This Indonesian startup wants to rent its way to success

More: Apple wants to move production to India, and a South Korean court says bitcoin is “not money”. [Read from your browser]( Daily Newsletter --------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome to Tech in Asia's free Daily Newsletter! Get full access to our subscribers-only Daily Newsletter and other insightful analysis on the big and messy topics of Asia’s tech and startup community by [registering here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} I recently learnt about Circular, a Singapore-based startup that lets you rent tech gadgets, like iPhones, MacBooks, and Playstation 5s, for a subscription fee. I’ll admit I’m a little baffled by the idea - why rent electronics? I haven’t done the math, but I feel like paying for something and owning it forever makes more sense than paying a monthly fee to use it for a while. Although, I suppose it could be a good way to test out a new gadget before committing to buying it, but I don’t know. Anyway, speaking of rental startups, we’re looking at one that hails from Indonesia today. Bioma was established in July 2022 by some former executives from F&B-focused order management firm Listee - and it’s looking to take on this question of rental in a different way. - Stefanie  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [Exclusive: Init6, East Ventures back Indonesian rental firm from ex-Listee execs]( Bioma is bullish that it can capitalize on the "leasing over buying" consumer trend, similar to its overseas counterparts like Feather and RentoMojo.  --------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING NEWS [TerraLabs co-founder seeks to withdraw from testifying in parliamentary audit]( If Korean lawmakers allow Daniel Shin to back out, DSRV Labs CEO Ji-yoon Kim will be left as the sole witness, reported Forkast. [Bolttech acquires majority stake in Indonesia-based insurance broker]( The addition of Axle Asia will improve Bolttech’s insurance exchange capabilities. [EDBI, Seeds Capital back SG 3D printing firm’s $10m round]( Structo provides solutions including orthodontic 3D printers and 3D printing resin. [Alipay removed from Shanghai priority high-tech firms list]( The Ant Group-owned firm was removed because it didn’t meet R&D spending requirements, Bloomberg reported. [Microsoft in talks to join $100m round of Indian gaming unicorn]( A team at Microsoft has advised against backing Zupee, which hosts some games of chance, TechCrunch reported. [Binance gets digital assets license from Kazakhstan]( The company will offer digital-asset exchange and conversion services, among others, in the country. ---------------------------------------------------------------  IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Boosting the Indonesian digital economy requires a whole ecosystem Advancing digital and financial inclusion in Indonesia is a massive undertaking - not something that can be accomplished by any single sector. In fact, it requires buy-in and effort from both large and small firms as well as the government, all working together in one supportive ecosystem. Fintech firm LinkAja, recently awarded “Best Digital Payment Service Provider” at The Asset Triple A Islamic Finance Award 2022 for LinkAja Syariah, is well-placed to facilitate these efforts. As an enterprise with a strong leadership team and connections with various arms of the government and other state-owned enterprises, it can help the underserved gain access to digital finance services. The firm also supports the archipelago’s increasing adoption of e-transactions via its QRIS solution, a unified QR system that’s compatible with most e-wallets in the country - opening up more possibilities for Indonesian MSMEs. Find out more about how LinkAja is making a difference [on its website](. ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING You can also check out a curated list of trending tech events [over here](. - *Event*  [Secure Hypergrowth Success through Data & AI Scalability]( on October 11 Over the years, hypergrowth companies have faced constant challenges in remaining relevant and solvent. According to research, their primary growth challenge is talent and they face a unique set of challenges when it comes to secure data access. [Join us]( in this upcoming online workshop, organized in partnership with Databricks, to gleam insights from leading data analysis and AI professionals as they highlight the importance of time, scalability, and flexibility in securing hypergrowth success.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. - [Tech Lead (Remote)]( at AwanTunai Jakarta, Indonesia - [Marketing Manager]( at FOOM Lab Global Jakarta, Indonesia - [Finance and Accounting Manager]( at PT. Wahana Pembayaran Digital Indonesia Bulk Terminal, Indonesia - [Senior Front End Engineer]( at Okadoc Jakarta, Indonesia - [Engineering Manager]( at Jala Tech Yogyakarta, Indonesia - [New Product Development Manager]( at Rocketindo Jakarta, Indonesia --------------------------------------------------------------- [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( P.S. 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