Tinder swipes right for Indonesian market, SoftBank Vision Fund eyes Zuoyebang, while Instagram has a new head
Lippo Group, ObEN launch Pacific Blockchain Research Institute – DailySocial
Indonesian conglomerate Lippo Group and artificial intelligence company ObEN announced a partnership to launch the Pacific Blockchain Research Institute (PBRI), DailySocial reported.
The institute will work together with government institutions, industry players, and the academia to conduct research, develop technology, and provide policy recommendation to accelerate blockchain implementation across industries.
It will also work together with Pelita Harapan University and University of Indonesia.
In addition to research activities, the institute will also set up its own cryptocurrency exchange, which will promote the use of PAI coin by ObEN.
Tinder to enter Indonesia with Ogilvy partnership – DailySocial
Online dating giant Tinder confirmed its entrance to the Indonesian market as the company inks a partnership with communications consultant Ogilvy Indonesia to work on its publication and mass communication strategies, DailySocial wrote.
However, Ogilvy Indonesia was not able to share the exact date for the launch.
For its launch in Indonesia, Tinder puts emphasis on its positioning as a “go-to app” for users with common interests to meet in real life.
Also Read: Venturra Capital launches seed investment arm Venturra Discovery, armed with US$15M fund
SoftBank to invest US$500M in Baidu’s Zuoyebang – South China Morning Post
SoftBank Vision Fund is seeking invest about US$500 million in Chinese edutech startup Zuoyebang, South China Morning Post reported.
Citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter, the report said that the two companies are finalising terms of the deals and that the details could still change.
Founded in 2014 by search giant Baidu, Zuoyebang helps primary and secondary school students in China by enabling them to upload homework questions and search for answers. It has also expanded into live-streaming courses and one-on-one mentoring and is reported to have 300 million registered users.
SoftBank Vision Fund has declined to comment on the report while Zuoyebang did not immediately respond to request for comments.
Facebook names Adam Mosseri as new Instagram head – Bloomberg
Adam Mosseri has announced his appointment as the new Instagram Head on a post on Monday, Bloomberg reported.
Prior to this appointment, Mosseri had been leading Facebook’s news feed team for “many years.”
Instagram founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger had recently left the company following tension with Facebook over the direction of the service.
The founders had also posted a message on Instagram blog with the goal to instill confidence that the app will remain committed to the values of its users even under the new leadership.
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