Category: Startups

Singaporean Startup ONEVIEW Secures Seed Funding of S$4 Million, to Revolutionise Document Management and Bill Payment Industry in Southeast Asia

Singapore-based start-up, OneView Pte Ltd (“ONEVIEW”), is pleased to announce that it has secured S$4 million in seed funding from ADERA Global, Beyon Connect, part of the Beyon Group, and Cumulo9 to introduce an innovative digital platform for secure communication of documents and facilitating value-added e-services.

ONEVIEW’s innovative platform aims to revolutionise bill payments by transforming the interaction between consumers and senders, thereby simplifying everyday digital communications with a more convenient, sustainable, and spam-free experience.

ONEVIEW plans to roll out digital post box and communication services by the end of the year in Singapore, enabling users to easily access their documents and communications from multiple billers and senders within a single app.

Using Singapore as a testbed for the Southeast Asian region, ONEVIEW aims to set the benchmark for innovative, eco-friendly digital solutions that improve people’s lives. By partnering with key players in the industry such as ADERA Global, Beyon Connect, and Cumulo9, ONEVIEW’s platform offers a comprehensive solution that meets the needs of both consumers and senders.

Lead Investors in the Seed Funding Round

ADERA Global, headquartered in Singapore, is a leader in data security and automation, serving global banks, financial institutions, telecommunications and government agencies around the world.

Beyon Connect, part of the Beyon group based in Bahrain, is a provider of new technologies with great innovation potential, Software-as-a-Service platforms, and advanced IT solutions for both the public and private sectors in the MENA region.

New Zealand-based Cumulo9 provides business services for the digital delivery of transactional documents, as well as CCM (Customer Communications) solutions throughout APAC.

Aligning with Singapore’s Smart Nation Vision and Accelerating Digitalisation

Singapore has set its sights on becoming a world-class, tech-driven city-state. The vision for a digital-first Singapore is one where a Digital Government, Digital Economy and Digital Society harness technology to effect transformation in health, transport, urban living, government services and businesses. The Singapore Government has made bold strides and steady progress in its digitalisation blueprint.

Aligned with this vision for a digital-first Singapore, ONEVIEW aims to enable effective and secure communications between government, agencies, business enterprises and individuals in Singapore. The platform is designed to simplify secure document transmission and encourage greater digitization of utilising embedded e-services to fulfill actions such as payments, document verification and other value-added services.

Utilising ONEVIEW’s digital postal solutions, customers can harness its technology for greater personalisation and convenience, making it intuitive for each individual user to view their digital postal communications, all at one glance.

Enhancing Sustainability and Simplifying Everyday Digital Communications

Green economic growth is an important part of Singapore’s national agenda on sustainable development, where the Singapore Green Plan 2030 aims to harness technology-driven solutions to “secure a green, liveable, and sustainable home for generations of Singaporeans.

ONEVIEW is committed to going green and minimizing paper waste, aligning with Singapore’s environmental initiatives. By providing documents such as digital billing statements and providing easy payment options, the joint venture aims to encourage more consumers to make the switch to paperless billing.

In Singapore, paper is one of the most common type of waste and in 2021, there was about 1.136 million tonnes of paper and cardboard waste generated.

With this digital postal solution, ONEVIEW will reduce the need for paper bills, thus reducing carbon footprint and promoting sustainability.

“Our mission is to revolutionize the way people pay and manage their important documents such as bills, while also helping Singapore achieve its vision of becoming a Smart Nation,” said LEE Kok How, CEO of ONEVIEW.“Our app is designed to simplify the process, save users time and hassle, and help them stay on top of their action items, such as payments, with ease. With the support of our investors, we are confident that our platform will set a new standard for digital bill payment services in the region, while contributing to Singapore’s vision of a Smart Nation.”

Christian Rasmussen, CEO of Beyon Connect said,“At Beyon Connect, our DNA is rooted in digital innovation and sustainability. We are thrilled to align with ADERA Global and Cumulo9, who share our passion for creating highly secure digital postboxes and communication platforms. Together, we will continue to revolutionize the way people communicate and connect via the ONEVIEW platform in the ASEAN region.”

Beyon Chief Digital Growth Officer – Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa added, “We are extremely proud to see our digital postbox and communications innovations being used as the foundation for ONEVIEW, in a digitally mature society like Singapore. This marks a significant milestone for Beyon Connect and reinforces our commitment to driving digital transformation globally.”

Cumulo 9’s Chris Hogg added, “As a company that is committed to providing cutting-edge solutions that help businesses thrive in a digital age, we are pleased to support ONEVIEW in its mission to digitize bill payment management in Southeast Asia.”

“As a global leader in digital transformation, ADERA Global is excited to partner with ONEVIEW in their mission to revolutionize communications, document management and value-added services such as payments in Southeast Asia,” said ADERA Global’s Executive Director Marvin Tan. “We believe that ONEVIEW has the potential to set a benchmark in the region and transform the way people manage their bills and documents.”

For more information on ONEVIEW, please visit: https://oneview.sg/

Issued on behalf of ONEVIEW by 8PR Asia Pte Ltd.

