Can India’s spacetech sector go to infinity and beyond?

More: Amartha is offering US$200 million in working capital to women-led MSMEs, and Kasikornbank launches a flagship fund. [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: - [Whether the recent space mission can launch India’s spacetech sector into the atmosphere]( - Indonesian VC funds Arise and Centauri merge to form Ascent Venture Group - Other newsy highlights such as Amartha’s US$200 million working capital offering and Kasikornbank launching a flagship fund. --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} I’m a huge sci-fi nerd. I love almost anything that has outer space in it: Star Wars and its related TV shows, Dune, and The Expanse, which is great as a “realistic” depiction of humanity in a space-faring future. That’s why I always get excited whenever I hear about things related to space exploration and development. For instance, the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope or even something a little wackier like the US Congress’ hearing on UFOs. Recently, India landed itself in this “exciting space exploration” category, having successfully deployed the Chandrayaan-3 to the moon’s south pole. This is the first time landing on the south pole has been done, and it’s a clear indication of the country’s capabilities. That said, will this lead to greater things for India’s spacetech industry? -- Jonathan  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THE BIG STORY [Can Chandrayaan-3’s trip to the moon catalyze Indian spacetech funding boom?]( Local spacetech firms see more investor interest after ISRO’s successful lunar mission, but all eyes are now on the country’s space policy. --------------------------------------------------------------- TRENDING NEWS [Indonesia’s Amartha, IFC to invest $206m in women-led MSMEs]( Aiming to address regional disparities, the fintech firm will allocate 70% of the funding to entrepreneurs outside the Java island. [Wavemaker Impact secures $15m in ongoing raise for maiden fund]( The climate tech venture builder expects the fund to be oversubscribed by the end of this year. [Kasikornbank launches $100m fund for fintech-focused AI, Web3 solutions]( KXVC plans to invest in over 30 startups and funds globally, focusing on those in Asia Pacific, Israel, the US, and the European Union. [Indonesian VC funds Arise, Centauri merge to form Ascent Venture Group]( The new VC firm is raising US$200 million to invest in 25 early-stage companies in Indonesia. ---------------------------------------------------------------  VISUAL STORY OF THE DAY [Asia layoff tracker: CoinSwitch, CoinDCX, and Khatabook shed over 155 jobs]( Tech firms are dismissing staff to stay afloat as headwinds hit Asia. This layoff tracker is keeping tabs on marching orders. --------------------------------------------------------------- TECH IN ASIA CONFERENCE 2023 Camaraderie is a funny thing: Being surrounded by the right people can make you feel like you could conquer the world. When like-minded individuals come together, they can inspire each other, and one way we do that at our annual Tech in Asia Conference is through Startup Factory. [Dozens of startups and founders]( from all over Asia showcase their best at this gathering every year, but if you want to join them you can’t wait too long - we’ve only got a few spots left. To apply for these remaining slots, click [here]( and sign up by September 25. ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING You can also check out a curated list of trending tech events [over here](. - [AD] [StartmeupHK Festival]( on November 8 to 17 Many brands like to use “all-in-one” to emphasize their range of offerings . This can be applied to events too - at this year’s StartmeupHK Festival, attendees will get to explore a huge range of topics all in one place such as Web3, healthtech, proptech, greentech, GameFi, and more. Want to find out what else you can expect from this all-in-one event? Visit the StartmeupHK Festival website [here]( to learn more. - [Startup Arena Pitch Battle]( at the Tech in Asia Conference (Apply by September 25) Startup founders, stand a chance to win a US$10,000 cash prize and more! Each finalist will get to pitch live to a panel of investors on the conference’s Main Stage and get a complimentary Startup Factory booth to showcase their startup. Finalists not based in Indonesia will also receive up to a US$1000 travel stipend. Apply [here](.  - [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: Philippines on September 27]( Engage in a real talk with founders at our first-ever panel of the Founders Meetup series on September 27. Moderated by Tech in Asia editor-in-chief Terence Lee, this session invites you to hear from Brian Cu (CEO and co-founder, SariSuki) and Rexy Josh Dorado (president and co-founder, Kumu) as they discuss the real side of kickstarting and scaling a startup in the Philippines. Get a ticket to join us at Weremote Makati Central Square (2nd Floor, Makati Cinema Square, Chino Roces Ave, Legazpi Village, Makati, Metro Manila) from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Avoid FOMO and [sign up now]( ---------------------------------------------------------------  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]( page](. Our team will get back to you by the next business day. - Voiro - [Voiro Launches A Complete Business Management Suite For Ad Monetisation Teams]( Voiro, an enterprise SaaS company, launches a complete business management suite for ad monetisation teams across sectors. - Smart Communications - [Experience the future of mobile streaming at FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023]( Smart and Radisys successfully ran its beta test of the Smart LiveStream App boasting groundbreaking features. ---------------------------------------------------------------  WHO'S HIRING You can post a job [here]( or search for jobs [here](. - [Valuation Analyst Intern]( at Propseller Singapore, Singapore - [Content Creator (TikTok) Intern]( at Finku Jakarta, Indonesia - [Art Director]( at Little Joy Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia - [People Development Intern]( at Cakap Yogyakarta, Indonesia - [Sales Admin Penjualan]( at Scout.inc Bandung, Java, Indonesia - [Full Stack Engineer]( at Kick Avenue Jakarta, Indonesia [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( P.S. 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