Supermom confirms SGD 18 million Series B round

Supermom, a Singapore-headquartered consumer data platform targeting families, has confirmed it raised SGD 18 million (USD 13.6 million) in a Series B funding round led by Granite Asia, with participation from returning investors AC Ventures and Qualgro, alongside Hearst Ventures.

The funds will be utilized to enhance Supermom’s artificial intelligence capabilities and accelerate its international growth, deepening engagement across its Southeast Asia ecosystem.

In its statement, Supermom CEO Luke Lim highlighted the company’s role in connecting brands to families through personalized insights, while Granite Asia Managing Partner Jenny Lee affirmed the investor’s confidence in Supermom’s vision for the region.

Photo of Luke Lim, CEO of Supermom. Photo and header photo courtesy of Supermom.

Clime Capital invests in Indonesian solar developer Hijau

Clime Capital has invested in Hijau, an Indonesia-based solar energy developer, through its Southeast Clean Energy Fund II (SEACEF II).

SEACEF II’s investment, with the potential to extend up to USD 10 million, will support Hijau in building out a solar project pipeline, particularly in Indonesia’s commercial and industrial sectors.

Founded in 2017, Hijau has become an early leader in Indonesia’s solar market, committed to technical quality and compliance with health, safety, and environmental standards.

Photo courtesy of Clime Capital and Hijau.

Waymo raises USD 5.6 billion in Series C funding to fuel robotaxi expansion

Waymo has closed a USD 5.6 billion Series C funding round led by parent company Alphabet, with returning investors Andreessen Horowitz, Fidelity, Perry Creek, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T Rowe Price joining the round, according to CNBC.

This latest capital boost accelerates Waymo’s plans to expand its robotaxi service, Waymo One, beyond Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco, into cities like Austin and Atlanta through a new partnership with Uber. Waymo’s co-CEOs Tekedra Mawakana and Dmitri Dolgov said the funding would enhance the Waymo Driver for business applications, furthering its mission to deliver safe, reliable autonomous driving solutions.

This round brings Waymo’s total capital raised to over USD 11 billion. Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat recently committed to a multiyear investment of up to USD 5 billion in Waymo, signaling deepening support as Waymo scales its service in the competitive AV landscape.

True Global Ventures backs Tookitaki in strategic expansion across Asia

Tookitaki, a Singapore-based anti-financial crime software firm, has received funding from True Global Ventures (TGV)’s Opportunity Fund to support its expansion across Asia. The company did not disclose the amount raised.

The capital infusion will be used to bolster Tookitaki’s AI-driven platforms that address critical compliance needs for financial institutions as regulatory demands rise. Tookitaki is said to have tracked billions of transactions to date for its clients, detecting fraud and enforcing anti-money laundering (AML) standards across millions of consumer accounts.

Photo courtesy of Tookitaki.

ConnectingDNA raises USD 550,000 in pre-seed round for genetic wellness platform

Singapore-based ConnectingDNA, which integrates personal genetic data with wellness solutions, has raised USD 550,000 in pre-seed funding from private investors, according to e27.

The company plans to use the funds to advance its flagship technology, which provides personalized health recommendations by combining genetic insights with lifestyle data.

ConnectingDNA aims to extend its reach in the wellness sector and forge partnerships to enhance personalized health access globally. Its platform is said to empower users in health management based on genetic predispositions influenced by daily actions, aligning with its mission to promote proactive health management.

Advance.CBP bags USD 4 million to launch credit bureau operations in the Philippines

Advance.CBP, the Philippine credit bureau of Advance.AI, has bagged USD 4 million in seed funding from Archipelago Capital Partners.

As a special accessing entity (SAE) designated by the Credit Information Corporation (CIC), Advance.CBP will provide credit reporting services to Philippine fintechs and digital banks.

Dennis Martin, CEO of Advance.AI, stated that the investment is pivotal in building a “more equitable and inclusive financial ecosystem” for Filipinos, reinforcing the company’s commitment to providing local lenders and borrowers with access to quality credit data.

