Tony Fernandes believes Capital A will fly high in 2023 - should he?

More: Shein’s latest HR move plus more job cuts, this time at PayPal. [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} For those of you who don’t know, European football teams are only allowed to sign players in the off season and for one month - January - during the season. And boy, has January 2023 been a busy one, particularly for English club Chelsea - it has signed eight new players for over US$300 million in total. If I’m not wrong, no other club has spent so much in such a short span of time since the pandemic occurred and set in motion a host of financial difficulties and austerity measures at even the world’s biggest team. Clearly, Chelsea’s management is highly optimistic about the club’s future. Do you know who else: a) owns a football club, and b) is optimistic? That would be Tony Fernandes, majority shareholder of Queens Park Rangers Football Club and CEO of Capital A - he’s recently come out to say that his firm would be worth four times what it currently is by the end of the year. This, despite being slapped with the Practice Note 17 status - a label given to financially distressed listed companies by Bursa Malaysia - and facing a funding setback last year. Does Fernandes’ optimism have legs? Read on to find out. -- Winston  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [Tony Fernandes thinks Capital A will be worth 4x more. Is he right?]( The group aims to shed its legacy in aviation in pursuit of tech hegemony.  --------------------------------------------------------------- GET HEARD ON TECH IN ASIA! We want to hear from you! More than 1,600 tech employees were laid off per day on an average in 2023 so far, globally. However, could this be an overreaction? or, an instance of [“copycat” layoffs]( Kindly [fill out this form]( to share your views on the mass layoffs sweeping across the tech industry with the Tech in Asia community! Best responses will be shared with the Tech in Asia community on the Sunday newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING NEWS [Grab recruits SG politician to lead government affairs]( Tin Pei Ling is expected to help Grab forge important partnerships in the city-state. [BandLab acquires US-based beat marketplace Airbit]( Airbit CEO Wasim Khamlichi will step down from his position following the acquisition. [PayMongo receives demand to investigate board chairman]( Despite an employee pressing the company for details, PayMongo has not indicated if a probe will be launched. [FB reaches 2 billion daily users amid Meta’s revenue decline]( CEO Mark Zuckerberg referred to 2023 as the “Year of Efficiency” for the company. [PayPal to shed 2,000 jobs globally]( This means nearly 7% of the company’s total workforce will be axed. [Shein confirms appointment of ex-SoftBank exec for LatAm push (Updated)]( Marcelo Claure also made a US$100 million personal investment in the fast-fashion retailer. ---------------------------------------------------------------  A TECH IN ASIA MASTER CLASS  How to connect with your audience with quality storytelling Whether it’s the autobiography of a famous athlete, an account of how a country’s startup scene was born, or even a talk with a friend, an engaging story can capture hearts and minds. Quality storytelling enables us to empathize with others and encourages meaningful connections. The same applies to brands - after all, what is a company but the brainchild of people wanting to make a difference? However, it can be difficult to craft captivating stories for a brand, especially ones that your target audiences will connect with. Tech in Asia Studios, which works with firms to produce diverse, quality, and in-depth stories, is holding a master class on February 7. We’ll give you a peek behind the scenes, showing you how we come up with compelling content ideas that you can add to your storytelling toolbox. Attendance is free, and you can [register your interest here](. ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING You can also check out a curated list of trending tech events [over here](. - [Tech in Asia’s Product Development Conference 2023]( from May 16 to May 17 Tech in Asia’s Product Development Conference is back! This year’s edition, which will be held in person in Jakarta, will feature over 20 industry leaders, experts, and innovators sharing the latest trends and strategies that can accelerate product development growth. [Register now]( and you can get two tickets for the price of one. This early bird promo is available for a limited time only, though, so don’t miss out!  - [Tech in Asia’s Founders Meetup: Singapore on February 22]( Our networking event, Founders Meetup: Singapore, is happening on February 22, at Crane (Arab Street). Join us and share the hardest challenges you’ve faced as a founder. To help you find solutions, we’ll introduce you to fellow founders who have been there and done that. Register today! - [Tech in Asia School: Growth Bootcamp]( Our fast-paced March Growth Bootcamp is for startup, product, and marketing leaders looking to supercharge their company’s traction. Apply today! ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. - [Head Internal Audit]( at KoinWorks Jakarta, Indonesia - [Senior Data Warehouse Engineer (for GetPlus)]( at PT Merah Cipta Media Jakarta, Indonesia - [SENIOR Database Eng]( at PT. Alpha Indo Soft Jakarta, Indonesia - [Phyton (Odoo) developer]( at Female Daily Network Jakarta, Indonesia - [Senior Rubyists ( Ruby on Rails engineer ) - 3+ years experience - Freelance and Contractors can apply]( at BillionLaughs Indonesia Bulk Terminal, Indonesia - [Marketing Moderator]( at Refocus Makati City, Philippines [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 © 2023 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 63 Robinson Road, Singapore 068894