IN FOCUS
In today’s newsletter, we look at:
- Why are staff protesting Alodokter’s recent layoffs
- The intensifying US-China chip war
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Hi there,
By the time this newsletter comes out, it would be officially my ninth month with Tech in Asia. One of the first things I learned on the job is how exits could be both good and bad news for a startup.
An exit could mean that a startup is done fundraising and may be finally going public after years of trying. Another type of exit that frequently happens at startups is employee departures, both voluntary and involuntary. I’ve written such stories more often this year as more startups vie for profitability.
This week’s Big Story shows that exits are the story for some startups this year as they continue to struggle financially amid the tech winter. Case in point: Aldokter, the Indonesia-based healthtech platform. My colleague Jofie wrote about the protests last week at the firm’s Jakarta office after it terminated 12 employees.
Aldokter reportedly sought a dialogue with the protesters, but the parties failed to reach a resolution on the terms of layoff.
This week, we also look at the latest development in the chip war between the US and China. Both countries recently implemented new rules designed to not just curb the shipment of important equipment and materials but also to prevent each other from developing new semiconductors easily.
– Elyssa
BIG STORY
Alodokter employees protest over layoffs, dispute severance pay
Image credit: Made by Tech in Asia using Midjourney
The Indonesia-based healthtech startup was in hot water last week as nine laid-off employees and 30 worker solidarity members from other companies held a protest outside its office in Jakarta. The retrenched Alodokter staff alleged that the startup’s severance pay policy violates the country’s labor regulations.
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