Canva restructuring to hit 22 percent of staff (News read)
What’s happening?
- Canva, the Sydney-based online design and publishing platform, said 1,271 employees, or 22 percent of its workforce, will lose their jobs, change roles, or relocate to central offices in a restructuring after the company’s first growth slowdown in a decade.
- CEO Melanie Perkins said the changes aim to simplify the business and reduce niche specialisations.
The context
- Canva’s restructuring comes amid wider upheaval in the software industry as AI changes how people use software.
- Software firms have lost billions of dollars in market value as investors worry that AI tools like Anthropic’s Claude could take business away from them.
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What’s happening?
- Canva, the Sydney-based online design and publishing platform, said 1,271 employees, or 22 percent of its workforce, will lose their jobs, change roles, or relocate to central offices in a restructuring after the company’s first growth slowdown in a decade.
- CEO Melanie Perkins said the changes aim to simplify the business and reduce niche specialisations.
The context
- Canva’s restructuring comes amid wider upheaval in the software industry as AI changes how people use software.
- Software firms have lost billions of dollars in market value as investors worry that AI tools like Anthropic’s Claude could take business away from them.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
🚀🏭Startup cuts complex hardware prototyping cycles using AI (Read more)
🧩 Moving hardware from prototype to production requires resolving thousands of unwritten engineering constraints, and fragmented spreadsheets can delay timelines and scrap physical builds.
🤖 KnowYi uses reasoning machine learning to turn engineering ideas into production plans, clarifying missing specifications and evaluating component risks before manufacturing begins.
Dive in to learn how KnowYi reduced a critical prototyping cycle for Reel-In Robotics from 10 weeks to three weeks.
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🧩 Moving hardware from prototype to production requires resolving thousands of unwritten engineering constraints, and fragmented spreadsheets can delay timelines and scrap physical builds.
🤖 KnowYi uses reasoning machine learning to turn engineering ideas into production plans, clarifying missing specifications and evaluating component risks before manufacturing begins.
Dive in to learn how KnowYi reduced a critical prototyping cycle for Reel-In Robotics from 10 weeks to three weeks.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
Grab-owned Move It appeals US$8.7 million fine over rider allocation (News read)
What’s happening?
- Move It, a Filipino motorcycle taxi platform, filed a motion for reconsideration after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued a preliminary ruling.
- The regulator imposed a US$8.7 million fine for allegedly exceeding the rider limit under the motorcycle taxi pilot program.
The context
- The LTFRB said Move It exceeded its authorized limit of 17,746 rider-partners by 55,575 riders across Metro Manila, Cebu City and Cagayan de Oro.
- The company argued that rider allocation should be based on the number of riders online and ready to accept trips, as riders go online and offline throughout the day.
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What’s happening?
- Move It, a Filipino motorcycle taxi platform, filed a motion for reconsideration after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued a preliminary ruling.
- The regulator imposed a US$8.7 million fine for allegedly exceeding the rider limit under the motorcycle taxi pilot program.
The context
- The LTFRB said Move It exceeded its authorized limit of 17,746 rider-partners by 55,575 riders across Metro Manila, Cebu City and Cagayan de Oro.
- The company argued that rider allocation should be based on the number of riders online and ready to accept trips, as riders go online and offline throughout the day.
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☁️📉Is it a neocloud? A hyperscaler? Sea’s AI move puzzles investors (Premium read)
📄 Sea Group CEO Forrest Li announced an expansion into the cloud business, but the memo gave no timeline, capital spending budget, pricing, or revenue target.
💸 Analysts questioned the high capital spending and losses, while DBS Bank’s Sachin Mittal sees “more issues in the ecommerce business,” citing Pinduoduo pressure, softer consumer sentiment in Indonesia, and margin-hit Shopee perks.
Dig into the full story to learn why Sea could access Nvidia graphics processing unit chips under US export controls.
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📄 Sea Group CEO Forrest Li announced an expansion into the cloud business, but the memo gave no timeline, capital spending budget, pricing, or revenue target.
