alibaba Cloud, NUS and EZ-Link tie-up for big data initiative in Singapore

Last year, the Monetary Authority of Singapore set up a regulatory sandbox to allow for more experimentation within the fintech sector. The idea is that if startups worry less about stepping on regulatory toes, they can get off the ground and begin to focus on compliance later — when they are more stable or have generated a revenue stream.

If a good idea gets hamstrung by regulations from day one, the company might just run out of money before it can grow into anything useful.

The data sandbox wants to find new ways in which data can be resourced, which the government can then use to create smarter policies.

Intra-nation connectivity

Khoong also went over other initiatives for Singapore’s Smart Nation — and because the WBA Vision Forum: Asia was a gathering of telco business people, connectivity was a big theme.

One of the more interesting projects is the pursuit of intra-nation connectivity.

In collaboration with three US cities, the government is testing a programme to allow Singaporeans connect to free Wi-Fi while travelling abroad.

Also Read: Singapore’s Marvelstone Group positions itself for rise of Smart Cities

For the pilot programme, Singaporeans visiting New York City, San Francisco and San Jose, California will be able to connect to free public wifi and Americans visiting Singapore should have access to Wireless@SG infrastructure.

“[Intra-nation connectivity] is technically possible, to figure out how to do this in the long-term is something we are working to figure out,” said Khoong.

Hyper-connected buildings

A major theme in the Smart Nation development is the development of hyper-connected buildings. Real estate is one of the most important contributors to the Singaporean economy, so it makes sense that any Smart Nation policy would focus its efforts on buildings.

Part of a hyper-connected building is security and Singapore is working on face indexing technology to help with future investigations. It also is building camera-tampering warning, and license plate recognition software.

Related to hyper-connected buildings — but not to security — the government is working on creating a system of signals to alert when queues become too long and help manage car park efficiency.

Also Read: Personal data protection: An intrinsic priority of Singapore’s largest bank

To conclude the speech, Khoong called on Singapore as a whole to work together to achieve a Smart Nation.

“We need people from startups, risk capital, corporates, government, universities and of course citizens, to come together to work on Smart Nation”.

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Copyright: edwardderule / 123RF Stock Photo

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Zolo brings affordable managed living by providing a comfortable place to stay, daily meals, housekeeping, firewall managed Wi-Fi

Zolo

Zolo (earlier known as Zelo), a Bangalore-based startup providing a platform for managed co-living spaces in India, has secured US$5 million in Series A funding led by existing investor Nexus Venture Partners, which recently invested in e-learning startup Unacademy.

Debt venture capital firm InnoVen Capital has also co-invested.

Zolo plans to use the capital to grow aggressively to reach from 5,000 locked-in beds to over 12,000 beds, and expand to Chennai and Delhi-NCR by the end of this year.

The startup was founded in September 2015 by Dr. Nikhil Sikri and Akhil Sikri. Zolo brings affordable managed living by providing a comfortable place to stay, daily meals, housekeeping, firewall managed Wi-Fi, through an integrated app-based technology platform at locations near large office clusters in Tier I cities. Rentals start from INR 5,000 (under US$75) a month.

Also Read: This startup helps singles find affordable NestAway from their home

Zolo aims to redefine the paying guest (PG) industry which caters to thousands of young professionals across the country. Currently, the industry is in dismal state with no standardisation, extremely poor serviceability and very low customer satisfaction.

CEO Nikhil said: “I always wanted to make a direct impact on people’s lives — the ethos that got ingrained during my career in medicine. Improving lives of thousands of people, through redefining an industry, was something which immediately came close to heart. For me, ethos hasn’t changed, the method has.”

Zolo’s offering is largely targeted towards young folks who want to live in a fully managed setup. It provides daily meals for an entire month in just INR 1,699 (US$25) and centralises its kitchen operations to provide best-in-class meals with substantial options for its residents. Housekeeping and Wi-Fi are complimentary.

Sameer Brij Verma of Nexus added: “We believe there is a large market gap in the managed affordable living space targeted at students and young professionals moving into larger cities for employment and education opportunities. Zolo’s first principles approach to building a scalable cost-effective execution engine managed by their strong technology platform has allowed them to emerge as a leader in the market in a short duration.”

In Pics: CoLife provides not just co-working, but a shared living space, too

Zolo has also partnered with large builders to start the concept of fully managed accommodations, which is common in large cities such as Hong Kong and New York City. Real estate builders have shown interest in partnerships with Zolo to build a rental yield asset play as they increasingly feel the need to add rental income yield for their investor base.

