Here comes a new (rental property marketplace) challenger

More: What a new US president could mean for US-China business relations [Read from your browser]( Daily Newsletter Hello {NAME} I’m sure you’re all riveted by the stories of my house-hunting adventures, so I’ll share a couple more gripes. For one, the proliferation of duplicate listings on online platforms is a pain, and listings that don’t even have any photos are just as bad. How those could even pass muster and make it to users’ screens is a complete mystery to me. One Malaysian startup is aiming to solve these and other common problems - albeit just in the rental space for now. I’m talking about Instahome, which counts Patrick Grove as a co-founder and investor. Today, we look at: - How Instahome aims to [streamline the home-rental process]( for tenants, landlords, and agents alike - The Southeast Asian startup exit scene over the past decade - Other newsy highlights such as the op-eds that foreshadowed the suspension of Ant Group’s IPO and the difference Joe Biden could make in US-China business ties  ---------------------------------------------------------------  PREMIUM SUMMARY  Tech for rent Finding a new home, even if it’s just a rented space, is a difficult and time-consuming process. Trawling through online platforms to find the right fit can be tedious at the best of times, and then there are the viewings which eat up valuable weekends. And if you find the right unit - lucky you - there’s all manner of administrative procedures to tend to. These and many others are the kinds of frustrations that Instahome is looking to eradicate with its platform. - Personal touch: Instahome promises that it will do in-person visits and take photos and videos of each property, and that its platform won’t allow duplicate listings. - Handing out assists: The company also offers a simplified sign-up process, the ability to make rental payments and request for maintenance services on the platform, and rental guarantee packages to help not just potential renters but also property agents and owners. - Is it scalable? Other proptech players question the unit economics of Instahome’s model, given the cost and time required to personally inspect each home being advertised, along with other issues inherent in the property space. Read more: [Why is Patrick Grove starting a new property marketplace?](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  NEWS SPOTLIGHT The state of Southeast Asian startup funding and exits in the past 10 years There’s no doubt that the thought of a lucrative exit has crossed most - if not all - founders’ minds at one point or another. However, these types of exits simply [haven’t happened very often in Southeast Asia thus far](. - Miniscule numbers: Only 2% of startups have managed to secure an exit after a second round of financing, and that figure trends downward for third and further financing rounds. - It’s not everything: That said, for many companies, an exit isn’t the destination – nor should it be. Founders should be aiming to build long-term and sustainable businesses. An exit, if it comes at all, is a by-product of that process. - Still early days: Remember that the ecosystem in Southeast Asia is still only about 10 years young - it may just be that a lot of exits simply haven’t happened yet.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  QUICK BYTES  1️⃣ The signs leading up to Ant Group’s IPO suspension The suspension of Ant’s IPO may have appeared sudden, but it wasn’t without foreshadowing. After Jack Ma’s speech critiquing regulatory procedures, [three prominent articles in state media came out]( laying out a case for stricter financial regulation on big tech. Some were rumored to be written by China’s top echelon of financial regulators.  2️⃣ New prez, new rules? There are hopes that Joe Biden, who is to replace Donald Trump as US president, will lead to an easing of tensions with China and bring some stability back. But [there are still questions]( on how exactly he might go about doing so, including over US-China supply chains, immigration policies for foreign tech talent, and investment plans.  3️⃣ SoftBank surprises In November 2019, SoftBank invested over US$1.3 billion in Chinese online property site company KE Holdings Inc., also known as Beike. The company went public this August and its stock price soared through September 30. According to a Bloomberg report, the value of SoftBank’s stake in the startup was boosted to US$6.4 billion, [a 375% return](.  4️⃣ BigBasket suffers a big cyberattack The Alibaba-backed Indian e-grocer has [faced a data breach]( with cyberattackers stealing the personal details of a large number of users. The stolen data - which includes sensitive information including email IDs, mobile phone numbers, and full addresses - has been put up for sale on the dark web for more than US$40,000, according to US cybersecurity researcher Cyble Inc., which first reported the attack.  5️⃣ Razer going strong The Singaporean gaming and lifestyle firm has said that it [expects to report profits]( for this financial year after recording adjusted losses of US$40.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2019.  6️⃣ US$2.1 million would definitely boost my productivity Nektar.ai, a business-to-business sales productivity startup based in Singapore, has [raised over US$2.1 million in a seed round]( led by Nexus Venture Partners. Insignia Venture Partners, Arka Venture Labs, Better Capital, and the Vietnam Investments Group also participated in the round, along with a host of individual investors. The company plans to use the new funds to further build out its platform, ramp up its engineering and product teams, and open up its early access program for general availability by next year.  --------------------------------------------------------------- PODCAST In recent years, Big Tech has drawn the ire of regulators across the globe. And given the current state of the world, some governments have been raising taxes on tech giants to bolster their own economies. But as several countries in Southeast Asia begin imposing stricter regulations, will smaller tech players get caught up in the attempt to keep the titans in check? On this episode of Deep Dive, Tech in Asia industry analyst Simon Huang explains why regulators in the region are tightening the screws, what critics and advocates are saying about the changes, and whether smaller startups have cause to worry. Listen here: [Spotify]( | [Apple Podcast](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING - 2021 and Beyond: A Digital Transformation Action Plan for SMEs on Thursday, November 12 The pandemic has been tough on small and medium-sized enterprises. How can these companies future-proof their businesses for the post-pandemic economy in 2021 and beyond? Learn how the SME community can accelerate its digital transformation and thrive on its road to recovery in [this webinar](. - Trendspotting in Fashion Tech on November 16 Fashion and tech are becoming increasingly intertwined. [Find out]( how leading brands are using technology in their retail and experience strategy, from UI personalization to livestreaming to ecommerce to virtual runway shows. - APAC AI Conclave from November 25 to 26 It’s official, we’re holding a conference for the AI/ML leaders and practitioners around the region. So whether you’re in the early exploration phase or a super-user, [join us]( and upgrade your AI/ML game for free!  ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING - [Customer Support Specialist]( at iPaymy (Singapore, Singapore) - [Front-End Developer (ReactJs, NextJS)]( at Selfie (Singapore, Singapore) - [Senior DevOps Engineer]( at SayurBox (Jakarta, Indonesia)  ---------------------------------------------------------------  SHARE WITH YOUR FRIEND Earn rewards like TIA stickers and access to our premium report when you [share this]( with your friends! [ADVERTISE]( | [PREMIUM]( | [JOBS]( P.S. 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. Was this forwarded to you? You can read this everyday when you sign up [here](. [Drop us a feedback]( if you enjoyed today's newsletter (or if you didn't). Don't want to receive these emails anymore? [Unsubscribe](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Tech in Asia’s newsletters are handcrafted daily with love - and sometimes powered by good kopi. Today’s edition is written by Winston Zhang, with contributions from Susi Susanti. It’s edited by Jaclyn Teng. Copyright © 2020 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 51 Bras Basah Rd, #05-5061, Singapore 189554