Rising startups on Tech In Asia: eye health, pet sitting, 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. QXpress (Singapore)

Logistics service provider QXpress, a subsidiary of e-commerce platform Qoo10, raised US$50 million in a funding round led by Crescendo Equity Partners. With the fresh funds, QXpress will expand its network reach and improve its platform’s security and reliability. More info.

2. PeopleFund (South Korea)

PeopleFund, a peer-to-peer lending platform, raised US$35 million as an extension to its series B financing round. Lending Ark Asia Secured Private Debt Fund led the investment, which will enable PeopleFund to scale its operations. More info.

3. OkCredit (India)

OkCredit, which provides a cloud-based digital application provider for micro-merchants, secured US$15.5 million in a series A round led by Tiger Global. Morningside Venture Capital, Lightspeed India Partners, Venture Highway, and Y Combinator participated in the round. The funding will help the startup expand its merchant base. More info.

4. Cityfurnish (India)

Furniture rental platform Cityfurnish bagged US$5 million in a Series A round from various investors, including Gmail creator Paul Buchheit and YouTube co-founder Steve Chen. The startup will use the investment to improve its brand position and its technological infrastructure. More info.

5. Yellow Messenger (India)

Chatbot platform Yellow Messenger bagged US$4 million in a series A funding round from Lightspeed Venture Partners and angel investors. The startup, which has offices in Bangalore and Kuala Lumpur, plans to expand across Asia and the Middle East. More info.

6. Buyandship (Hong Kong)

E-commerce delivery service Buyandship raised US$2.2 million in a pre-series B round led by Infinity Venture Partners with participation from SQ Capital, along with strategic angel investors and key Buyandship management. The startup will focus on improving its warehouse automation system and “one-click buy” service. More info.

7. Arzooo (India)

Retail technology startup Arzooo raised US$1 million in a pre-series A round led by Jabbar Internet Group. It will use the fresh funds for further product development and expansion across India. More info.

8. Plano (Singapore)

Plano, a healthtech startup focusing on eye care, secured an undisclosed amount in a series A funding round from Meriton Capital. Plano aims to expand its operations to include more than 10 countries within the next 12 months. More info.

9. Freshgora (Myanmar)

Delivery platform Freshgora received an undisclosed amount of investment from Cambodian delivery startup Meal Temple Group. The two companies are aiming to develop a superapp for on-demand services in Asia’s frontier markets. More info.

10. NextPay Holdings (Vietnam)

Payments startups Vimo Technology JSC and Vietnam mPOS Technology JSC are merging to form NextPay Holdings, a fintech platform that will provide a one-stop payment solution for businesses. The new company aims to raise US$30 million in funding soon. More info.

11. Fore Coffee (Indonesia)

Since its founding in August 2018, Fore Coffee has grown to 58 outlets across Greater Jakarta. It sells around 300,000 cups of coffee per month, which are ordered through its app. More info.

12. Ninja Van (Singapore)

Logistics service provider Ninja Van is investing US$4 million to speed up deliveries in the Philippines. The funds are being used for new sorting hubs and trucks. More info.

13. Pathao (Bangladesh)

Pathao provides on-demand ride-sharing, logistics, and food delivery services. It now has 200,000 registered drivers on its platform. More info.

14. Miso (South Korea)

Miso, a home-cleaning service, has ventured into pet care services. Its general manager points out that one in five Korean households have pets, and that the country’s pet services market’s compound annual growth rate is about 27%. More info.

15. Smart Walkie Talkie (Singapore)

16. Dropee (Malaysia)

17. Astro Go (Malaysia)

18. Anywheel (Singapore)