The language of layoffs at LingoAce

More: Ecommerce giant Bukalapak confirms layoffs, and a decade on from the world’s first cultivated meat, what progress has been made? [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: - [Layoffs galore amid LingoAce’s expansion hurdles]( - Alibaba Cloud provides open access to some of its large language models. - Other newsy highlights such as a report saying that the funding winter shows no sign of warming up --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} I hate giving anyone bad news. Not that I imagine some people enjoy it, but as someone who seeks to avoid confrontation whenever possible, the idea of disappointing someone makes my skin crawl. I’ve learned that sugarcoating it does no one any good - it’s best to let the aggrieved party know what’s happening and why in plain words, so they can begin processing. There’s nothing worse than being in the dark as to why this crappy thing is happening to you. Luckily I haven’t been laid off (yet), but some employees of LingoAce were laid off without knowing exactly why, according to some current and former staff of the edtech firm. The company’s CEO disputes that, and today’s featured premium story digs into the ins and outs of a turbulent time at the startup. -- Peter  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [‘Entire teams gone overnight’: LingoAce laid off hundreds amid expansion hurdles]( The pandemic years saw unabated spending as the Singapore-headquartered edtech firm pursued growth. Now, it’s grappling with the consequences. --------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING NEWS [Total VC funding in SEA declines by 25% in H1 2023: report]( The January Capital report noted that investors are shifting focus toward early-stage startups. [AnyMind posts strong profit bump in Q2, beats projections]( The ecommerce enabler said there’s a “strong possibility” it will surpass projections for the full year. [Indonesia’s top-funded tech companies in the last decade]( Which companies in the country are getting the lion’s share of investments? This automated tracker will help you stay up to date. [Alibaba opens up access to AI models for academic, commercial use]( One of the models, Qwen-7B-Chat, is specialized for conversational AI scenarios, such as chatbots that have multiturn dialogues. ---------------------------------------------------------------  VISUAL STORY OF THE DAY [SEA tech ecosystem report]( All you need to know about Southeast Asia's startup scene in five minutes. --------------------------------------------------------------- TECH IN ASIA CONFERENCE 2023 Last year’s Startup Arena Pitch Battle winner, [Zuno Carbon]( is a Singapore-based greentech firm that developed the Veridis platform. The platform guides businesses in identifying gaps within their ESG measurements and reporting. By meticulously analyzing multifaceted data points across their operations, Veridis enables businesses to improve their measurement accuracy. The firm recently raised US$2.5 million in a seed round and has already attracted a strong list of clients from several sectors like oil and gas, logistics, and real estate. Want to be the next big name in Southeast Asia’s startup scene? Register for this year’s competition by September 22 [here](. ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING You can also check out a curated list of trending tech events [over here](. - [AD] [Techblazer Awards Gala Night]( on 23 August Don’t miss tech’s most exciting night! Celebrate this year’s winners and network with thousands of business and industry leaders. Book your seats now! Click [here]( to get your seats! - [Tech in Asia Conference]( from October 18 to October 19 Do you see the light at the end of this funding winter’s tunnel? We do, and we believe Southeast Asia is that very light. That’s why this year’s Tech in Asia conference’s theme is Southeast Asia: A Bright Spot in the Tech World - signaling how the region can provide hope and guidance for the tech sector amid some troubling times. Hosted in Jakarta from October 18 to October 19, we’re excited to bring you a great lineup of speakers, thought-provoking sessions, and other activities. Click [here]( to get your limited first-release tickets.  - [Tech in Asia’s Founders Meetup: India on August 25]( Do you want a closer look at India’s tech scene? Discover the hidden gems of India’s startup ecosystem at our networking event on August 25 at Byg Brewski (9, 36, 4th Floor, Vaishnavi Sapphire Centre, Tumkur Rd, Yeshwanthpur Industrial Area, Phase 1, Yeswanthpur, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560022) from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Whether you’re facing roadblocks in funding or talent acquisition, connect with fellow founders and find solutions to your most pressing issues while offering your own expertise. Don’t miss out - [sign up now]( ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. - [Quality Control]( at PT WIR Asia Tbk Jakarta, Indonesia - [Junior Project Manager]( at Sagara Technology Group Jakarta, Indonesia - [Admin HR and GA (English Speaker)]( at SCI Ecommerce Jakarta, Indonesia - [Business Development Manager]( at ResultAd Jakarta, Indonesia - [Business Development Executive]( at Bina Nusantara Group Jakarta, Indonesia - [Software Account Manager]( at DataOn Corp Tangerang, 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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