Getting to the root of SEA’s agritech space

We explore the ins and outs of Southeast Asia’s agritech sector. [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](. --------------------------------------------------------------- IN FOCUS In today's newsletter, we spotlight: - [The companies shaping Southeast Asia’s agritech sector]( - Ernie, Baidu’s ChatGPT competitor, disappoints in its first outing - Other newsy highlights such as whether Rupiah stablecoins can be the answer to Indonesia’s financial inclusion problem --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} I love farm vibes. Yes, it’s a little strange to say that because I live in the concrete jungle known as Singapore. But every time that I visit a farm - whether it be local or overseas - I always have such a good time, and the atmosphere is generally chill and peaceful. While farm work is physically exhausting, it does seem like the people working there love taking care of their crops and animals. And of course, if there are many animals, that’s even better - I could spend my whole life just feeding cows and horses and making them my best buds. I know, I know - there’s also lots of “dirty work” involved. Shoveling dung and other backbreaking tasks, anyone? But hey, I never said farm life is perfect, and everything’s got some downsides. If I ever do decide to take a leap of faith and go work in the fields, Southeast Asia would be a great place to start. The region’s agriculture sector is huge - 17% of the region’s gross domestic product kind of huge - with an equally large number of agritech firms to match. -- Jonathan  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [The key players in SEA’s agritech space]( The region’s agritech industry attracted over 2.5x more investment with funding deals in the sector reaching an all-time high in 2022. --------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING NEWS [Stablecoins might be the answer to Indonesia’s financial inclusion problem]( Rupiah stablecoins could offer faster and more accessible transactions while also reducing the reliance on intermediaries like banks. [The companies suiting up fashion retailers for a showdown with Shein]( Firms are unbundling the digital shopper engagement, logistics tech, and merchandising solutions that have made Shein a fast-fashion giant. [Baidu’s ChatGPT competitor Ernie disappoints in first outing (Updated)]( The Chinese search giant’s founder Robin Li showed off the chatbot’s capabilities in just a scripted video and did not interact with it in real time. [Animoca leads seed round of Saudi NFT marketplace]( Nuqtah is the first NFT marketplace in Saudi Arabia to be licensed by the government. [Aerem bags $5m to tackle solar energy adoption in India]( The solartech startup offers solutions that can help businesses reduce their energy costs by up to 70%. [PUBG maker backs $10m round of Indian influencer-marketing firm]( One Impression said it plans to grow beyond India with potential strategic acquisitions in Southeast Asia and the UAE. ---------------------------------------------------------------  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. 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