Clockwise from top left: Robert Feng, program director of Advance.AI, Xiaoli Zhang, investment director at Archipelago Capital Partners, Jovasky Fang, CEO of Archipelago Capital Partners, and Dennis Martin, CEO of Advance.GBP. Photo courtesy of Advance.AI.

Tower Capital Asia acquires majority stake in Kiztopia to drive regional expansion

Tower Capital Asia (TCA) has acquired a majority stake in Kids Element Edutainment, better known as Kiztopia, an edutainment brand with family entertainment centers across Southeast and East Asia.

The transaction, facilitated through Tower Capital PE Fund I, TCA’s first private equity fund, will enable Kiztopia to scale its operations and expand its immersive play-learning spaces to meet growing regional demand.

Open Ocean Robotics secures CAD 2.8 million to advance sustainable ocean monitoring

Canadian maritime robotics company Open Ocean Robotics (OOR) has closed a CAD 2.8 million (USD 2 million) funding round co-led by Singapore-based Antares Ventures and Canada’s Spring Impact Capital, with additional backing from Katapult Ocean, Alacrity Canada, and other investors.

The funding will support OOR’s expansion into Southeast Asia and scale production of its uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), which use solar power for extended ocean monitoring without emissions.

Julie Angus, CEO of OOR, highlighted the investment as pivotal for advancing the company’s mission of providing real-time ocean data in a cost-effective and sustainable way, enhancing marine resource protection.

Photo courtesy of Open Ocean Robotics.

measurable.energy raises GBP 4 million to scale AI-driven energy solutions

UK-based measurable.energy has raised GBP 4 million (USD 5.2 million) in new funding to expand its AI-powered plug socket technology that reduces electricity usage in offices by up to 50%. Vertex Exploratory Fund, a fund under Temasek’s Vertex Holdings, and Clean Growth Fund co-led the round, with participation from existing backers.

The investment will fuel measurable.energy’s expansion into Southeast Asia and other international markets.

COLABS secures USD 2 million for MENA expansion, targeting Saudi Arabia

COLABS, a Pakistan-based co-working platform, has secured USD 2 million in a pre-Series A round led by Shorooq Partners with additional support from Waad Investment.

The funding, which brings COLABS’ total raised to over USD 5 million, will drive its expansion into Saudi Arabia and the broader MENA region.

Photo of Ali Shah (left) and Omar Shah, co-founders of COLABS. Photo courtesy of COLABS.

NextGen.AI raises SGD 450,000 to scale AI innovation across Southeast Asia

NextGen.AI, a startup specializing in AI-driven solutions, has secured SGD 450,000 (USD 340,290) in pre-seed funding from Asiawide Print Holdings.

With this investment, NextGen.AI will enhance its AI tools, including ConverseAI and StratAI, which support business operations across sales, marketing, and strategy. The funding will also support the startup’s Southeast Asia expansion, targeting markets like Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

OneCFO secures USD 500,000 in pre-seed funding to expand financial management solutions for SMEs

OneCFO, a Philippines-based financial technology startup, has raised USD 500,000 in pre-seed funding from angel investors.

The funds will be deployed to enhance its suite of CFO technology services for small and medium enterprises.

GlobalTix, Vouch, Kisai Entertainment, and others made headlines earlier in October:

  • GlobalTix, a Singapore-based ticketing software provider and marketplace distribution platform for the tourism industry, closed a SGD 6.5 million (USD 5 million) Series B funding round. The round was led by Tin Men Capital, with participation from Seeds Capital, Orzon Ventures, and a US-based family office.
  • Vouch, a Singapore-based provider of hotel operations management solutions, secured USD 2.5 million to accelerate its AI development.
  • Kisai Entertainment, an Indonesian webtoon production company, raised USD 1 million in a funding round led by Sorajima, a leading Japanese webtoon company, and PT Anjary Jaya Raya, an Indonesian creative company.

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