We all know the famous Singaporean startups, but what are the companies that will join the elite group in the next coming years?

Whenever I go to events, the most common question I get is “what is a startup that has you excited?”. Frankly, when that question is thrown at me in a conversation I struggle to come up with a decent answer.

So, I figured I would actually dive into e27 database and pick out five startups that caught my eye. I tried to find companies that seem to be in the growth stage (whether by amount raised or funding round) and where H2 2019 will be a defining moment in the company’s history.

Enjoy the list!

YouTrip

It is very rare to see a company as young as YouTrip (it was launched in August 2018) raise a war chest at the level of this startup. Having closed US$25.5 million in early May, YouTrip went from “being founded” to raising one of the largest rounds in the region in just nine months.

YouTrip is a startup that has built a multi-currency mobile wallet that allows people to pay for goods in over 150 currencies with no transaction fees. It is targetting travelers who can use the same wallet as their core payment system when they cross borders. It uses the standard exchange rate to facilitate payments.

A key part of the success is a partnership with Mastercard that allows people to pre-pay on the wallet and then use YouTrip to pay for goods wherever the credit card is accepted.

This company is particularly valuable in Southeast Asia, where the region is fractured but people frequently cross borders. It would allow people to have a convenient source of money while avoiding being gouged by transaction fees.

Grain

Probably the most well known brand on this list, Grain is the definition of a cockroach. The company has been around since 2013, plugging away as it delivered healthy meals across Singapore.

The company makes this list because it announced a US$10 million Series B back in March. The money is meant to be used to move into hyper-growth status within Singapore.

Also Read: 5 growth stage startups that are leaders in Thailand’s ecosystem

For the rest of 2019, Grain will be one of the most interesting Singaporean startups to watch. As a Series B company (with US$10 million in the bank), the company will be expected to scale and gain even more mindshare in the Lion City.

KaHa

KaHa wants to be the top brand for wearables in Singapore. The brand is called Cove and the company builds wearables that have two distinct looks. It offers the athletic style, whereby the word ‘band’ is more accurate than watch. But, it also has IoT watches that look like stylish traditional watches.

In late May, the company announced it had raised a US$6.2 million Series B round led by ICT Fund. The money is to be used to boost R&D functions as well as scale across APAC.

The company also has partnerships across the public and private sector to develop use cases for their product. For example, it recently developed a smart T-shirt and then was tested during a live race in Singapore to see how it tracked metrics like heart rate.

H3 Dynamics

In the process of closing a US$16 million Series B, H3 Dynamics is a drone company that doesn’t actually make drones.

It is an artificial intelligence company that wants to help drones automate their inspection process. Currently, if someone wants to use a drone to inspect a building or agriculture patch, it typically requires a professional drone pilot to control the flight.

H3 Dynamics is imagining a future where these industrial inspection jobs are pilotless and can be automated to free up time for analysing the data.

Beam

While scooter-sharing has not blown up in the same way as bike-sharing from a couple of years ago, there is conversation about if it will. If it does, Beam will be well positioned as a potential market leader.

Also Read: These 5 growth-stage startups bucked the trend to create own brand in Malaysia

In October, the company raised US$6.4 million and in May it began its foray into Malaysia.

Scooter-sharing is a burgeoning industry in Southeast Asia, and if it explodes then Beam will be in a great position to take advantage.

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