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Cybersecurity

OpenAI invests in cybersecurity to combat AI-driven threats

OpenAI has made its first cybersecurity investment in Adaptive Security, a startup that uses AI to train employees to detect and prevent cyber threats.

Roblox introduces new parental controls to enhance child safety

Roblox introduces new parental controls, allowing parents to block games, restrict friends, and monitor their childโ€™s activity for better safety.

Exabeam introduces Nova, an agentic AI that boosts cybersecurity operations

Exabeam unveils Nova, a proactive AI agent that boosts security team productivity and reduces incident investigation time by over 50%.

Tenable reveals privilege escalation flaw in Google Cloud Run

Tenable uncovers a privilege escalation flaw in Google Cloud Run, exposing risks linked to inherited permissions and service interdependencies.

ESET uncovers RansomHub links to rival gangs and highlights emerging EDR killer threats

ESET uncovers RansomHubโ€™s links to rival gangs and reveals its custom EDR killer, signalling new threats in the ransomware landscape.

Marketing

Spotify introduces AI-powered ads and programmatic ad buying

Spotify unveils AI-powered ads and the Spotify Ad Exchange, making it easier for advertisers to reach Gen Z listeners with real-time bidding.

Adobe: Redefining digital marketing in APAC through AI and privacy-first personalisation

Discover how Adobe helps APAC brands tackle data privacy, localise content, and embrace AI-driven marketing in a cookieless future.

Adobe introduces AI agents to Experience Cloud to improve customer experience delivery

Adobe unveils AI-powered features in Experience Cloud to help businesses deliver personalised customer journeys and better digital performance.

Adobe introduces new Firefly updates to streamline brand content production at scale

Adobe expands Firefly with video, 3D and GenStudio integration, helping brands scale on-brand content production with ease.

WeChat mini-game advertising sees 113% increase, creating new opportunities for developers

WeChat mini-game ads grew 113% in 2024, opening major growth chances for developers aiming to scale in Chinaโ€™s fast-moving mobile game market.

Southeast Asia

Synagie and HKT launch ShopHK to help Hong Kong brands expand into Southeast Asia

Synagie and HKT launch ShopHK, helping Hong Kong SMEs tap into Southeast Asia's booming US$600 billion e-commerce market.

MLBB and OPPO crown regional champions at APAC Smooth Legend Cup

IDONOTSLEEP and Maru Gamerpact Esports take top honours at the MLBB x OPPO Smooth Legend Cup APAC Grand Finals.

LinkedIn: How AI is reshaping hiring and workforce strategies in 2025

Discover how AI is transforming hiring and workforce strategies in 2025, from skills-based recruitment to internal mobility and continuous learning.

Kyberlife raises US$3 million to expand healthcare procurement in Southeast Asia

Singaporeโ€™s healthtech startup Kyberlife secures US$3 million to expand its digital procurement platform, streamlining healthcare supply chains in Southeast Asia.

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres gains NVIDIA AI certification to boost AI capabilities

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres has achieved certification under the NVIDIA DGX-Ready Data Center programme, boosting AI capabilities in Southeast Asia.

Geek

Lego and Pokรฉmon Company announce long-awaited collaboration

Lego has partnered with The Pokรฉmon Company, and official Pokรฉmon Lego sets will be available in stores in 2026.

Crunchyroll announces cinema release dates for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle

Crunchyroll announces cinema release dates for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, starting 14 August 2025 in Singapore and Malaysia.

Aetherdrift brings high-speed action to Magic: The Gathering fans

MTG's Aetherdrift brings high-speed action, new mechanics, and exclusive collectibles in an epic multiverse race starting 7 February.

Crunchyroll and Sony partners unveil anime adaptation of Ghost of Tsushima: Legends

Crunchyroll, Aniplex, and Sony partners reveal Ghost of Tsushima: Legends anime adaptation, set for a 2027 release exclusively on Crunchyroll.

Evangelion store marks two decades with new merchandise and an anniversary fair

Celebrate 20 years of EVANGELION with exclusive merchandise and special gifts at the anniversary fair, only at the EVANGELION STORE.

Hot topics

Going elsewhere?

