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Hello reader,
I remember noticing the most primitive version of a driverless car first in Total Recall. I enjoyed the idea of placing Arnold Schwarzenegger inside the backseat of a Johnny Cab with a robot chauffeur.
With Singapore-based startups like MooVita rolling out its own autonomous vehicles (AVs), I can’t help but wonder if there will be some sort of Johnny Bot in the days ahead so we can still have an awkward chat during the ride home. (Arnie is optional of course.)
In the fast-paced world of AVs, our big story for the day will take you through Singapore’s plans to be a pioneer in other applications of driverless vehicles for its smart-nation initiative.
Today we look at:
- Singapore’s new path for autonomous vehicles
- An Indonesian healthtech startup’s new financing
- Other newsy highlights such as GoTo’s launch of a food service on Tokopedia and online courses that require NFTs to unlock.
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Driving through Singapore’s AV scene
Image credit: Timmy Loen
While Singapore isn’t topping lists of AV-ready countries, its autonomous tech scene has become much wider in scope. Driverless cars make up only one aspect of the country’s AV sector, and it has been seeing significant developments in other areas.
- Limitless tech: Take the case of MooVita, which has been in the space since 2016. Its software can be used in different types of vehicles and robots for last-mile delivery. Ken Chan, the startup’s vice president of business development, also sees potential in public transport vehicles for the deployment of MooVita’s autonomous tech.
- Fueling VC interest: Beyond the startups that offer alternative use cases, investors are also keen on backing AV solutions with existing uses. These include safety equipment, novel power management, smart maps, vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity, and new materials.
- Exploring newer roads: According to Aditya Mathur, managing director of Elev8.vc, new AV players are now betting on niche industries such as buses, trucks, and sea transportation. “If you move away from passenger vehicles, there are a number of additional areas that you can potentially build a full stack on and be the first to market and have a good lead,” he says.
Read more: Singapore’s AV startups go beyond driverless cars
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