Media Contact:
Mr. Alex TAN
Mobile: +65 9451 5252
Email: alex.tan@8prasia.com

CleverTap launches local deployment of its SaaS platform in Indonesia

CleverTap, the leading global B2B SaaS platform for customer engagement and retention, has made its platform available within Indonesia through data centers hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS), an Amazon.com, Inc. company (NASDAQ: AMZN). It will help CleverTap customers operating within the financial and insurance sector such as banks, fintechs, and non-banking financial institutes fulfill local compliance requirements. These are aimed at further enhancing confidentiality and integrity of citizen data.

“As a company committed towards maintaining the highest global standards of data privacy and security, we have deployed our platform locally in Indonesia with the help of AWS.” said Anand Jain, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer, CleverTap. “Providing our services through local data centers will ensure our Indonesian customers seamlessly comply with their respective data residency requirements. This is yet another example of our commitment to delivering not just business value and growth to our customers, but also ensuring that their data is safe and compliant at all times.” he added.

About CleverTap

CleverTap is the all-in-one customer engagement platform that helps brands personalize and optimize all consumer touch points to improve user engagement, retention, and lifetime value. It’s the only solution built to address the needs of retention and growth teams, with audience analytics, deep-segmentation, multi-channel engagement, product recommendations, and automation in one unified product.

The platform is powered by TesseractDB(TM) – the world’s first purpose-built database for customer engagement, offering both speed and economies of scale. CleverTap is trusted by 2000 customers, including Electronic Arts, TiltingPoint, Gamebasics, Big Fish, MobilityWare, TED, English Premier League, TD Bank, Carousell, AirAsia, Papa John’s, and Tesco.

Backed by leading investors such as Sequoia India, Tiger Global, Accel, and CDPQ the company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with presence in San Francisco, New York, Sao Paulo, Bogota, London, Amsterdam, Sofia, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, and Jakarta. For more information, visit clevertap.com or follow on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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.

For more information:

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

VISHAAL MUDHOLKAR
Consultant Archetype
+91 9724309069
vishaal.mudholkar@archetype.co

HKTDC T-box programme launches new stream

  • Free support to help SMEs integrate ESG initiatives into business

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will add a support stream to its Transformation Sandbox (T-box) programme to help Hong Kong companies integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives into business. The new stream is expected to organise 100 free consultation meetings and serve 500 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in its first year, covering both manufacturing and services sectors, such as garments, electronics, lighting, houseware and gifts, as well as transport, catering and construction.

Ms Winsome Chan, Head of Marketing and Customer Service, HKTDC, Mr Simon Ng, Chief Executive Officer, Business Environment Council, Dr Patrick Lau, Deputy Executive Director, HKTDC and Ms Michelle Mak, Head of ESG and Enterprise Learning, Dun & Bradstreet (HK) Ltd [L-R]

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Dr Patrick Lau said promoting sustainable development was an important theme globally; governments and multinational companies had set targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions, providing impetus for the green sector and encouraging Hong Kong businesses to move forward with sustainable development. In addition, ESG compliance had become a criterion for bank-loan approval and orders from premium buyers.

ESG is crucial for success
“ESG is no longer simply an option, but an important success factor. The HKTDC hopes this new service will become the strongest support for local business in their ESG transformation, encouraging more SMEs to take action to achieve sustainable development goals through adopting innovative eco solutions, as well as to bear social responsibilities and enhance corporate governance,” Dr Lau added.

To help SMEs navigate trends and apply ground-breaking technologies for solving long-lasting problems, the HKTDC and a number of organisations – including Business Environment Council (BEC) and Dun & Bradstreet (HK) Ltd – will cooperate to provide practical advice and information on sustainability transformation through consultation and workshops. ESG registration services will be offered at a discount.

The HKTDC will proactively collaborate with industry organisations and professional bodies to organise thematic workshops on social responsibility and corporate governance for SMEs, covering issues ranging from human resources and supply chain to risk management, cybersecurity and more.

Net-zero roadmaps for businesses
Business Environment Council (BEC) Chief Executive Officer Mr Simon Ng said severe climate challenges meant all business sectors should immediately act to formulate roadmaps and accelerate the net-zero transition.

“BEC will lead the local business community to build a sustainable ecosystem and continue to work with different stakeholders to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality through thought-leadership, innovative solutions, policy advocacy, strategic partnership, advisory services and environmental education,” he said.

Discounted ESG Registered(TM) Service
Dun & Bradstreet will offer special discounts for T-box members using the D&B ESG Registered(TM) service, to help them take the first steps towards sustainable transformation and enhance ESG data transparency, which helps firms that form part of global ESG supply chains.

Ms Michelle Mak, Head of ESG and Enterprise Learning, Dun & Bradstreet (HK) Ltd said ESG was about more than net-zero emissions; social responsibility and corporate governance were equally important. “To comply with ESG commitment, many MNCs (Multinational Corporations) have incorporated ESG controls into their supplier and vendor evaluation and selection process. D&B ESG Registered(TM) meets industry recognised sustainability standards such as SASB, GRI, TCFD, UN SDGs, UN PRI and CDP, those who successfully complete the required assessment will be given a badge as a recognition of commitment to disclosing ESG data, and SMEs’ efforts in ESG will help lift up corporate images and enhance competitive edges.”

Supporting over 3,000 SMEs
The HKTDC Transformation Sandbox (T-box) is a SME support programme launched in April 2020 to help businesses enhance competitiveness and achieve transformation goals in the areas of branding, e-commerce, manufacturing and supply chain solutions and new markets.

