MAYASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK8Battery maker ProLogium aims to put down roots outside of its home of Taiwan with a major new investment in France and wants to float on the stock market to help fund its expansion, executives said.The privately held car battery maker will invest 5.2 billion euros ($5.7 billion) by 2030 in a new gigafactory in the northern French port city of Dunkirk, its first outside of Taiwan and its biggest, the company announced.With Taiwan a focal point in tensions between Washington and Beijing, the company aims to set up a base overseas to ensure it can maintain operations over the long-term.The company is lining up loans and equity to finance the French plant as well as financial incentives from the French government, the region and city of Dunkirk as well as possible EU funds.Meanwhile, German carmaker Mercedes Benz Group AG and Vietnamese group Vinfast have taken stakes in the company and clients testing its technology were welcome to do the same, Executive Vice-President Gilles Normand said."We want to go to an IPO, depending on market conditions" in parallel to the fundraising process for the Dunkirk plant, Yang said.The French investment is about more than just building an overseas production hub as ProLogium is also setting up facilities outside Taiwan for procuring materials as well as research and development activities, Normand said. Grip Invest, an India-based finTech firm, said it plans to raise up to $8 million in its series B investment round over the next three to four months.Grip Invest is an investment platform that provides a selected variety of investment possibilities other than equities, mutual funds, and cryptocurrencies. Unlike market-connected assets, Grip Invest's services provide investors with risk-adjusted returns.Detailed information about each investment opportunity is available to investors, including commercial terms, estimated returns, partner biographies, investment highlights, and associated risks.Based on its "healthy" financial performance over the past year, the fintech startup expects to reach profitability within the next 12 to 18 months. Grip Invest has increased by 60 percent to 70 percent.Concerning the future investment round, the business intends to use the funds primarily to improve the platform's user experience and produce a more "intuitive" product. The corporation also stated that it will spend in regulatory compliance.In order to reach a larger consumer base, the company is considering a B2B2C strategy. NEWSROOMTAIWANESE BATTERY MAKER PROLOGIUM TO SHIFT TO FRANCEINDIAN STARTUP GRIP INVEST RAISES $8 MILLION IN ITS SERIES B ROUND
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