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Together with Burda’s brands –Prestige, August Men and Pin — this acquisition will form a leading digital and print luxury content platform in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong

LifestyleAsia

Burda International, a unit of German media company Hubert Burda Media, has acquired LifestyleAsia.com, a luxury products news portal with operations in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Kuala Lumpur.

The transaction details remain undisclosed.

This acquisition underlines Burda’s strategy to strengthen its print and digital publishing in Asia. Together with Burda’s brands (Prestige, August Men and Pin), this strategic acquisition will form a leading digital and print luxury content platform in Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, as per a press statement.

With this, the three Swedish founders of Lifestyle Asia – Christopher Lindvall, Richard Nilsson and Sebastian Svensson – will become part of Burda Asia’s regional management team and will jointly run the digital initiatives with Melvin Ang, Managing Director, Burda Southeast Asia.

Also Read: The next environmental threat: video streaming

“After building the business for over a decade independently, it is now the perfect time to partner with a global media player that will help us to take the company to the next level. Together, we will further develop LifestyleAsia.com, PrestigeOnline.com and AugustMan.com in addition to launching new and exciting products,” said Nilsson, Founder and Managing Director of LifestyleAsia.com.

Founded in 2006, LifestyleAsia is an online publisher, with local websites in Hong Kong (founded in 2006), Singapore (2008), Thailand (2009) and Kuala Lumpur (2012). The site publishes authoritative, up-to-date content relating to luxury style, travel, food & wine, motoring, culture and city guides, with an emphasis on locally relevant features.

During December 2016 the magazine has served 1.5 million readers across its four markets.

Hubert Burda Media, headquartered in Munich, is an international technology and media company with over 540 brands and products. It has 175 million users and approximately 60 million paying consumers. With 10,000 employees around the world, Burda is active in 19 markets, including Germany (where it is one of the country’s largest media groups), elsewhere in Europe, the US and Asia.

In September last year, Burda invested an undisclosed amount in Priceza, a shopping search engine and price comparison platform in Southeast Asia

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While Netflix and Amazon scored terribly on Greenpeace’s “Clicking Clean” report, they may have something to learn from Microsoft’s patented underwater datacenter

Netflix. Image Credit: Netflix

On Tuesday, Greenpeace released its yearly “Clicking Clean” report, and if you’re concerned about your carbon footprint, prepare to give some of your favourite digital streaming services the side eye.

Internet browsing, social media, and communication (IM, email, video calls, etc.) used to be the rulers of electronically-fueled data consumption, but a new champion has emerged: video streaming. In 2015, our desire for Netflix binges and falling down YouTube rabbit holes accounted for 70 per cent of the world’s internet traffic. By 2020, video streaming will be responsible for 82 per cent of the global community’s internet use, meaning that watching all 10 seasons of Friends and laughing at gamers’ commentary-laced shenanigans will be responsible for consuming statistically significant amounts of global electricity.

Energy consumption itself isn’t an automatic evil, so don’t pack up and head out to your hermit cave just yet. What really matters is the type of power being consumed, and mainly whether it’s renewable. While major players like Apple, Facebook, and Google are acing their environmentally friendly report cards, Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu (earning a C, D, and F, respectively) are going to get the “I’m very disappointed in you” speech from their parents—or at least their more environmentally conscious consumers.

Image credit: Greenpeace

Also Read: This chemistry professor made 5,000kms of roads in India using plastic litter

Fortunately for the planet, conscious consumer numbers are not small. A 2015 report by Cone Communications and Ebiquity Global shows that 84 per cent of global consumers purchase from environmentally or socially responsible companies whenever possible, and 90 per cent of global consumers say that given similar price and quality, they choose the brand associated with being more socially or environmentally responsible. Basically, big tech companies need to get on the environmental ball.

Perhaps some of the video streaming slackers could take inspiration from Microsoft. Not only has this normal C student worked its way up to a B this year by offering up more transparency and distancing itself from prior claims that its data centers were already using 100 per cent renewable energy, it also has been thinking outside the green box — or more specifically, under it.

In late 2014, Microsoft launched Project Natick, a “research project to manufacture and operate an underwater datacenter.” In 2015, the Leona Philpot — an underwater, unmanned datacenter prototype with a name some hardcore Halo fans might recognize — spent three successful months on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, about half a mile from shore. On December 29, 2016, two Microsoft patents were published: “Artificial Reef Datacenter” and “Intrusion Detection for Submerged Datacenters.” Apparently, Microsoft liked what it saw and is forging ahead.

