Category: Local Business

Spartan Capital: Society Pass (Nasdaq: SOPA) – SoPa’s Nusatrip Cleared for Take-off

Spartan Capital Securities LLC (“Spartan Capital”) issues Equity Research Report on Society Pass Inc. (Nasdaq: SOPA) (“SoPa”).

Click Here (on Society Pass website) to view the full Spartan Capital Equity Research Report. https://tinyurl.com/SpartanCapital-SOPA-25August

Summary Points:

– Society Pass recently closed on its acquisition of the Indonesian online travel site Nusatrip just as the Indonesian travel market is taking off with international travel up 525% year-to-date.

– The deal was signed at an event on July 1st and just closed on August 15th with SoPa paying $620,000. Spartan Capital attended the closing event, visited Nusatrip’s Jakarta offices, met with its founder and CEO, and met the president of the seller, PT Moratelindo in Jakarta. Moratelindo is a telecom juggernaut in Indonesia with strong government connections, but Nusatrip was not a core business. The two companies remain close, for example with Nusatrip utilizing Moratelindo data centres, so SoPa has gained a strong, valuable partner in the region.

– Nusatrip is the third largest online travel agency in Indonesia, after Traveloka, which is independent, and Tiket.com, which is owned by the Indonesian conglomerate Djarum Group. According to recent press accounts, both have considered capital markets transactions in the last year which would value each in the billions of dollars. So Nusatrip could well be worth more than SoPa paid.

– Indonesia is a democracy with the fourth largest population in the world. GDP growth is projected at around 5% this year and next and its rapidly growing young population is served by numerous ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs). In Spartan Capital experience, young emerging market adults tend to avail themselves of international travel as soon as they have some disposable income. The domestic market is huge as Indonesia is an archipelago consisting of 18,000 islands, so much travel is by air, not by car.

– Nusatrip was EBITDA positive and growing rapidly before the pandemic with positive EBITDA from 2014, its second year in business, to 2018.

– The Indonesian travel market is again booming with traffic up 92% over 2021 through the first six months of this year. Spartan Capital expects this rebound to continue as it began later than the US and European markets and traffic is only about half that of 2019, before the pandemic.

– So, in Spartan Capital’s view, SoPa has impeccable timing, buying a business that was loaded with debt incurred to cover operating costs during the pandemic but poised for rapid growth, and likely to return to profitability again soon.

– Spartan Capital identifies six relatively straightforward synergies between Nusatrip and the other SoPa business units which should drive revenue across the ecosystem, furthering the founder’s dream of creating the next billion-dollar Southeast Asia super-app.

1. Expand Nusatrip to the other four countries where SoPa operates.
2. Cross sell Gorilla travel eSIMs so Nusatrip international travel customers can use their phones abroad.
3. Leverage Thoughtful Media social media/influencer marketing to market the service.
4. Leflair, SoPa’s luxury goods flash sale app, is launching in Indonesia later this year.
5. Allow Nusatrip customers to earn points through the Society Pass loyalty program to purchase goods on any of the seven other SoPa businesses.
6. Allow customers of the other seven SoPa businesses to use their loyalty points for travel booked through Nusatrip.

About Society Pass Inc

As a digitally-focused loyalty and data marketing ecosystem in Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand and with offices located in Angeles, Bangkok, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Manila, and Singapore, SoPa is an acquisition-focused e-commerce holding company operating 6 interconnected verticals (loyalty, lifestyle, F&B, telecoms, digital media, and travel), which seamlessly connects millions of registered consumers and hundreds of thousands of registered merchants/brands across multiple product and service categories throughout SEA.

SoPa’s business model focuses on analysing user data through its Society Pass loyalty platform and circulation of its universal loyalty points or Society Points. The Society Pass loyalty platform drives customer acquisition and increases customer retention for merchants. Since its inception, SoPa has amassed over 3.3 million registered consumers and over 205,000 registered merchants/brands onto its platform. It has invested 2+ years building proprietary IT architecture with cutting-edge components to effectively scale and support its consumers, merchants, and acquisitions.

Society Pass leverages technology to tailor a more personalised experience for customers in the purchase journey and to transform the entire retail value chain in SEA. SoPa operates Leflair.com, Vietnam’s leading lifestyle e-commerce platform, Pushkart.ph, a popular grocery delivery company in Philippines, Handycart.vn, a leading online restaurant delivery service based in Vietnam, Mangan, the leading local restaurant delivery service in Philippines, Gorilla Networks, a Singapore-based, web3-enabled mobile blockchain network operator, Thoughtful Media Group, a Bangkok-based, a social commerce-focused, premium digital video multi-platform network, and NusaTrip (“NusaTrip”), a leading Jakarta-based Online Travel Agency (“OTA”) in Indonesia and across SEA. For more information, please check out: http://thesocietypass.com/.

Media Contacts:
PRecious Communications
sopa@preciouscomms.com

Avantor and Avantor Foundation Make a Difference by Providing Critical Health Services for Vulnerable Communities in Singapore

Avantor Foundation, Avantor’s philanthropic arm, committed financial resources to healthcare charitable organizations, HealthServe and SATA CommHealth, as part of the Foundation’s mission to provide healthcare to those in need.