26.5 C
Singapore
23.1 C
Malaysia
31.7 C
Thailand
27.4 C
Philippines
22 C
Indonesia
16 C
Vietnam
29.7 C
Cambodia
26.4 C
Myanmar

Cybersecurity

OpenAI invests in cybersecurity to combat AI-driven threats

OpenAI has made its first cybersecurity investment in Adaptive Security, a startup that uses AI to train employees to detect and prevent cyber threats.

Roblox introduces new parental controls to enhance child safety

Roblox introduces new parental controls, allowing parents to block games, restrict friends, and monitor their childโ€™s activity for better safety.

Exabeam introduces Nova, an agentic AI that boosts cybersecurity operations

Exabeam unveils Nova, a proactive AI agent that boosts security team productivity and reduces incident investigation time by over 50%.

Tenable reveals privilege escalation flaw in Google Cloud Run

Tenable uncovers a privilege escalation flaw in Google Cloud Run, exposing risks linked to inherited permissions and service interdependencies.

ESET uncovers RansomHub links to rival gangs and highlights emerging EDR killer threats

ESET uncovers RansomHubโ€™s links to rival gangs and reveals its custom EDR killer, signalling new threats in the ransomware landscape.

Marketing

Spotify introduces AI-powered ads and programmatic ad buying

Spotify unveils AI-powered ads and the Spotify Ad Exchange, making it easier for advertisers to reach Gen Z listeners with real-time bidding.

Adobe: Redefining digital marketing in APAC through AI and privacy-first personalisation

Discover how Adobe helps APAC brands tackle data privacy, localise content, and embrace AI-driven marketing in a cookieless future.

Adobe introduces AI agents to Experience Cloud to improve customer experience delivery

Adobe unveils AI-powered features in Experience Cloud to help businesses deliver personalised customer journeys and better digital performance.

Adobe introduces new Firefly updates to streamline brand content production at scale

Adobe expands Firefly with video, 3D and GenStudio integration, helping brands scale on-brand content production with ease.

WeChat mini-game advertising sees 113% increase, creating new opportunities for developers

WeChat mini-game ads grew 113% in 2024, opening major growth chances for developers aiming to scale in Chinaโ€™s fast-moving mobile game market.

Southeast Asia

Synagie and HKT launch ShopHK to help Hong Kong brands expand into Southeast Asia

Synagie and HKT launch ShopHK, helping Hong Kong SMEs tap into Southeast Asia's booming US$600 billion e-commerce market.

MLBB and OPPO crown regional champions at APAC Smooth Legend Cup

IDONOTSLEEP and Maru Gamerpact Esports take top honours at the MLBB x OPPO Smooth Legend Cup APAC Grand Finals.

LinkedIn: How AI is reshaping hiring and workforce strategies in 2025

Discover how AI is transforming hiring and workforce strategies in 2025, from skills-based recruitment to internal mobility and continuous learning.

Kyberlife raises US$3 million to expand healthcare procurement in Southeast Asia

Singaporeโ€™s healthtech startup Kyberlife secures US$3 million to expand its digital procurement platform, streamlining healthcare supply chains in Southeast Asia.

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres gains NVIDIA AI certification to boost AI capabilities

ST Telemedia Global Data Centres has achieved certification under the NVIDIA DGX-Ready Data Center programme, boosting AI capabilities in Southeast Asia.

Geek

Lego and Pokรฉmon Company announce long-awaited collaboration

Lego has partnered with The Pokรฉmon Company, and official Pokรฉmon Lego sets will be available in stores in 2026.

Crunchyroll announces cinema release dates for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle

Crunchyroll announces cinema release dates for Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, starting 14 August 2025 in Singapore and Malaysia.

Aetherdrift brings high-speed action to Magic: The Gathering fans

MTG's Aetherdrift brings high-speed action, new mechanics, and exclusive collectibles in an epic multiverse race starting 7 February.

Crunchyroll and Sony partners unveil anime adaptation of Ghost of Tsushima: Legends

Crunchyroll, Aniplex, and Sony partners reveal Ghost of Tsushima: Legends anime adaptation, set for a 2027 release exclusively on Crunchyroll.

