= Southeast asia / Oceania =
November 2019
&
3rd quarter 2019
Each news collection below gathers the main items reported in that country in November 2019, without focusing on a particular technology; for tech-specific collections (blockchain, fintech, AI, and cryptocurrency) see the Other News section.
Australia
- An intro to AI-powered Sortal, a trainable and personalised digital asset management system
- Lawpath legaltech firm secures Au$4.4M with online legal solutions…
Australia: November 2019 >
Australia: Q3 2019 startup new >
Cambodia
- An intro to Smart Farm Assistance, agri-tech using remote monitoring and solar power in fruit farming irrigation
- PhillipBank, fast-growing banking group, to have digital cross-border payments powered by Nium platform in new partnership…
Cambodia: November 2019 >
Cambodia: Q3 2019 startup news >
China
- “If we have blockchain with these Chinese characteristics, we eschew the central ethos of cryptocurrency and blockchain and the technology that underlines it”
- China: Alibaba claims Singles’ Day sales hit $13BN in the first hour, up 32% from the same period last year…
China: November 2019 >
China: Q3 2019 startup news >
Hong Kong
- An intro to 10 challenger banks operating in HK
- Volt14 Solutions energy-tech startup raises $955K, in part from from 500 Durians…
Hong Kong: November 2019 >
Hong Kong: Q3 2019 startup news >
India
- A brief advance look at the World Startup Expo and conference, set for November 14-15 in Bengaluru
- India’s Shopclues, once valued at $1.1BN, finally sold on less than $100M valuation to Singapore’s Qoo10 in all-stock deal…
India: November 2019 >
India: Q3 2019 startup news >
Indonesia
- Kudo digital kiosks enabler integrates with Grab, becoming GrabKios
- Travelio raises $18M to help tenants find and rent apartments…
Indonesia: November 2019 >
Indonesia: Q3 2019 startup news >
Japan
- Grab ride-hail giant to partner JapanTaxi and its 70K-strong car fleet to enter Japan’s cab-hailing market, initially in 5 cities
- Whilst government aims to double ratio of cashless settlements by 2025 to spur labour productivity, Japan’s elderly remain unconvinced…
Japan: November 2019 >
Japan: Q3 2019 startup news >
South Korea
- A look at the structural challenges around startup innovation in South Korea
- Korea Internet Security to provide $9M in funding to 6 startups across 10 projects, with digital tokens assisting with funding…
South Korea: November 2019 >
South Korea: Q3 2019 startup news >
Malaysia
- CtrlD Studio wins Best Student Game category at the recent SEA Game Awards KL 2019 with XR gaming
- The Malaysia Fintech Ecosystem Report 2019, from e27 – download it now…
Malaysia: November 2019 >
Malaysia: Q3 2019 startup news >
Myanmar
- A look at why and how women are driving Myanmar’s IT sector growth
- Myanmar’s Kone Si on-demand trucking startup gains funding…
Myanmar: November 2019 >
Myanmar: Q3 2019 startup news >
New Zealand
- Movie piracy investigation leads to NZ’s largest cryptocurrency seizure
- A podcast intro to startup Micropod, producing an environmentally sustainable home grow kit for microgreens…
New Zealand: November 2019 >
New Zealand: Q3 2019 startup news >
The Philippines
- Singapore’s BCB Blockchain firm to support incubators, accelerators under Dep’t of Science & Tech via 15M Peso fund
- Filipinos spent 10% more online during this year’s 11.11 sale, evidence of the increasing appeal of e-commerce in the country…
The Philippines: November 2019 >
The Philippines: Q3 2019 startup news >
Singapore
- EVOS Esports startup raises US$4.4M Series A in play for untapped gaming influencer management market in SE Asia
- Antler startup generator and early-stage VC firm partners NUS for initiative to enable entrepreneurs to build successful deeptech startups…
Singapore: November 2019 >
Singapore: Q3 2019 startup news >
Sri Lanka
- A look at the recent Startup Weekend Global Women’s Edition held in Colombo
- Facebook decision to allow politicians to promote content already rated false by factcheckers has been widely condemned in light of approaching elections…
Sri Lanka: November 2019 >
Sri Lanka: Q3 2019 startup news >
Taiwan
- Taiwan’s HTC to support Binance Chain with special edition of its blockchain mobile phone, the EXODUS 1 Binance
- InnoVart Design unveils CarWink, voice-controlled device allowing drivers to communicate hazards to others using text and animation…
Taiwan: November 2019 >
Taiwan: Q3 2019 startup news >
Thailand
- Thailand trials blockchain to boost efficiency of cross-border trade
- Finance Ministry partners Krungthai Bank for 3 DLT-based projects, including VAT refund service for tourists…
Thailand: November 2019 >
Thailand: Q3 2019 startup news >
Vietnam
- VinDAX cryptocurrency exchange hacked, losing $5M in crypto assets across 23 cryptocurrencies
- State Bank of Vietnam, country’s central bank, proposes a 49% cap on foreign ownership of local e-payment companies to prevent manipulation…
Vietnam: November 2019 >
Vietnam: Q3 2019 startup news >
The quieter countries and ‘volume’
Some countries have very low levels of startup news reporting in English – Pakistan, for instance.
So, for those countries that have very ‘thin’ listings, bear in mind that it may be that there is simply an absence of *English-language* news reporting on the startup space in that country; or it may be an early-stage ecosystem with fluctuating levels of tech, startup, venture capital and overall innovation funding activity.
Whilst having tech and startup scenes, some Southeast Asian countries are at very early stages as far as international visibility goes. Add to this our current English-language news focus and this lack of visibility is compounded.
Rather than assign a full page to each and our readers finding only a very small amount of – if any – isolated, country-specific information, the quieter countries’ hashtags are simply linked below:
Bangladesh / Bhutan / Brunei