Dec 12, 2021
Asia’s tech news #120: The Philippines opportunity, QR ordering in Australia, Indian digital currency…
In this issue: Luxury yacht platform from Thailand, The Philippines as investment opportunity, India’s Reserve Bank and digital currency classification, Metaverse Seoul project, Financial Times and UNSDGs…
The Philippines: Southeast Asia’s next big breakout market? — technode.global
TechNode Global’s series on the Philippines will delve into why now, after years of depending on income from remittances, Filipino entrepreneurs and founders are attracting venture capital (VC) money…
Australia: Mr Yum raises $65M Series A with QR-based mobile food ordering and payments platform — techcrunch.com
QR code ordering at restaurants has been around for years, but the pandemic increased its adoption as social distancing and hygiene measures went into place. Mr Yum, a Melbourne-based mobile…
India: Reserve Bank proposes wider definition of ‘bank note’ to include currency in digital form — indianexpress.com
Introduction of CBDC would also possibly lead to a more robust, efficient, trusted, regulated and legal tender-based payments option. There are also associated risks which need to be carefully…
India: Twitter’s new CEO, Parag Agrawal, replaces founder and chief executive Dorsey — www.techcircle.in
Agrawal had so far served as the chief technology officer (CTO) of Twitter after joining the company in 2011. He holds a B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of…
ICYMI: FTxSDG Challenge set for Dec 13–17, addressing UN Sustainable Development Goals — fttalent.ft.com
Join the FTxSDG Challenge Finals to discover who will be the winners of the 2021 edition and meet the most promising impact-driven entrepreneurs from over 90 emerging markets and learn more…
Australia: Audalize looks to UK, NZ with background music supply for hospitality, retail and similar — themusicnetwork.com
“We’ve been working…to equip businesses with an easy, integrated and affordable way to manage their background music, digital signage, audio messaging and ambient visuals like action sport, social and…
South Korea: ‘Metaverse Seoul’ initiative to launch New Year’s Eve, for completion by 2026 — www.washingtonpost.com
In ‘Metaverse Seoul’ according to plans, residents would be able to make reservations for city-run facilities, ride city tour buses, visit re-creations of destroyed historical sites, file administrative complaints with city bureaucrats and…
India’s slice hits unicorn status, spanning prepaid Visa card, virtual cards, BNPL & cash-back — www.deccanherald.com
FinTech start-up slice has raised $220 million in a Series B round that values the company at over $1 billion, making it India’s newest unicorn. The round was led by investors Tiger Global and New York…
Thailand: Boatcrowd raises $250K seed from angel investors with luxury yacht charter platform — www.techinasia.com
Founded this year, Boatcrowd gives customers access to yacht rental deals worldwide, allowing them to choose from among crewed motor yachts, premium catamarans, and powerboats.
Video: Financial Times on stablecoins — what they are, how they work, why they concern regulators — www.ft.com
FT banking and fintech reporter Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan looks at how the digital assets are used, why they are growing in popularity — and why they are in regulators’ sights…
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