Brief: Grindr sets up shop in Taiwan; Go-Jek to trial services in Vietnam

Photo credit: Grindr

Gay dating app opens first Asian HQ (Taiwan). Grindr has set up an office in Taipei and is looking to hire software engineers. The app has 40 million registered users globally and claims that 3.8 million users log in daily. Acquired by China’s Kunlun Tech earlier this year, Grindr said it had selected Taiwan as its first Asia base because of its tech talent and tolerant social attitudes. The island became the first Asian country to legalize gay marriage in 2017. (e27)

Go-Jek trials Go-Bike and Go-Send in Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). The ride hailing firm is testing out its motorcycle taxi and on-demand courier services in some areas of Vietnam’s largest city. It plans to launch ride-hailing services under the newly minted Go-Viet brand in the city this September and will eventually expand to other provinces. (DealStreetAsia)

Other news

BookMyShow bags US$100 million (India). TPG Growth led the series D round for the online entertainment ticketing website, which plans to use the funds to expand its non-movie business. BookMyShow says it has 30 million users and sells about 12 million tickets monthly. (The Economic Times)

OfBusiness nets US$29 million (India). The series C funding round was led by Creation Investments and Falcon Edge, with existing investors Matrix Partners India and Zodius Capital also joining in. OfBusiness, a tech-based lender for small businesses, has raised a total of US$73 million to date. (DealStreetAsia)

Video call app YeeCall secures US$5 million to set up blockchain unit (Singapore). The funding round was led by Leo Digital Network, with participation from Jingyuan Capital and Shenma Internet Financial. YeeCall’s app offers voice and video calls as well as instant messaging functions. The startup claims to have nearly 40 million users. (e27)

Tencent leads series B funding for ecommerce website Haoyiku (China). The round also saw participation from IDG Capital, Vision Capital, and K2VC. Haoyiku raised US$15 million in its series A round last month. (China Money Network)

Photo credit: Pixabay.

Ofo leaves Germany (China). The Chinese bike-sharing company is exiting the country as part of its plan to streamline global operations. The 3,000 bikes that are in Berlin will be shifted to Ofo’s other European markets. The company has been rumored to be facing a cash shortage. (TechNode)

Grab and National University of Singapore (NUS) open AI research center (Singapore). Established via US$4.39 million in funding, the Grab-NUS AI Lab will use data collected by the ride-hailing firm to analyze traffic patterns and develop “smart” mobility solutions for Southeast Asian cities. (Grab)

Google rolls out first WeChat mini app (China). The tech giant unveiled its first mini application on the WeChat platform, a game called “Guess My Sketch.” WeChat’s parent company Tencent took on app stores with the launch of its mini-programs service last year, which allows users to install applications within the platform without having to visit third-party app stores like those operated by Apple and Google. (TechCrunch)

Photo credit: tangducminh / 123RF Stock Photo.