Funding societies partners SGeBIZ to lower working capital barriers for SME’s
Crowdfunding platform Funding Societies announced today that it will partner with Singapore E-Business (SGeBIZ) to provide financing solutions to local SME suppliers and buyers, according to PRNewswire.
Funding Societies offers a diverse range of loan products whereas SGeBIZ is an e-procurement management system that acts as a bridge between buyers and suppliers. Through the partnership, the two companies aim to lower the barrier of access to working capital for small businesses.
Small businesses on SGeBIZ will now be able to access funds from Funding Societies which provides loans to SMEs in as quickly as 24 hours.
American fund MDIF leads US$1.5 million investment in Indian media platform Josh Talks
Indian social tech media startup Josh Talks has raised US$1.5 million in pre-Series A funding, led by New York-based fund Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), according to a press release statement today.
The media startup has expanded to include Josh Kosh an inclusive career-guidance platform, and Josh Skills a platform for low-income students and job seekers in India to assist them with training and tools necessary to get a job.
Also Read: Morning News Roundup: Malaysian food delivery startup Dahmakan raises US$18M in Series B
“We are proud to partner with Josh Talks, an organisation that is leading the way in creating affordable and accessible solutions for low-income families and communities,” commented Key Kiarie, Chief Investment Officer of MDIF.
The company also revealed plans to take Josh to other developing nations with the support of MDIF.
Freshworks acquires ML and AI provider AnswerIQ to enhance customer service
Freshworks, an India- and US-based SaaS platform, has acquired AnswerIQ, an intelligent automation solution for customer service, for an undisclosed amount, according to a press release.
The startup also said that AnsweriQ complements Freshworks’s AI engine by enabling enterprises to leverage their existing customer data to scale and automate complex customer workflows.
As part of the agreement, AnsweriQ CEO Pradeep Rathinam has joined the senior executive team as Chief Customer Officer.
“Unlike clunky, siloed, legacy SaaS solutions, Freshworks is innovating to deliver a powerful and seamless experience across sales, marketing, customer success and support functions,” Rathinam said.
Also Read: Taking a glimpse into agritech startups in Thailand
Freshworks currently has more than 2,700 employees working in 13 offices around the world. The company recently closed US$150 million in funding that put the company at a post-financing valuation of US$3.5 billion.
—
Image Credit: Nick Pampoukidis
The post Afternoon News Roundup: Funding Societies teams up with SGeBIZ to lower working capital barriers for SME’s appeared first on e27.