Not much jostling for the podium this week

Careem, Lazada, International Dairy Products, and more raised funds this week. [Read from your browser]( FOMO Saturday Welcome to Tech in Asia's free Saturday VC newsletter! Get full access to our subscribers-only premium content and other insightful analysis on the big and messy topics of Asia’s tech and startup community by [registering here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} Winner takes all. It’s always interesting to see when someone is so far ahead in their field that the gap between them and others seems like a veritable chasm. Take sports like soccer for instance - Messi has always far outshone his peers. And for people who are more into gaming like I am, just look at how Koreans have always dominated the competitive Starcraft 2 scene. This kind of success can happen in any field, even with companies. This week’s slate of investments follows a similar idea. The top few firms have gotten a massive chunk of funding that together, the two biggest deals surpass the combined value of all other transactions. Read on if you’d like to see which companies are responsible for this domination. 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. --------------------------------------------------------------- THE BIGGEST DEALS BY COUNTRY AE Careem is a private car booking service. Based in the United Arab Emirates, it [got US$400 million]( from Emirates Telecommunications Group (e&) in exchange for a 50.03% stake. SG Singaporean ecommerce major Lazada [secured US$353 million]( in a strategic investment from Alibaba Group. VN International Dairy Products, a Vietnam-based dairy producer, received US$100 million from Growtheum Capital Partners in exchange for roughly 15% of the company. IN PhonePe, a mobile payment app from India, took home an additional US$100 million in late-stage funding from General Atlantic. CN BIBO is a Chinese firm that supplies intelligent automotive chassis solutions. It raised US$29 million in series A money from Addor Capital, CWB Automotive Electronics, Nio Capital, and Orient Jiafu Asset Management. Here’s the complete list of this week’s funding chart: [82 deals worth over US$1.2 billion](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  M&As  JP Japan-based Creator Ninja developed Tubers, a tool and platform for YouTube creators. The firm has been acquired by Socialerus for an undisclosed amount. KR Sengdo, a Korean lifestyle brand, has been acquired by Prain Global, but financial terms 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](. SG OIS Bizcraft is a Singaporean omnichannel payment solution provider. PH VPI Cars is a car rental platform based in the Philippines. VN Flyer is a Vietnam-based English testing platform that helps students prepare for global exams and earn qualifications. You can find the full list of fundraising startups in Asia [over here](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  KILLER PITCH DECKS 1️⃣ This AI firm scored a US$1.8 million seed round using this deck Groundup.ai is a Singaporean startup that provides AI-backed solutions for industrial companies. Founded in 2021, the firm used [this pitch deck]( to secure a US$1.8 million seed round earlier this year. The presentation starts off strong by showing big numbers - more specifically, the losses associated with unplanned downtime in the industrial and manufacturing sectors. With this problem statement in mind, the deck then explains Groundup’s solutions step by step, along with several case studies to illustrate. 2️⃣ An Indian healthtech firm used this pitch deck to bank US$400,000 in seed funding Paperplane is an AI-driven digital clinic that enables doctors, dentists, and medical practitioners to manage their practice efficiently and engage with patients remotely. It used [this pitch deck]( to bag seed funding last year. The presentation starts with some facts about health consultation services in the digital era and the challenges that medical practitioners face. It then elaborates on how Paperplane's services address these issues. 3️⃣ An edtech startup used this pitch deck to raise its seed extension Kalpha is a peer-to-peer ecosystem for people to meet up online and share their knowledge and skills. The Singapore-based startup used [this pitch deck]( to help it close its seed extension funding round in 2020, attracting the attention of its existing backer Nest Tech VN and angel investors. The presentation is easy to read, with important points highlighted in different colors or bold font. It also introduces Kalpha’s business and opportunity, showing an uncomplicated chart to explain how the company works.  --------------------------------------------------------------- TECH IN ASIA'S FOUNDERS MEETUP: PHILIPPINES  Join us and share the hardest challenges you’ve faced as a founder If you’re an entrepreneur based in the Philippines, you’re invited to Tech in Asia’s Regional Founders Meetup, which will be held on April 25 at Draper Startup House - 5048 P. Burgos St., Makati - from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 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. Starting up doesn’t have to be a lonely journey. [Register]( for this exclusive event here today. Tickets are priced at US$12.50 per person, inclusive of light bites and one drink. Slots are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis. Thanks to our official event partners - AWS, CleverTap, Cooley, Sinarmas Land, Singapore Global Network, and Quest Ventures - as well as our community partners - AHG Lab and Weremote - for making this meetup possible.  --------------------------------------------------------------- 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](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THOUGHTFUL READS  1️⃣ No, not the creatives! Generative AI has been the talk of the town lately and it’s easy to see why. That said, it’s also posing a huge threat to creative work, putting people at risk of becoming obsolete. [This article]( sheds some light on three possible impacts the tech could have. 2️⃣ More for less Speaking of generative AI, there’s also much to be said about how its applications will take shape across various business contexts. [Read this]( on Andreessen Horowitz’s site to find out more. 3️⃣ Being nice is nice Might is right? Nah, being sensitive can be great in the workplace too. After all, wouldn’t you want your colleagues to be kind and caring? Check out [this piece]( to see how being sensitive can help. 4️⃣ Listen to your heart It’s easy to get jaded or lose your way after a while. But as a leader, you shouldn’t let that feeling dominate how you deal with those under your care. Instead, always keep in mind that you should lead from the heart, according to [this blog post]( on AVC. 5️⃣ The meaning of life, the universe, everything It’s any founder’s dream to get acquired, but the process itself can be complicated and take a heavy toll. First Round Review posted [a complete guide]( on how to do it the right way.  --------------------------------------------------------------- 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]( to get 40% off (get additional discounts exclusively for TIA subscribers)! - [Tech in Asia’s Founders Meetup: Philippines]( on April 25 Our networking event, Founders Meetup: Philippines, is happening in Manila on April 25 at Draper Startup House. 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! ---------------------------------------------------------------  [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 Jonathan Chew. It’s edited by Dhania Putri Sarahtika. Copyright © 2023 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 63 Robinson Road, Singapore 068894