The T-box team supports SMEs over a three-month period with advisory services, workshops, government-funding information, market knowledge and networking opportunities to help them track market trends, improve skills and expand business connections. The programme has served more than 3,000 companies since launch. With the support of representatives from professional bodies, business associations, chambers of commerce, business partners as well as HKTDC overseas offices, about 850 consultation meetings have been arranged free of charge.

About T-Box x Dun & Bradstreet Hong Kong ESG Registered(TM) Service
https://smesupport.hktdc.com/en/s/dun-and-bradstreet

About BEC
Business Environment Council Limited (BEC) is an independent, charitable membership organisation, established by the business sector in Hong Kong. Since its establishment in 1992, BEC has been at the forefront of promoting environmental excellence by advocating the uptake of clean technologies and practices which reduce waste, conserve resources, prevent pollution and improve corporate environmental and social responsibility. BEC offers sustainable solutions and professional services covering advisory, research, assessment, training and award programmes for government, business and the community, thus enabling environmental protection and contributing to the transition to a net-zero economy.

About Dun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, enables companies around the world to improve their business performance. Dun & Bradstreet’s Data Cloud fuels solutions and delivers insights that empower customers to accelerate revenue, lower cost, mitigate risk and transform their businesses. Since 1841, companies of every size have relied on Dun & Bradstreet to help them manage risk and reveal opportunity. For details, please visit www.dnb.com.hk

About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

Media Enquiries
HKTDC’s Communications and Public Affairs Department
Beatrice Lam, Tel: +852 2584 4049, Email: beatrice.hy.lam@hktdc.org

Photo download: https://bit.ly/43jxXA3

Chic Hong Kong boosts Hong Kong-Shenzhen economic dynamics

  • Attracted 200,000 consumers to help Hong Kong brands expand

Chic Hong Kong, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government, concluded successfully yesterday. The HKTDC brought together nearly 80 exhibitors showcasing over 130 brands at the three-day shopping festival in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

A flagship event of Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Week, Chic Hong Kong enabled Hong Kong brands to reach a wider consumer base and provided them a stepping stone to the mainland market. The shopping festival brought together nearly 80 exhibitors, of which 40% are new to the mainland market. The 3-day event attracted 200,000 visitors, facilitating trade between and boosting consumption in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

Stephen Liang, Assistant Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: “The success of Chic Hong Kong creates opportunities for Hong Kong brands to tap into the mainland market. It also underlines Hong Kong’s commitment to deepen cooperation with the mainland and drive high-quality development in the GBA.”

The shopping festival comprised three themed exhibition areas: Chic Living, Chic Style and Chic Taste, highlighting a diversity of trendy products from Hong Kong.

One of the exhibitors Mr Angus Au, Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer of Allklear said, “Chic Hong Kong is our first attempt to explore the Mainland China market after the resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the mainland. The event gave us a better understanding of the huge potential of healthy foods in the mainland market and consumer preferences in the Greater Bay Area.”

Another exhibitor Ms Li, a representative from Telford said, “We brought over 30 cases of tea, which sold out on the first night, with some customers immediately placing orders online. Thanks to strong social media promotion, joining this event was very effective in raising our brand awareness and helping us test the market response to our new products.”

In addition to products, Chic Hong Kong also featured over 100 activities, such as Hong Kong artist Gigi Yim’s live performance, the grand finals of the GBA 9+2 street dance competition, a demonstration of KamCha Hong Kong Style Milk Tea brewing, a cappella performances, magic shows and more. Moreover, social media influencers from Guangdong and Hong Kong, including renowned Hong Kong vegetarian expert Mr Elvis Chan and ketogenic diet expert Ms Hayden Leung demonstrated how to prepare healthy delicacies for festival visitors.

The HKTDC will continue launching a series of promotional campaigns in the GBA. The Support Scheme for Pursuing Development in the Mainland will also organise business tours and provide training for companies. Furthermore, the HKTDC’s GoGBA one-stop platform, GBA Centre and GoGBA business support centres provide year-round consultation, information and business matching services for Hong Kong and overseas businesses and help Hong Kong businesses seek opportunities in the GBA and expand via the Hong Kong platform. The HKTDC will continue to bring exhibitors from the GBA to Hong Kong to seize business opportunities.

The HKTDC Transformation Sandbox (T-box), Digital Academy and E-tailing Academy will continue to provide comprehensive business support and training for SMEs, to help them upgrade and transform and capture opportunities in the GBA.

Websites
– Chic HK: https://portal.hktdc.com/chic-hk/
– Media Room: http://mediaroom.hktdc.com
– Photo download: https://rb.gy/q86qk

About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

About Create Hong Kong
Create Hong Kong (CreateHK) is a dedicated office set up by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) in June 2009 to spearhead the development of creative industries in Hong Kong. From 1 July 2022 onwards, it is under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. Its strategic foci are to nurture talent and facilitate start-ups, explore markets, promote cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaboration, and promote Hong Kong as Asia’s creative capital and foster a creative atmosphere in the community.

Disclaimer for Hong Kong Masterpiece Gallery The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organisers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.

