A Recap on What Happened This Week: Asian Startup News Overview (July 7th - July 14th)

Over the last decade, Asia's tech and startups have undergone significant transformations. The region has had an eventful last ten years, from the early 2010s when new ventures were first starting up to the breakneck growth in the middle of the decade, as well as the slowdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and global market shifts. Furthermore, emerging technology has transformed lives, and previously unimaginable services are now commonplace. According to some industry experts, the 2020s will be a golden age for Asian startups, as the region's growing expertise in management, operations, and infrastructure will provide the foundation for startups to succeed.

An agritech company, Eratani, announced a second $2 million seed extension funding round earlier this week, bringing the total seed funding to $5.8 million, whereas EHang Holdings Limited (EHang), a Chinese autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform company listed in the United States, raised a total of $23 million in a private placement led by strategic South Korean investor Lee Soo Man.

The Five Startups that gained fortune this week are-:

Eratani

An agritech company with roots in Indonesia named Eratani announced a second $2 million seed extension funding round earlier this week, bringing the total seed funding to $5.8 million. According to a statement from Eratani, SBI Ven Capital, Genting Ventures, Orvel Ventures, and Ascend Angels are among the investors in the round through their joint fund with Kyobo Securities and NTUitive.

Eratani received $3.8 million in funding from TNB Aura, AgFunder, B.I.G Ventures, and Trihill Capital by the end of 2022.

This overall seed round, according to Eratani, reinforces investor confidence in Eratani's ability to unlock the sector's potential while having a significant social impact. It also signals a renewed sense of optimism for the Indonesian agritech industry.

KarirLab

Alpha JWC and M Venture Partners, along with angel investors, have announced their pre-seed funding for KarirLab, an Indonesia-based online platform that connects students and campuses with hiring employers.

The pre-seed round will allow KarirLab to speed up product development, grow its team, and form strategic alliances with top universities and employers, the company said in a statement on Monday.

In order to meet the changing demands of the job market, the funding will also support KarirLab's platform enhancement. This will guarantee a seamless student and employer experience.

KarirLab claims that with the support of this pre-seed round, it is well-positioned to transform career management platforms and bring about significant change in the higher education and employment sectors.

SoLeLands

SoLeLands, an Indonesia-based immersive game-based learning platform for kids' self-discovery, announced that it had raised funding led by East Ventures, with participation from SMDV. The funds will be used for capacity building and product development in preparation for the soft launch in the fourth quarter of 2023, according to a statement from SoLeLands.

"We believe that the funding and support will enable us to provide the best platform to empower parents and educators in nurturing children's self-discovery, and learning the required life skills and competencies," said Jonathan Prathama, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SoLeLands.

Speedoc

Singapore's first healthtech startup Speedoc announced a partnership with Parkway Shenton, Singapore's primary healthcare provider, earlier this week.

The partnership will leverage Speedoc's expertise in providing hospital-level care to expand care options for Parkway Shenton patients, extending their reach into the community while providing medical care in the comfort of patients' homes, according to a statement from Speedoc.

Parkway Shenton, the primary care arm of IHH Healthcare Singapore, operates over 50 general practitioner (GP) clinics, family medicine clinics, and in-house clinics across the island.

EHang Holdings

EHang Holdings Limited (EHang), a Chinese autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) technology platform company listed in the United States, has raised a total of $23 million in a private placement led by strategic South Korean investor Lee Soo Man. EHwang announced that the company has signed share subscription agreements with several strategic investors. Lee is a well-known South Korean music producer, entrepreneur, and the founder of K-pop and SM Entertainment, a KOSDAQ-listed South Korean multinational entertainment company.

In addition to the private placement, EHang and Lee will work together to drive the growth of the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) business in the Asian Pacific regions, leveraging their complementary strengths.