💸 Analysts questioned the high capital spending and losses, while DBS Bank’s Sachin Mittal sees “more issues in the ecommerce business,” citing Pinduoduo pressure, softer consumer sentiment in Indonesia, and margin-hit Shopee perks.
Dig into the full story to learn why Sea could access Nvidia graphics processing unit chips under US export controls.
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We just wrapped TIA Conference 2026 with 1,500+ unique attendees. Here is what our data, clients, and aching feet taught us about event ROI: https://bit.ly/dg-8-tg
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Fintech unicorn Xendit started in Indonesia, but it’s since expanded across Southeast Asia and beyond. Focused on providing solutions and addressing needs and complexities specific to local markets, it aims to connect global, regional, and local players to make payments accessible to businesses of all stripes.
Learn more about Xendit and its offerings on its website: https://bit.ly/xendit-omch
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Learn more about Xendit and its offerings on its website: https://bit.ly/xendit-omch
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♻️🚀AI meets laptop refurbishment in this startup’s facility (Read more)
🌏 India generates massive electronic waste, and new laptops cost 50,000 rupees to 1 lakh rupees or more, forcing buyers into the unorganized secondary market.
💻 Edify Club intercepts corporate IT assets before scrap, restores retired business laptops with chip-level motherboard repair and body repainting, then sells online with EMI (monthly installments) and cash-on-delivery.
Dig into the full story for Edify Club’s traction: about 50 crore rupees in annual recurring revenue and more than 50,000 devices diverted from e-waste.
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🌏 India generates massive electronic waste, and new laptops cost 50,000 rupees to 1 lakh rupees or more, forcing buyers into the unorganized secondary market.
💻 Edify Club intercepts corporate IT assets before scrap, restores retired business laptops with chip-level motherboard repair and body repainting, then sells online with EMI (monthly installments) and cash-on-delivery.
Dig into the full story for Edify Club’s traction: about 50 crore rupees in annual recurring revenue and more than 50,000 devices diverted from e-waste.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
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Visa opens six global hubs in Singapore (News read)
What’s happening?
- Digital payments company Visa has established six global capability hubs at its new Solution Center in Paya Lebar Green, Singapore.
- The hubs will focus on AI and agentic commerce, digital payments, cybersecurity, and quantum computing, including technologies such as stablecoins and programmable payments.
The context
- Singapore’s Economic Development Board said Visa’s investment would create high-value jobs for Singaporeans.
- Visa is expanding in Singapore after announcing plans in July to cut about 2,600 jobs, or 7 percent of its global workforce, as part of efforts to improve efficiency and reinvest in its “highest potential opportunities.”
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What’s happening?
- Digital payments company Visa has established six global capability hubs at its new Solution Center in Paya Lebar Green, Singapore.
- The hubs will focus on AI and agentic commerce, digital payments, cybersecurity, and quantum computing, including technologies such as stablecoins and programmable payments.
The context
- Singapore’s Economic Development Board said Visa’s investment would create high-value jobs for Singaporeans.
- Visa is expanding in Singapore after announcing plans in July to cut about 2,600 jobs, or 7 percent of its global workforce, as part of efforts to improve efficiency and reinvest in its “highest potential opportunities.”
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Nothing hurts regional pride quite like watching a communist-led neighbor out-capitalist your entire economy.
Vietnam is officially projected to overtake Indonesia’s GDP per capita by the end of this year, hitting $5,259 compared to Indonesia’s $5,153.
While Indonesia’s manufacturing share of GDP has slid from 27% to 18% over the past two decades, Vietnam’s surged from 19% to 25%.
And global capital is hitting Hanoi like an absolute freight train.
In the first nine months of this year alone, foreign direct investment reached $21 billion, with companies like Foxconn and Samsung pouring money into the country.
So it seems Vietnam’s economic express is running full steam ahead. It could be a decent lesson for some of us…uh…still waiting on the platform.
