China-based tech manufacturers restart work amidst coronavirus outbreak – Bloomberg
Bloomberg reported on the first day of work for Chinese tech manufacturers, which is set to happen on Monday, February 10, as the country goes through the coronavirus outbreak.
Several China-based tech manufacturers such as Foxconn have briefed investors of the potential risks that might arise when hundreds of thousands of their employees return to the factory. Those risks include: Securing enough workers to fully operate, quarantining them, and worst-case scenario when there is an outbreak in the office.
This case is proof of how the tech industry does not stand in a silo, and how socio-cultural issues are closely intertwined with the industry. On a positive side, the outbreak has opened opportunities for several types of technology to be used, such as artificial intelligence. As a great number of citizens were locked down in their homes, the mobile game industry is also experiencing a surge of users.
As China becomes more prominent in the global tech industry, workplace safety and security issue in the country is now an international concern as it may affect the global supply of tech products.
Govt raids Rakuten office in Japan – Dealstreet Asia
Anti-trust officials in Japan have raided the office of local e-commerce giant Rakuten following reports from online merchants about the company’s shipping policies, which is seen as “putting pressure” on merchants to shoulder the shipping costs.
This is another “classic” example of tech companies getting in troubles with the partners that it works with, in this case, an e-commerce platform with its merchants. It might remind us of past cases where drivers of ride-hailing startups were marching to fight for a more fair tariff.
While Rakuten itself has confirmed the raid and stated that it was cooperating with the investigation, it remains to be seen what caused the raid and the allegations.
Also Read: Today’s top tech news: OYO cuts jobs in the US, Facebook fights coronavirus misinformation
Malaysian edutech startup Forward School raises US$500K pre-seed funding – e27
Another funding round in the edutech sector. In the Southeast Asian region, the edutech sector has been gaining popularity recently, with startups such as Ruangguru raising as high as US$150 million in Series C funding in late 2019.
Edutech is popular as it included different elements that are attractive to investors. In addition to its ability to create a social impact, education as a business has always been a popular and sustainable business sector in the region.
Indonesian B2B marketplace for FMCG gudangada secures seed funding led by Alpha JWC, Wavemaker – e27
gudangada, an online B2B marketplace for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) in Indonesia, has secured “double-digit millions” in a seed funding round led by early-stage VC firms Alpha JWC Ventures and Wavemaker Partners.
Singapore’s private equity fund Pavilion Capital also participated in the round.
E-commerce remains the most popular sectors for investors in Southeast Asia to invest in, and it is particularly true for startups in the B2B space.
The advantage of working in the B2B space is that startups have greater opportunity to create stronger user retention –eventually leading to a more profitable and sustainable company. In the year 2020, we predict that this will be the trend that the region will aspire to follow.
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