Beauty-booking platform GoWabi looks to beat the odds as rivals fall away

“We had to find a way to make revenue from the very beginning because we didn’t get that funding.” [View this email in your browser]( Daily Roundup Hi {NAME} I used to cut my own hair because finding the perfect hairdresser was something that could only be achieved through trial and error. Even if there were forums listing reviews of hairdressers, I also needed to know if the hairdresser was a little too talkative. 🤐 When beauty-booking platforms like Vaniday and GoWabi first launched, I thought they could be unlocking a huge untapped market. Besides being able to collate all the reviews and prices in one platform, users can also do their bookings online. As someone who lets phone calls go unanswered and would rather much prefer following up with a “what’s up?” text, I’m always the cheerleader for online booking. 🙌 Although Vaniday has announced that it’s pulling the plug on its operations, I still see an opportunity in this industry and wonder if GoWabi would be able to fill this gap? Enjoy today’s articles! -Betty, Tech In Asia Featured Article 💅 [Beauty-booking platform GoWabi looks to beat the odds as rivals fall away]( — “We had to find a way to make revenue from the very beginning because we didn’t get that funding.” Top stories You can read all trending stories on Tech in Asia [here](. 🚕 [Gojek to buy 5% of local taxi company Blue Bird for $30m, sources say]( — The deal would value Blue Bird at around US$600 million. 💰 [Ruangguru to raise $100m in General Atlantic-led round, source says]( — The fundraising would help support its expansion outside Indonesia. 🇮🇩 [Indonesian VC firm Alpha JWC raises $123m for its second fund]( — The firm said it will focus more on Southeast Asia, especially on Vietnam. 🔥 [Rising startups: New wave of car marketplaces are taking off]( — Which are the startups that are on the path to becoming the next big thing? 🇸🇬 [Singapore corporate services startup Sleek bags $5m to scale in Hong Kong]( — It also plans to expand its tech team, develop new features, and increase its operational capability. Featured jobs 💻 You can post a job for free [here]( or search for jobs [here](. [logo] [Lead Backend Developer]( at Kitaumroh Jakarta, Indonesia | IDR 8,000,000 – 15,000,000 [logo] [Graphic Designer]( at Aeris Beaute Jakarta, Indonesia | IDR 7,000,000 – 8,000,000 [logo] [System QA Engineer]( at Sea Group Singapore, Singapore [logo] [Software Engineer: Server]( at Sea Group Singapore, Singapore [logo] [Software Engineer: Web BE]( at Sea Group Singapore, Singapore [logo] [Android Engineer]( at Bobobox Indonesia Bandung, Java, Indonesia What do you think of today's email? [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( [LinkedIn]( [YouTube]( [Podcast]( Copyright © 2019 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. You have registered for Tech in Asia. Our mailing address is: Tech in Asia 51 Bras Basah Rd #05-5061Singapore 189554 Singapore [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](.