The investors pouring the most money into Vietnam’s startups

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Hello reader,

Recently, the issue of housing and the extremely high costs associated with it has become a huge topic of debate in Singapore.

For instance, a four-bedroom apartment in public housing will cost you several hundred thousand dollars, while those in better locations could be worth between S$500,000 (US$355,600) to S$600,000 (US$426,700).

It’s extremely concerning, especially for those of us who haven’t had serious hair loss (yet). Coupled with inflation and rising interest rates on loans, it’s no wonder that many have felt that getting an affordable house is a tall order these days.

And it’s not like Singapore is so vast that we could just move to the countryside or outside of prime areas to look for cheaper alternatives. The reality is, we live in a country that has a total land area of around 719 square kilometers.

If you’d like to learn more, a blog post by a local professor provides deeper insights into the situation.

That said, moving to another country in Southeast Asia could be an option, especially with the possibilities afforded by remote work these days. It’s not a simple solution, though, given that moving overseas carries significant costs and some measure of risk as well.

One country you can consider is Vietnam, which is the focus of our story today. But instead of talking about buying a house there, we’ll be exploring a different kind of transaction: making an investment in the country’s startups.

Today we look at:

• The investors that have closed the most deals with Vietnamese startups
• A Hong Kong-based fintech firm’s fresh cash infusion
• Other newsy highlights such how an Indonesian mobile cafe startup successfully raised funds and Blibli parent PT Global Digital Niaga’s offloading of some shares ahead of an IPO.

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So Pho So Good

Image credit: Timmy Loen

When I was on a US trip some years ago with my parents, we came across a small and unassuming Vietnamese restaurant that served pho. It was so good that until today, I think of that noodle soup dish as the comfort Asian food to have while overseas.

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