Tag: platform

Singapore – HSBC Singapore has unveiled an exclusive international lifestyle and entertainment platform designed to elevate the experiences of its Premier Mastercard cardholders. 

The platform offers entertainment experiences in Southeast Asia (SEA) and the United Kingdom (UK), catering to the lifestyle needs of Premier customers.

The launch enhances HSBC’s Premier offering for its affluent customers, providing tailored experiences that meet their health and wealth needs. 

Leveraging Mastercard’s partnership with entertainment company Live Nation, HSBC Premier Mastercard holders can enjoy various benefits, including priority access to concerts and shows in SEA and the UK. They can also enter select shows in the UK and meet international artists with a VIP experience.

The platform’s debut will feature comedian Russell Peters as its first exclusive offering. Peters is bringing his ‘Relax World Tour’ to The Star Theatre on April 11, 2025. 

Additionally, HSBC Premier Mastercard cardholders will gain access to presales for highly anticipated events, such as Lady Gaga and BABYMONSTER’s Singapore shows.

“We are committed to delivering delightful experiences for our customers that go beyond traditional banking services, opening up a world of opportunities for them. The growing appetite for premium entertainment experiences is clear, with our Premier Mastercard customers showing increased interest and spend in international entertainment,” Ashmita Acharya, head of international wealth and premier banking in Singapore, said.

“Tapping our strong international connectivity, we are excited to build up our suite of international lifestyle privileges and curated experiences for our customers, from dining to travel and entertainment, to complement their globetrotting lifestyles as they seek out unique experiences,” Acharya added.

Julie Nestor, executive vice president of marketing and communications in Asia Pacific at Mastercard, commented, “People today are focusing their attention and precious resources on what makes them feel good — their passions. In Singapore, music ranks among consumers’ top five passions, with most (69%) music lovers wishing that brands did more to acknowledge and incentivise them for indulging in their passion with perks like credit card rewards, immersive live music experiences, and access to pre-sale tickets.”

“To give the people what they want, Mastercard is delighted to partner with HSBC Singapore to offer cardholders exclusive access to incredible entertainment, music experiences and benefits, all in one place, through priceless.com/HSBCSG,” Nestor added.

Philippines – SB Finance Inc., a Security Bank affiliate, has teamed up with delivery app Lalamove Automotive to empower Lalamove drivers with financial solutions.

As part of the partnership, SB Finance is extending its OR/CR for Cash loan offering to Lalamove’s network of drivers. This allows the delivery platform’s partner drivers to make necessary upgrades to their vehicles, manage expenses, and unlock ways to increase income.

Lalamove drivers can access an exclusive channel for financing and get a maximum of Php 2 million loan. With the goal of promoting economic stability to drivers, the initiative streamlines how they can be supported financially.

Through the partnership, usual delays in securing loans will be avoided, allowing the drivers to focus on their work.

The initiative reflects both companies’ vision of uplifting Filipino drivers’ lives, coming at a time when the delivery industry in the Philippines is continuing its growth.

“Our mission at SB Finance is to support hardworking Filipinos in building better lives. Delivery drivers are an essential part of our economy, and this partnership with Lalamove Automotive allows us to provide the financial tools they need to succeed. By making financing simple, accessible, and reliable, we’re helping drivers unlock new possibilities for growth and stability,” Abbie Dans-Casanova, SB Finance president and chief executive officer, said.

Djon Nacario, Lalamove Philippines managing director, commented, “At Lalamove, we always look for ways to support our dedicated partner drivers, who are the backbone of our platform, ensuring every delivery is a success. Partnering with SB Finance gives them access to financial solutions that can help enhance their livelihood, and provide long-term stability. This is more than a partnership—it’s a commitment to the partner driver community’s growth and future.”

United States – Convertr, a global lead management operating system trusted by enterprises, marketing agencies, and publishers, have announced that it will invest US$12m in a bid to redefine the future of data-driven marketing, empowering companies to take control of their data and drive consistent, actionable insights.

