Going is on green

Gensol Group, Luup, Aimi Gene, 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} Earth Day was last weekend, and it’s got me thinking about my own impact on the environment. While I try my best to reduce, reuse, and recycle, sometimes I fall short - especially when it’s easier to just toss things into the trash can instead of rinsing containers out and bringing them down to the recycling point. I’m trying, but it’s definitely an ongoing process. Against the backdrop of climate change, it’s heartening that some of the top-funded firms on this week’s list are doing things that make a positive impact on the environment. We’ve got a greentech company focused on clean energy, a firm that’s developing electric vehicles, and a micromobility startup that will hopefully help make folks less reliant on cars. Here’s to a cleaner, greener world. 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  IN Gensol Group, an Indian firm described as a “frontrunner in the solar and renewables industry,” has raised US$76.5 million in a debt round from Power Finance Corporation. JP Luup, a Japanese micromobility startup, [netted US$33.5 million]( in a series D round led by Spiral Capital/Spiral Innovation Partners. Other investors include from 31 Ventures-Global Brain Growth I, ANRI, Chiba Dojo Fund, Chishima Real Estate, Green Coinvest, and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital. CN Aimi Gene is a China-based company that uses human microecological technology in clinical research, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. It took home US$14.7 million in series B money from Danen Ventures, Green Pine Capital Partners, and Seas Capital. KR Scatter Lab, a South Korean startup, has developed a relationship-oriented AI agent using deep learning technology. The firm has secured US$11.2 million in a strategic investment from SK Telecom. VN Selex Motors is a Vietnam-based startup focused on electric vehicles. It [bagged US$3 million]( in a debt round from ADB Ventures, Schneider Electric Energy Access Asia, Sopoong Ventures, and Touchstone Partners. Here’s the complete list of this week’s funding chart: [72 deals worth over US$232 million](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  M&As  IN Metamorphosis Edu is an Indian startup that partners with schools across the country to train students in entrepreneurship-related skills. It [was acquired]( by edtech firm BrightChamps for an undisclosed sum. JP Kokkiri is a meditation app from South Korea. It was acquired by mental health platform Atommerce (MindCafe) at an undisclosed price.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  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](.  ID Zi.Care is an Indonesian firm providing comprehensive healthcare system solutions that enable hospitals to digitalize their services. PK Dastak allows fintech founders to deliver contextualized and cheaper financial services to SMEs and underserved segments. It’s based in Pakistan. PH VPI Cars aims to become the largest peer-to-peer car rental platform in the Philippines. You can find the full list of fundraising startups in Asia [over here](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  KILLER PITCH DECKS 1️⃣ The pitch deck that helped a smart mobility startup secure series A funding Malaysia-based Govicle was founded in 2015 to build a vehicle data exchange in Southeast Asia. Last year, it used [this pitch deck]( to raise series A money from South Korean seed investor TheVentures. The presentation begins with a company overview, introducing Govicle, its vision, and the problems it aims to solve in managing vehicle needs. The deck also presents Govicle’s traction, business model, and milestones in a detailed manner. 2️⃣ This Visa-backed firm’s pitch deck got it a US$10 million series B top-up Finix, a US-based payments management startup, centralizes payment options for businesses. With [this pitch deck]( the company secured its second round of series B funding in 2020. The presentation clearly outlines Finix’s solution and shows the growth of payments made through its software as well as the advantages of the firm’s approach. 3️⃣ This cloud automation tech company’s deck caught 500 Startups’ eye MedStack helps digital health firms meet data security and privacy compliance requirements. It used [this pitch deck]( in 2017 to raise seed funding from 500 Startups. The presentation not only points out MedStack’s competitive edge compared to similar services, but it also shares the new features that the company will include on its platform.  --------------------------------------------------------------- TECH IN ASIA'S FOUNDERS MEETUP: MALAYSIA Join us and share the hardest challenges you’ve faced as a founder If you’re an entrepreneur based in Malaysia, you’re invited to Tech in Asia’s Regional Founders Meetup, which will be held on May 23 at WIP on the Park at Marc Residence (No.3 Jalan Pinang, Kuala Lumpur 50450) from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. 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 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 Amazon Web Services, CleverTap, Cooley, D.Camp, Sinarmas Land, Singapore Global Network (SGN), and Quest Ventures - and our community partner, WeWork - 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 The Twitter-VC fallout Before being acquired by Elon Musk, the social media company was an active backer of founders and funders from underrepresented backgrounds in the startup ecosystem. But now Twitter is very likely to default on the millions it owes to the VCs it backed. [This piece]( from Forbes goes deeper into what happened and what could happen next. 2️⃣ Change and tradition You’re probably familiar with this story - a new leader is brought into an organization to disrupt the status quo and bring new ideas to the table. However, this person faces opposition from folks who have been with the company longer. If you find yourself in this situation, how do you navigate it? [This article]( from the Harvard Business Review gives some tips on how to do so. 3️⃣ The human factor We’re all aware of how technology has changed our lives by automating tasks and removing humans from different processes. But the human capacity for learning and teaching each other still possesses an incredible value. Businesses therefore need to learn how to leverage the power of the “human cloud” - [this Masters of Scale podcast]( goes into detail. 4️⃣ The power of feedback Feedback is important in driving business and personal growth, but the process of giving it often ends up feeling forced, formal, and infrequent. And this can hamper development in teams across all levels. [HBR]( explores some factors contributing to this issue, and shares some guidance on how managers can make feedback a habit in their team. 5️⃣ Fake it till you make it no more? A recent article from the New York Times talked about “the end of faking it in Silicon Valley,” calling attention to the recent criminal charges brought against startup founders. But there’s nuance to the conversation - [this Reddit thread]( discusses it further.  --------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Stefanie Yeo. It’s edited by Dhania Putri Sarahtika. Copyright © 2023 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 63 Robinson Road, Singapore 068894