The grants will offer much-needed support to communities who would otherwise be unable to receive quality medical care. By identifying community needs and addressing them through these grants, the Avantor Foundation is able to contribute to the advancement of healthcare in Singapore and the region.

“As we continue to create a better world, grants like this demonstrate our commitment to providing healthcare to those in need,” said Christophe Couturier, Executive Vice President, AMEA, Avantor and Board Member of the Avantor Foundation. “By working with SATA CommHealth and HealthServe, we want to connect and help communities, which deserve crucial assistance but are sometimes overlooked. The aid we are providing will address the critical unmet needs in healthcare and enable Science for Goodness, and ultimately create a lasting impact in our communities.”

SATA CommHealth, an organization which serves the community through the provision of subsidized care in their medical centers, will work with approximately 50 community and grassroots organizations to provide free health screenings for the elderly and less fortunate through regular check-ups and early medical intervention to prevent chronic or deadly diseases.

“We are truly grateful to receive this generous donation from the Avantor Foundation,” said Boon Khiang Chia, Director & Head of Strategic Partnerships & Branding, SATA CommHealth. “We will be able to facilitate collaboration with our community leaders and constituency representatives to effectively serve the healthcare needs of our beneficiaries, especially the elderly who are most vulnerable to poor health.”

The Avantor Foundation also has provided a grant to HealthServe, a medical NGO that advocates for the needs and wellbeing of vulnerable, low-wage migrant workers in Singapore. Their services include healthcare, counseling, casework, mental health support and social assistance for their beneficiaries. HealthServe will use this grant for a nurse-led chronic disease case management program that supports migrant workers in need of medical assistance.

Michael Cheah, Executive Director, HealthServe said, “Bringing healing and hope to migrant workers has always been a cause that is very close to our hearts. This contribution from the Avantor Foundation will allow us to offer customized care plans to these workers in need of medical assistance and deliver better care outcomes for them in the long term.”

About Avantor

Avantor, a Fortune 500 company, is a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to customers in the biopharma, healthcare, education & government, and advanced technologies & applied materials industries. Our portfolio is used in virtually every stage of the most important research, development and production activities in the industries we serve. Our global footprint enables us to serve more than 225,000 customer locations and gives us extensive access to research laboratories and scientists in more than 180 countries. We set science in motion to create a better world.

For more information, visit www.avantorsciences.com/site/ and find us on:
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/avantorinc/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/Avantor_News
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Avantorinc/

About Avantor Foundation

As the philanthropic arm of Avantor, the Avantor Foundation’s mission is to create a better world by advancing science education and providing healthcare to those in need. Since 2009, the Avantor Foundation has been making a difference in the science community by supporting organizations aligned to its mission. Learn more at www.avantorsciences.com/pages/en/avantor-foundation.

Media Contact
Christina Koh
Director, Communications – AMEA
Avantor
M: +65 9720 0169
Christina.Koh@avantorsciences.com

Bintai Kinden Appointed by South Korean Company to Market Piping and Fitting Products

Mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineering services specialist Bintai Kinden Corporation Berhad (Bursa: BINTAI, 6998) is pleased to announce that Bintai Energy Sdn Bhd has been appointed by World Standard Materials Co. Ltd. (WSM) to sell and market flanges, plates, tubes, pipe, coils and fittings for the chemical and petrochemical industries.

En. Azri Azerai, Executive Director of Bintai Kinden

Bintai Energy is 51% owned by Bintai Kinden through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Kejuruteraan Bintai Kindenko Sdn Bhd. WSM was founded in 1999 in Busan, South Korea. The company is involved in manufacturing and trading of industrial steel products. The company supplies to various industries internationally, including oil and Gas, power generation, shipbuilding, chemical and petrochemical industries.

As part of the appointment, WSM will work with Bintai Energy to seek opportunities as well as provide the necessary technical and competitive price support of the products while Bintai Energy will be responsible for the promotion of WSM’s products. The collaboration is for a period of three years.

En. Azri Azerai, Executive Director of Bintai Kinden said, “The collaboration with WSM enables us to widen our product offerings to the chemical and petrochemical industries important for their role in the value-chain of other industries such as plastics and automotives as they supply the raw materials.”

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with WSM, whose research and development efforts have been rewarded with quality flanges, pipes and fittings that are used in the chemical and petrochemical industries. We look forward to working together to grow the market for WSM’s products in Malaysia.”

Mr. Ahn Byung Hwan, President of WSM said, “We are looking forward to working with Bintai Energy to bring our products to the Malaysian market. We believe that together, both parties will be able to make inroads into the chemical and petrochemical industries.”

Bintai Kinden Corporation Berhad: 6998 [BURSA: BKC], http://bintai.com.my/

eDriving and Innovation Group Win Technology Program Award at The Australian Road Safety Foundation’s 11th Annual Australian Road Safety Awards

Together with partner Innovation Group Australia, eDriving(SM), a Solera company, and leading global provider of digital driver risk management solutions, has been named the winner of the Technology Program Award at The Australian Road Safety Foundation’s 11th Annual Road Safety Awards.

eDriving and Innovation Group were presented with the award for eDriving’s innovative digital driver safety app, Mentor(SM). Mentor is made available by eDriving to fleet operators in Australia and New Zealand through the Innovation Group partnership.