Said investment will fuel Convertr’s ambitious vision, expansion and product development including new AI-powered features and enhanced integrations.

As part of the investment, the company has also tapped AI industry veteran Spyros Karageorgis, joining as chief financial officer from Eigen Technologies, and Jason Gladu as chief strategy officer who held previous roles with Spiceworks and Ziff Davis in the US.

Moreover, as part of this strategic growth, Convertr plans to launch a wide range of features in its enterprise platform next year, many of which will focus on AI. Among these, a key addition is AI Fraud Detection, designed to eliminate fraudulent data from lead flow and provide clients with unmatched data accuracy.

This enhancement will bolster data integrity for Convertr’s global clients, which include industry leaders such as Oracle, AWS, Dentsu Aegis, and Stripe, and see headcount increase by 44% over the next two years with recruitment in AI, security, sales, and engineering.

Emma Bowkett, CEO at Convertr, said, “It’s time the industry woke up and realised bad data is not an inevitability. For years, companies have accepted it as a fact of life, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Convertr gives marketers the control they need to ensure their data is reliable, actionable, and ready to drive results. We are building a new standard in data quality – one where every lead adds value instead of clutter.”

She added, “Marketeers no longer want just a system of record. Instead, they want a system of intelligence. Our platform has been developed from the ground up to enable our clients to be the arbitrator of truth in a future that depends on validating and enriching the merit of data, not just intent.”

The investment also looks to address broader challenges faced by B2B businesses in managing and migrating data in an era where marketing teams struggle to overcome systemic overload. With over 14,000 marketing technology solutions available in 2024, inefficiencies are rife. Compounding these issues, 65% of marketing leaders report difficulties in deriving meaningful insights from operational data, while 74% highlight compliance as a growing burden.

Meanwhile, Danny Hannah, chief technology officer at Convertr, commented, “Convertr is at the forefront of redefining how data flows between data providers and marketers, setting new standards for quality, automation, and transparency. With this latest investment, we’re excited to fuel our themes of intelligence and connectivity, ensuring our platform continues to drive greater efficiency and new levels of innovation to marketing teams around the globe.”

Bowkett further added, “We are proud that our platform is seen by our clients and partners as a critical part of their lead management infrastructure. With an investment of this magnitude, we will accelerate our reach with even more enterprises, agencies, and publishers.”

Singapore – Supermom, a Singapore-based AI consumer data platform designed by and for mothers, has successfully secured S$18m (US$14m) in a series B funding round, attracting investment from four key investors.

The funding round is spearheaded by Granite Asia, one of Asia’s top venture capital firms, and features participation from Hearst Ventures, along with returning investors Qualgro and AC Ventures.

This latest funding round follows Supermom’s Series A raise of S$8m in December 2022, which was also led by Qualgro, reinforcing the belief that Supermom is a standout innovator harnessing AI and data to deliver value for families and consumer brands.

Supermom plans to utilise the funds to enhance its AI capabilities and expand internationally, allowing for improved product offerings and increased innovation to deliver greater value to both brands and consumers. Additionally, team expansion will be prioritised to accelerate development initiatives.

“We are thrilled to partner with Supermom as they build the largest AI driven data platform in SEA connecting brands and consumers. At Granite Asia, we believe in supporting companies that positively impact communities, and Supermom’s vision of empowering parents across SEA to live better and smarter aligns with our values. We look forward to helping accelerate their growth and expand their reach across the region,” shared Jenny Lee, managing partner at Granite Asia. 

Katie Hu, managing director of Hearst Ventures, added, “We were impressed by the way in which the Supermom platform has delivered significant business growth for brands while enhancing parenthood experiences for mothers and families. Its expanding footprint in the Southeast Asia region makes it an attractive company to watch out for. We are looking forward to working with the Supermom leadership to unleash their ambitions for the region.” 

Commenting on the continuous commitment by Qualgro, Weisheng Neo, partner at Qualgro, shared, “As an AI and data investor, our confidence in Supermom’s team stems from our strong working relationship that has led to accelerated growth and outstanding products. We have been impressed by the speed and dedication for building an advanced data platform.” 

