Top Stories of The Week

Hello there ,

Sea Group’s story is about taking big chances. It began with three young people - Forrest Li, Gang Ye, and David Chen - trying their luck far away from their hometowns in China. Together, they grew the embryo of a business out of a shophouse in Singapore.

After the success of their online games - most notably Free Fire - they didn’t stay in their comfort zone. Instead, they tripled the business by going into fintech and ecommerce, which later propelled these co-founders to the ranks of the richest in their adopted country.

Nowadays, when most startups in Southeast Asia are considering regional expansion, Sea has already entered Latin America and even Europe, as highlighted in our org chart of the company. The group has also ventured into digital banking.

Our org chart highlights the key figures who have steered Sea’s past and recent moves. If you’re in sales, human resources, or corporate relations and want to connect with the company, this piece will help you cut the red tape.

-- Budi Sutrisno, journalist at Tech in Asia

TOP STORIES THIS WEEK

1. Org Chart: The people helming Sea Group
We look at the captains leading Sea Group as the firm makes major moves in digital banking and in markets like Latin America and Europe.

2. Circles Life’s ESOP breaks new ground. But is there a trade-off?
The digital telco is pushing the boundaries of what staff can get out of their stock options.

3. Is earned wage access Indonesia’s latest hot ticket?
While startups like GajiGesa and Wagely have stolen the spotlight in the EWA segment, numerous VC-backed companies have quietly stepped into the arena.

4. Banking on a digital remedy in the Philippines
Digital bank licenses were granted to six players in the Philippines, where banking is slow and inaccessible. But can the newcomers fix this pain point?

5. Exclusive: Indonesia’s eFishery nets $90m series C from Temasek, SoftBank, Sequoia
The round is the largest-ever VC financing for an aquaculture startup globally, and it will fuel eFishery’s expansion to 10 countries by 2025.

6. Can India recreate China’s live commerce magic?
India’s short-video players and general ecommerce marketplaces are vying to capture the country’s up-and-coming live commerce sector.

7. BNPL sours in Australia, but will SEA players buck the trend?
Australian BNPL stocks have gone into a tailspin since February 2021 as the model’s defensibility and regulatory risks are called into question.

8. Sea could be massive in the metaverse if it wants to be
Sea’s dominance in gaming and ecommerce, its big bet on finance and payments, and its wager on crypto make it a potentially formidable metaverse player.

9. Visual: Emtek’s rise as a major player in Indonesian tech
After decades as a media powerhouse, the Indonesian conglomerate is making major moves in tech via alliances with Grab and Bukalapak, among others.

10. C-suite changes on the cards at MDEC: sources
Key personnel at Malaysia’s digital economy agency have quit while a tech veteran has been appointed as consultant.

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