The Australian Road Safety Awards acknowledge the achievements of leading road safety stakeholders and provide an opportunity to formally recognise their commitment to improving road safety outcomes.

“We’re delighted that Mentor has been recognised for its contribution to keeping those who drive for work purposes safe across Australia and New Zealand,” said Ed Dubens, CEO/Founder of eDriving. “This is great news for reinforcing the value of our partnership with Innovation Group in helping to reduce driver risk in Australia.”

Drew Schnehage, Managing Director of Innovation Group Australia, added: “Thank you to the Australian Road Safety Foundation for the nomination and our win of the Technology Programs Award. We are proud to be the exclusive resellers of the award-winning Mentor by eDriving offering.”

eDriving’s Mentor app is a smartphone-based digital driver safety program that identifies driver risk using a validated FICO(R) Safe Driving Score, and remediates risky behaviour with training, coaching and gamification. Among other features, Mentor also incorporates an eco-driving indicator, plus Automatic Crash Detection and Personal SOS features powered by Sfara and Bosch, which trigger emergency response services to keep drivers safe 24 x 7.

As with all eDriving programs and tools, Mentor operates within a highly secure, privacy-first environment, in which only driver data required for risk management is shared with the manager. No location data or individual trip data is visible beyond the driver.

About Solera

Solera is a leading global provider of integrated vehicle lifecycle and fleet management software-as-a-service, data, and services. Through four lines of business — vehicle claims, vehicle repairs, vehicle solutions and fleet solutions – Solera is home to many leading brands in the vehicle lifecycle ecosystem, including Identifix, Audatex, DealerSocket, Omnitracs, eDriving/Mentor, Explore, CAP HPI, Autodata, and others. Solera empowers its customers to succeed in the digital age by providing them with a “one-stop shop” solution that streamlines operations, offers data-driven analytics, and enhances customer engagement, which Solera believes helps customers drive sales, promote customer retention, and improve profit margins. Solera serves over 300,000 global customers and partners in 100+ countries. For more information, visit www.solera.com.

About eDriving

eDriving, a Solera company, helps organisations around the world improve safety, reduce injuries, licence violations, carbon emissions, and total cost of fleet ownership through its patented digital driver risk management programs. These include the Mentor by eDriving(SM) smartphone app with FICO(R) Safe Driving Score; the patented, five-stage Crash-Free Culture(R) risk reduction program; and the Virtual Risk Manager(R) platform, all designed to work in an integrated fashion within a privacy-first, data-secure environment that supports drivers and their managers every step of the way. eDriving is the digital driver risk management partner of choice for many of the world’s largest organisations, supporting over 1,200,000 drivers in 125 countries. Over the past 25 years, eDriving’s research-validated programs have been recognised with over 120 awards around the world. For more information, visit www.edriving.com.

Press contact, eDriving:
Sheila Leverone press@edriving.com

About Innovation Group

Innovation Group delivers transformational expertise to the world’s leading insurers, brokers, fleet managers and automotive manufacturers, helping them to open new growth frontiers with revolutionary solutions. With over 20 years’ experience, our clients trust us to transform their claim management processes, manage critical vehicle and propertyincidents, and generate more revenue through value-added services. Visit https://www.innovation.group/

Mentor Product Sheet https://pr.report/DYPpSGUC

SOURCE: eDriving

CleverTap Raises US$105M in Series D Funding Round Led by CDPQ

CleverTap, a leading global B2B SaaS platform for customer engagement and retention today announced it has signed definitive agreements to raise US$105M in a Series D funding round led by CDPQ, a global investment group who committed US$75M, with participation from IIFL AMC’s Tech Fund, along with existing investors Tiger Global and Sequoia India. The funds will be used to support CleverTap’s global expansion and enhance the development of its world-class solutions and technology.

Founded in Mumbai in 2013 and headquartered in Mountain View, California, CleverTap’s customer engagement and retention SaaS platform leverages machine learning and artificial intelligence to offer a comprehensive user engagement suite that enables brands to build valuable, long-term relationships with their customers. CleverTap’s subscription-based solution has been adopted by a loyal customer base of 1,200 brands in 100 countries representing 10,000 apps across industries including Fintech, eCommerce, Subscription, On Demand, and Streaming media.

In June 2022, CleverTap completed the acquisition of San Francisco-based Leanplum, a leading multi-channel customer engagement platform, further strengthening its footprint in North America and Europe. In the same month, it also unveiled TesseractDB(TM), the world’s first purpose-built database designed to dramatically improve user engagement and retention for digital consumer brands.

“Our vision has been to reshape the way businesses engage with their consumers and bring the tech to MarTech. The addition of long-term investors CDPQ and IIFL AMC Tech fund to CleverTap’s existing backers, Sequoia India, Accel, Tiger Global, and Recruit Holdings is a great endorsement of the successful business we have built, the innovation we bring to the market and the growth potential CleverTap holds,” said Sunil Thomas, Co-founder and Executive Chairman, CleverTap. “The fresh funds will help fuel our plans to further strengthen our presence in key geographies and expand our teams. The last few months have been quite exciting for us with the Leanplum acquisition and unveiling of TesseractDB(TM). And now with the new institutional investors coming on board we have all that we need to grow at a faster rate while consolidating our position as the global leader in the retention space.”

