Asia tech news roundup – Dec 6

The Health2Sync team. Photo credit: Health2Sync

Amazon deepens its involvement in Southeast Asia, Go-Jek’s CEO talks IPOs, and one of the world’s most recognized tech media brands exits Asia. Here are some of today’s top stories from around the region.

Ecommerce

Amazon Prime is now available to Singaporeans (Singapore). Online shoppers in the city-state can now sign up to Amazon Prime, the ecommerce giant’s membership program. In addition to favorable international shipping rates and shorter delivery times, Prime members will also get access to Prime Video’s vault of streamed movie and TV content – intensifying Amazon’s rivalry with both regional ecommerce players and other streaming services. (Tech in Asia)

Health and wellbeing

Health2Sync raises US$6 million (Taiwan). The app for diabetics will use the funding to expand its presence in Japan. Tokyo-based insurance group Sompo Holdings led the series B round, with previous backers Alibaba and WI Harper joining in. (Tech in Asia)

Software

Happay gets US$10 million from Sequoia and other investors (India). AME Cloud Ventures, a VC fund run by Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, also participated in the series B round. Happay, an expenses management app for businesses, raised US$7.2 million from Sequoia and Prime Venture Partners in July 2015. (VCCircle)

Cialfo divests consultancy business to focus on software (Singapore). The startup – which works with schools, colleges, and students on admissions – sold its consulting arm to competitor ChangedEdu in an all-cash deal. The amount was not disclosed. Cailfo will now focus on its SaaS platform that helps schools to manage student applications. (Tech in Asia)

The Cialfo team. Photo credit: Cialfo

Social media

Medlinker secures US$60 million in series C fundraise (China). CEC Data, an affiliate of state-owned China Electronics Corporation, led the round. China Renaissance and existing backers Sequoia Capital and Tencent joined the investment in Medlinker, a social network for doctors. (China Money Network)

Transportation

Go-Jek IPO “within the next few years,” says CEO (Indonesia). Founder and CEO Nadiem Makarim said that the ride-hailing firm has a “set plan” to become a listed company. However, its main objective over the next year is to grow its mobile payments business Go-Pay, he added. (Bloomberg)

Go-Jek CEO Nadiem Makarim on stage at Tech in Asia Jakarta 2016. Photo credit: Tech in Asia

Fintech

City-state’s first legal dispute over bitcoin heads to trial (Singapore). B2C2, which has developed a cryptocurrency trading API, sued cryptocurrency exchange operator Quoine in May over trades that were allegedly wrongfully reversed. It sought to recover 3,085 bitcoins (US$38.9 million at current exchange rates) from Quoine at a summary judgment hearing at Singapore’s International Commercial Court. However, the court denied B2C2’s request for summary judgment, meaning that the case will now go to trial. (The Straits Times)

Media and entertainment

Mashable shutters Asia office (Singapore). The tech news site has laid off its Singapore-based Asia editorial team. Mashable’s closure of its Asia operation comes a matter of hours after it emerged that the company will be acquired by low-cost publisher Ziff Davis. The company said that around 50 staff worldwide would lose their jobs as a result of the buyout. (Mumbrella)

Big tech

Investors, incubators, and accelerators