“We have seen the Supermom business in Indonesia grow significantly in the last one year, with the launch of Project 1MPACT and onboarding of new agencies and brands. We are excited to be a part of their growth journey in SEA’s largest and fastest-growing market,” added Adrian Li, managing partner at AC Ventures. 

Supermom has established a robust ecosystem that connects over 10 million parents across Southeast Asia, supported by more than 6,000 online communities and over 250 consumer brands, including multinational companies such as AIA, Kimberly Clark, Abbott Laboratories, and Unilever, as well as local giants like Mandiri, Indofood, and Wings Group.

The platform has proven its value in offering families valuable insights into lifestyle and consumption choices. Additionally, Supermom creates income-earning opportunities for mothers by rewarding them for their insights and user-generated content, while also fostering connections among like-minded parents. 

Commenting on the funding, Luke Lim, CEO of Supermom, said, “We are grateful to our investors—both new and returning—for believing in our vision and extending their support. As a company, we remain committed to building the largest AI-driven data platform in SEA, connecting brands and consumers. Our track record in the last four years of scaling the business by focusing on our core solutions and core clients has helped us to build a solid foundation for growth. We are thrilled to have Granite lead this investment round. With their extensive global experience in transforming tech startups into industry leaders, we are confident in the future growth and impact of our business.” 

Supermom was established by Joan Ong, a former managing director of global MICE organiser Terrapinn, along with Luke Lim and Rebecca Koh, chief of staff of Supermom. 

Singapore – SOOP, a new live-streaming platform, officially launched its global beta on June 5, 2024, for web and mobile app experiences.

Following the launch, the platform has quickly attracted streamers broadcasting a wide variety of content, ranging from popular esports and multiplayer titles and ‘Let’s Play’ single player gaming sessions, to virtual avatar and ‘IRL’ streamers.

With its launch, SOOP has developed strategic partnerships with game publishers, tournament organisers, and leading entertainment providers to host unique and exclusive content.

In terms of partnerships, SOOP has partnered with Riot Games to broadcast esports tournaments in games such as VALORANT and League of Legends, as well as partnerships with broadcasters or RTS and FGC tournaments in games like StarCraft and Tekken.

Beyond esports, users are provided with a world of sports and entertainment content to explore with access to broadcasts of Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) League and Union Mondiale de Billard (UMB) matches, while viewers seeking reality entertainment can enjoy live streams of sensations like K-pop contest, U2U: Up To You, hilarious physical challenges like Special Fox, and other original content series.

Furthermore, SOOP is currently running a three-month-long promotion that allows users to monetise their channels by streaming for just one hour until the end August 2024, lowering the barrier of entry for aspiring streamers, while encouraging exploration of the numerous content avenues that are available to users to kickstart their content creation journey.

The platform categorises streamers into three tiers namely ‘Rookie’, ‘Affiliate’ and ‘Partner’ with varying requirements and benefits. During the promotional period, users are eligible to become Affiliate streamers after achieving just one hour of cumulative streaming, enabling monetisation and access to the SOOP Revenue Program. This allows content creators of any size to seize the moment and start earning from live streaming on SOOP.

Users in the SOOP Revenue Program will initially benefit from two monetisation methods such as gems that users can give to streamers and subscriptions that grant users special access to a streamer’s exclusive features and content, providing an avenue to support their favourite streamers on an individual or recurring basis while enjoying personalised perks.

In addition to gems and subscriptions, advertising revenue share solutions are in development for future release to further grow streamers’ monetisation opportunities, alongside in-game drops and game account integration to enhance interactivity for viewers.

South Korea – SOOP, a new live streaming platform, will launch its global beta on June 5, 2024, featuring intuitive features and exclusive original content through partnerships with top esports personalities like Faker and other gaming streamers and game publishers.

Building on nearly two decades of expertise from the team behind Korea’s top live streaming platform, AfreecaTV, SOOP offers advanced features and technology for an enriched and seamless live streaming experience.

