Catherine Shu
Writer
The Latest from Catherine Shu
Facebook gives more details about its efforts against hate speech before Myanmar’s general election
About three weeks ago, Facebook announced it will increase its efforts against hate speech and misinformation in Myanmar before the country’s general election on November 8, 2020. Today, it gave
Japanese startup Nature launches Remo 3, its home appliance smart remote, in the US and Canada
Nature, a Japanese hardware startup that focuses on IoT home devices, announced the launch of Nature Remo 3, its home appliance smart remote, in the United States and Canada today. Priced at $129, the
Singapore-based Syfe, a robo-advisor with a human touch, raises $18.6 million led by Valar Ventures
Syfe, a Singapore-based startup that wants to make investing more accessible in Asia, announced today that it has closed a SGD $25.2 million (USD $18.6 million) Series A led by Valar Ventures, a finte
TikTok, WeChat and the growing digital divide between the US and China
Over the past decade, the dynamic between Chinese and United States tech companies has undergone dramatic shifts. Once seen as a promising market for American companies, that narrative flipped as Chin
Ride-hailing was hit hard by COVID-19 — Grab’s Russell Cohen on how the company adapted
Ride-hailing services around the world have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Grab was no exception. The company is one of the most highly-valued tech startups in Southeast Asia, where it op
SmartNews’ Kaisei Hamamoto on how the app deals with media polarization
Six years ago, SmartNews took on a major challenge. After launching in Japan in 2012, the news discovery app decided that its first international market would be the United States. During Disrupt 2020
SmartNews’ U.S. app unveils new features for the elections, COVID-19 and local weather
At TechCrunch Disrupt today, SmartNews announced the release of major new features for the American version of its news discovery app, designed to make it easier for users to get updates about the ele
Justice Department says WeChat users won’t be penalized under Trump’s executive order
In a Wednesday filing in federal court, the United States government said that users who use or download WeChat “to convey personal or business information” will not be subject to penaltie
Lightspeed announces the launch of its Southeast Asia operations
Lightspeed Venture Partners announced the launch of its Southeast Asia operations today. Based out of the firm’s new regional headquarters in Singapore, Lightspeed’s team there will invest in
Homage’s Gillian Tee on how technology can serve the world’s aging population
It’s always a pleasure to chat with Homage co-founder and chief executive Gillian Tee because of her nuanced take on how technology can help elderly and other vulnerable people. According to the Uni
Homage announces strategic partnership with Infocom, one of Japan’s largest healthcare IT providers
Homage, a Singapore-based caregiving and telehealth company, has taken a major step in its global expansion plan. The startup announced today that it has received strategic investment from Infocom, th
Indian e-commerce deals site CashKaro gets $10 million Series B led by Korea Investment Partners
CashKaro, one of the leading cashback and coupon sites in India, will expand its range of services for e-commerce after raising $10 million in Series B funding, the New Delhi-based startup announced t
Trump says deadline for TikTok sale won’t be extended
The United States government will not extend the September 20 deadline for Beijing-based ByteDance to sell TikTok, President Donald Trump said on Thursday. This adds urgency to negotiations because Ti
DNX Ventures launches $315 million fund for US and Japanese B2B startups
DNX Ventures, an investment firm that focuses on early-stage B2B startups in Japan and the United States, announced today that it has closed a new $315 million fund. This is DNX’s third flagship fun
Thunes raises $60 million for cross-border payments in emerging markets
Thunes, a Singapore-based startup developing a cross-border payments network to make financial services more accessible in emerging markets, announced today it has raised a $60 million Series B. The r
Do Ventures launches $50 million fund for Vietnamese startups, backed by Naver, Vertex and other notable LPs
New investment firm Do Ventures announced today the first closing of its fund for Vietnamese startups, which is backed by several of Asia’s most notable institutional investors. Called Do Ventures F
Freshket lands $3 million Series A led by Openspace to streamline Thailand’s food supply chain
Based in Bangkok, Freshket simplifies the process of getting fresh produce from farms to tables. Launched in 2017, the startup has now raised a $3 million Series A, led by Openspace Ventures. Other pa
Tinder’s interactive video event ‘Swipe Night’ will launch in international markets this month
Tinder’s “Swipe Night” is going global. The dating app announced today that its interactive video series will be available in Asia and other international markets starting on September 1
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 leads $100 million Series C in digital therapeutics company Biofourmis
Biofourmis, which combines AI-based data analytics and biosensors to monitor the progress of medical treatments, has raised funding from one of the world’s most high-profile investors. The digital t
Indonesian insurtech startup PasarPolis gets $54 million Series B from investors including LeapFrog and SBI
PasarPolis, the Indonesian-based startup focused on making insurance policies more accessible in Southeast Asia, has closed a Series B round totaling $54 million. Investors include LeapFrog Investment