Media enquiries
For media enquiries, please contact

Ruder Finn
Keylor Dai, Tel.: +86 13760604504, E-mail: Keylor.dai@rfcomms.com
Yanice Zhong, Tel.: +86 13437822368, E-mail: Yanice.zhong@rfcomms.com

HKTDC’s Communications and Public Affairs Department
Janet Chan, Tel.: +852 2584 4369, E-mail: janet.ch.chan@hktdc.org

HKTDC’s Guangzhou and Shenzhen Office Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Robin Chen, Tel.: +86 13829724291, E-mail: robin.rc.chen@hktdc.org
Nora Li, Tel.: +86 13556821118, E-mail: nora.w.li@hktdc.org
Cherry Lin, Tel.: +86 13459410661, E-mail: cherry.w.lin@hktdc.org

SmartHK attracts about 2,000 participants

  • Campaign to boost Hong Kong-mainland links returns to strengthen cooperation and exchanges in the GBA

SmartHK, a flagship event of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Week, drew about 2,000 business elites to Guangzhou today, boosting cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland centres of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

SmartHK was successfully held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Guangzhou
Mr John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR (6th L), Mr Wang Weizhong, Governor of Guangdong Province (7th L) , Mr Yin Zonghua, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in HKSAR (5th L), Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC (5th R) and Ms Margaret Fong, Executive Director of the HKTDC (3rd R)
The GBA Youth Entrepreneur Summit, exclusively sponsored by Hang Seng Bank, gathered scientific research entrepreneurs, Young Entrepreneur Summit and venture-capital fund managers from the GBA to promote talent exchanges and discuss the entrepreneurial opportunities and challenges in the GBA

The conference, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and Guangdong Provincial Department of Commerce, featured an exhibition area and start-up pitching sessions as well as on-site business matchmaking to facilitate connections between companies from Hong Kong and Guangdong. Hong Kong-Guangdong Cooperation Week runs from today to 7 June in the GBA, accelerating collaboration and exchange among Hong Kong and Guangdong government departments, organisations, chambers of commerce and trade associations through more than 20 business and trade activities across GBA cities.

Mr John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Wang Weizhong, Governor of Guangdong Province, and Dr Peter K N Lam, Chairman of the HKTDC, presided over the opening ceremony of Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Week and SmartHK earlier today.

Mr Lee said: “The development of the GBA, which was personally planned, deployed and advocated by President Xi Jinping, is a key development strategy for the reform and development of the country in the new era, and the best entry point for Hong Kong to better integrate into the overall development of the country.” He also pointed out, “full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and Mainland China meant the flow of people between Hong Kong and Guangdong had resumed and the ‘one-hour living circle’ in the GBA had made same-day travel very convenient. My team and I would make frequent visits to the GBA to promote interconnection and interoperability, advancing quality development and facilitating Hong Kong’s active integration into the overall development of the country.”

Dr Lam pointed out that Hong Kong’s development had been closely tied with that of Guangdong for many years. As two core GBA cities, Hong Kong and Guangzhou had long maintained close cooperation and complemented each other’s advantages in various fields, such as finance, innovation and technology and the creative sector.

Mr Wang hoped the business communities of Guangdong and Hong Kong could fully leverage this forum and the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Week to further promote high-level economic and trade cooperation and high-quality development between the two regions. He encouraged Hong Kong entrepreneurs to boost cooperation with Guangdong in areas such as technological innovation, advanced manufacturing, modernised services and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) tourism. He also urged greater investment in Guangdong, especially in the eastern, western, and northern parts of the province, and active collaboration with Guangdong enterprises to explore international markets. Guangdong would strive to create a market-oriented, rule-of-law-based, and internationally oriented business environment, provide excellent conditions and first-class services for domestic and foreign investors, including Hong Kong enterprises. Guangdong would strongly support and actively promote high-quality development of Hong Kong and support Hong Kong’s better integration into national development. Guangdong was committed to making efforts and contributions to ensure the stable, long-term implementation of the One Country, Two Systems principle.

Top of Form
Exploring the road to high-quality development
Following the opening ceremony, the thematic sharing forum discussed professional strengths of Hong Kong and other GBA cities. Mr Adam Kwok, Executive Director of Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited, Dr Levin Wang, CEO of Huatai Financial Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited, Mr Ronald Lam, CEO of Cathay Pacific Group and Mr Xu Shaochun, Chairman and CEO of Kingdee International Software Group Company Limited, discussed opportunities GBA development brought from four perspectives – co-constructing a sustainable city development model; creating a dual system of finance and technology innovation; developing a high-quality aviation industry and collaborating with Hong Kong for global business expansion.

Subsequent forums co-organised by the HKTDC and partners, such as InvestHK, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, HKSAR Development Bureau and the Hong Kong Construction Industry Council, focused on cross-border asset management, green finance, sustainable urban living, green & smart building technologies and more.

Building a talent hub
To further address the importance of fostering talents and respond to the national strategy of supporting youth development, SmartHK introduced the GBA Youth Entrepreneur Summit, exclusively sponsored by Hang Seng Bank, which assembled scientific research entrepreneurs, young entrepreneur and venture capital fund managers from the GBA. Mr Fang Xin, COO of EHang, Mr Zhan Peixun, Co-founder and CSO of Shenzhen Unity-Drive Innovation Technology Co, Ltd, Ms Edith Law, Director of Fashion Farm Foundation, and Prof Karen Chan, Executive Director of German Pool Group Co, Ltd, discussed entrepreneurial opportunities and challenges in the GBA.