Tailor-made for esports and gaming fans, the new platform has secured strategic partnerships with esports and gaming’s most notable figures, such as League of Legends 2023 World Champion, T1, including Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok; world-class VALORANT team, DRX, including Byung-chul “BuZz” Yu; three-time EVO Tekken champion, Bae “Knee” Jae-Min, of DRX; former Overwatch champion, Kim “EscA” In-jae; and gaming streamer, ACAU AKA “Crocodile”. 

These illustrious esports and gaming personalities will create live streams and original content for global viewing on SOOP, as well as on AfreecaTV for Korean fans.

SOOP will also partner with renowned Thai streamers like EDWIN, SuperBusS and FifaTargrean, who will live stream and upload original content exclusively on SOOP.

In addition to teaming up with esports athletes and gaming streamers, SOOP has collaborated with game publishers, tournament organisers, and industry leaders to enhance esports viewing experiences. Notably, SOOP has partnered with Riot Games to exclusively produce and operate VALORANT Challengers Thailand 2024, and secured the publishing and broadcasting rights for the VALORANT Champions Tour in Thailand.

A wide range of SOOP original content will also be available for users to enjoy at launch, including broadcasts of the AfreecaTV VALORANT League (AVL), Global StarCraft II League (GSL), AfreecaTV StarCraft League (ASL), AfreecaTV Tekken League (ATL), and Union Mondiale de Billard (UMB), as well as variety entertainment spanning casual gaming, music, and talk shows, exclusively on SOOP.

SOOP users will be able to host multiple channels under one account, empowering streamers to diversify their content for different audiences and interests, eliminating the need to grow new channels and audiences from scratch. 

The platform will feature integrated virtual avatar creation from leading 3D developer MASCOZ, enabling streamers to become “Virtual Streamers” instantly and seamlessly, without the costly setup of avatar creation and motion capture. Additionally, a real-time live stream translation feature will launch by the end of June 2024, allowing streamers to expand their international communities.

Daniel Choi, general manager of global business at SOOP, said, “SOOP represents more than just a streaming platform; it embodies a cultural movement towards unrestricted expression and community empowerment. We are thrilled to introduce SOOP to the world and are committed to leveraging our wealth of experience to enrich the global streaming landscape.”

SOOP will be available starting June 5, 2024 (June 4, 2024, for North American users), in English, Thai, and Chinese on its web platform for PC users, and via Android and Apple apps for mobile users.

Singapore – LinkedIn has announced the expansion of its Thought Leader Ads’ capabilities so advertisers can sponsor content from any member, to enable brands to amplify a diverse range of influential, trusted, and expert voices and member posts on the platform.

With this expanded capability, brands can showcase voices beyond employees, for any page or showcase page they manage, and reach new audiences on LinkedIn.

The expansion of LinkedIn’s Thought Leader Ads also gives brands a new way to reach their target audience with relevant information, like customer testimonials.

To access this feature, a brand will login to the campaign manager to set up their Thought Leader Ad. Once logged in, they will have the option to search for the person or post the content that they want to sponsor.

The search will yield a list of posts from that member that the brand can sponsor. To help prevent content from being misused or promoted without consent, when a company selects a post to sponsor, the creator will receive a notification asking them to “approve” or “deny” the request.

Speaking on this new ad format, Matt Tindale, head of enterprise solutions, APAC, at LinkedIn, said, “B2B influence has taken off in the past year as brands recognise that it is critical to building audience trust. People are at the heart of thought leadership, and when trusted voices – employees, executives, and experts – authentically promote a company’s insights – it is a powerful way for brands to reach new audiences, build credibility, and support community-building.

“With this expanded capability, brands can promote member posts that align with their purpose and collaborate with trusted expert voices to build larger influencer marketing campaigns and reach new audiences. We’re excited to see how companies creatively leverage this ad format as part of their marketing mix in the coming months,” he added.

California, USA – Sensor Tower, a data provider for the digital economy, announced today the acquisition of market intelligence platform data.ai. This strategic move allows Sensor Tower to broaden its reach and develop marketing intelligence solutions. 

