When telehealth goes back to brick-and-mortar

More: TikTok’s US ban delayed, and AI-driven autonomous ships from Japan [Read from your browser]( Daily Newsletter Hello {NAME} Covid-19 has led to a boom for any solution that helps people live their lives remotely. So it's natural that telehealth startups, whose tech allows us to see a doctor from the safety and comfort of our homes, experienced a quick spurt at the start of the pandemic. Putting a finger on the pulse of the industry, we’ve found that players in the space have expanded into overall wellness after growth previously tapered off. One company has even established physical clinics in its omnichannel strategy. Today we look at: - One telehealth startup’s [current and future plans]( - JD Health’s impending IPO - Other newsy highlights, such as the latest twist in the TikTok US ban saga and AI-driven autonomous ships from Japan  ---------------------------------------------------------------  PREMIUM SUMMARY  Physical clinics in the telehealth industry? It’s more likely than you’d think Covid-19 has sped up the development and adoption of telehealth in a big way. Besides offering users a safe and easy way to consult physicians, telehealth platforms could also be the solution to the lack of adequate medical services that plague those living in Asia’s rural areas. This led to analysts being bullish on the global telemedicine market, which is projected to reach US$175 billion by 2026, up from US$45 billion last year. But despite this, the tailwind blowing behind startups like Doctor Anywhere (DA) has petered out, leading it to explore other strategies. - Off-screen time: DA delivers prescriptions and medical certificates to patients and provides home-based health screening and vaccinations. - A nurse’s touch: Much like its regional peer HaloDoc, DA has set up physical clinics in order to respond to early user feedback that indicated “a fair bit of distrust” toward the service, says DA CEO Lim Wai Mun. But sources say it is a pivot from an unworkable pure telehealth model. Only time will tell. - A broader vision: DA is launching in the Philippines soon - after Vietnam and India - even though its CEO acknowledged that progress in its latest market, Malaysia, has been slow. What’s in store for the firm? Has it bitten off more than it could chew? Read more: [Telehealth startup Doctor Anywhere’s surprise move: Opening physical clinics](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  TECH SPOTLIGHT JD Health listing in Hong Kong JD Health, the healthcare unit of ecommerce giant JD.com, has [filed its draft prospectus for a listing in Hong Kong]( making it the third affiliate of the company looking to go public this year. - Established last year, JD Health acts as an ecommerce platform for pharmaceutical products, medical supplies, vitamin supplements, and traditional medicines, among others. - On the rise: The company recently announced that it generated US$1.3 billion in revenue during the first half of 2020, registering a year-on-year growth of 76%. - A competitive field: JD Health is competing against Alibaba’s healthcare subsidiary AliHealth, Tencent-linked WeDoctor, and Ping An Good Doctor as the Covid-19 pandemic drives market interest in healthcare and biotech opportunities.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  QUICK BITES  1️⃣ TikTok US ban delayed A US federal court has [delayed the ban]( of the app as it continues to consider the move’s legality and whether the app poses a risk to national security as the Trump administration claims.  2️⃣ AI-driven ships are coming from Japan A consortium of Japan’s shipbuilders, shipping companies, and tech firms are uniting to push the development of [autonomous ships driven by AI]( within five years. Spurred on by chronic labor shortages and the risks of navigating boats through hazardous shipping routes, it’s a matter of “when” and not “if” this will happen.  3️⃣ US restrictions hit China’s largest chipmaker hard The Trump administration’s export restrictions have caused the shares of Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC) to [slump as much as 7.9%]( adding to the chipmaker’s 25% loss for the month. Also listed in Shanghai, SMIC’s stocks there retreated as much as 6.6% to the lowest level since its July debut.  4️⃣ Robots to the rescue for Japan’s food industry SoftBank's robotics arm will be bringing a [food service robot]( - developed by California-based Bear Robotics - to Japan as restaurants grapple with labor shortages and seek to ensure social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic. The robot, named Servi, has layers of trays, and is equipped with 3D cameras and Lidar sensors for navigation. It will launch in January.  5️⃣ New dates for Amazon Prime Day Typically held in mid-July, Amazon’s Prime Day has been pushed back due to the pandemic - it will be held [on October 13 and 14 this year](. In a statement announcing its Prime Day plans, Amazon acknowledged the harm the pandemic had done to small businesses, and sought to portray its online bazaar as a way to support them.  6️⃣ Tesla secures a new source of lithium ore Australian mining firm Piedmont Lithium announced that it has signed [a five-year deal with Tesla]( to supply high-purity lithium ore mineral to the US electric carmaker. This comes on the heels of Tesla’s Battery Day presentation last week, when Elon Musk shared his vision of proprietary “tabless” batteries that should allow the firm to reduce production costs significantly.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  SPONSORED Did someone say scale? The secret sauce in succeeding as a startup: identify a great market opportunity, build the right team, and find product-market fit. Sounds easy, right? Well, not so much. Turns out, there are some important points every startup leader should keep in mind when they build their product, technical infrastructure, and team. And these points remain the same no matter what industry they’re in, whether they're hiring their first engineer or their 50th, and whether they're launching a feature for their first or their 5 millionth customer. CircleCI chief technology officer Rob Zuber has learned these lessons over his 20 years of working in software as a four-time founder and a three-time CTO. If you’re curious to learn these points, you’re in luck because Zuber will be sharing these secrets in the [Tech in Asia Virtual Conference](. If you’re already a Core or Live subscriber, you can [join the event]( at no additional charge.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING - ** Live Event ** The F-Word: Is Funding really as simple as Series ABC? on Wednesday, September 30 This is part of Tech in Asia’s “No BS” series, where we play the devil's advocate alongside Adrian Lee from TribeCar and Aaron Tan from Carro. In this unscripted panel, we'll have a candid discussion on the impact of funding - a great thought starter if you're undecided on whether you should raise funds. Core or Live subscribers can [attend the event at no additional charge](. - Tech in Asia x Surge: Startup Arena Pitch Battle Semifinals [Indonesia edition]( September 29 [Other Southeast Asia countries edition]( October 1 - Day 1 in the Cloud: Getting Started with AWS on Thursday, October 15 How important is having a solid technology infrastructure to scale your startup? Hear from startups who have been there, done that. [RSVP now]( - Tech in Asia Virtual Conference from October 19 to 22. Our biggest annual event has everything you need to prepare for Southeast Asia’s Golden Age: panel discussions with founders, the presence of decision-makers and investors, startup-investor speed dating, and networking sessions to help you connect with those who matter. [RSVP here]( or if you’re already a Core or Live subscriber, you can [join the event]( at no additional charge.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING - [UI/UX Designer]( at Yojee (Singapore, Singapore) - [People Operations Manager]( at Socialights Indonesia (Jakarta, Indonesia) - [Senior Android Engineer]( at Ice House (Jakarta, Indonesia)  --------------------------------------------------------------- Don’t leave your co-workers behind! Share this with them so that they can keep up with what’s going on in the region’s tech scene. Feel free to [drop us a feedback]( if our newsletter today got you feeling smarter (or if it didn’t). Today’s edition is written by Winston Zhang, with contributions from Joseph Gan and Miguel Cordon. It’s edited by Jaclyn Teng. To ensure that you don't miss out on the biggest tech news and analysis, add newsletter@techinasia.com to your address book, contacts, or safe sender list. Or simply move us into your inbox. Tech in Asia’s newsletters are handcrafted daily with love - and sometimes powered by good coffee. Don't want to receive these emails anymore? [Unsubscribe](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Copyright © 2020 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 51 Bras Basah Rd, #05-5061, Singapore 189554