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Winston Zhang · · 5 min read

A deep dive into Aaqua’s troubles

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Hello reader,

In the previous newsletter I wrote, I talked about knowing how difficult the job search process is, especially on the mental front. Having to deal with rejections and countless interviews is tough.

But what if you’re headhunted by a firm that says it’s backed by Apple and LVMH? Sounds like a dream? Well, for most of Aaqua’s staff, it was a nightmare instead. The Singapore-based firm laid off 175 employees overnight, and many are still owed their July and August salaries.

Meanwhile, founder Robert Bonnier is dealing with fraud allegations from Candy Ventures, one of Aaqua’s key investors.

It’s a heck of a story – dive into it with us.

Today we look at:

  • The misadventures of Aaqua
  • An internship matching firm closes a US$14.3 million series A
  • Other newsy highlights such as Byju’s latest financial figures and Sea’s top executives going without salaries as it tries to hit profitability

— Winston

P.S: In case you somehow missed it, Tech in Asia’s annual conference will be here before you know it – it’s on from September 21 to September 22.

We’ve got a hybrid version this year that will include in-person activities and sessions, among many other exciting things on the program. I remember my first TIA conference – the sheer energy and passion coursing through the event was irresistible, and I’m looking forward to experiencing that again. Hope to see you there!


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Some jobs are tougher than others; one may be OK with its employees clocking out at 6 p.m. on the dot, while another may require overtime almost every day. Of course, individual preferences for hours and workload differ, but as long as there’s a paycheck at the end of the month, most people would at least tolerate their lot in life.


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Winston Zhang

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