Rising startups on Tech In Asia: fish and meat retailer, sneakers marketplace, and more

Which are the startups that are on the path to becoming the next big thing? In this regular post, we give you an overview of the companies that have raised money in the past week, as well as those we think investors should look at.

1. FreshtoHome (India)

FreshtoHome is an online fresh fish and meat retailer that recently raised US$20 million in a series B round led by venture growth fund, Iron Pillar, with participation from Japanese investor Joe Hirao. They claim to have over 650,000 customers in the UAE and nine cities in India, receiving 14,000 orders daily. More info.

2. Parkable (Australia)

The parking app has just raised about US$2.9 million in a series A funding round led by New Zealand telecommunications company, Spark, putting the startup’s valuation at US$25 million. The company plans to use the funds to explore new international markets where there is increasing parking scarcity. More info.

3. Novelship (Singapore)

Novelship is an online marketplace for sneakers and streetwear. They have just raised over US$2 million in a seed round led by Global Founders Capital, which has also backed companies like Lazada, Traveloka, Facebook, and Slack. They plan to use the funds to fuel their expansion in “key high-growth markets” across Asia Pacific. More info.

4. Team Flash (Singapore)

The esports organization has raised US$1.5 million in a seed round led by local family office Octava. They plan on using this new capital for international expansion and further growth in Vietnam. They also have plans to scout for more esports players and content creators across the region, focus on brand sponsorships and media partners, and launch a dedicated merchandising arm later this year. More info.

5. Bizit (Japan)

Bizit operates a global marketplace for middle-market companies, financial advisors, investment bankers, and private equity funds. They acquired 150 million yen (about US$1.4 million) in an investment round led by SBI AI & Blockchain Fund, operated by SBI Holdings subsidiary SBI Investment. They plan to use the new capital to further develop its platform, improve user experience, invest in marketing for business expansion, and grow its team. More info.

6. Nexting Ventures (Malaysia)

The startup incubator has officially launched after raising 1.6 million ringgit (about US$380,220) in funding from undisclosed investors. The 40-person team has evolved into a business solutions provider now with operations in Vietnam. More info.

7. Med247 (Vietnam)

The offline-to-online healthtech startup has secured an undisclosed amount from Singapore’s KK Fund, a venture capital firm focused on seed-stage internet and mobile startups across Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Jin Hian Goh, former executive for Singapore’s Parkway Healthcare Group, also invested in the round. More info.

8. IDX Optus (Indonesia)

IDX Optus, which offers analytics and AI services, was recently acquired by C88 Financial Technologies, the parent company of financial portals CekAja in Indonesia and eCompareMo in the Philippines, for an undisclosed amount. More info.

9. Scry (Singapore)

Scry is a social forecasting platform that helps users crowdsource predictions on key events using published research on the Aggregative Contingent Estimation (ACE) programme. They will soon be launching a new product that will allow both new and old customers to pay for questions predicted by their AI. More info.

10. Quancy (Singapore)

Quancy is a digital banking startup that offers free pre-paid debit cards, instant money transfer, and cheap remittances. They recently closed US$250,000 investment for their pre-seed round from an undisclosed investor. More info.

11. Ampverse (Singapore)

The gaming and esports media company just launched in Southeast Asia this year. Their appointed CEO is Bangkok-based Ferdinand Gutierrez, formerly CEO of Havas Media Thailand and head of marketing for Twitch Southeast Asia. More info.

12. Catlog (Japan)

Catlog is a pet Internet of Things (IoT) device company that is fully launching in September. They offer connected collars for cats so owners can always monitor their pet’s status. Ryo Ishizuka, the co-founder of Mercari recently invested in the company. More info.

The following startups were a part of the Mobile Only Accelerator’s (MOX) seventh and most recent program. They each received about US$100,000 to US$120,000 in funding. More info.

13. Whatscut Pro (India)

Whatscut Pro is a mobile video-editing app that has about 1 million downloads and 5 million stories shared.

14. Chekk (Hong Kong)

15. Natbay (Thailand)

16. Vidyakul (India)

17. Podd (India)

18. PlayTooMe (India)

19. Woovly (India)

20. Phable (India)

21. Zotezo (India)

22. PinjamWinWin (Indonesia)