The big business of deals and coupons

Check out our top articles for the week. [Read from your browser]( Top Stories of The Week Hello {NAME} I think I'm not the only one who made impulsive buys last year, after being cooped up for so long (please tell me I'm not the only one). I looked around for some deals on office chairs to upgrade my work-from-home station and, admittedly, I had fun while doing so. But as I was browsing, I forgot to check if there were cashback coupons that I could have gotten with my order. The thought, of course, popped into my mind 0.48 seconds after hitting the "confirm purchase" button. After that, however, I made sure to remember (or tried to, at least) to be on the lookout for deals and coupons when shopping online. Shopping and vouchers go hand in hand, and ShopBack users appear to know this, as most of the company’s 150% revenue surge came from purchases made through its rewards platform. With digital services, especially ecommerce, getting a boost from the Covid-19 pandemic, the growth looked natural for ShopBack. And since the Singapore-based firm's seems to be in the process of raising more capital, it looks like it’s not done growing. However, as more and more people get vaccinated, Covid-19 will eventually subside. Do you think ShopBack's numbers will follow the decline in cases or will the company emerge stronger than ever? -- Miguel Cordon, news writer at Tech in Asia  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIGGEST STORIES 1️. [ShopBack posts 150% revenue growth, earns 3x return on Seedly investment]( ShopBack has also raised an initial US$7.3 million in an ongoing funding round. 2. [Visual: Startup unicorns are becoming decacorns faster than ever before]( The global decacorn club grew 50% in just the first half of 2021, and more are hailing from startup ecosystems outside of the US and China. 3. [How a Singapore crypto startup became a unicorn in just 2 years]( Established by high-profile founders, Matrixport promises zero-cost loans and double-digit annualized yields to its clients. 4. [A16z’s first Philippine bet is shaking up blockchain gaming]( YGG invests in NFTs and lends them to gamers. Its issued tokens are already worth US$690 million, and valued close to US$8 billion if fully diluted. 5. [Capital SEA: Southeast Asia’s funding landscape (updated Aug 2021)]( Who are the new active investors on the block? Which funding rounds look like outliers? This visual story answers all this and more. 6. [The decade of D2C has just begun in India]( With consumers ready to experiment and spend on branded goods, direct-to-consumer businesses in India have an opportunity like never before. 7. [The rise of cleantech in Southeast Asia]( Along with its rising economy, Southeast Asia's demand for electricity is skyrocketing. Can the current investment climate for cleantech support the surge? 8. [The key players in Indonesia’s promising agritech space]( While agriculture plays a major role in the Indonesian economy, it remains an old-fashioned sector. A rising crop of startups can change that. 9. [Why China’s crypto exodus is a boon for green bitcoin mining]( The migration of crypto miners out of China could very well be a blessing in disguise for the renewable energy industry. 10. [Alipay pours $15m into Chope as part of partnership to build mini apps]( The Singapore-based food and beverage startup aims to become a unicorn within two to three years.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING - Startup Arena Pitch Battle - register today! The adrenaline-pumping, hotly anticipated Arena Pitch Battle is back! This year, we are looking for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) startups who are looking beyond their bottom line. Participation is free, so [submit your application]( today and stand a chance to win more than US$24,500 in prizes! - *Live* How to catch the content economy boom on October 13 The event, which takes place at the Tech in Asia Conference 2021 on October 13, will feature Nuseir Yassin from Nas Academy. The viral video maker, who is also Nas Academy’s CEO, will sketch out the formula to catch the content economy wave - including how the content economy landscape looks like, as well as how content makers can seize opportunities and make money from this emerging trend. [RSVP today]( - *Live* Making something people love: The Dana way on October 13 How do you make a product that people will love? Get some tips from the co-founder of Dana - one of Indonesia’s top e-wallet platforms, at the Tech in Asia Conference 2021. RSVP today! Core and Live subscribers can [RSVP at no extra cost](. - Tech in Asia Conference: Southeast Asia Global Debut on October 12 to 14 With a booming startup ecosystem and growing international attention, Tech in Asia Conference 2021 examines how to harness opportunities, from the rising tide of Southeast Asia’s tech industry. [Grab your early-bird tickets today]( Psst, if you’re a Tech in Asia Core and Live subscriber, you can attend at no additional cost.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING  [logo] [Sales Account Executive (remote working)]( at Leadbook Bangalore, India [logo] [Full Stack Developer]( at Speedoc Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia [logo] [Operations manager - Hong Kong]( at Style Theory Hong Kong, Hong Kong [logo] [Growth Product Manager]( at Somethinc - Beautyhaul Jakarta, Indonesia [logo] [QA Testing Engineer]( at Cakap Jakarta, Indonesia [logo] [Data Analyst]( at LifePal Jakarta, Indonesia [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( | [HIRE]( | [FIND JOBS]( P.S. 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