*Clears throat aggressively toward Jakarta.*
Also I will never put Subway Surfers on my videos ever again. I was mesmerised even when editing it. My god.
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Vietnam is officially projected to overtake Indonesia’s GDP per capita by the end of this year, hitting $5,259 compared to Indonesia’s $5,153.
While Indonesia’s manufacturing share of GDP has slid from 27% to 18% over the past two decades, Vietnam’s surged from 19% to 25%.
And global capital is hitting Hanoi like an absolute freight train.
In the first nine months of this year alone, foreign direct investment reached $21 billion, with companies like Foxconn and Samsung pouring money into the country.
So it seems Vietnam’s economic express is running full steam ahead. It could be a decent lesson for some of us…uh…still waiting on the platform.
*Clears throat aggressively toward Jakarta.*
Also I will never put Subway Surfers on my videos ever again. I was mesmerised even when editing it. My god.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
Is it a neocloud? A hyperscaler? Sea’s AI move puzzles investors (Premium read)
Sea Group’s move into cloud computing has left investors with more questions than answers.
CEO Forrest Li announced the expansion in a 700-word memo, but gave no timeline, capex budget, pricing, or revenue target. It remains unclear whether Sea plans to compete with hyperscalers like AWS or build a neocloud business that rents out GPU capacity.
Sea’s shares fell 9.4% on the day of the announcement.
DBS Bank analyst Sachin Mittal believes the market’s reaction may reflect concerns beyond Sea Cloud itself.
We break down where Sea Cloud might find customers, what Sea would need to turn its existing infrastructure into a commercial business, and why Shopee may be the bigger concern.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
Sea Group’s move into cloud computing has left investors with more questions than answers.
CEO Forrest Li announced the expansion in a 700-word memo, but gave no timeline, capex budget, pricing, or revenue target. It remains unclear whether Sea plans to compete with hyperscalers like AWS or build a neocloud business that rents out GPU capacity.
Sea’s shares fell 9.4% on the day of the announcement.
DBS Bank analyst Sachin Mittal believes the market’s reaction may reflect concerns beyond Sea Cloud itself.
We break down where Sea Cloud might find customers, what Sea would need to turn its existing infrastructure into a commercial business, and why Shopee may be the bigger concern.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
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💰📊Monee is growing fast, but can its model work beyond Shopee? (Premium read)
📈 In Q2 2026, Monee generated US$1.4 billion in revenue, as loans principal outstanding hit US$11.1 billion and active credit users surpassed 40 million.
🛒 Shopee gives access to millions of customers and lets users pay through the wallet or use SPayLater, but credit-loss provisions were US$554 million and the real test is customer acquisition and retention outside the ecommerce platform.
Dive into why Sea is reportedly considering an IPO for Monee, and the standalone questions investors should ask.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
📈 In Q2 2026, Monee generated US$1.4 billion in revenue, as loans principal outstanding hit US$11.1 billion and active credit users surpassed 40 million.
🛒 Shopee gives access to millions of customers and lets users pay through the wallet or use SPayLater, but credit-loss provisions were US$554 million and the real test is customer acquisition and retention outside the ecommerce platform.
Dive into why Sea is reportedly considering an IPO for Monee, and the standalone questions investors should ask.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
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🧪🚀Magnetic fields replace animal-derived lab serum (Read more)
🧫 Almost every cell culture lab relies on Fetal Bovine Serum to grow cells, but it costs over US$1,000 per liter, takes months to produce, and quality varies between batches.
🧲 Cellivate Technologies produces a serum replacer called Booster: tuned magnetic fields stimulate cells to release extracellular vesicles, which are processed into a completely animal-free serum replacer for around US$300 per liter.
🔎 Check out the full story for traction: 12 studies and a US$1 million pilot order.
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🧫 Almost every cell culture lab relies on Fetal Bovine Serum to grow cells, but it costs over US$1,000 per liter, takes months to produce, and quality varies between batches.