With the acquisition of data.ai, Sensor Tower has taken a step forward by expanding its clientele to include companies like Microsoft, Sky, and Bandai Namco, all of which make use of data.ai’s mobile app intelligence solutions. This move strengthens Sensor Tower’s standing as a supplier for investors, top brands, agencies, and gaming publishers. It is also a crucial step toward extending its reach throughout the Asia-Pacific area and partnering with more Fortune 500 organisations.

In this transaction, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP provided legal guidance to Sensor Tower, and William Blair & Company, LLC acted as the financial advisor.

Speaking about the acquisition, Oliver Yeh, CEO of Sensor Tower, said, “Today we celebrate the beginning of a new and exciting chapter, not only for Sensor Tower, but for the digital marketing and mobile app intelligence industry. We have long admired data.ai’s stellar product and high-quality team. The acquisition will allow Sensor Tower to broaden its audience and expand its best in class offerings to any company that participates in the digital economy – helping bridge the gap between companies and consumers.” 

Meanwhile, Ted Krantz, CEO at data.ai., stated, “Since 2010, data.ai has helped some of the finest brands and publishers globally to optimise their mobile performance. This evolution offers the best path to innovation, more insights across more channels, and ultimately, more value derived by clients.”

Jeff Parks, co-founder & managing partner, Riverwood Capital and member of Sensor Tower’s board of directors, expressed, “We were excited to invest behind Oliver and the team in 2020 and continue to be impressed by Sensor Tower as they shape the future of how intelligence solutions can be used to make strategic decisions. We believe the combined company is now the gold standard for how data can deliver value to customers seeking to better understand and participate in the digital economy.” 

Ramesh Venugopal, partner at Riverwood Capital and member of Sensor Tower’s board of directors, also added, “The trend of companies actively pursuing a holistic understanding of a consumer’s digital footprint has been a vision we have shared with the Sensor Tower team since day one. It has been incredible to see this pattern continue to emerge as more companies embrace a sophisticated multi-channel market intelligence approach.” 

Furthermore, Chunsoo Kim, managing partner at Paramark Ventures, said, “This merger isn’t just about scaling Sensor Tower’s global presence – it’s about amplifying the impact on the entire marketing industry’s ability to measure the digital economy, which the combination of these two entities now have made possible through deeper insights and improved product experience. We’re especially thrilled to support the team as they delve deeper into the dynamic APAC market, where the digital economy is booming.” 

Lastly, David Healey, director at Bain Capital Credit, commented, “Riverwood and the Sensor Tower team have built an excellent business with unique technology, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with them to support the acquisition and the company’s next phase of growth.” 

Singapore – Southeast Asian used car platform Carro has announced its acquisition of Beyond Cars, effectively expanding its reach towards the Hong Kong market. 

With Hong Kong under its belt, Carro is now present in a total of 7 markets, including Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, and Taiwan.

Through this partnership, Carro will be working towards expanding Beyond Cars’ network of partnerships, and further develop ancillary services across insurtech, financing and aftersales in Hong Kong.

Furthermore, the Beyond Cars team will continue to helm the business in Hong Kong, and will integrate Carro’s data-driven platform and its full-suite tech, including proprietary technologies and AI capabilities across pricing, inventory management, and inspection process.

Talking about the acquisition, Aaron Tan, Carro co-founder and Group CEO, said, “We have our sights set on big things in Hong Kong – beyond buying and selling cars. With Carro’s strong expertise in automotive technology and Beyond Cars’ wide network and trusted reputation in Hong Kong, I have no doubt that we can scale operations and take the brand to new heights.”

Meanwhile, Garry Yu, co-founder and CEO of Beyond Cars, commented, “Since our launch in 2016, our mission has always been to give our customers a seamless and transparent car-buying and selling experience. With Carro in the mix, I am sure we’ll be able to transform Hong Kong’s used car market and become the number 1 choice for customers in their used car ownership journey.”