The successful Smart+ start-up pitching event returned and continued to focus on research and enterprise collaboration, creating opportunities for start-ups to introduce projects and thereby break into the GBA market. The 17 candidates came from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, Sino Inno Lab and the HKTDC’s Start-up Express, covering AI and blockchain, medical and health, and new ESG technologies and materials.

Driving complementarity with innovation
The five exhibition zones featured 70 Hong Kong companies from professional services, technological innovation, industry & academic research, creative design and other sectors introducing Hong Kong’s professional services, and providing on-site business matching services and one-on-one opportunities for Hong Kong exhibitors and GBA enterprise representatives to deepen exchanges explore new partnerships.

In the form of short talks, SmartHK’s debut GBA Live Studio aimed to extend the event to other GBA cities and enable online participation. The conversations helped audiences to better understand the ways in which Hong Kong’s professional services could help them achieve high-quality development.

Tomorrow, on 25 May, an HKTDC-organised delegation will further explore Guangzhou to gain a better understanding of the latest developments in the digital economy. It will explore opportunities in innovation and technology and related industries to accelerate multi-level Hong Kong-Guangdong cooperation in the fields of economy, technology and finance between.

The HKTDC has proactively advocated cooperation between Hong Kong and Guangdong and Hong Kong’s integration in the GBA. The annual SmartHK launched in 2011 as a flagship event in mainland cities such as Chengdu, Fuzhou, Jinan and Nanjing to create business opportunities for local and mainland enterprises.

Another flagship Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Week, Chic HK, will be held from tomorrow to 28 May in Shenzhen to promote Hong Kong’s professional services and fashion brands to the business community and public in the GBA.

The HKTDC also plans a brand-new public exhibition CHILL11 at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong, promoting Hong Kong’s cultural and creative industries, particularly design, music, and digital entertainment, to enhance cultural exchange within the GBA and promote Hong Kong as a cultural and creative hub.

SmartHK: https://portal.hktdc.com/smarthk/
Hong Kong-Guangdong Cooperation Week: https://gdhkcooperationweek.hktdc.com/
Media Room HKTDC: http://mediaroom.hktdc.com
Photo download: https://bit.ly/3OAyJEg

About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

Media Enquiries
HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Eric Wong, Tel: +852 2584 4575, Email: eric.ks.wong@hktdc.org
Sunny Ng, Tel: +852 2584 4514, Email: sunny.sl.ng@hktdc.org

OCTO, new FinOps solution from Alphaus, to help businesses maximize ROI on their cloud usage

Alphaus Inc. (https://alphaus.cloud/en/), the market leader in cloud financial management (CFM) solutions in Japan with a growing regional presence in Southeast Asia, is extending its suite of SaaS solutions to cater to SMEs and large enterprises running on cloud infrastructure.

Having successfully delivered huge cost savings to companies in Japan and Southeast Asia through its proven solutions for managed service providers (MSP), the company is now globally introducing OCTO, a SaaS-based FinOps platform for any business that uses cloud infrastructure for its operations. Beyond cost savings, OCTO enables finance, FinOps and DevOps teams to work together effectively to achieve the best outcomes for the business. Moreover, OCTO integrates effectively with a multitude of third-party solutions, acting as the connecting hub that brings them all together. This seamless integration enhances user experience, solidifying OCTO as an essential tool for end-users.

Companies interested in minimizing wasted cloud spend, saving costs and maximizing their ROI are now invited to sign up for the waitlist to experience the many benefits of OCTO.

OCTO enables cost aggregation by account, service, or tags with centralized account management for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Smart visualization through project-specific dashboards provides a clear view and understanding of all cloud costs. With advanced tag management, OCTO then intelligently distributes project costs and allocates credits and savings through its optimization capabilities. It helps businesses with a comprehensive cost optimization cycle covering numerous daily operations and enabling auto-pilot cost optimization, together with detailed metrics for gauging success of plans and actions.

“Due to the growing complexity of cloud technologies, most businesses find it a significant challenge to track cloud usage and associated costs across the organization. This lack of clear visibility and understanding of cloud costs negates the potential benefits and savings for companies by using the cloud,” said Hajime Hirose, CEO of Alphaus. “We aim to solve this problem at scale with a versatile, comprehensive, and user-centric solution like OCTO, and help any business- whether it is a SME or a large-enterprise- to fully realize the benefits of using the cloud. Beyond understanding cloud spend, we want to empower businesses to seamlessly manage and optimize that spend with appropriate allocation, generate savings, and make a tangible impact on their bottom line.”

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to save on cloud costs and maximize your ROI. Sign up for the waitlist today and be among the first to experience the many benefits of OCTO. Visit: https://lp.alphaus.cloud/

About Alphaus Inc.

Alphaus (https://alphaus.cloud/en/), a VC-backed tech start-up on a mission to simplify cloud computing for everyone, specializes in Cloud Financial Management (CFM) solutions. The company enables cloud services partners and other businesses to understand, manage and optimize complicated cloud spend, billings and resource allocation for maximizing ROI on their investments in the cloud. Alphaus provides a suite of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions for multi-cloud management supporting AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

Founded in 2015, Alphaus Inc. is backed by reputed investors like DNX Ventures, NTT DoCoMo Ventures, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, Archetype Ventures, Accord Ventures, and 500 Global. The company’s roster of clients includes NTT Data, Nomura Research Institute (NRI), and ISI-Dentsu. Headquartered in Japan, Alphaus has a rapidly growing Global Delivery Centre and Regional Headquarter in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia to support its rapid expansion in the Asia Pacific and Oceania regions.

