Hyphen Partners

#BuzzingDealsOfTheWeek ➤ Hive Health (YC S21): Undisclosed Hive Health is a digital health platform that offers HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) plans tailor-made for small-medium enterprises in the Philippines. •⁠  Stage: Pre-Series A •⁠  ⁠Industry: Insurance tech / The Philippines •⁠  ⁠Investor:  Gentree Fund and BEENEXT ➤ CHITOSE Group: US$6.2 million Chitose Bio Evolution is a holding company for Chitose Group that runs a network of sustainability-focused biotech firms engaged in R&D and industrial use of microorganisms, cell lines, microalgae, etc. across agriculture, food, and health. •⁠  Stage: Debt Financing  •⁠  ⁠Industry: Biotech / Singapore •⁠  ⁠Investor:  Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation – SMBC Group ➤ BluMaiden Biosciences: Undisclosed  BluMaiden Biosciences focuses on solutions to microbiome-derived diseases and specializes in small-molecule drug discovery, leveraging artificial intelligence-guided computational genetics and chemistry technology.  •⁠  Stage: Series unknown •⁠  ⁠Industry: Biotech / Singapore •⁠  ⁠Investor: elev8.vc and Seeds Capital ➤ Peak Energy: US$55 million  Peak Energy industrializes sodium-ion to expedite the shift to renewable energy. •⁠  Stage: Series A  •⁠  ⁠Industry: Cleantech, EV/ the US  •⁠  ⁠Investor: Temasek’s Xora Innovation ➤  Amity Solutions: US$60 million Amity’s GenAI chatbots allow its enterprise customers to resolve issues or respond to employee queries.  •⁠  Stage:  Series C  •⁠  ⁠Industry: GenAI/ Thailand •⁠  ⁠Investor: Insight Capital ➤ Wisedrive | The Warranty Company: Undisclosed  Wisedrive offers AI-driven extended warranty services for used cars.  •⁠  Stage: Series unknown •⁠  ⁠Industry: Auto industry/ India •⁠  ⁠Investor: Rigel Capital Management         ➤  Ayala Land, Inc.: US$250 million  Ayala Land is the real estate arm of the Ayala Corporation, one of the Philippines' biggest and well-established business conglomerates. •⁠  Stage: Sustainability-linked loan •⁠  ⁠Industry: Real estate/ the Philippines •⁠  ⁠Investor: IFC - International Finance Corporation                                                                                                                           👉 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 👉 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/gAGy7fB7 #startupfunding #SEA #venturecapital #investments

Singapore is fond of emerging technologies, especially those that can help it strengthen its position as a powerful financial hub. Currently, it’s in love with artificial intelligence and quantum technology.  👉 The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the city-state's central bank, has just committed an additional SGD 100 million (US$74.33 million) to support financial institutions in building capabilities in quantum tech and AI and to enable the adoption of these technologies in financial services. 👉 MAS will establish a quantum track—comprising a technology center grant, a technology innovation grant, and a security grant—to support financial institutions’ interests in building quantum capabilities in Singapore. 👉 Parallelly, Singapore’s National Quantum Office, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), National University of Singapore, National Supercomputing Centre, and Quantinuum have recently signed a memorandum of understanding. The new partnership will enable access to Quantinuum’s advanced quantum computer to explore and collaborate on quantum computing use cases, focusing on computational biology. Beyond Singapore, there are new developments this week that highlight the growth of the regional GenAI industry. 👉 Thailand-based GenAI startup Amity Solutions has just raised US$60 million in a Series C round led by Insight Capital. Founded in 2012, Amity’s GenAI chatbots allow its enterprise customers to quickly resolve issues or respond to employee queries. 👉 Meanwhile, GenAI Fund, a Vietnam-based  AI-focused investment fund, is looking to invest in 50 high-potential regional startups through its $10-million debut fund, as per a DealStreetAsia report. 💡 Read more about it in our latest edition of #ICYMI: https://lnkd.in/gwC5eqn3 💡 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 💡 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/gBjcqnXz #startupfunding #southeastasia #whatisnew #techtrends

