Asia’s tech news #095: Tech & the Quad, HSBC JumpStarter, AI in India, BNPL in Vietnam…

Asia’s tech, startup and funding news in brief, drawn from South & SE Asia, Australia & NZ, with wider-world items for reference. Get the app here

Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund/HSBC JumpStarter 2022 Competition applications close November 28th — kr-asia.com

Ten finalists will compete for investments of up to US$4M and access business opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

India: Microsoft launches startup-focused AI Innovate and AI Playbook to provide resources, partnerships… — www.techcircle.in

To assist and ensure they have access to the right AI resources, partnerships, and guidance to deploy AI at scale, Microsoft has launched a new startup programme called AI Innovate.

Sri Lanka: Uber partners Ministry of Youth and Sports for Uber Entrepreneurship Challenge 2021 — bizenglish.adaderana.lk

Uber Sri Lanka, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, today announced the launch of the Uber Entrepreneurship Challenge 2021, an…

India: Stripe payments giant makes first India acqusition with Recko payments reconciliation platform — techcrunch.com

Stripe, the outsized fintech out of San Francisco that is valued at $95 billion, is making another acquisition to expand the services it offers alongside its core payments product. The company is acquiring Recko…

A look at tech opportunities for Japan, India and Australia as members of the recently-announced Quad group — asia.nikkei.com

With them bound together by a shared interest in ensuring that next-generation technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology and semiconductors are developed and used in line with democratic values and universal human rights…

Wild Digital Southeast Asia Conference: November 9–12, 2021

Vietnam: South Korea’s LOTTE Card launches buy-now-pay-later service — www.finextra.com
LOTTE Finance Vietnam, a subsidiary of LOTTE Card, one of the leading credit card companies in South Korea, has launched a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) service to enhance the online shopping experience of Vietnamese consumers.

Philippines: F(DEV), backed by Filinvest Group, marks first anniversary of transforming bricks-and-mortar… — manilastandard.net

F(DEV), the premier corporate-led venture builder in the Philippines, marks its first anniversary by launching its new venture portfolio targeting big gaps in the market with technology-driven business…

Taiwan: A dive into Asia Silicon Valley Development Plan, aimed at boosting Taiwan’s IoT and 5G ecosystems — www.eetasia.com

In terms of the construction of the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, ASVDP’s venture angel investment program has invested NT$2.24 billion in 154 startups as of September this year, driving the…

India: Meesho social commerce firm reportedly in discussions with Google around $50M backing — ph.news.yahoo.com

Google has held discussions to invest over $50 million in Indian social commerce startup Meesho, which recently secured $570 million in a financing round, according to a source familiar with the…