Media Contact:
Hajime Hirose, CEO
Tel: +81.70.3173.7354
E-mail: Hajime.hirose@alphaus.cloud

GroundUp Studios Launches Creative Council of Producers to Accelerate Web3 Music and Art in Asia

GroundUp Studios, a forward-thinking, web3-focused music label today announced its Creative Council of professional veterans in the music industry, to accelerate the pace of web3 music and art creation among its community members. As part of the announcement, Derrick Sepnio, Fergus Chow and Jae Chong will become GroundUp Studios’ first wave of award-winning producers to support the label’s community of songwriters and musicians in their career development.

GroundUp Studios’ vision is to shine a light on the impressive pool of musical and artistic talent in the region. It plans to build a comprehensive web3 ecosystem using NFTs as an access pass, to attract NFT art investors; technology enthusiasts; music and art lovers; songwriters; producers; and artists of all disciplines. As members socialize and connect, GroundUp believes that this would inspire new artistic ideas, allowing them to re-imagine the music and art they are capable of creating.

Fast-tracking Web3 Music and Art With The Creative Council

The Creative Council is GroundUp’s longer term plan to bridge undiscovered and independent artists with top-tier industry professionals in music and art. The main responsibilities of Council producers are to connect and socialize with the label’s community members; pass on valuable knowledge about music creation and production; and generally broaden their artistic horizons by sharing great music within the community. As working professionals, the producers will also keep a close eye on emerging talent within the GroundUp community, and eventually find ways to collaborate directly with them.

GroundUp’s trio of producers represent some of the most seasoned and in-demand veterans working currently in Asia. Working closely with GroundUp, the producers will evaluate opportunity gaps in the traditional music industry and develop trailblazing initiatives and projects that will shape the future of digital art and music.

“GroundUp Studios is honored to work with Derrick, Fergus and Jae – arguably three of the best producers in Asia – to re-imagine music and art using web3 technology,” said Adrian Fu, co-founder and Creative Director. “In our view, web3 is not purely about technology; rather, we see it as a new way and attitude towards the creation and monetization of music and art. I look forward to working closely with the producers to evolve music from an artistic, commercial and technological standpoint. This will ultimately deliver unique experiences for lovers of new music and art.”

Producer Profiles & Quotes

About Derrick Sepnio

Derrick is a celebrated producer, guitarist and artist across Asia. A 7-time winner of the prestigious Golden Melody Awards, Sepnio is a producer in high demand especially in Greater China. In his career, he has worked with some of the biggest artists including Eason Chan, Sandy Lam, Khalil Fong, Karen Mok, JJ Lin to name a few. He has played over 1,000 concerts, and produced and recorded over 500 albums and is often a regular guest on China’s music-related TV shows.

Quote:

“I look forward to working with GroundUp Studios. In my view, technological innovation always inspires individuals and communities to discover new ways of doing things. Invariably, web3 will inject excitement and new energy into music – regardless of the commerciality of the product. I am confident that my experience as a producer and performer in the industry, combined with the creativity and ingenuity of our artist and their community of fans will lead to some great things!”

About Fergus Chow

Fergus is one of Greater China’s pre-eminent producers and Musical Directors. He has led headline tours with Khalil Fong, Gin Lee, ALin, Tia Ray and others. As a performer, he has toured extensively, performing for artists like Faye Wong, Sandy Lam, Karen Mok, Li Rong-Hao. His production credits are equally impressive, having produced for ALin, Coco Lee, Fiona Sit, Karen Mok among others.

Quote:

“This is an exciting time for music and the arts. Web3 transforms the dynamics of the recording industry, and deepens the transactional relationship between fan and artist. To the artist, this means greater creative, commercial and monetary control, as well as more sustainable careers. Furthermore, new generation social media platforms are empowering truly borderless connections and collaborations, opening up limitless possibilities in artistic output. I look forward to working with GroundUp’s fans and artists – the sky’s the limit!”

About Jae Chong

Jae is an acclaimed producer, musician and entrepreneur who began his career in Korea, as one of the founding members of SOLID. The band was the first R&B group to reach over 4 million in unit sales. Jae then launched Taiwan’s first hip-hop entertainment group, MACHI Entertainment, and was the first Korean-American producer to receive awards from Taiwan’s Golden Melody Awards in 2005 and 2006. His portfolio of artist collaborations is incredibly wide, including Coco Lee, Stanley Huang, Jolin Tsai, Elva Hsiao and more. Jae brings extensive industry connections in Korea, Taiwan and the US.

Quote:

“I’m excited to work with GroundUp Studios to explore the potential of web3 applications in music. I believe web3 will bring about greater transparency to the music industry and equity to artists. As someone who lives in the US with networks there and across Asia, I’m particularly interested in using web3 to build organic relationships between artists in these countries, facilitate connections and ideas to bring projects to life.”

About GroundUp Studios

GroundUp is a forward-thinking, web3-focused music organization that views music and art in a brand new light. We aspire to empower #ExtraOrdinaryArt and artists, by creating a borderless space for creators to connect, collaborate and monetize. We do so by capitalizing on rapidly transforming technologies, economics and consumer/artist dynamics.