“CleverTap has established itself as a partner of choice for its clients by helping them generate significant incremental revenue. Its subscription-based platform offers a single and reliable source of information that allows brands to maximize the lifetime value of their existing customers by engaging them in a highly personalized way” said Martin Laguerre, Executive Vice-President and Head of Private Equity, CDPQ. “As consumer brands are increasingly focused on customer retention and prioritize tools offering tangible return on investment, we believe CleverTap is well positioned to maintain its global growth trajectory and help more businesses enhance their customer experience.”

“CleverTap is a fast-growing SaaS company that not only has recurring revenue streams and top tier financial metrics, but also a scalable business model with large addressable markets” added Meng Ann Lim, Managing Director, Direct Private Equity for Asia Pacific, CDPQ. “This investment is in line with our strategy to work with innovative companies that enable rapid digital transformation, especially in the Asia-Pacific region where high smartphone penetration is facilitating the digitalization of the economy at a rapid pace.”

“Enterprises are increasingly looking to engage with customers in a real time and in a personalized manner across digital channels. CleverTap’s full stack approach to customer engagement allows them to perform user analytics and run personalized customer campaigns on a real-time basis which enables companies to improve user retention and understand user journeys across channels” said Chetan Naik, Fund Manager and Senior Executive Vice-President, Private Equity at IIFL AMC. “CleverTap has built a unique product suite and analytics capabilities that runs over a proprietary database. CleverTap is one of the fastest growing SaaS companies with best-in-class revenue retention rates. We are excited to partner with them in their journey of creating a leading global customer retention platform out of India.”

“The latest fundraise reaffirms customer and market belief in CleverTap and our growth potential. This fundraise will help us elevate our growth trajectory and further enable us to innovate better and faster while staying ahead of the curve,” said Sidharth Malik, Chief Executive Officer, CleverTap. “The paradigms of user engagement are changing, and as industry leaders we are best positioned to help businesses adapt to this ever-evolving consumer landscape. Our recent acquisitions helped us expand our foothold in North America and Europe, and enhance our leadership in verticals such as on-demand and subscription.”

As part of the transaction, CDPQ will join CleverTap’s Board of Directors upon closure of this funding round. IIFL AMC’s investment is subject to approval from Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

About CleverTap

CleverTap is the World’s No.1 retention cloud that empowers digital consumer brands to increase customer retention and lifetime value. CleverTap drives contextual individualization with the help of a unified and deep data layer, AI/ML-powered insights, and automation enabling brands to offer hyper-personalized and delightful experiences to their customers. 1,200 customers in 100 countries and 10,000 apps, including Gojek, ShopX, Canon, Electronic Arts, TED, English Premier League, TD Bank, Carousell, AirAsia, Papa John’s, and Tesco, trust CleverTap to achieve their retention and engagement goals, growing their long- term revenue. Backed by leading investors such as Sequoia India, Tiger Global, Accel, CDPQ, IIFL and Recruit Holdings, the company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices in Mumbai, Singapore, Sofia, Sao Paulo, Bogota, Amsterdam, Jakarta, and Dubai. For more information, visit clevertap.com or follow on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About CDPQ

At CDPQ, we invest constructively to generate sustainable returns over the long term. As a global investment group managing funds for public pension and insurance plans, we work alongside our partners to build enterprises that drive performance and progress. We are active in the major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. As at December 31, 2021, CDPQ’s net assets totalled CAD 419.8 billion. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

CDPQ is a registered trademark owned by Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec and licensed for use by its subsidiaries.

About IIFL AMC

IIFL Asset Management (IIFL AMC) is a part of IIFL Wealth and Asset Management. IIFL AMC is an alternates-focused asset management and has been playing a pivotal role in the growth of the AIF industry in India. A disciplined and active management approach combined with research-led strategies allows IIFL AMC to tap into India’s potential for delivering on its commitments and long-term growth. The AMC’s diversified suite of mutual funds, PMS, alternative investment funds, credit funds and venture capital funds span public and private equities as well as fixed income securities and real estate. IIFL AMC’s distinctive products bring out the entrepreneurial edge, agility and speed of execution of a boutique asset management business, while providing gold standards of corporate governance of a large corporation with a long-term focus.

For more information
SONY SHETTY
Director, Public Relations, CleverTap
+91 9820900036
sony@clevertap.com

MEDIA RELATIONS TEAM, CDPQ
+1 514 847-5493
medias@cdpq.com

IPSHITA BALU
+91 95901 11798
Ipshita.balu@archetype.co

Forward-Looking Statements

Some of the statements in this press release may represent CleverTap’s belief in connection with future events and may be forward-looking statements, or statements of future expectations based on currently available information. CleverTap cautions that such statements are naturally subject to risks and uncertainties that could result in the actual outcome being absolutely different from the results anticipated by the statements mentioned in the press release. Factors such as the development of general economic conditions affecting our business, future market conditions, our ability to maintain cost advantages, uncertainty with respect to earnings, corporate actions, client concentration, reduced demand, liability or damages in our service contracts, unusual catastrophic loss events, war, political instability, changes in government policies or laws, legal restrictions impacting our business, impact of pandemic, epidemic, any natural calamity and other factors that are naturally beyond our control, changes in the capital markets and other circumstances may cause the actual events or results to be materially different, from those anticipated by such statements. CleverTap does not make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or updated or revised status of such statements. Therefore, in no case whatsoever will CleverTap and its affiliate companies be liable to anyone for any decision made or action taken in conjunction with the information and/or statements in this press release or any related damages.

