Glints taps SMEs, AI for profit

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In focus

• ​​A glimpse into Glints’ SME and AI future
• SmartSolar’s sunnier disposition with US$1.3 million in new funding
• The numbers behind Southeast Asian tech funds’ strong start to 2026

Hello reader,

When I was fresh out of college and hunting for a job, I used to join Facebook groups to look for open positions. I then found out that it was a world of difference compared to LinkedIn.

Most of the posts in these Facebook groups are for MSMEs, completely different from the multinational companies I had been spamming applications to on LinkedIn.

​​But this makes sense: small businesses are the backbone of the Philippine economy. Online recruitment penetration in Southeast Asia is at just 3% – compared with nearly 30% in the US – Glints co-founder Oswald Yeo told me for this edition’s featured story. The gap presents a clear opportunity for the company to capitalize on.

Glints has already made progress on this front in Indonesia. Yeo, now the company’s chairman, said the firm overtook LinkedIn and JobStreet in the last quarter of 2025 in terms of monthly Android app downloads and new job listings in the country.

Building on this momentum, the company is aiming to replicate its progress in markets like Singapore and Malaysia. Whether it succeeds in these two countries will become clearer when we take a closer look at Glints’ next financial update.

In our other featured story, my colleague Elyssa takes a closer look at Vietnamese firm SmartSolar’s plans to bring its rooftop solar product to more households. To support these efforts, the company has raised US$1.3 million in fresh funding.

Also, be sure to check out our updated funds tracker, as more money is pouring into the region.

Miguel Cordon, journalist

Top Stories

1️⃣ Glints eyes 2027 profit as growth continues, losses ease in 2025

Glints office / Photo credit:

Another area of growth Glints is targeting is the wave of new roles created by the AI boom.

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