Southeast Asian tech startups attract 8.2 billion USD in 2020
Technology startups in Southeast Asia raised 8.2 billion USD last year, down 3.5 percent from 2019, according to the Singapore-based venture-capital firm Cento Ventures.
Unicorns in Southeast Asian like GoJek of Indonesia received about half of the total investment volume poured into tech startups in the region last year (Photo: AFP)
Jakarta (VNA) – Technology startups inSoutheast Asia raised 8.2 billion USD last year, down 3.5 percent from 2019,according to the Singapore-based venture-capital firm Cento Ventures.
The number of deals in the region stood at 333in 2020, with about 50 percent of the total investment volume poured intounicorns like Grab of Malaysia and GoJek, Bukalapak, and Traveloka ofIndonesia.
While deals of more than 100 million USDaccounted for 57 percent of the total investments, those between 50 million USDand 100 million USD rose to a record 1.1 billion USD, up 26 percent from 2019.
Despite the pandemic’s impact, Southeast Asiasaw the smallest decline in startup investments compared to most other emergingmarkets such as India (down 31 percent) and Africa (down 38 percent), CentoVentures said.
It noted that over half of the tech investmentflowed into super apps and online retailers, totalling over 4 billionUSD in 2020. Other sectors that saw rising demand include payments, logistics,and local services.
About 70 percent of capital was invested inIndonesian startups. Startups in this archipelago nation and Singapore made up64 percent of the total number of deals done./.
As Southeast Asian ride-hailing giants Gojek and Grab are reportedly discussing a merger deal, Indonesian officials and experts have warned that a consolidation of such dominant companies may cause a market monopoly.
Indonesia had the largest food delivery service market in Southeast Asia in 2020 in terms of gross merchandise value (GMV), according to a report by venture capital firm Momentum Works.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts remain the largest challenges for the Southeast Asian region in 2021, according to the State of Southeast Asia 2021 survey report announced by the ASEAN Studies Centre at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute on February 10.
Southeast Asia’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic can best be achieved by all sides involved working together and closely collaborating to address challenges before them, said Masatsugu Asakawa, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
Efforts to empower women must transcend dialogue and translate into concrete commitments, including corporate pledges and government partnerships, according to the spouse of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.