Lab-Grown Diamond Facility in Singapore to Commence Commercial Production

SGX-listed Metech International Limited (“Metech” or the “Company”, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), is pleased to announce that the lab-grown diamond facilities in Singapore of its joint venture company, Asian Eco Technology Pte. Ltd. (“Asian Eco”), can commence commercial production, following the receipt of the fire safety certificate issued by Singapore Civil Defence Force.

A pilot test of the lab-grown diamond facilities has been successfully completed.

As announced previously, Asian Eco entered into a 3-year lease agreement for an industrial property located at Kallang for the production of lab-grown diamonds.

A wholly-owned subsidiary, Zhongxin Minghua (Shanghai) International Trade Co., Ltd. (formerly known as Nolash (Shanghai) Pte Ltd.), is now a registered member of the Shanghai Diamond Exchange with effect from 13 July 2022.

Growing Industrial Applications of Lab-Growth Diamonds

Diamonds are more widely known to be used in jewellery but diamonds are also commonly used for industrial applications in oil & gas, medical equipment, aerospace, among others.

With an impressive combination of chemical, physical and mechanical properties that are ideal for a wide array of industrial applications, there is increasing commercialisation of scientific discoveries for the industrial applications of diamond in the next generation of semiconductors, aerospace, electric vehicles, medical equipment, among others.

To harness such opportunities, Asian Eco has previously entered in various memorandum of understandings and collaboration agreements with strategic partners and prominent institutions in the areas of research and development and commercialisation.

Commenting on the commencement of Asian Eco’s commercial production of lab-grown diamonds in Singapore, Ms. Samantha Hua, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Metech, said: “This is a major milestone in our business strategy, accelerating our growth ambitions within the global lab-grown diamond industry that continues to exhibit positive growth prospects with its sustainability features.

Aligned with the macro trends of the global lab-grown diamond market, we aim to progressively scale up our production capabilities in Singapore and harness new opportunities.”

About Metech International Limited
(Bloomberg: CENR:SP / Reuters: METE.SI / SGX Stock Code: V3M)

Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, Metech International Limited (“Metech”) has a multi-pronged business model that aligns with the macro trends in the area of environmental and sustainability.

While proactively evaluating new business opportunities to broaden its business model, Metech continues to build on its capabilities and extend the value propositions of its business units.

Media & Investor Contacts:
This announcement has been prepared by the Company and reviewed by the Company’s Sponsor, Novus Corporate Finance Pte. Ltd. (the “Sponsor”), in compliance with Rule 226(2)(b) of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the “SGX-ST”) Listing Manual Section B: Rules of Catalist.

This announcement has not been examined or approved by the SGX-ST and the SGX-ST assumes no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, including the correctness of any of the statements or opinions made or reports contained in this announcement.

The contact person for the Sponsor is Mr. Pong Chen Yih, Chief Operating Officer, at 7 Temasek
Boulevard, #18-03B Suntec Tower 1, Singapore 038987, telephone (65) 6950 2188.

Issued on behalf of Metech International Limited by 8PR Asia Pte Ltd.
Mr. Alex TAN
Mobile: +65 9451 5252
Email: alex.tan@8prasia.com

Digital Treasures Center Secures MPI Licence to Provide Digital Payment Token and Other Payment Services in Singapore

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has granted Digital Treasures Center (DTC) the Major Payment Institution (MPI) licence. Securing the full licence means DTC has exited from the exemption status and is now a fully regulated provider (MAS licence number: PS20200531) of Digital Payment Token (DPT) and other payment services under the Payment Services Act (PSA).

Ms. Alice Liu, Chief Executive Officer and founder of DTC

“We are excited to obtain the full licence from MAS. With the full licensing, we will continue to build on the good work that the team is currently doing while looking to expand our footprint globally starting from our ASEAN neighbours,” said Ms. Alice Liu, Chief Executive Officer and founder of DTC. “Our base in Singapore provides us with the unique competitive advantage in leverage the country’s strong business infrastructure, strong government support, innovation ecosystem and strong regulatory framework to allow us to expand our company.

Effect 1 August 2022, DTC will be providing the following payment activities under the MPI licence:

  1. Account Issuance Service – open accounts for merchants and consumers to accept and pay e-money and non-card transactions.
  2. Merchant Acquisition Service – enable merchants to leverage DTC services to accept and process payment transactions online and offline.
  3. Domestic Money Transfer Service – provide local money transfer services in Singapore.
  4. Cross-border Money Transfer Service – provide cross-border money transfer services globally.
  5. E-money Issuance Service – issue e-money for merchants and consumers.
  6. Digital Payment Token Service – facilitate transactions with digital payment tokens.

“We are grateful for the support and trust that our clients and community have given us over the years. We are optimistic about the future of cryptocurrency as a use case for payment. Over the past few months, we are seeing an uptick of enquiries and onboarding from merchants and companies from healthcare to music, F&B and automobiles on enabling crypto payments,” Liu said. “As crypto payment gains momentum, we are hopeful to see more merchants from various industries coming onboard to accept crypto as an additional form of payment.”

