July, August & September 2020
Startup News Asia’s third quarter 2020 round-up of Singapore’s startup news from July, August and September.
Each news headline listed below details a tech or startup news item from Q3 2020 connected with an aspect of Singapore’s startup ecosystem; a Singaporean startup announcing a new service, product or VC investment, or an article covering something affecting the Singapore startup ecosystem in some way, such as a government or corporate startup investment program, for instance.
The focus is obviously on Singapore startups, but technology and startup news headlines are included from the wider region and the world beyond where useful to provide points-of-reference, food for thought, and wider industry knowledge for Singaporean startups.
September 2020 | August 2020 | July 2020
Singapore startup news: September 2020
- Singapore: Potato Play mobile games publisher raises $1.75M seed funding with platform and method to help Asia’s games developers take titles to global markets
- Singapore: Mobio Interactive digital health startup secures $1.8M with clinically-validated software to measure, treat and prevent mental illness
- Singapore: A look at how SP Digital energy-tech firm uses AI to better manage Singapore’s electricity use
- Singapore: An online collection of Singapore’s tech, startup and funding news from the past month – the headlines, and the articles behind them
- Singapore-based Zilliqa blockchain platform unveils 8 startups selected for 6-month ZILHive blockchain accelerator program
- Enterprise Singapore launches inaugural Energy Open Innovation Challenge 2020 in partnership with Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil and Shell
- Singapore: A 3-page round-up of recent tech, startup and funding headlines to read online, or download for full offline-to-online reading later
- Singapore’s Thunes raises $60M with cross-border payments network and technologies aiming to make financial services more accessible in emerging markets
- Singapore-based Accelerating Asia accelerator and venture fund unveils 8 early-stage startups selected for 3rd cohort
- Singapore: Qapita equity management platform raises $1.8M seed funding, focusing on inefficiencies in private market ownership and transactions management
- Singapore: A brief intro to the 5 startups selected for the Singtel Future Makers accelerator program, working in AI, healthtech and more
- Singapore: China’s ByteDance, owner of TikTok, to invest billions and recruit hundreds of employees in Singapore, focusing on it as SE Asia regional HQ
- Singapore: An intro to Lucy, fintech aiming to help female entrepreneurs who are ‘overlooked, underestimated and underbanked’
- Singapore’s Style Theory launches in Hong Kong allowing users to lease, sell and purchase designer garments and accessories
- Singapore: Customer data breach data at ShopBack e-commerce cashback platform being investigated by Personal Data Protection Commission
- Singapore: KuCoin digital asset exchange funds compromised in security breach with estimated value of over $150M
- ConnecTechAsia 2020 set for September 29th – October 1st, running online from Singapore
- ICYMI: Vale, Brazilian iron-ore mining company, makes its first sale of iron ore using blockchain technology from Singapore-based Contour trade finance platform
- China: Singapore’s VeChain joins China Animal Health And Food Safety Alliance to provide blockchain tech for members, allowing logging of food product lifecycles
- An intro to 6 packaging startups focused on combating plastic waste, including innovations from Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand
- Singapore’s Atlantis fintech enters India with Neo-Bank digital-first challenger bank focusing on the country’s Gen-Z and millenials
- Singapore’s Float Foods launches NEWFOOD Startup 2020 for food-focused innovators and startups in Indonesia
- Singapore’s SLINGSHOT Startup Competition 2020 applications close November 13th, seeking startups with traction and MVP
Singapore startup news: August 2020
- Singapore: Maritime and Port Authority inks MOUs with 5 global organisations to develop and adopt data standards and APIs, aiming for global data interoperability
- Singapore: DBS and Government Technology Agency partner to pilot SingPass face verification system to speed up registration processes for digital banking
- Singapore: An intro to TruTrip, providing an all-in-one business travel management tool for companies to book, manage and approve business travel, on e27
- Singapore: A brief look at Electrify Pte, platform allowing home-owners and businesses to bid and offer rates for specific amounts of electricity
- Singapore: Gero raises $2.2M Series A with AI-driven data analysis platform to develop treatments for ageing-related diseases, mental disorders and more
- Singapore: Asian Institute of Digital Finance launches to strengthen ties between education, research and entrepreneurship in digital finance services
- Singapore: RealVantage real estate co-investing platform takes out 2 awards with focus on fractional real estate ownership
- Singapore-Australia Digital Economy Agreement signed to facilitate digitization of trade processes and ease cross border business activities
- Singapore-based Anchanto raises Sg$16.6M with e-commerce focused technology services spanning warehousing, data analysis and SaaS
- Singapore: NUS trials digital gamified environment allowing students to learn techniques in the operating theatre using VR headsets and hand-held controllers
- Monetary Authority of Singapore to commit Sg$250M over 3 years to accelerate technology and innovation-driven growth in the financial sector
- Singapore: QIQ Global sets sights on launching electric microcars for public rental, 2.4m long by 1m wide, building on e-bike and e-scooter services in Hanoi, Vietnam
- Singapore’s Ohmyhome proptech startup launches Philippine operations, aiming to make the process of buying, selling and renting homes seamless and efficient
- Standard Chartered reportedly planning launch of its second digital-only bank in Asia in Singapore, partnering with NTUC Enterprise
