The story behind a startup’s instrumental pivot in 2018

More: Carousell going public and SoftBank Group slashing jobs at its global robotics business [Read from your browser]( Daily Newsletter Hi {NAME} Have you ever done something everyone told you not to do, and it turned out to be a success? Singapore-based peer-to-peer (P2P) lender Validus kinda did that. The company made a pivot in 2018 and its investors weren’t too supportive of its decision. But this pivot helped it thrive last year despite the pandemic. -- Betty, Tech in Asia  --------------------------------------------------------------- THE BIG STORY [2020 was brutal for P2P lending. Here’s how Validus recovered]( An instrumental pivot in 2018 didn’t sit well with some of its investors.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  TRENDING NEWS You can read all trending stories on Tech in Asia [here](. [Singapore startup MobilityX and its Zipster app shutter after less than 2 years]( Users of the Zipster app have been notified about the discontinuation of its services. [Report: Singapore co-working firm seeks to restructure $9.8m debt]( The Working Capitol’s total debt is said to be around US$19.3 million, including loans from its co-founders and intercompany entities. [Report: SoftBank-backed Chinese grocery firm cuts US IPO target by over 70%]( The downsizing comes after shares of Dingdong’s Tencent-backed rival Missfresh sunk in its debut on Nasdaq. [Indonesian dental startup bags seed funding from AC Ventures and Kopi Kenangan’s fund]( Klar has partnered with more than 600 dentists in Indonesia and is present in more than 100 dental clinics across 32 cities in the country. [Sources: SoftBank stops production of Pepper robot, cuts staff in robotics unit]( Cultural clashes between the French business and the management in Tokyo have hurt the robot’s development, according to sources. [South Korean edtech firm raises $50m from GGV Capital, SoftBank]( With the investment, Mathpresso – the creator of education app Qanda – becomes GGV Capital’s first portfolio firm in South Korea. ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING You can also check out a curated list of trending tech events [over here](. - ASEAN Fintech Forum on July 6 - [RSVP]( - We Got This: Conscious Living on July 6 - [Sign up to join]( - Decoding Global Talent on July 9 - [RSVP]( - Accelerating your business with real-time data delivery on July 14 - [RSVP]( - Tech in Asia Conference: Southeast Asia Global Debut on October 12 to 13 - [Grab your early-bird tickets](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. - [Enterprise Client Success Manager]( at Glints Jakarta, Indonesia - [Management Trainee IT System]( at Mega Persada Group Indonesia Bulk Terminal, Indonesia - [Key Account Intern]( at SIRCLO Tangerang, Indonesia - [Senior Virtualization Engineer]( at Zettagrid Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia - [Full Stack Developer (Trainee Program)]( at Sagara Technology Group Jakarta, Indonesia - [Regional Sales Manager]( at PT. Eden Pangan Indonesia (Eden Farm) Jakarta, Indonesia [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( 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. Too many emails? Switch to a different frequency or get new content through our [preference center]( or [unsubscribe](. You can also break our hearts and remove yourself from all Tech in Asia emails over [here](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Copyright © 2021 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 51 Bras Basah Rd, #05-5061, Singapore 189554