Also Read: Go green: Check out this cool accelerator for startups that help protect the environment

Not only would these submerged data centers be more energy efficient than their land counterparts — the cold of the deep seas reduces cooling needs and a lack of personnel means no lights, oxygen, or creature comforts required — they also make powering the servers inside them with nice, renewable hydrokinetic energy a possibility. Since Microsoft’s decision to have the data centers “provide for an apparatus for actively promoting marine life,” the company has done more than design a data center that doesn’t harm its environment; they’ve designed one that benefits and contributes to it as well.

This year, maybe Netflix can try chilling under water.

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The agreement is meant to provide EZ-Link with insights into user behavior and help facilitate a shift towards a cashless Singapore

(From left to right) Mr. Ethan Yu, Vice President of Alibaba Group and General Manager of Alibaba Cloud Global, Professor Ho Teck Hua, NUS Deputy President (Research & Technology), Mr. Nicholas Lee, Chief Executive Officer, EZ-Link Pte Ltd.

In a tie-up between three organisations, Alibaba Cloud, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the city-state’s card-based wallet system, EZ-link, announced a Memorandum of Understanding to boost big data capabilities.

Alibaba Cloud is the cloud computing arm of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.

EZ-Link, which is most commonly associated with the plastic cards Singapore uses to pay public transportation fares — but have a variety of uses — will partner with Alibaba Cloud and NUS to pilot a big data analytics project.

The project will analyse card usage patterns across the various schemes, touch points and customer categories.

According to Nicholas Lee, the CEO of EZ-Link, the company hopes the deal will improve the card’s cashless payment options and make it a driving characteristic of the system. Today, it is still very common for people to top-up their cards with cash at physical systems located in all MRT stations.

“Alibaba Cloud’s global technological prowess, NUS’ growing digital know-how and EZ-Link’s cashless expertise will provide a robust framework to covert usage pattern data into actionable intelligence,” Lee said in a statement.

“It will move our customers into an era whereby they will be served according to their behavior, interests and needs”.

Also Read: HOOQ raises another US$25M from existing investors Singtel, Sony, and Warner Bros

One good example is the EZ-Link Mobile application. It uses NFC technology to allow people to top-up, manage their account and pay for fares and items by touching one’s phone to the scanner.

Furthermore, Alibaba Cloud will contribute US$500,000 in cloud credits to allow NUS students and researchers use the service for academic and research purposes. The company will also offer classes for students and teachers.

NUS Deputy President (Research & Technology) Ho Teck Hua also highlighted a goal to work towards a cashless Singapore.

“The partnership with Alibaba Cloud and EZ-Link further demonstrates the close collaboration between academia and industry in solving real-world problems, and will help contribute towards a future, cashless Singapore,” he said.

Alibaba’s Southeast Asia Push

The MOU comes in the context of a larger push by Alibaba into Southeast Asia. The company’s purchase of Lazada in April was one of the major stories of 2016, and the Alibaba-owned fintech company, Ant Financial, made a big investment into Thailand’s Ascend Money in November.

In Kuala Lumpur last week, Alibaba Cloud signed an MOU with the digital media support company Conversant Solutions and the ICT training company Prestariang Berhard to build an education platform called EduCloud.

EduCloud will be a centralised platform to include campus management, teaching and learning help, digital payments and entertainment, among other services. In the announcement, it was hinted that if it is successful in Malaysia, EduCloud may be launched across the APAC region.

In August, Alibaba cloud signed an MOU with Infocomm Investments, the Singaporean government-owned investment arm entity, to help bridge the gap between Chinese and Southeast Asian innovation.

Also Read: Singapore’s Marvelstone Group positions itself for rise of Smart Cities

Globally, Alibaba Cloud has more than 2.3 million users and over 651,000 paying customers. From numbers generated in Q3 2016, the company made US$224 million in revenue in the 12 month period spanning 2015-2016.

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Here’s our newest round-up of the featured startups on our site this week. If you have startup tips or story suggestions, feel free to email us. Enjoy this week’s list!

1. Legalese | Singapore

Singapore-based Legalese wants to cure the pain of those great amount of time and serious expense spending on legal paperwork to set up a business by automating the creation of legal documents. This is faster and way cheaper than hiring a lawyer to draft the contract from scratch using old software like Word.

2. Lalamove | Hong Kong (Startup Profile)

Uber for vans startup Lalamove connects people with professional motorcycle and pick-up truck drivers throughout the city. It now actives in 40 cities in mainland China, plus Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok, and Manila with 500,000 drivers – covering vans, trucks, and motorcycles.