🎉 We are excited to introduce Davis Jansons, our new Associate Director - GTM, joining our Australia team! 🇦🇺🌟 Davis brings a wealth of expertise and a strong track record in tech sales and GTM recruitment. Over the years, he has built and established an extensive network in the start-up and scale-up markets across Australia and APAC. Based in Sydney, this hire underscores our commitment to better serve clients throughout the APAC region and further enhance our presence in the Australian market. A professional rugby player who has represented Latvia’s national rugby team, Davis's competitive spirit and leadership skills will be invaluable as he leads the GTM desk and strategy for our Australia business, specializing in hiring strategic leadership positions and focusing on top-tier talent across Account Executives, Account Management, Customer Success, Solution Consulting, and more. Please join us in welcoming Davis— feel free to reach out and connect! 💬 Hyphen Partners | Alicia Keith

#BuzzingDealsOfTheWeek ➤ POEN. Co., Ltd.: US$27.3 million Poen is a cleantech startup that specializes in remanufacturing waste electric vehicle batteries. •⁠  Stage: Series B •⁠  ⁠Industry: Cleantech /South Korea •⁠  ⁠Investor:  DSC Investment, E& Venture Partners, Hyundai Marine & Fire insurance, K2 Investment Partners, KDB Bank, L&S Venture Capital, and Lotte Ventures. ➤ DST: US$20 million DST helps logistic players electrify their fleets while integrating the entire value chain of the new energy logistics vehicle industry.  •⁠  Stage: Series E+ •⁠  ⁠Industry: Electric Vehicles, Logistics / China •⁠  ⁠Investor: Twin Towers Ventures (TTV) ➤ Aether Fuels: US$34 million  Aether Fuels caters to the aviation and ocean shipping industry with breakthrough solutions for producing sustainable fuels that are practical, economical, and scalable. •⁠  Stage: Series A  •⁠  ⁠Industry: Cleantech /the US, Singapore •⁠  ⁠Investor: Eni ➤ Nami Energy: US$10 million  Nami Energy provides rooftop solar solutions and on-site energy solutions like battery storage and energy efficiency measures to commercial and industrial clients. •⁠  Stage: Venture round, series unknown •⁠  ⁠Industry: Cleantech/ Vietnam •⁠  ⁠Investor: Clime Capital ➤ Partior: US$60 million Partior provides blockchain-based clearing and settlement infrastructure supporting the money movement globally. •⁠  Stage: Series B •⁠  ⁠Industry: Fintech/ Singapore •⁠  ⁠Investor: Peak XV Partners, Valor Capital Group, Jump Trading Group,  J.P. Morgan, Standard Chartered, and Temasek.                                                                                       👉 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 👉 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/gBjcqnXz #startupfunding #SEA #venturecapital #investments

At Hyphen Partners, we are always committed to investing in innovative technologies that empower our consultants to excel and deliver results more efficiently. As early adopters of Scout, we are excited to leverage AI to help staffing companies increase revenue. We are already experiencing the remarkable benefits of this cutting-edge platform and the AI technology driving it. A big thank you to Tushar T. and team for your support and collaboration! #hyphenpartners #RecTech #AI

Southeast Asia is a fertile market for many industries. But none of them are as buzzing as electric vehicles, thanks to the region’s pledge to transition to a decarbonized economy by 2050. For context, in 2023, there was a significant 894% year-on-year rise in EV demand in Southeast Asia. This year, the EV sales in the region more than doubled in the January to March quarter from a year before. This rapidly growing appetite for electrified vehicles has increased Chinese players' affinity for the region. 👉 China is already a dominant force in the global EV space. Last year, it manufactured about six out of 10 electric vehicles globally, which makes it the top EV manufacturer. 👉 China accounted for around 60% of global electric car sales in 2023. What makes them more attractive is their competitive pricing compared to Western and Asian counterparts. Chinese EV manufacturers have established a strong presence in Southeast Asia’s two largest economies, Indonesia and Thailand. 👉 In Indonesia, the sales of Chinese EV makers outstripped those of British automobile makers by 8x in the first half of this year, per a report by Tech in Asia. 👉 Meanwhile, Chinese players are doubling down on their investments in Thailand. They have already committed over US$1.44 billion for manufacturing facilities in Thailand. 👉 Over 70% of EV sales in the region are from Chinese brands, led by BYD, which has about 47% of the regional market share, per research firm Counterpoint Research. Vietnam's VinFast is the second largest player here. As things stand, Chinese EV manufacturers will continue their upward journey. 👉 BYD has just opened an EV factory in Thailand, which marks its first expansion in Southeast Asia. Another Chinese player that is entering Southeast Asia is Hozon, the firm behind the Neta brand of EVs. 💡 Read more about it in our latest edition of #ICYMI: https://lnkd.in/gsgr89MF 💡 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 💡 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/gBjcqnXz #startupfunding #southeastasia #whatisnew #techtrends

