What’s normal today could be redundant tomorrow

Singlera Genomics, LeadSquared, Next Innovation, and more startups raised funds this week. [Read from your browser]( FOMO Saturday Hello {NAME} If you scroll down to our breakdown of the biggest deals this week, you’ll quickly see that the startups that raised the most funds in Singapore and Japan operate in the health industry. That’s no surprise, seeing as the ongoing - but hopefully outgoing - pandemic has accelerated digitalization in areas where previously there might have been little to no tech involvement. Case in point, why risk catching the virus by going out to see a doctor if you can use an app to summon one? And as the world eventually goes back to its usual programming (yay for vaccines), I’m certain we’ll realize that what was “normal” before doesn’t have to be the “normal” of tomorrow. Just because the pandemic is over doesn’t mean we have to trudge our way to the clinic while we’ve got a raging fever. I can’t help but wonder what other common activities will phase out when technology finds a way to make it redundant. This week, more than 90 deals worth over US$983 million were made, so let’s dive into the biggest deals and M&As that recently took place.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIGGEST DEALS BY COUNTRY 🇨🇳 Singlera Genomics: This China-based biotech startup bagged US$152 million from CICC Capital, DT Capital Partners, FTZ Fund, Furong Investment, Green Pine Capital Partners, Prosperico Ventures, Proxima Ventures, Wuxi Capital, and Zenith Ventures. 🇮🇳 LeadSquared: The India-based marketing automation and sales execution platform raised a series B round [worth US$32 million]( from Gaja Capital Partners and Stakeboat Capital, among others. 🇯🇵 Next Innovation: The Japan-based firm, which operates healthtech platform Smaluna, got roughly US$19.4 million in a series A funding round led by JAFCO. 🇮🇱 Remilk: This Israel-headquartered foodtech startup scored US$11.3 million worth of early-stage investment from CPT Capital, Hochland, OurCrowd, ProVeg, Tnuva, and Fresh.fund. 🇸🇬 Speedoc: The Singapore-based telehealth startup [received US$5 million]( in series A money from Decacorn Capital, Global Grand Leisure, and Vertex Ventures.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  M&A'S 🇸🇬 Singapore-headquartered biopharmaceutical company Prestige Biopharma was acquired for an undisclosed sum by the Korea Securities Depository. 🇮🇳 Rekrut India, which offers recruitment process outsourcing and recruiter on-demand solutions for enterprises, was acquired by Mumbai-based edtech firm UpGrad for an undisclosed amount. 🇮🇩 Jakarta-based freight and trucking marketplace Trukita was [acquired by SoftBank-backed Indonesian logistics startup Waresix]( for an undisclosed sum  ---------------------------------------------------------------  KILLER PITCH DECKS 1️⃣ This startup’s pitch deck scored it US$475,000 in seed funding Founded in 2015, Bulgaria-based ClaimCompass helps air passengers receive compensation for delayed, canceled, or overbooked flights. The startup used [this pitch deck]( in a 500 Startups demo day in 2017 and was able to obtain US$475,000 of seed funding. The deck starts off with an eye-catching tagline - “We make airlines pay you US$650 for screwing up your flight” - and goes on to show ClaimCompass’ revenue strategy as well as its month-over-month growth in the number of claims.  2️⃣ A cybersecurity firm raised a US$1.2 million seed round with this pitch deck MetaCert is the developer of a security bot that can detect which links are safe to click on. In 2016, the startup used [this pitch deck]( to secure US$1.2 million in its second seed round of funding, which was led by US-based Monta Vista Capital. The deck has a simple and consistent design despite its length and clearly states MetaCert’s mission before getting into the main presentation.  3️⃣ 500 Startups invested in this firm after seeing its pitch deck Shippo is a California-based ecommerce platform that provides retailers with tools to streamline their shipping process. It used [this pitch deck]( to raise its seed round in 2014, which 500 Startups participated in. The deck is simple and concise - fit for a startup that is raising funds for the first time - and it clearly illustrates key figures that mark Shippo’s growth, including its run rate, profit margin, and number of packages delivered.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  IN PARTNERSHIP WITH How my parents stopped my wasteful habits 20 years ago, I was a pretty typical kindergartner. I left the lights on at night because I was afraid of the dark and often forgot to switch them off when I was the last to leave a room. I also loved taking looong baths because I could pretend to be the monstrous Kraken, taking down origami boats full of helpless Lego citizens. The iceberg that sunk the Titanic seemed but a pebble in comparison to me and my bathtub wrath. (OK, so maybe I was a little weirder than your average kindergartner.) Seeing how wasteful I was with electricity and water, my parents sat me down and struck a deal with me: If the next month’s utility bill was less expensive than the last one, I could pocket the difference. I didn’t have much to spend on as a 6-year-old, but I took on their challenge that month and the next, revelling in the “wealth” I accumulated whenever the bill came. And though I’d started out with selfish motivations, I still retain the habit of making sure to switch off the lights if no one is left in a room and not using more water than I need. In fact, I’ve become quite a fan of sustainable living and being environmentally conscious. Because of that, I’m always intrigued by startups like [EcoWorth]( which - just like my parents did - aims to turn waste into worth. If your interest is similarly piqued by such businesses, [watch EcoWorth founder Andre Stolz]( as he talks about how his entrepreneurial story started in Singapore and how his experience with successes and challenges changed his mindset as an entrepreneur.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  EXCLUSIVE LISTICLES  Lists of most active investors in the region [China]( | [India]( | [Indonesia]( | [Japan]( | [Singapore](  List of top-funded startups in Asia [China]( | [India]( | [Indonesia]( | [Japan]( | [Hong Kong]( | [Singapore]( | [Vietnam](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THOUGHTFUL READS  1️⃣ The new era of AI and machine learning In the 1980s, databases became a core part of software. In recent years, however, we’re entering a new era of “AI/ML inside” software. With all the developments happening in the industry, [this blog post]( on Andreessen Horowitz looks back on AI in 2020 and asks what future business models will look like and whether their economics will change.  2️⃣ Why so many companies are going public now December looks like the month of big IPOs, with Airbnb and DoorDash going public last week. But how is this happening when the US is still in the middle of a pandemic and several workers are facing unemployment? [This Fast Company article]( dives into some possible reasons for the phenomenon.  3️⃣ How to lead a team that’s on the verge of burning out 2020 has been a hell of a year, and if you’ve been lucky enough to still be employed, it’s pretty likely that you’re exhausted. However, times like these are when business leaders have to step up and take one for the team. [Harvard Business Review discusses]( how to lead a team that’s exhausted - even if you’re just as tired as they are.  4️⃣ Co-founders that leave a startup pre-exit: Yay or nay? Redditor “u/Gaia_gorga” asked the r/venturecapital community this week how investors feel about co-founders that leave a startup before it exits. Several people chimed in with their opinions on the matter - you can check out the full discussion [here](. What do you think? Email us with your thoughts. --------------------------------------------------------------- Did these eye-popping figures shock you? Share this with a friend who would enjoy this week’s funding news as much as you do. [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. 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