3. Medinfi Healthcare | India (Startup Profile)

Healthcare startup Medinfi Healthcare automatically detects the current user location and displays the nearest doctors, hospitals, and clinics. Its app presently lists over 12,000 verified doctors, clinics and hospitals. The startup doesn’t facilitate appointment booking.

4. Add2Store | Israel

Tel Aviv-based Add2Store is a marketplace for sellers. It brings together large suppliers that would ordinarily list only on sites like Alibaba and connects them to people who want to make money selling things online across the world. The startup currently has 300 active suppliers and about a hundred sellers using Add2Store.

5. Ezyhaul | Singapore (Startup Profile)

Ezyhaul is a Uber for truck deliveries startup which actives in Singapore and Malaysia. Its service gets transport companies to do deliveries for its clients, calculates the fee, and takes a cut. It also allows shippers to track the movement of the truck, receive photos of the cargo and proof of delivery, and get an invoice digitally.

6. Ushift | Singapore

Ushift is a marketplace for businesses to hire temporary staff. Prospective employees sign up on the site and answer questions about experience, education, and availability to build a profile. Candidates also upload a short video to introduce themselves. There’s a tiered-pricing model in place – businesses can hire unlimited staff through the site for a monthly fee of US$100.

7. PaisaWapas | India (Startup Profile)

Bangalore-based PaisaWapas is a product discovery platform for students that helps them find courses, success stories, and deals to help them out mentally and financially. The startup offers additional deals when its users shop at its over 300 partner stores, including Flipkart, Amazon, Jabong, MakeMyTrip, and Airbnb.

8. Nearcircles | Singapore (Startup Profile)

Nearcircles is an app that lets people create private social networks with others who live in their neighborhood. The startup is proving to be a crucial way for people to keep track of what’s happening around them, from garage sales to city-wide events and updates about crime. It has so far connected more than 100,000 people who have created hundreds of thousands of local discussions.

9. Unacademy | India (Startup Profile)

Bangalore-based Unacademy offers online learning courses. The startup began as a YouTube channel in 2010 and now provides short educational courses ranging from test suggestions to coaching on managing personal finances for free. To teach on the platform, potential educators must submit applications, including professional details, sample lessons, and motivation.

10. Foyr | India (Startup Profile)

Foyr is a Hyderabad-based startup that offers owners of brand new homes in Hyderabad and Pune custom-made room designs for their floor plans. It currently only serves customers in Hyderabad and Pune. They can visit the website and submit a floor plan and basic home requirements, then software will then give them three personalized designs, along with their price.

Startup lists

11 – 15: 5 rising startups in Japan

16 – 18: 4 rising startups in India – Jan 11, 2017

19 – 21: 4 rising startups in India – Jan 13, 2017

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The Philippines will be the fourth Asian countries with Mountain Partners’ presence after Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia

Global company builder Mountain Partners today announced the appointment of Jon Santillan as the Managing Partner at its new Philippines operations.

In his new role, Santillan will be responsible in leading company-building activities. He will facilitate roll out and transfer of “successful business models” of the corporate’s portfolio into the Philippines’ market.

Santillan is known as the founder of Dubai-based Searchfuse Technology. He had also spent six years as Digital Marketing SEO Manager at Etihad and two years as SEO Manager at Abu Dhabi Media Company, the government’s official media organisation.

According to Mountain Partners Investment Director Marco Stutz in a press statement, Santillan has been a “reliable partner” for the company for years.

Also Read: Fatfish to ally with European VC and raise US$9.2M to take on SE Asia-based tech companies

“He has a proven track record in developing and achieving business goals, and delivering revenues. We believe in his passion and expertise in the field. His depth and techno-preneurship skills present a brilliant start to our expansion goals in the Southeast Asia,” he said.

After our successes in Indonesia and Thailand, as well as recently Malaysia, we are very happy to welcome him on board and launch first projects in the Philippines’ market,” he added.

Mountain Partners is a Switzerland-based company builder. Prior to entering the Philippines, it has set presence in other Asian countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, and most recently Malaysia, through the acquisition of investment company Qeerad.

It claims to holds more than 80 investments in the sectors e-commerce & web services, digital payments & fintech and technology & security. Recently, in Indonesia, it announced a joint venture with Indosat Ooredoo to form Ideabox Ventures, which started off as an accelerator programme.

It has also reported to be  in talks with ASX-listed Singapore-based VC Fatfish Internet Group to raise AU$12.3 million (US$9.2 million).

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