For all enquiries, please email contact@groundupstudios.io

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Governor Ganjar Pranowo releases Indonesian MSME product for export, valued at IDR7billion

Ganjar Pranowo, the Governor of Indonesia’s Central Java Province, launched the export of small to medium-sized enterprise (MSME) products from Central Java to countries in Asia, America and the Middle East. 4 containers of MSME product were released in Purwokerto, Central Java Province, while 3 containers were dispatched from Purbalingga and Pati. The 7 containers of export products included essential oils, organic coconut sugar, processed foods, brooms, organic palm sugar, and handicrafts.

Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo released seven containers of local MSME product for export to Asia, the Middle East and America. [Image: Antara]

Ratna Kawuri, Head of Central Java’s One-Stop Integrated Investment and Licensing Service (DPMPTSP), said the 4 containers dispatched from Purwokerto consisted of a 20-foot container of essential oils produced by PT Indesso Aroma (Banyumas) destined for China, a 40-foot container of organic coconut sugar produced by CV Inagro Jinawi (Banyumas) bound for the United States, a 40-foot container of rebel coconut sugar produced by CV Permata Satria (Banyumas) also destined for the US, and a 40-foot container of processed food such as vermicelli produced by PT Lestari Jaya Bangsa (Banyumas) bound for Saudi Arabia.

The MSME products dispatched from their respective companies included a 20-foot container of brooms produced by CV Rayung Pelangi (Purbalingga) destined for South Korea, a 20-foot container of organic ant sugar produced by CV Bunga Palm (Purbalingga) bound for the United States, and a 20-foot container of Syams Indonesian Handicraft products (Pati) destined for Japan. The total export value reached IDR 7.25 billion, contributing to the positive trade balance in the first quarter of 2023, impacting the export-import balance surplus of around USD 708 million, Ratna said.

Following the export release, Governor Ganjar Pranowo stated that the support provided by the local government and MSME activists had yielded results. He acknowledged that some producers, like the essential oil manufacturer, had already gained experience and were exporting their products to many countries. Ganjar emphasized the importance of maintaining product quality and reminded the MSMEs, particularly those producing organic coconut sugar, to uphold the organic farming practices to preserve the quality.

“I believe that if this trend continues consistently, the orders for exports will continue to flow. Thus, the government will continue to support MSMEs to increase their exports,” he stated. Ganjar Pranowo considers the increase in exports from Central Java, particularly from MSMEs, to be positive news. He believes that this signifies the upward progress of MSMEs and their potential to compete in the global market.

Released by the Central Java Provincial Government. Copyright (c) ANTARA 2023

GroundUp Studios Launches in Hong Kong to Re-imagine Music & Art in Web3

GroundUp Studios, a forward-thinking, web3-focused music label today announced that it has officially launched its operations in Hong Kong. The company is one of the first entertainment platforms in Asia focused on the development of original art and music utilizing NFT and blockchain technology.

GroundUp Studios’ vision is to shine a light on the impressive pool of musical and artistic talent in the region. By using transformative technologies like blockchain and NFTs, it aims to drive the creation and commercialization of art that will be ultimately seen and embraced around the world.

GroundUp’s plan is to build a comprehensive web3 ecosystem of NFT art investors; technology enthusiasts; music and art lovers; songwriters; producers; and artists of all disciplines. The goal is to use new-generation social media platforms to create a borderless space for artists to socialize and connect with the web3 world. This in turn inspires artists with new artistic ideas, empowering them to re-imagine the music and art that they are capable of creating.

As part of this community building effort, GroundUp Studios plans to issue its first NFT membership access pass in the coming months. Apart from networking opportunities, owners of this access pass will gain a wide range of benefits – from virtual music sharing sessions; to live songwriting jams; and exclusive IRL artist performances. More details will be provided in the coming weeks.

Multi-disciplined Management Team

GroundUp Studios is led by co-founder and Creative Director Adrian Fu. Fu is a multi-disciplined executive with over 20 years of experience in brand marketing and partnerships, as well as having extensive work experience in technology sectors. Furthermore, he is also an award-winning songwriter and recording artist in his own right, having written for top-tier artists in Greater China such as Eason Chan, Sammi Cheng and others. As a recording artist, he has released two albums to his name, of which his debut album “Good Morning, Hard City” earned him a nomination in 2015 at the 26th Golden Melody Awards for best newcomer of the year.

Fu will be joined by a dynamic team that engages with a vibrant Web3 global community. The team has minted out several NFT projects in recent years, and also has extensive experience building and operating regulated CeFi platforms, DeFi infrastructures, and blockchain-based applications for mainstream adoption.

Collectively, the team will advise artists on how to build (and own) their brand utilizing Web3 tools including minting NFTs, representing themselves in virtual worlds, and establishing an engaged community.

“Adrian’s uniquely diverse experience across marketing; recording artist; published songwriter; and NFT / blockchain project execution is a natural fit with the team’s extensive web3 and fintech expertise. Together, we will unlock the true value of web3 to artists and fans, as we achieve true democratization and equality of music, commerce and monetization,” said Alexander Lee, Executive Director. With experience across TradeFi, CeFi, and DeFi, Lee was involved in spearheading the early developments of SFC-licensed virtual asset platforms, and continues to drive mass adoption of Web3 across mainstream sectors.