About Digital Treasures Center

Digital Treasures Center Pte Ltd (“DTC”) is an enterprise payment service provider incorporated in Singapore with PCI-DSS level 1 certification and winner of the prestigious Fintech Partner Award at Singapore Fintech Festival. Our payment solution – DTC Pay, offers clients and merchants the ability to receive and settle payment, including cryptocurrency. DTC Pay is compliant, fast, secure and cost efficient. DTC is dedicated to building the payment infrastructure that would allow merchants and consumers to interact with fiat and cryptocurrency seamlessly.

Find out more at www.dtcpayment.com

For media related queries, please contact:
Mr. Desmond Yong
Email: desmond.yong@dtcpayment.com
Mobile: +65 8889 7802

Domineum Holds Blockchain Developers Summit 2022 in Abuja to Outstanding Attendance

Domineum Blockchain Solutions, a leading distributed ledger technology company in Africa, took task to popular blockchain education by holding the Blockchain Developers Summit (BDS) on 21 & 22 July in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. Themed “Stimulating Blockchain Adoption in Nigeria”, the summit was powered by BSV Blockchain, a distributed data ledger for enterprise-grade applications and services, and supported by National Information Technology Authority (NITDA).

People came from various parts of the country to participate in Blockchain Developers Summit 2022, the first and premier Blockchain summit in Nigeria. [Image: Domineum]

Blockchain Developers Summit (BDS) is an international blockchain event aiming to help startups build solutions that can help address local needs by bringing together developers, startups, government, blockchain enthusiasts, industry and academia, offering exposure to BSV Blockchain resources and networks, and leading to the activation of the BSV Blockchain ecosystem in Africa.

The BDS 2022 Edition welcomed a record number of 1,500 participants, making it the largest Blockchain gathering in Africa. BDS 2022 was hosted over 15 sessions – networking sessions and panel sessions with industry experts – to discuss Blockchain and its adoption in Africa. BDS aimed to educate, impact and develop attendees with proper knowledge of Cryptocurrency and Blockchain, teaching them to leverage blockchain technology in everyday life.

The two-day event was held at Baze University, Abuja. As an official partner of Domineum Blockchain Solutions, the Industry plus Academia partnership officially launched the Blockchain-AI Lab at the summit. This is the first of its kind in Africa, poised to build and unlock potential by exploring the powerful capabilities BSV Blockchain offers, thereby accelerating blockchain adoption.

Speaking for the vision and motive behind the summit, Local Organising Committee Chairman and Domineum co-founder Mr Mohammed Ibrahim Jega said, “Blockchain is a technology that houses Cryptocurrency and many various ideas. It is important to demystify it, enable young people to take a proper grasp and expose themselves to this game-changing technology and take advantage of the numerous opportunities it presents.”

Domineum Blockchain COO Mr Chima Achu, who gave the welcome address on behalf of the Domineum team, said, “The goal of the summit is to unravel the mysteries behind Blockchain, debunk the myths and reinstate the facts clearly. As well as to provide exposure to youths to the many opportunities in the space.”

Summit speakers were industry leaders and experts including:
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi – Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
Professor Umar Garba Danbatta – Executive Vice Chairman, NCC
Vincent O. Olatunji – Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, NDPB
Mr Yau Isa Garba – National Director, National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR)
Hadiza Saidu – General Manager, Pacer Ventures
Dr Usman Gambo Abdullahi – Director, IT Infrastructure Solutions, NITDA
Muhammad Yahaya Tambura – DG, Zamfara Information Technology Development Agency (ZITDA)

Industry speakers (panelists) featured:
Adedeji Owonibi – Co-Founder, Convexity Hub
Abubakar Umar – President and CEO, Excelian Technologies Ltd
Chimezie Chuta – Founder, Blockchain Nigeria User Group
Oyewole Joledo – Senior Manager, Partnerships, Paxful
Ajuma Ataguba – Managing Director, Founder Institute Abuja
Nnamdi Uba – Co-founder, HouseAfrica
Michal Scislowski – CEO, Soundoshi
Lorien Gamaroff – Co-founder & CEO, Centbee
Dr Maximilian Sinan Korkmaz – CEO, My2Cents

Day 1 primarily centered on the local tech ecosystem and how blockchain is becoming integrated. Speakers who took to the stage spoke about blockchain’s role in the future of Nigeria and why the ordinary Nigerian should be excited about the direction the country is taking. Keynote speaker Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General, NITDA reiterated the Agency’s stance on emerging technologies and laid out Nigeria’s Blockchain Adoption Strategies.

Day 1 also featured a pitch session in which three startups – TechBross, Green Life Energy, and Eduvacity -pitched to the attendees, explaining how their ideas could solve critical challenges facing the West African nation and beyond.

Day 2 saw the BSV Blockchain team officially launch the BSV ecosystem in Africa and announced the BSV Academy in Nigeria. Three of the BSV ecosystem’s innovators and startup founders took the stage for a panel discussion. Moderated by Domineum’s Mohammed Ibrahim Jega, they discussed how their startups are solving various challenges, leveraging BSV’s massive scaling.

Day 2 also saw three more startups making their pitches. By the end of it, TechBross emerged as the winner, attracting the interest of Satoshi Block Dojo, the Bitcoin industry’s leading startup incubator.