🧲 Cellivate Technologies produces a serum replacer called Booster: tuned magnetic fields stimulate cells to release extracellular vesicles, which are processed into a completely animal-free serum replacer for around US$300 per liter.
🔎 Check out the full story for traction: 12 studies and a US$1 million pilot order.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
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💄📈Sociolla’s revenue jumps 71% in 2025 ahead of potential listing (Premium read)
📊 Sociolla’s Singapore entity, Social Bella International Pte Ltd, booked US$52.7 million in 2025 revenue, while loss before tax widened to US$13.8 million due to a US$22.6 million fair value loss from revaluing convertible loan notes.
🏬 Core indicators improved: operating cash flow turned positive to US$2.9 million, cash rose to US$31.1 million, and the offline footprint doubled to around 170 stores, including a first Singapore store.
Dig into the article to see what CEO and co-founder Christopher Madiam said about achieving EBITDA profitability in 2025.
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📊 Sociolla’s Singapore entity, Social Bella International Pte Ltd, booked US$52.7 million in 2025 revenue, while loss before tax widened to US$13.8 million due to a US$22.6 million fair value loss from revaluing convertible loan notes.
🏬 Core indicators improved: operating cash flow turned positive to US$2.9 million, cash rose to US$31.1 million, and the offline footprint doubled to around 170 stores, including a first Singapore store.
Dig into the article to see what CEO and co-founder Christopher Madiam said about achieving EBITDA profitability in 2025.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
TikTok Shop launches standalone app in Southeast Asia (News read)
What’s happening?
- TikTok has quietly launched a standalone TikTok Shop app in parts of Southeast Asia as it expands its ecommerce ambitions.
- The app lets users shop through livestreams and short videos, with personalized product recommendations, app-exclusive deals, in-app checkout, order tracking, and customer support.
Why it matters
- The app could help TikTok Shop reach shoppers beyond its main platform and compete more directly with established ecommerce apps such as Amazon and Temu.
- The move suggests TikTok is prepared to invest more in social commerce by giving Shop its own dedicated space.
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What’s happening?
- TikTok has quietly launched a standalone TikTok Shop app in parts of Southeast Asia as it expands its ecommerce ambitions.
- The app lets users shop through livestreams and short videos, with personalized product recommendations, app-exclusive deals, in-app checkout, order tracking, and customer support.
Why it matters
- The app could help TikTok Shop reach shoppers beyond its main platform and compete more directly with established ecommerce apps such as Amazon and Temu.
- The move suggests TikTok is prepared to invest more in social commerce by giving Shop its own dedicated space.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
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🤖📈Startup helps firms navigate the shift from Google to AI search (Read more)
🔎 In a March 2026 G2 survey, 51% of software buyers said they started research with an AI chatbot over Google, but a strong traditional search ranking does not guarantee a mention in generative AI answers.
🛠️ Canlah AI functions as an AI marketing team to improve generative engine optimization for brands, with Canlah GEO, DeepAudit, and Canlah All-Stars.
Dig into pricing for a managed AI marketing team, with monthly fees starting at US$1,500.
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🔎 In a March 2026 G2 survey, 51% of software buyers said they started research with an AI chatbot over Google, but a strong traditional search ranking does not guarantee a mention in generative AI answers.
🛠️ Canlah AI functions as an AI marketing team to improve generative engine optimization for brands, with Canlah GEO, DeepAudit, and Canlah All-Stars.
Dig into pricing for a managed AI marketing team, with monthly fees starting at US$1,500.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
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🌐💳Building trust in agentic finance with AI-native security (Read more)
🤖 Agentic AI plans across tools and systems and executes, so businesses need connected, interoperable workflows across payments, accounts, foreign exchange, and treasury.
🔒 Greater autonomy brings new security demands; Tianyi Zhang at Ant International says a two-layer security architecture, including know-your-agent, establishes identity, permissions, and monitoring.
Dig into Ant International’s work with Visa and Mastercard on an interoperable know-your-agent framework that creates a “common trust signal” across payment networks.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
🤖 Agentic AI plans across tools and systems and executes, so businesses need connected, interoperable workflows across payments, accounts, foreign exchange, and treasury.
