Investments flood Singapore fintechs in April, May after quiet Q1

Total equity funding reached a record-high $462m. Singapore-headquartered fintechs saw a sharp increase in investments in April and May, a recovery from the downturn seen in Q1, as investors injected funds into large firms relevant to the current environment, according to a BCG FinTech Control Tower report. Total equity funding hit a record-high $462m YTD, showing solid confidence in the…

Rivian races ahead of other EV startups with $1.3 billion in new funding

Michigan-based EV startup Rivian has announced a massive new $1.3 billion financing round led by T. Rowe Price — one that includes existing investors like Amazon and Ford. It’s the fourth time Rivian has raised money this year, following an Amazon-led $700 million raise in February, a $500 million investment from Ford in April, and $350 million from Cox Automotive…

Investment funds controlling US$37 trillion in global assets are failing to meet climate goals, says think tank InfluenceMap

The world’s largest investment funds – controlling a mammoth US$37 trillion in assets – are failing to bring their portfolios in line with the Paris climate goals, new analysis showed on Wednesday. The funds control portfolios containing a fifth of the total value of world capital markets, yet their investments in sectors such as cars and coal puts them “significantly…

Singapore launches $14m initiative to draw film funds to Southeast Asia

Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) has launched a $14.7m (S$20m) initiative to partner with film and media investment funds that set up in the city state to invest in film and TV content across Southeast Asia. Describing the S$20m as a “catalyst to attract other investors”, IMDA has launched an open call for partners that can “jointly support the…

Indonesia looks to set up sovereign wealth fund

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Singapore fund seeks CCI nod to buy 37.5 pct in Aakash Educational services

Aakash Educational Services, which had sought to list on the exchanges via an ‘offer for sale’ (OFS) in July 2018, could see an investment by Singapore VII Topco I. The fund has sought the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) nod to acquire a 37.5% stake in the company that runs the Aakash Institute coaching centres, according to a CCI notification…

Toyota venture fund commits $100M to autonomy startups

Toyota's venture capital firm has announced a new $100 million fund dedicated to startups involved in automation and robotics. Founded in 2017, Toyota AI Ventures has already invested in 19 different early-stage startups including several automated robotics companies, a self-driving shuttle service, and a company that builds autonomous control systems for the maritime industry. "Auto manufacturers must participate in the…

Facebook killer? Google wunderkind is building a secret social-gaming startup

Google is secretly building a social-gaming startup, part of its effort to create fledgling companies within the internet-search giant. The founder and co-owner of the new firm, called Arcade, is Michael Sayman, according to people familiar with the matter. Sayman is the 21-year-old wunderkind who started as a Facebook Inc. intern at age 17 and left that company for Alphabet…

15 Traits of Failing Entrepreneurs You Should Avoid

Several years ago, we rented an office in a co-working space. Most networking and training activities happened on-site or in partner community spaces, crowded with self-proclaimed entrepreneurs. Working regularly from coffee shops for nearly a decade now also gave me an opportunity to meet solopreneurs and fresh business owners who dreamed big. Seeing startups fail weekly, here’s my condensed list…