Plus, a nice seed round for Moovaz and GitHub sells to Microsoft

Vickers Ventures leads investment into UK-based biotech company – [Press Release]

Vickers Ventures, a Singapore-based VC firm, announced today it has lead a US$4.3 million funding round into SiSaf, a biotechnology company that is working on new ways to deliver drugs.

Currently the company specialises in dermatology and it is using silicon to create a method of taking medicine that improves stability, reduces toxicity and improves biocompatibility.

The money will be used to enhance pipeline development and build its manufacturing capabilities.

“[SiSaf’s]unique technology has so many potential applications it’s astonishing. The data in multiple areas is incredibly compelling and we are convinced they will change the face of drug delivery,” said Vickers Ventures President Dr. Elkhalil Binebine in a statement.

Riders in Singapore can now buy snacks from their Grab drivers — [e27]

In a partnership between Cargo and Grab, riders in Singapore can now buy snacks from their drivers while on their ride, the companies announced today.

Cargo is a startup that specialises specifically in supplying ride-hailing companies with goodies that ride-hailing drivers can sell while they are on the way to the destination.

The companies predict a driver could earn as much as S$75 – S$250 (US$56 to US$186) more per month from the partnership. Passengers will need to order from Grab&Go’s digital menu on their phones. Finally, it also presents an opportunity for other brands (Kellogg’s is a big partner in the US) to build another revenue channel.

Moovaz raises US$1 million to help people relocate — [e27]

Moovaz, a Singaporean company that wants to simplify the process of moving abroad, announced today a fundraising of US$1 million from the family office MOJO Partners as well as individual investors.

The money will be used to further develop its core platform, improve its data analytics capabilities while preparing for an eventual regional launch.

The company has built a platform that allows users to input the bare bones information; the origin of move, destination and how much stuff is being relocated. The company then aggregates services the person can use.

Microsoft to acquire GitHub — [Bloomberg]

GitHub is probably the most popular coding repository in the world and is used by developers from major companies like Amazon to small startups working in Starbucks. Now, according to a report from Bloomberg, the company is set to be sold to Microsoft.

An interesting tidbit from the deal is that Microsoft had been the largest contributor to GitHub before the acquisition.

According to the report, one reason why Github was willing to sell to Microsoft is their trust in CEO Satya Nadella, who is becoming a transcendent leader for Microsoft.

Thailand Grab drivers will need to register with government starting July 1 — [Bangkok Post]

The Thailand government has launched a bid to further regulate the taxi industry by initiating a bid to have anyone who wants to submit applications to the Department of Land Transport, according to the Bangkok Post.

The move would impact the ride-hailing industry — and specifically Grab — where motorbikes and cars are registered with the company but not via the Department of Land Transport. The applications would require the submission of a driver’s license, proof of vehicle ownership and possibly other documents.

The Thai government wants to open up applications from between July 1 to August 31 and then spend two months processing the applications before announcing the results on October 31.

The issue surrounds a taxi regulation of requiring a specific license to work as a driver. According to the report, taxi drivers say they are open to ride-hailing if they follow this law, whereby Grab says it is willing to welcome these license-holders onto their platform.

—

The post Today’s top tech news, June 4: Grab is selling snacks and Vickers Ventures invests in UK biotech company appeared first on e27.