Slow and steady wins the race for this SG data startup

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Hello reader,

In case you haven’t heard, the theme of our flagship conference this year is “Southeast Asia: A Bright Spot in the Tech World.” We intend to show how the region has emerged as a silver lining amid the dark clouds of the current macroeconomic environment.

Meiro is one of the companies that have contributed to this silver lining. The Singapore-based data startup reached profitability just two years after its founding, and its leadership team believes in a model of constant reinvestment instead of gunning purely for maximum profits.

All this has created a company that looks and feels set for long-term, sustainable growth. Read on to find out more.

Today we look at:

• The Singapore-based data startup that’s growing at its own pace
• A change at the top for fintech firm Spenmo
• Other newsy highlights such as Dat Bike’s partnership with HSBC and Tonik Financial’s… financials

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Trust the process

Image credit: Timmy Loen

I recently read a lecture that author C.S. Lewis delivered at King’s College, University of London in 1944. Titled “The Inner Ring,” it talked about how all of us – at various stages of life – desire to be accepted into the “inner ring” of whatever social group(s) matters to us at the time.

In the lecture, one line resonated particularly strongly with me: “Until you conquer the fear of being an outsider, an outsider you will remain.”

I hope I’m not reading it wrong, but this points out the importance of maintaining one’s self-esteem and dignity amid the pursuit of being welcomed to the inner sanctum – which I think is a really valuable message to keep in mind.

To extrapolate a little bit from that quote, I think it’s also fair to say that everyone takes their own path through life, learning and doing things in their own unique ways – and that’s great.

We should all do what’s best for ourselves, even if it goes against the grain. For example, in the startup world, it’s usually the big funding rounds that make the news, but taking investor money doesn’t have to be the norm for every company.

New guy in charge at Spenmo

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