- Singapore: Doyobi edtech startup raises $1M pre-seed funding with science and coding courses aimed at children, aligned to K-12 standards
- Singapore: The Skills Ignition SG launches to boost candidates’ employment and employability outcomes, a partnership between Google, Economic Development Board and others
- Singapore: Startup SG Founder programme to be boosted with additional government funding of potentially up to $150M
- Singapore’s Igloo insurtech partners Union Bank of the Philippines and Indonesia’s Akulaku for expansion of micro-insurance products
- Singapore: A brief intro to Turtle Tree Labs cell-based dairy startup, and Sama foreign worker recruitment platform
- Deep Tech for Good in Asia event set for September 15th, delivered online by Singapore’s SGInnovate and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
- Enterprise Singapore to raise grant support for the Startup SG Founder program to S$50K from September onwards to help startups navigate challenging business climate
- Singapore: The Alliance to End Plastic Waste and Plug and Play corporate innovator unveils 11 Asia Pacific hub finalists for End Plastic Waste Innovation Platform
- Singapore: A look at Nextbillionai, reworking maps technology for logistics, ride-hailing, fleet management, e-commerce, delivery, and autonomous driving
- ICYMI: Reapra venture builder partners Future Females Singapore for ‘Build to Last’ virtual hackathon for female entrepreneurs – applications close August 28th
- Singapore: CredoLab gains $7M Series A with bank-grade digital scoring on smartphone metadata for banks, lenders, ecommerce, ride-hailing, insurance companies and more
- Singapore: Nex Cubed partnered by gov’t Enterprise Singapore to run Innovation Launchpad Program supporting up to 16 digital health startups over two cohorts
- Singapore’s Plano health tech startup partners China’s YOOZOO to address myopia in Singapore, SEA and beyond
- Singapore’s Slingshot 2020 startup competition applications close September 7th, open to startups globally across 5 key focus areas
- Singapore FintTech Festival set for December 7-11, currently set to run both digitally and as a physical event
- China: Singapore’s Conflux to revamp Hunan provincial gov’t information architecture using blockchain solutions; and initiate blockchain research and training facility
- Singapore’s ShopBack to launch website and mobile app in Vietnam, aiming to give online shoppers up to 25% cashback from ShopBack merchants
Singapore startup news: July 2020
- Singapore: Ackcio secures pre-Series A with wireless solutions focusing on geotechnical sensor monitoring in major infrastructure development projects
- Singapore: A print-to-web snapshot of Singapore’s tech and startup news from the month past
- Singapore: 19 startups selected for SMU Business Innovations Generator second cohort of 2020, ready for 4-month equity-free incubation
- Singapore: Qashier gains S$1.2M seed funding with smart point-of-sale terminals, combining payments hub, software and open platform for 3rd-party apps
- Singapore: dltledgers blockchain startup in advanced talks to raise $9M Series A with focus on cross-border trade digitisation
- Monetary Authority of Singapore’s Global FinTech Hackcelerator 2020 applications close July 7th
- Singapore: Transcelestial gains $9.6M with low-cost 5G-focused networking equipment, co-led by government’s EDBI
- Singapore: Qualee Technology gains $1M with AI-backed, cloud-based employee onboarding and engagement solutions
- Singapore: Aiculus cybersecurity startup raises $670K with API communications system allowing confidential data to be exchanged while maintaining privacy
- Singapore: Karana raises $1.7M with meat substitutes made from jackfruit, aiming to launch first product, a pork substitute
- Singapore’s TurtleTree Labs sustainable dairy startup takes $1M Liveability Challenge win with cultured cell milk
- Singapore: Monetary Authority and Temasek complete final development phase of blockchain project Ubin; now considering it as basis for commercial payments ventures
- Singapore: Her Capital VC firm launches $10M fund, focusing solely on SEA’s female-led startups across pre-seed, seed, and series A stages
- Singapore: A brief intro to the 15 startups receiving funding on graduating from Antler venture builder’s 4th Singapore program, spanning AI, HR, fintech and more
- An intro to 5 of the 12 startups from recently-launched Singapore Food Bowl accelerator program, focused on boosting food security
- Singapore: Percipient raises $5M with TWINNTM product allowing corporates to implement AI digital services without retiring their legacy systems
- Singapore: SLINGSHOT 2020 now open for startup applications, with over US$575K to be won across 5 categories
- Singapore: Partipost gains $3.5M to let anyone anyone with a social media profile become an online influencer and participate in social media marketing campaigns
- Singapore’s StashAway digital wealth management firm gains $16M backing from Australia’s Square Peg VC firm
- Singapore: Entrepreneur First unveils 7th cohort of 9 startups spanning industries including biotech, fintech and healthcare
- Singapore’s Pier71 launches Smart Port Challenge, seeking solutions across 17 categories addressing port operations, maritime traffic management and more
- ICYMI: Singapore monetary authority proposes New Omnibus Act for the Financial Sector to expand regulation of locally-based crypto businesses operating in overseas markets
- Australia: Shippit logistics startup steps into SEA e-commerce market with launch of Singapore operations, partnering with Shopify for cash-on-delivery services
- China Unicom and Singapore’s Singtel to streamline enterprise eSIM deployment for IoT via Bridge Alliance mobile telco association tie-up
- Singapore’s SWAT Mobility partners Toyota Motor Philippines for corporate smart transportation solutions in Metro Manila
- South Korea to launch 3 news K-Startup Centres in Singapore, Sweden and Finland, building on existing presence in Seattle, Tel Aviv and New Delhi
- EmTech Asia 2020 emerging technologies conference, organised by MIT Tech Review and others, to run online, August 4-6