The problem-solving power of startups

FPL Technologies, Xpeng Robotics, CathWorks and more startups also raised funding this week. [Read from your browser]( FOMO Saturday Hello {NAME} Learning about new companies and innovations is one of the fun things about working in the tech and startup space. But seeing how they could have a positive impact on people’s lives is even more fun. After all, Asia is still grappling with many challenges and inefficiencies, and it’s great to see people working to address them. Our top-funded startups for this week certainly fit that bill. From a fintech firm in India that offers free credit score checks and personalized insights to a startup that’s trying to digitize Indonesia’s agriculture sector, they’re all looking to solve problems in their own ways. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing where they’ll go next. You can find all other important investment deals that happened in the last few days in our [weekly funding news wrap-up](. Let’s dive into the biggest deals and M&As that recently took place. -- Stefanie --------------------------------------------------------------- THE BIGGEST DEALS BY COUNTRY 🇮🇳 FPL Technologies: The India-based fintech company, which offers free credit score checks and personalized insights, has bagged US$100 million in a series D round from Hummingbird Ventures, Matrix Partners, Ocean View Investment, QED Investors, Sequoia Capital, and Temasek Holdings. 🇨🇳 Xpeng Robotics: The Chinese robotics-focused hardware firm [has raised]( a US$100 million series A round from IDG Capital and Xpeng Motors. 🇮🇱 CathWorks: Focused on improving care for coronary artery disease patients, the Israel-based healthtech startup bagged US$75 million from Medtronic PLC in a strategic investment. 🇮🇩 AgriAku: This Jakarta-based agritech startup [has raised]( US$35 million in series A money from Alpha JWC Ventures, Alto Partners, BRI Ventures, Gentree Fund, Go-Ventures, InnoVen Capital SEA, K3 Ventures, MDI Ventures, Mandiri Capital Indonesia, Mercy Corps Ventures, and Thai Wah Public Company. 🇯🇵 Voicy: The Japanese audio news app banked US$21.84 million in a series B round from Chiba Dojo Fund, Dentsu Ventures, Global Brain Corporation, Magmag, Mizuho Capital, Nippon Venture Capital, PR Times, and Skiyaki. Here’s the complete list of this week’s funding chart: [109 deals worth over US$959 million](. --------------------------------------------------------------- M&As 🇮🇳 Emiza, a supply chain and warehousing firm based in India, has acquired local logistics and transportation startup Shippigo for an undisclosed sum. 🇮🇳 The diagnostic unit of biotech firm LifeCell [has merged]( with healthtech platform MFine to create a new platform called LifeWell. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. 🇮🇳 MediBuddy, a digital healthcare platform in India, has acquired Clinix, a local startup that provides online health consultations, for an undisclosed sum. 🇰🇷 Snaptag, a South Korea-based image data engine, has acquired Haroo Company, a local startup that focuses on authentication solutions. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. --------------------------------------------------------------- STARTUPS THAT ARE RAISING FUNDS Fundraising is hard. To make things slightly easier, we’ve compiled this list of fundraising startups for our subscribers. Do you run a startup that’s raising at the moment or know someone who does? Sign your company up for listing [here](. 🇸🇬 Always On Time is a Singapore-based online scheduling and booking tool for small to medium-sized businesses. 🇲🇾 Moovby is a car-sharing marketplace in Malaysia that describes itself as “Airbnb for cars.” 🇵🇰 SalamChef is a hyperlocal service helping chefs connect with nearby communities. You can find the full list of fundraising startups in Asia [over here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- KILLER PITCH DECKS 1️⃣ A flying taxi startup’s pitch deck helped it score US$1 million in seed funding The ePlane Company aims to develop electric planes to make commuting within cities easier while keeping prices at only 1.5x of current taxi fares. It used [this pitch deck]( to secure seed funding last year. The presentation immediately lays out the transportation firm’s business and then goes on to outline its vision going forward. 2️⃣ Nykaa’s US$700 million IPO pitch deck The Mumbai-based beauty and fashion e-retailer has just launched its US$714 million listing in India. Not only is Nykaa the first female-led unicorn in the country to debut on the stock market, but it is also one of the few profitable firms to do an IPO. To make its case to investors, the company used [this pitch deck]( which details its history, financials, and plans for growth. The company also used this deck for its pre-IPO presentation. Shortly after, Nykaa received bids for 40x the number of shares it planned to sell to anchor investors for its listing. 3️⃣ This deck helped a dating app for Muslims secure seed funding from 500 Startups Created in Egypt in 2017, Hawaya is a dating platform tailored to Muslim singles. In 2018, the firm used [this pitch deck]( at a 500 Startups Demo Day to win US$150,000 in seed funding. The deck delves into online dating and how it is deemed socially unacceptable in the Middle East. This helps contextualize why Hawaya’s founders developed an online dating app specifically for the region and for North Africa. It also details the company’s recent growth, followed by a brief explanation of how the platform works. --------------------------------------------------------------- EXCLUSIVE LISTICLES Lists of most active investors in the region [China]( | [India]( | [Indonesia]( | [Japan]( | [Singapore]( | [Southeast Asia]( List of top-funded startups in Asia [China]( | [India]( | [Indonesia]( | [Israel]( | [Japan]( | [Hong Kong]( | [Singapore]( | [South Korea]( | [Vietnam]( List of largest exits in Asia [China]( | [India]( | [Indonesia]( | [Singapore]( | [Southeast Asia]( --------------------------------------------------------------- THOUGHTFUL READS 1️⃣ No slowdown in sight for VCs Startup funding may be in a slump, but VC funds are still raising new funds. [This piece]( looks at some firms that have recently announced new funds, the concerns that their limited partners may have raised during the process, and what the fundraising experience was like. 2️⃣ China’s VCs are starved for cash Tech crackdowns, looming political risks, and a zero-Covid policy have created a challenging environment for VCs operating in China. [This article]( explores some of the headwinds that they’re facing and how the current geopolitical and economic climate could affect their prospects. 3️⃣ Why VC needs to look at EV power packs Much has been said about the potential of electric vehicles (EVs) to make transportation cleaner and greener. However, companies that are developing innovative solutions to power these EVs often face funding roadblocks, as VCs tend to shy away from innovations that aren’t digital. But [here’s why]( they should consider looking into the sector. 4️⃣ On leadership and vulnerability Leaders may often feel that they need to have all the answers and be able to guide their teams to success. But creating an environment for experimentation and learning in order to fuel innovations often requires some vulnerability and honesty from the folks at the top. A [recent piece]( from the Harvard Business Review unpacks this idea further. 5️⃣ How fair is your workplace? Equity and equality are becoming important corporate values for businesses around the globe, but the reality is, many employees don’t feel like their workplaces are fair. So how can leaders and businesses work to create a fair and just environment for their companies? [Find out]( via this article from the Harvard Business Review. --------------------------------------------------------------- [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( | [HIRE]( | [FIND 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. 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](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Tech in Asia’s newsletters are handcrafted daily with love - and sometimes powered by good kopi. Today’s edition was written by Stefanie Yeo. It’s edited by Eileen C. Ang. Copyright © 2022 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 63 Robinson Road, Singapore 068894