Blockchain Developers Summit was an ample opportunity to connect with like minds and boost one’s professional network. BDS is a pacesetter, leading the drive to the adoption of blockchain in Nigeria, and looking forward to seeing more young scholars doing great things in the blockchain and crypto space.

Watch highlights and the full summit video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/l7BagJvuJe0.

You can connect with Domineum and join the BDS network at https://training.domineum.io/. Or follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook: @domineum

We look forward to the 2.0 of this summit as version 1.0 was such a mind-blowing success!

Taiwanese Companies Flock to ASEAN for Growth

In the last 6 years, the New Southbound Policy has played an integral role in enabling Taiwanese enterprises to diversify and capture opportunities in one of the fastest growing regions in the world, ASEAN. During the period of January to October 2021, Taiwan invested US$5.3 billion in the ASEAN region, which amounted to 38.7% of the country’s total overseas investments, the highest proportion in 20 years.

In ASEAN, current trends reflect a shift towards customer-driven hyper-personalisation, as well as data-enabled optimisation. Considering the increasing focus on the ASEAN market, growth of Taiwanese enterprises are aligned with these regional trends.

Customer-driven Innovation

ASEAN consumer patterns have shifted in the last few years and enterprises have adapted to meet changing customer needs in the area of health, security and mobility.

Amidst the global pandemic, health has been growing to be a central focus for consumers, with 85% expressing concern over health, according to an Asia-Pacific 2021 survey by Ernst & Young. This has contributed to an increased health and wellness expenditure in Southeast Asia. In the emergence of this trend, ible Technology Inc. has come up with a wearable air purifier to provide purified air surroundings for consumers as they go about their daily lives. This solution adopts ible’s unique Breathing Pathway Eco Ion Technology, and this technology will produce over 20 million negative ions (around 100 times more ions than a forest produces) surrounding user’s face to remove pollutants from the air, including viruses and other airborne particles.

The recent cyberattack and data breach incidents have put personal data protection and security concerns under the spotlight. This topic has never been more relevant in the age of rapid technology adoption and data-driven organisations, with 83% of ASEAN-based organisations being highlighted as data-driven in the AIBP ASEAN Enterprise Innovation Survey 2021/22. In recognition of this, Maktar offers a smart backup solution with an integrated microSD lock encryption feature that prioritises customer data security.

The establishment of the ASEAN Smart Cities Network has provided a collaborative platform where cities from the ten ASEAN Member States can work towards the common goal of smart and sustainable urban development. With advancing smart city initiatives, smart mobility is gaining traction as consumers look towards convenient and user-centric transportation services. Leveraging on IoT, IBASE designed an embedded computing platform for a smart parking metre that provides efficient parking management services such as occupancy detection and online payment, enabling customer mobility needs to be met.

Accelerating Business Outcomes with Frontier Technologies

According to AIBP ASEAN Enterprise Innovation Survey 2021/22, 62.8% of enterprises in ASEAN perceive business intelligence platforms that help make sense of data as the digital transformation investment that will drive the largest benefits to their organisation. Galaxy Software Services (GSS) is one of the major players in this space. In helping Perfirmtex International Co.,Ltd to improve their customer data management process, GSS built a CRM that enabled efficient lateral communication with key stakeholders like customers and partners, boosting customer satisfaction. This was guided by their Insight to Action Model where predictive analytics assists in deriving customer behaviour insights from data and following that, insights are used to optimise customer engagement efforts.

Digitalisation and automation of operations was found to be the top digital transformation focus of ASEAN organisations from a 2021 AIBP survey. In line with this, various enterprises have created tech-enabled solutions to facilitate process optimisation. An AI Edge Server by AAEON supported the smart manufacturing process of a machine manufacturer in the semiconductor industry. Accounting for end user needs, AAEON designed products that were compact and dissipated heat easily.

About AIBP

AIBP serves as an avenue for public and private organisations in Southeast Asia to access and exchange information about growth and innovation within the B2B space. With a current network of over 30,000 stakeholders in Southeast Asia, AIBP continues to develop ecosystems by engaging in activities which create value-adding information for our stakeholders seeking to make transformative impacts within their organisations. For additional information about AIBP, please visit https://iotbusiness-platform.com/.

About Taiwan Excellence Awards

AAEON, IBASE, Galaxy Software Services, ible Technology, and Maktar were recently recognized by the Taiwan Excellence Awards. These awards have been established by the country’s Ministry of Economic Affairs since 1993 to celebrate how technological innovation helps people live more rewarding lives. Each year, the Taiwan Excellence Awards select the most innovative products in Taiwan across four major categories: R&D, design, quality, and marketing. As well as recognizing domestic achievement, the awards serve as a benchmark for innovation and excellence in international markets.

Contact:
Mr. Irza Fauzan Suprapto
Email: irza@industry-platform.com
Phone: (+65) 9759 5343

KOHLER, together with Lazada Singapore, to bring 30 leading lifestyle brands under one roof in month-long online to offline shopping experience

KOHLER, a global lifestyle brand and leader in kitchen and bath products, has partnered with Lazada Singapore to bring 30 complementary leading lifestyle brands together for the first time, to provide online shoppers with a curated showcase of luxurious home, kitchen, bath, and lifestyle products they can experience in-store. Come Home to KOHLER & Friends (Powered by Lazada) utilises Lazada’s powerful e-commerce platform to complete the shopping experience and is aimed at satisfying changing consumer habits post-pandemic.

