IN FOCUS
In today’s newsletter, we look at:
* Super apps may be back after a not-so-super time
* Shopee’s profitability expectations
Welcome to The Checkout! Delivered every fortnight, this free newsletter breaks down the biggest stories and trends in ecommerce. Get all our content, including The Checkout, by registering for a Tech in Asia account. Alternatively, sign up here if you just want to receive this newsletter.
Hey readers,
My wife and I live in a place with a small but charming kitchen (to me, at least), so we made a decision: no single-purpose gadgets. While we’ve mostly stuck to this rule, we agreed that an espresso machine is a worthy exception.
But for apps, the opposite appears to be happening. In this week’s premium story, my colleague Melissa looks into the fading appeal of do-it-all apps.
For one, super apps have lost their shine with investors. Funding into multivertical startups has gone down significantly compared to prior years, with fintech firms gaining the attention of deep-pocketed backers instead.
Just like our espresso machine, however, there are exceptions. A new wave of players may not call themselves super apps, but they see the value in adding adjacent services such as travel and ecommerce to their core offerings.
Meanwhile, Shopee’s recent profitability is the focus of this week’s Hot Take. I discuss how this happened and why the ecommerce firm is likely to remain in the black for the foreseeable future.
— Miguel
THE BIG STORY
The super-app dream is getting a refresh
Image credit: Timmy Loen
Super apps were the top-funded category between 2018 and 2020. Spoiler alert: That’s no longer the case.
THE HOT TAKE
Shopee’s profitability is here to stay
Meet the finalists
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
