B Capital closed a $2.1b fund - what’s next?

More: Zoom plans to lay off around 15% of its global headcount and Binance temporarily halts US-dollar bank transfers. [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’ve mentioned in previous newsletters that if I ever founded a company, I’d do it in an essential industry like food or healthcare. To me, it just makes sense - people will need these regardless of what’s happening in the global economy. That appears to be B Capital’s approach as well, with its focus on investing in the enterprise, fintech, and healthcare sectors. Read on to find out more about the firm’s plans to navigate the tech winter. -- Winston  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [Recession Run: B Capital’s $2.1b plan for the downturn]( B Capital co-founder Raj Ganguly talks about why he remains optimistic about Southeast Asia's long-term growth prospects despite current headwinds.  --------------------------------------------------------------- GET HEARD ON TECH IN ASIA! We want to hear from you! Grab’s appointment of Singapore politician Tin Pei Ling to lead its public affairs and policy in the city-state has raised concerns over a potential conflict of interest. Last week, Tin took to social media [to reaffirm]( there is ‘no conflict of interest’ in the new Grab role. [Click here]( to share your thoughts on Grab's hiring of a lawmaker in Singapore’s ruling party to run its government relations department with the Tech in Asia community! Best responses will be shared with the Tech in Asia community on the Sunday newsletter. --------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING NEWS [Binance to temporarily halt US dollar bank transfers]( While Binance kept mum on the reason behind the move, many users speculated that it was related to the highly anticipated listing of the Core token. [Meet the 15 top-funded startups and tech companies in Vietnam]( Here are the companies in Vietnam that are attracting tons of investors and have the resources to spend on software, talent, and expansion. [Zoom to lay off 1,300 employees]( As a response to the development, CEO Eric Yuan will reduce his upcoming fiscal salary by 98%. [Microsoft reintroduces AI-powered Bing to fend off Google Search]( Bing will implement an AI language model from OpenAI that is “more powerful” than ChatGPT. [SG energy intelligence provider closes $1.3m pre-series A]( Ampotech develops smart devices that provide insights into energy consumption and activity patterns. [India-based EV maker charges up with $20m round]( Simple Energy previously raised US$21 million in its pre-series A round. ---------------------------------------------------------------  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 50% off. 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