Thematic spaces featuring various ranges of KOHLER’s products, complemented by 29 participating brands at Come Home to KOHLER & Friends (Powered by Lazada) – Photo by Kohler

The month-long event will provide consumers with a unique immersive in-store feel to the digital shopping experience and offer a one-stop solution for shoppers to experience all 30 brands side by side in real-life home settings. KOHLER and the other 29 brands will showcase their curated range of products at the KOHLER Experience Centre (KEC) from 15 July to 15 August 2022.

The 822 sqm KEC occupying two units of shophouses along Peck Seah Street will house several thematic spaces featuring various ranges of KOHLER’s innovative, intuitive, and immersive products, complemented by participating brands such as Samsung, Bang & Olufsen, LEGO, L’OCCITANE, Razer, Nespresso, OSIM, Tefal, WMF, and Philips Lighting. The curated showcase is perfect for first-time homeowners looking for inspiration for their new home or existing homeowners looking to refresh various areas of their homes. Shoppers can explore the different themes throughout multiple levels of KEC and view dedicated spaces such as the living room, bedroom, study, kitchen, and bathroom.

Each themed bathroom and living space are thoughtfully furnished by Kohler designers and representatives from the other brands. As soon as shoppers are inspired by any product they see, they can scan QR codes to purchase on the Lazada app. This means that shoppers can fully immerse themselves in these dedicated home spaces, check out and enquire about the products on display, purchase online immediately, and head home to wait for their items to arrive. This is the future of shopping.

“We are collaborating with Lazada to provide online customers with what they want – an immersive online to offline (O2O) shopping environment to have a real-life experience of how our products feel, look and work, and ask questions for an informed purchase,” said Leo Leong, General Manager, Kohler Kitchen & Bath Group, North and Southeast Asia. “This is further complemented by our partnering brands which have collaborated with us to showcase their products in this new experience. Not just that, shoppers can enjoy online prices of up to 60% off during the fair and shopping benefits through the LazMall pages with peace of mind knowing that the products purchased are 100% authentic, with *free returns!”

At KEC, shoppers will also be treated to freebies and giveaways and the opportunity to register for cooking and home interior decor workshops on selected dates available for booking in person. During Come Home to KOHLER & Friends (Powered by Lazada), the KEC is opened to the public from 15 July to 15 August 2022, daily from 10am to 9pm, including Sundays.

*Free shipping and return policies vary with brands and sellers.

Notes to Editors
Come Home to KOHLER & Friends (Powered by Lazada)
15 July to 15 August 2022
KOHLER Experience Centre
52/54 Peck Seah Street, Singapore 079320
Tel: 6224 0039
Lazada URL: https://bit.ly/KOHLERFriends
Media Images can be downloaded here https://tinyurl.com/tav95en2

Featured Kohler products on sale
(1) More than 50% off Veil Dual Flush Two-Piece Toilet – $846 (U.P. $1,782)
(2) 50% off Family Care Bathroom Furniture – $1,002 (U.P. $2,004)
(3) 20% off Moxie Handshower, sound by Harman Kardon – $399 (U.P. $499)
(4) 45% off Malleco Touchless Pull-down Kitchen Faucet – $873 (U.P. $1,587)
(5) 50% off KOHLER Malleco Single Kitchen Sink – $690 (U.P. $1,368)

Check out other amazing offers on display by other participating leading lifestyle brands.

Giveaways/promotions during Come Home to KOHLER & Friends (Powered by Lazada)
– The top 10 spenders stand to win amazing prizes from KOHLER, OSIM or Bang & Olufsen worth more than $8,000. (Minimum spending of $800 is required to qualify)
– Spin & Win – Shoppers who spend a minimum of $80 during the fair will stand a chance to win Manchester United premiums.
– Sing For Sale – Sing your heart out and enjoy 40% off Moxie Handshower, sound by Harman Kardon from only $299 (U.P. $499)

Activities & Workshops
Sessions are free. Please register 15 mins before each workshop at KEC.
– Cooking Workshop with Chef Ivan Yeo with Food Tasting; Dates: Saturday, 30 July 2022; Time: 4pm to 6pm
– Home Interior Seminar by Bowerman Interior; Date: Sunday, 7 Aug 2022; Time: 3pm to 4pm

About Kohler Co.

Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies, with more than 35,000 associates. With more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide, Kohler is a global leader in the design, innovation and manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; luxury cabinetry and tile; and owner/operator of two five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland. The company also develops solutions to address pressing issues, such as clean water and sanitation, for underserved communities around the world to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations. For more details, please visit KOHLER.SG.

About KOHLER on LazMall

As part of KOHLER’s mission of providing a higher level of gracious living for those touched by our products and services, KOHLER’s online store on LazMall offers our customers another convenient way to shop for our quality and innovative kitchen and bath products. With over 100 products ranging from toilet, lavatory, faucet, bathroom furniture, bathroom accessories, and kitchen sink and faucet available online to choose from, our customers can be assured that our products are 100% authentic, with 15-day easy returns and free delivery.