Fu said, “I am excited about the promise of web3 music, which presents incredible new opportunities for artists around the world – both commercially and artistically. I firmly believe that the timing is right to launch a music company like GroundUp Studios. We are witnessing a giant leap in technological innovation right now, which is rewriting the mechanics and rules of most industries and businesses. Now, professional and amateur artists are able to create and connect with audiences halfway around the world, while generating steady revenue. In my view, we are on the cusp of a golden age in art and music.”

Web3 music sector ramping up

As an umbrella family of new technologies, web3 is still in its early stages of development but it has already transformed the arts industries. Currently, the music NFT market is only valued at around US$87 million (source: Token 2049), but artists are now realizing the potential opportunities – including new monetization models, to new forms of creative expression.

Commercially, artists now leverage blockchain technology and NFTs to sell their music directly to fans without intermediaries such as traditional record labels, managers and distributors. This enables faster payouts and expanded revenue streams for all levels of artists. For example, iconic rapper Nas teamed up with DJ 3LAU’s platform, Royal, to release his first-ever NFT collection. 1,870 NFTs were issued across two drops; both were sold out in minutes which generated over US$560,000 in revenue.

From a music fan’s perspective, web3 music (through NFTs) offers new ways for them to engage with their favorite artists and music. In many cases, NFTs allow fans to actually own a unique piece of digital art or song, and could deepen their engagement and support for their artists beyond sharing social media posts. As owners of an artist’s NFT, fans can play a more active role in shaping an artist’s day-to-day business and creative decisions, allowing audiences and artists to grow together in more meaningful ways.

About GroundUp Studios

GroundUp is a forward-thinking, web3-focused music label that views music and art in a brand new light. It aspires to empower #ExtraOrdinaryArt and Artists, by creating a borderless space for creators to connect, collaborate and commercialize. We do so by capitalizing on rapidly transforming technologies, economics and consumer/artist dynamics.

For media enquiries, please contact PR@groundupstudios.io

For all enquiries, please email contact@groundupstudios.io

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CleverTap Benchmark Reports: Foodtech Apps enjoy 60% higher Repeat Transaction Rates compared to E-commerce apps

CleverTap, the World’s #1 retention cloud, released the findings of its Foodtech and E-Commerce industry Benchmark Reports. Foodtech and e-commerce apps experienced exponential growth during the pandemic. According to App Annie’s State of Mobile Report 2022, time spent on shopping apps scaled to more than 100 billion hours – up 18% year-on-year. Users spent 50% more sessions YoY in 2021 than in 2020 on foodtech apps. The benchmark reports reflect data collected from Asia-Pacific, Europe, India, Latin America, Middle-East, and North America.

The findings offer insight into how consumers engage with foodtech and e-commerce apps. Marketers can craft and deliver personalized messages and campaigns that can help drive engagement, retention, and growth. Some of the key metrics in the report include:

https://www.acnnewswire.com/docs/Multimedia/20230509_CleverTap.jpg

“The findings from our benchmark reports are aimed to help marketers improve engagement and user journeys by providing insights into the behavior of e-commerce and foodtech app users.” said Jacob Joseph, VP-Data Science, CleverTap. “As the app economy continues to expand, foodtech and e-commerce marketers will need to find ways to drive customer ‘stickiness’ which currently stands at a meager 15% and 17% respectively. Customized messaging informed by behavioral insights are crucial to get customers to return to the app interface and drive up this metric.”

For e-commerce marketers, the challenge and opportunity is to ensure that their company’s app not only stands out in a crowded and fiercely competitive market. But also encourages users to make quick purchases, return frequently to buy more, and hopefully, spend a sizable sum with each transaction.

16% of new users of foodtech apps complete more than one transaction in the first week. Best-in-class customer service will help boost this metric and keep customers returning for more. Foodtech companies need to be quick to offer special deals to new users and drive conversions. The benchmark report helps foodtech and e-commerce apps understand how to build successful mobile communication campaigns, and also allows growth marketers to discover areas that require greater focus.

The reports can be downloaded with the links below:
– Foodtech App Engagement Benchmark Report 2022 https://clevertap.com/insights/food-tech-benchmark-report/
– E-commerce App Engagement Benchmark Report 2022 https://clevertap.com/insights/ecommerce-benchmark-report/

About CleverTap

CleverTap is the World’s #1 Retention Cloud that helps app-first brands personalize and optimize all consumer touch points to improve user engagement, retention, and lifetime value. It’s the only solution built to address the needs of retention and growth teams, with audience analytics, deep-segmentation, multi-channel engagement, product recommendations, and automation in one unified product.

The platform is powered by TesseractDB(TM) – the world’s first purpose-built database for customer engagement, offering both speed and economies of scale.

CleverTap is trusted by 2000 customers, including Electronic Arts, TED, English Premier League, TD Bank, Carousell, AirAsia, Papa Johns, and Tesco.

Backed by leading investors such as Sequoia India, Tiger Global, Accel, and CDPQ the company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with presence in San Francisco, New York, Sao Paulo, Bogota, London, Amsterdam, Sofia, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, and Jakarta. For more information, visit clevertap.com or follow on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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.

For more information:

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

VISHAAL MUDHOLKAR
Consultant
Archetype
+91 9724309069
vishaal.mudholkar@archetype.co