e27 (Optimatic)

For years, insurtech in Southeast Asia was driven by one thing: growth. Now, that story is changing. In this piece, we look at PolicyStreet’s US$21M Series C raise (from Cool Japan Fund クールジャパン機構, Altara Ventures and Gobi Partners), and why it signals something bigger than just another funding round. Investors are no longer buying into scale alone. They want profitability, discipline, and real infrastructure value. PolicyStreet is positioning itself not as an insurance brand, but as the layer that powers insurance inside platforms -- across gig work, travel, logistics, and more. 📌 The shift is clear: from selling policies to enabling ecosystems. But the bigger question remains: can embedded insurance become truly indispensable, or will platforms eventually bring it in-house? Yen Ming Lee https://shorturl.at/MR6aS

Every weekend in Bangkok, the same thing happens: great plans fall apart over unanswered messages and clunky bookings. That friction isn’t just annoying; it’s a massive, overlooked market gap. In this piece, we look at Nightify, a Thailand-based startup that just raised US$500K from A2D Ventures and others to fix how Southeast Asia goes out. From discovery to table bookings to CRM, it’s building what could become the operating system for nightlife. What makes this interesting isn’t just the product; it’s the market: A US$90B+ hospitality and entertainment opportunity Still run on WhatsApp, spreadsheets, and fragmented tools Huge upside once structure and data come into play 📌 The real question: can Nightify turn a chaotic, hyper-local industry into a scalable platform business? Curious to hear how others see nightlife tech evolving across the region. https://shorturl.at/s3vFp

Global payments are becoming harder to manage as digital wallets and cross-border commerce grow Ant International’s FinAI aims to simplify this by bringing payment methods, security, and optimisation into one intelligent system 🌍💡 https://loom.ly/vU-huNQ #GlobalPayments #Fintech #AIinFinance #DigitalEconomy

AI and global expansion are shaping where startups go next 🤖 Plug and Play’s 2025 activity shows strong investment in AI and growing support for cross-border scaling, now reflected at Echelon 2026. Explore what this means for founders in the region. https://loom.ly/IM_al0M #EchelonSG #Echelon2026 #AI #StartupGrowth

The Philippines exports roughly US$39 billion in semiconductors annually, making it one of the world's top chip exporters. But most of that value sits in assembly, testing, and packaging. The higher-value work in design and advanced packaging still largely happens elsewhere. The Philippine Private Capital Report 2026 by Foxmont Capital Partners identifies the gaps holding back the upgrade: a domestic supplier ecosystem providing less than 10% of production inputs, infrastructure unevenness across industrial zones, talent retention challenges, and regulatory delays that slow time-sensitive investment decisions. Recent anchor investments from Samsung and Analog Devices signal real momentum. Converting that into broader ecosystem upgrading requires coordinated supplier development, infrastructure fixes, and talent pipelines built around the higher-value segments of the chip value chain. Part 4 of a series based on the Philippine Private Capital Report 2026 by Foxmont Capital Partners. https://lnkd.in/einGceK9 #Philippines #Semiconductors #Manufacturing #PrivateCapital #SoutheastAsia #FoxmontCapital #ValueChain #Chips

Vietnam’s startup story is often framed around momentum. But speaking with Genping Liu from Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India, a clearer takeaway emerged: this isn’t about hype but it’s about fit. In this interview, Liu explains why Vietnam is increasingly aligning with Vertex’s long-standing investment thesis, driven by strong STEM talent, founder resilience, and a fragmented market ripe for innovation. What stood out most wasn’t just the opportunity, but the nuance: Talent exists, but mindset is still shifting Capital is flowing, but playbooks are still being written Growth is real, but resilience will depend on going regional early 📌 The big question now: who will be the pioneers that define Vietnam’s startup playbook? Curious to hear how others are seeing Vietnam evolve across Southeast Asia. https://shorturl.at/OHVDX

🔷 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦. 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬.⁣ ⁣ On 5 May in Singapore, e27 and IMI Venture Studio are bringing together active investors for a closed-door roundtable on what actually drives investment conviction.⁣ ⁣ Because in today’s market, the difference between a good deal and a great one isn’t the deck—it’s execution.⁣ ⁣ Expect:⁣ • 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 ⁣ • 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬—𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬⁣ • 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐲⁣ ⁣ If you’re actively investing, this is your room.⁣ ⁣ 👉 Register your interest: https://loom.ly/0pR53Hk ⁣ #VentureCapital #CVC #DeepTech #EnergyTech #StartupInvesting

Founders exploring AI often reach the same moment.⁣ The prototype works.⁣ The idea makes sense.⁣ Then comes the hard question:⁣ “How do we run this at scale?”⁣ ⁣ 𝐞𝟐𝟕 𝐚𝐧𝐝 Bitdeer AI 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝-𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐈 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐈 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.⁣ ⁣ Expect a candid conversation about:⁣ ✅AI infrastructure decisions⁣ ✅Deployment challenges⁣ ✅Real-world use cases⁣ ⁣ 📅 24 April | 12–3PM⁣ 📍Singapore⁣ ⁣ ⚠️ Seats are limited⁣ Register your interest: https://loom.ly/V96Smds #AIAdoption #StartupLeadership #FutureOfWork"⁣ ⁣⁣

What if ranking on ChatGPT could happen in 72 hours instead of months? ⚡ Synscribe, part of Iterative’s W26 batch, is showing how AI agents can automate SEO execution and generate leads faster than traditional approaches. Worth a closer look → https://loom.ly/v7sLXvE #GenerativeAI #Startups #Growth

The Philippines has demographic potential and growing digital ambition. What is holding productivity back is not a lack of policy. It is execution gaps in the education system that start in the classroom and compound across the workforce. The Philippine Private Capital Report 2026 by Foxmont Capital Partners identifies a three-part skills trifecta: foundational learning, mid-level workforce expansion, and rapid reskilling. Failing on any one leg risks turning a young population into a liability rather than an advantage. The opportunity is in closing the gap between policy design and on-the-ground delivery, backed by industry-education partnerships that align training directly with employer demand. Part 3 of a series based on the Philippine Private Capital Report 2026 by Foxmont Capital Partners. https://lnkd.in/eC9KF-Gt #Philippines #Education #Workforce #PrivateCapital #SoutheastAsia #FoxmontCapital #HumanCapital #Productivity