#BuzzingDealsOfTheWeek ➤ Validus: US$17.57 million Validus is an all-in-one digital SME financing platform, that offers loans, corporate cards, and payments and expense management in markets like Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. •⁠ Stage: Debt financing •⁠ ⁠Industry: Fintech / Singapore •⁠ ⁠Investor: Oikocredit and FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank ➤ AgriG8 : Undisclosed AgriG8 is an agri-fintech platform that aims to make it attractive for lenders to invest in climate-resilient farming. Through its digital platform CropPal, it gamifies the ways farmers can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to access financing. •⁠ Stage: Venture round, series unknown •⁠ ⁠Industry: Fintech, Agritech / Singapore •⁠ ⁠Investor: Better Bite Ventures and The Trendlines Group ➤ Xcelerate Global: US$52 million Xcelerate offers comprehensive GRC solutions to its clients to grow both organically and through acquisitions. •⁠ Stage: Debt financing •⁠ ⁠Industry: Fintech / Singapore •⁠ ⁠Investor: Orion Capital Asia ➤ KargoBot: US$83.3 million KargoBot is an autonomous driving company developing eco-friendly robot trucks. •⁠ Stage: Series A •⁠ ⁠Industry: Automotive/ Chinese •⁠ ⁠Investor: China International Marine Containers (Group) Co., Ltd, Ordos Venture Capital, and 深圳市投资控股有限公司 Shenzhen Investment Holdings Co., LTD ➤ Hi-P International: US$74.1 million Hi-P provides advanced manufacturing, production, assembly, testing, and packaging services for customers such as Amazon, Apple, and Dyson. •⁠ Stage: Private Equity round •⁠ ⁠Industry: Manufacturing/ Singapore •⁠ ⁠Investor: 65 Equity Partners ➤ METUB: US$15.5 million METUB Network is a digital media and entertainment platform, which enables creators to produce and distribute content and brands to deliver influencer-led marketing campaigns. •⁠ Stage: Private equity round •⁠ ⁠Industry: Media and Entertainment/ Vietnam •⁠ ⁠Investor: Morgan Stanley Investment Management 👉 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 👉 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/gTztaHUG #startupfunding #SEA #venturecapital #investments

Investors worldwide showed a better risk appetite in the last three months, particularly for AI projects. 👉 Global startup funding rose to touch US$79 billion in the second quarter of 2024—up 16% quarter-over-quarter and 12% year-on-year—as per the latest data released by Crunchbase. 👉 Funding in Q2 2024 was among the highest since Q1 2023. Venture capitalists wrote several US$100 million plus checks, contributing to the overall rise in startup funding. And that’s probably because they had much-needed liquidity, thanks to larger M&A deals that rose in the quarter, notes Crunchbase. 👉 AI was the biggest driver that moved money this quarter. Investments in AI startups surged to US$24 billion from April to June, more than doubling from the previous quarter. In fact, AI startup funding represented 30% of all dollars invested. 👉 With investors rushing not to miss out on lucrative AI deals, AI emerged as the most funded sector for the first time since the launch of ChatGPT despite the concerns about revenue and high valuations. Notably, there were six billion-dollar funding rounds in Q2 2024, of which five went to AI companies. AI will likely continue to dominate investors’ mind space and the share of the wallet. And that’s because the AI race has got all the more heated as more and more companies, particularly those in China, build AI models that reportedly match or exceed GPT-4. Beyond the LLMs—large language models that run services like ChatGPT and Claude—there is a rising interest in AI-powered robots, led by the US and China. 👉 The total addressable market for humanoid robots is now projected to reach US$38 billion by 2035, up more than sixfold from a year-old projection of US$6 billion. 👉 Since these robots can now leverage LLMs to understand language and make decisions, companies like Nvidia, Microsoft, Tesla, and Amazon are pouring billions of dollars into developing intelligent humanoids that can perform human tasks. 💡 Read more about it in our latest edition of #ICYMI: https://lnkd.in/gjFdydAS 💡 Stay updated on the Southeast Asia startup and VC scene by hitting the "Follow" button for more news like this 🚀 💡 To get weekly updates on what’s buzzing in the Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, subscribe to our newsletter #ICYMI here: https://lnkd.in/gBjcqnXz #startupfunding #southeastasia #whatisnew #techtrends