Hi everyone. Taro here.
Last week in Singapore saw a huge number of visitors for both the Formula 1 race and the countless amount of conferences, along with the hundreds of side events. With the influx of visitors coming for the TOKEN2049 event, plenty of interesting moments went down across town:
- Music lawyer Edward Shapiro and Universal Music Southeast Asia CEO Calvin Wong got into a heated exchange during a panel discussion at All That Matters around artist development. It was good to see some passion for change rather than everyone politely agreeing with one another.
- BRC-20 developer Domo kept up his anonymous identity by giving his keynote at the Ordinals Summit with his face fully covered with a mask, hat, and sunglasses.
- At the same event, I saw a man using the urinal with his pants around his knees while checking his phone.
- The barbers at the Polyhedra Network booth at TOKEN2049 was a gimmicky success.
- This guy!
- JPEX was called out as a scam by the Hong Kong authorities and disappeared, leaving its booth completely empty. Due diligence wasn’t thorough enough, apparently.
Nothing But Net
Recent Startup Wins
- MedEasy, a Bangladesh-based online pharmacy, raises USD 750,000 in seed funding to enhance digital healthcare for the country’s 30 million chronic patients, addressing the significant market gap in affordable healthcare solutions.
- Singapore’s Mythic Protocol secures USD 6.5 million in a seed funding round, aiming to fuse blockchain, gaming, and media in a unified entertainment ecosystem.
- Indonesian agritech Koltiva raises a seven-figure USD sum in Series A funding, led by AC Ventures, to bolster its software solution for end-to-end supply chain traceability.
Clean Block
We cover interesting news items related to climate and sustainability in Southeast Asia.
- People working from home full-time reduce emissions by 54% compared to office-goers, emphasizing the environmental benefits of remote work. [via The Guardian]
- The green fintech sector grapples with the complexities of Scope 3 emissions tracking, underscoring the urgency for accurate carbon accounting amidst a reactive hiring trend.
- The Formula One Singapore Grand Prix commits to cutting energy emissions in half by 2028, with measures like adopting hydrotreated vegetable oil and LED track lights. [via CNBC]
- The green fintech industry in Asia faces challenges with “reactive” hiring for ESG roles, leading to potential competence greenwash and a need for specialized talent. [via Eco-Business]
- Rice University researchers are developing a method to produce hydrogen from plastic waste, offering a low-emission solution that could be financially self-sustaining. [via Tech Xplore]
Pick & Roll
Interesting Drops From the Week
- Microsoft’s MSN news portal faced backlash for publishing a seemingly AI-generated article that inappropriately labeled the late NBA player Brandon Hunter as “useless.” [via Futurism]
- Unity Technologies updates its terms of service, affecting how mobile game developers monetize through ads and created a huge uproar. [via The Verge]
- METL presents an airless, puncture-proof bicycle tire made from a shape-memory alloy, offering potential advancements in cycling. [via New Atlas]
- Neural Galaxy pioneers a method to map neural circuits, aiming to provide personalized treatments for various brain diseases.
- The demand for parking has reshaped urban landscapes, with implications for the environment, living standards, and societal inequality. [via The Nation]
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