Evangelion store marks two decades with new merchandise and an anniversary fair

Celebrate 20 years of EVANGELION with exclusive merchandise and special gifts at the anniversary fair, only at the EVANGELION STORE.
Friday, 4 April 2025
26.5 C
Singapore
31.7 C
Thailand
22 C
Indonesia
27.4 C
Philippines

Singaporeโ€™s e-scooter startup, Beam, raises US$26 million in funding

Micromobility startup, Beam, has recently secured US$26 million in Series A funding, bringing their total raised capital to US$32.4 million. The latest financing round was led by Sequoia India and Hana Ventures, with other investors from the APAC region in participation. Coined by Horace Dedi, an analyst at Apple, the term โ€œmicromobilityโ€ is defined as [โ€ฆ]

Micromobility startup, Beam, has recently secured US$26 million in Series A funding, bringing their total raised capital to US$32.4 million. The latest financing round was led by Sequoia India and Hana Ventures, with other investors from the APAC region in participation.

Coined by Horace Dedi, an analyst at Apple, the term โ€œmicromobilityโ€ is defined as travel with a distance of less than 8km. Beamโ€™s electric-powered scooters have the potential for success given the regionโ€™s congestion and pollution challenges that are exacerbated by the use of gasoline-powered vehicles. This positions Beamโ€™s nimble e-scooters as a more wallet- and environmentally-friendly alternative mode of transport.

To add, Beam is the only e-scooter operator in APAC that is officially Climate Neutral Certified. Having worked with Climate Neutral (a non-profit organisation) to have its 2019 carbon emissions measured, Beam went on to offset their emissions entirely by investing in projects involving renewable energy as well as planting trees. Drastically reducing carbon emissions is a commitment that Beam looks to extend in 2020 and in the future.

With the fresh capital obtained, Beam looks forward to expanding its electronic scooter operations and engineering potential beyond their current markets in Australia, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Taiwan. In addition, Beam is also planning to expedite the launch of its third-generation model โ€“ the Beam Saturn โ€“ which features an enhanced build and changeable batteries to more markets.

Although the funding came at a time of a pandemic and lockdowns enforced worldwide, the Singapore-based startup has taken the initiative to ease userโ€™s concerns by putting into effect strict sanitizing practices to ensure their operations limit the spread of virus transmission.

Apart from having to comply with operation restrictions amidst the global health crisis, Beam is also faced with safety concerns on the pedestrian front. Despite e-scooters being a popular alternative in Singapore for use in regular commute and by food delivery dispatchers, a spate of unfortunate events involving e-scooter riders and pedestrians has led the government to ban e-scooters from footpaths in November 2019 to assuage the general public.

In response, Beam has shared in a statement that they will gradually be introducing measures that will ensure their e-scooters are safe for pedestrians when used in the streets. Plans are also underway to solve the issue of irresponsible users who absent-mindedly discard the e-scooters in unauthorized locations. Beam intends to do so via introducing an incentivized system for users to return the e-scooters and park them in authorized locations. Their โ€œvirtual dockedโ€ model claims to ensure that users will comply with the parking locations established by the Beam mobile app. To supplement their safety initiatives, the firm will also be improving its โ€œBeam Safety Academyโ€ and extend their online training solutions to the Asia Pacific region.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive, Alan Jiang expressed his sentiment that โ€œIโ€™m really excited about our new technology and its ability to reduce the problems associated with randomly scattered scooters around a city. This helps us to further improve our industry-leading vehicle retention rates, reduce operational costs, and most importantly, benefits communities by keeping city streets neater.โ€

Resonating with his business partner, co-founder and Chief Technical Officer, Deb Gangopadhyay shares that โ€œThe success of any new technology depends on mass acceptance, and the quicker and better we can ensure e-scooters are used and parked where they should be, the more welcoming city residents will be.โ€

In a show of support, Abheek Anand, Managing Director of Sequoia Capital, shares that Beamโ€™s efforts in cooperating with regulators, and proactiveness in enhancing its technology, puts them in a more favourable position to lead the micromobility space in the APAC region. Back in 2018 when Beam was founded, Sequoia Capital was also the lead investor in the startupโ€™s seed-stage where they raised a total of US$6.4 million in seed funding along with other investors.

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Pixel 10 to feature more cameras, but with downgraded specs

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Samsung unveils Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ and S10 FE with AI features

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OpenAI invests in cybersecurity to combat AI-driven threats

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Amazon introduces AI shopping assistant to buy from third-party sites

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