Top Stories of The Week

Hello there ,

I don't think I'm the only one who's been shopping online more often amid this pandemic. As we go through lockdowns and work from our homes, ecommerce seems like the best choice for buying anything and everything.

Waiting for packages to arrive has become one of my new hobbies lately - and maybe many others feel the same way.

That’s why ecommerce growth continues to rise at a time when several industries are fading. Logistics and other sectors closely tied to ecommerce also do not appear to be in a slump.

Logistics providers are actually getting busier as more people do their shopping online. This explains why companies such as J&T Express - an Indonesia-based startup strongly affiliated with Chinese smartphone vendor Oppo - are daring to spread their wings outside its home turf.

After venturing into other Southeast Asian countries as well as China, J&T has officially landed in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the company’s first two markets in the region.

However, the pandemic is not the only factor that drove J&T Express to go global in such a short time. Its business strategy is also vital to realizing this international ambition.

Still, a big question awaits J&T Express: Can its strategy be sustainable in the long term?

-- Jofie Yordan, journalist at Tech in Asia

TOP STORIES THIS WEEK

1. The keys to J&T Express’ rapid global expansion
J&T Express made waves by capitalizing on its ties to Oppo and Shopee. But will that be enough to drive global expansion?

2. Is Dubai stealing Singapore’s thunder in crypto?
Binance led the charge when it withdrew its application in the city-state in favor of Dubai. It appears that many are following suit.

3. Are SEA’s tech VCs missing out on the crypto craze?
Despite crypto and blockchain technology gaining steam, Southeast Asia’s tech VC firms have been slow to jump on the bandwagon.

4. Ajaib, Stockbit drive Indonesia’s stock-trading boom
Ajaib became a unicorn in just two and a half years. But rivals - including more diversified newcomers - are gunning for a slice of the pie.

5. Can Shopee win in India?
Regulatory hurdles, counterfeit items, and “China-related” issues are not stopping Shopee from snapping up millions of followers in India.

6. Ex-Grab, Googlers’ GameFi firm looks to bring play-to-earn to the masses
Ethlas, which is releasing its first set of NFTs, raised seed funding from Sequoia, Yield Guild Games SEA, and a host of other backers.

7. Inside the tsunami of NFTs in India
Proponents of India’s NFT wave remain bullish about finding novel use cases as crypto assets find takers in the country.

8. The key players in Vietnam’s fintech battleground
More than half a billion dollars was invested into the country’s fintech sector in 2021.

9. Exclusive: India’s Goqii bags $50m series C money for SEA launch
The company will soon expand its services to Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

10. What could go wrong for Shopee?
Shopee dominates ecommerce in Southeast Asia, but it can’t afford to rest easy as the competition gets fierce and its rapid expansion carries risks.

EVENTS HAPPENING

• *Event* [Workshop] How to protect your business from inflation on February 24th
  With global inflation rates being the highest they have been in decades, keeping profit margins healthy will be a challenge for startups.
  Join us on February 24 as Billy Naveed, the chief strategy officer at Smile Group, explains how startups should approach runway, burn, valuation, and fundraising in these times. Click here to reserve your seat.
• International Women's Day Luncheon 2022 on March 8th
  Each year, Tech in Asia celebrates #IWD to promote equal representation and opportunities for women in the tech industry. On 8 March, we are inviting startup leaders to join an interactive and engaging 3- course luncheon in Singapore, to uncover actionable ways they can #breakthebias.
  This is a small-group event, with Dione Song (CEO, Love, Bonito), Juliet Zhu (CFO, Carsome) as well as Tech in Asia’s COO Maria Li will be joining to share their experiences and stories. We will facilitate candid conversations on career, life and leadership, to help attendees make meaningful connections.
  Limited seats available. RSVP now!
• AWS SaaS Forum on March 8th
  Join the AWS SaaS Forum on March 8 to uncover opportunities and insights on SaaS trends, outlook for 2022 and how to build your business playbook. Attendance is complimentary.

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