New EV challenger reignites Vietnam's ride-hailing wars

More: Singaporean AI-driven edtech platform raises a US$1.4 million pre-series A round. [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 look at: - [How Vingroup-owned Green SM Taxi can take the fight to Grab in Vietnam]( - The US$1.4 million pre-series A round of a Singapore-based edtech startup - Other newsy highlights such as Pony.ai’s fully driverless passenger transport vehicles --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} I don’t own a car. In Singapore, having one is just economically irresponsible in my opinion - unless you have kids or need to ferry elderly relatives around regularly, in which case the convenience and time savings make up for the lack of economic value. The country’s public transport system works well enough. Since my wife and I got a dog though, we’ve had to use ride-hailing services much more, as pets aren’t allowed on buses and trains. Even just visiting our parents or going to the vet necessitates a car trip. Plus, we’re now a long way from the consumer heyday of Grab vs. Uber when fares in the teens (sometimes below S$10, even) were common. It’s easily around S$30 per trip now. Hopefully, ride-hailing users in Vietnam get to enjoy low prices for a little while more; today’s premium story looks at Green SM Taxi, a new EV ride-hailing service from Vingroup, and how it’s planning to challenge Grab. -- Winston  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [Vingroup founder’s EV play revs up Vietnam’s ride-hailing race]( The billionaire behind both Vingroup and VinFast is betting that his new EV venture can resurrect competition in Vietnam’s ride-hailing landscape. --------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING NEWS [Edtech firm scores $1.4m to expand AI-based tailored learning across SEA]( Singapore-based Explico said its platform can provide adaptive feedback, create personalized study plans, and recommend peer groups for students. [Common growth mistakes that SEA startups make and how to fix them]( Weak retention, repeating ineffective tactics, and underinvestment in new growth drivers are some of the mistakes many regional startups make. [Pony.ai gets license for fully driverless robotaxis in Guangzhou]( The company said its vehicles have driven safely under unfavorable weather conditions such as rain and thunderstorms. [Indian embedded lending platform Niro raises $11m]( Niro enables consumer internet companies to offer personalized credit options and products to end users. ---------------------------------------------------------------  LISTICLE OF THE DAY [Series SEA: Who’s investing in the region’s education startups?]( We've compiled a list of investors that are pouring money into Southeast Asia’s education startups. ---------------------------------------------------------------  PRESS PEEKS The following press releases were published as they were received, without any editing from the Tech in Asia team. You too can publish your own press release on Tech in Asia by simply filling in [this form](. Our team will get back to you by the next business day. - JA Assure - [JA Assure, a regional Insurtech firm collaborates with India’s Top Indian University for Research and Development]( JA Assure collaborates with SRM University for Research and Development of new Technologies- JayJay - [Edtech startup JayJay got significant investment to transform the learning industry]( JayJay, a digital school, has got a $1 million investment from Jooble. With this funding, JayJay plans to improve its platform to reach more students.- Mintegral - [Mintegral Joins Google AdMob as a Bidding and Waterfall SDK Network]( Mintegral, a leading programmatic ad platform, announced today that it joined Google AdMob as a bidding and waterfall SDK network ---------------------------------------------------------------  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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Register today! ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. - [PROJECT CONTROLLER EXPERT]( at PT Qerja Manfaat Bangsa Jakarta, Indonesia - [Senior Performance Marketing Consultant]( at Ematic Solutions Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam - [Digital Marketing Manager]( at HashMicro Jakarta, Indonesia - [Quality Assurance]( at OrderOnline.id Bandung, Java, Indonesia - [Event Conceptor]( at detik.com Jakarta, Indonesia - [Sales Marketing Payment Agent]( at PT Bimasakti Multi Sinergi Sidoarjo, Indonesia [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. Tech in Asia thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Too many emails? 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