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Simon Huang · · 5 min read

Lessons from Singapore’s 1st SPAC deal: It’s all in on livestreaming and live commerce

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Hello there,

Livestreamers can be a dedicated bunch.

South Korean internet celebrity Barbie Jini was recording herself having a meal in the Siam Paragon mall in Thailand when the tragic shooting that killed two people occured.

In the clip, we can see her react to the shots and run out of the mall in under a minute, while continuing to livestream.

Hopefully, such dramatic scenes are an exception rather than the norm. However, livestreaming platforms like 17Live will certainly want to attract more individuals like the Korean livestreamer.

Last week, 17Live was announced as the target for Vertex Technology Acquisition Corporation (VTAC), the first SPAC listed on the SGX and the first to announce a deal.

In this week’s big story, I take a closer look at the livestreaming platform’s business. How does it make money? How does its valuation stack up? I also discuss other details around the SPAC transaction.

— Simon


THE BIG STORY

Image credit: Timmy Loen

Takeaways from Singapore’s landmark SPAC deal and its target company, 17Live
The livestreaming firm says that its businesses will have a total addressable market of US$18 billion by 2027.


3 Trends to keep an eye on

Hot stocks, earnings reports, restructuring, pressure from activist investors, and more.

Photo credit: Shutterstock


2 Eye-popping facts


The one you didn’t see coming


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TIA Writer

Simon Huang

Exploring the impact business and technology will have on Southeast Asia