🔒 Greater autonomy brings new security demands; Tianyi Zhang at Ant International says a two-layer security architecture, including know-your-agent, establishes identity, permissions, and monitoring.
Dig into Ant International’s work with Visa and Mastercard on an interoperable know-your-agent framework that creates a “common trust signal” across payment networks.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
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Trillions of dollars were just wiped from global stock markets because American tech investors feared politicians might commit the ultimate political crime: actually keeping their campaign promises.
With Democrats sweeping the US midterms, fears of restrictions on AI data centers sent markets into panic. Even South Korea’s KOSPI plunged over 8% intraday, triggering a trading halt.
To which I say: calm down. American legislation only applies to America.
If US regulators won’t let you drain municipal water supplies and hog the electrical grid for server farms, Southeast Asia is right here!
And who needs Borneo’s rainforests and biodiversity when you can bulldoze it all for hyperscale GPU clusters? Nothing beats falling asleep to the soothing hum of industrial cooling fans.
Also today marks our 100th post as a married couple (read: contractually-obligated uneasy corporate alliance) 🩵 Happy 100th to us!
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With Democrats sweeping the US midterms, fears of restrictions on AI data centers sent markets into panic. Even South Korea’s KOSPI plunged over 8% intraday, triggering a trading halt.
To which I say: calm down. American legislation only applies to America.
If US regulators won’t let you drain municipal water supplies and hog the electrical grid for server farms, Southeast Asia is right here!
And who needs Borneo’s rainforests and biodiversity when you can bulldoze it all for hyperscale GPU clusters? Nothing beats falling asleep to the soothing hum of industrial cooling fans.
Also today marks our 100th post as a married couple (read: contractually-obligated uneasy corporate alliance) 🩵 Happy 100th to us!
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
🚀🙏Why the founder of Muslim Pro is now building a Catholic app (Read more)
📈 Erwan Macé grew Muslim Pro to more than 100 million downloads, sold it in 2017, then founded three apps that failed to find a market.
🔒 Since starting Catho+ early this year, the app reached 50,000 downloads with no marketing, and will never have ads, using a freemium model because “the cleanest way to protect data is not to hand it to anyone.”
Read on to find out how a random Bible verse became the sign to start building.
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📈 Erwan Macé grew Muslim Pro to more than 100 million downloads, sold it in 2017, then founded three apps that failed to find a market.
🔒 Since starting Catho+ early this year, the app reached 50,000 downloads with no marketing, and will never have ads, using a freemium model because “the cleanest way to protect data is not to hand it to anyone.”
Read on to find out how a random Bible verse became the sign to start building.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
Monee is growing fast, but can its model work beyond Shopee? (News read)
Sea has built Monee into one of Southeast Asia’s largest digital financial services businesses on the back of Shopee.
Now, with Monee growing rapidly and Sea reportedly considering an IPO, investors face a question: how much of Monee’s success comes from its own business, and how much from its integration with Shopee?
In Q2 2026, Monee generated US$1.4 billion in revenue, up 59% year on year. Transactions outside Shopee also accounted for more than 20% of its SPayLater portfolio.
Yet growing beyond Shopee doesn’t necessarily show how Monee’s business would hold up as a separately listed company.
Digital banking advisor David Jimenez Maireles examines the credit risks behind Monee’s growth and the financial questions investors should ask ahead of a potential IPO.
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Sea has built Monee into one of Southeast Asia’s largest digital financial services businesses on the back of Shopee.
Now, with Monee growing rapidly and Sea reportedly considering an IPO, investors face a question: how much of Monee’s success comes from its own business, and how much from its integration with Shopee?
In Q2 2026, Monee generated US$1.4 billion in revenue, up 59% year on year. Transactions outside Shopee also accounted for more than 20% of its SPayLater portfolio.
Yet growing beyond Shopee doesn’t necessarily show how Monee’s business would hold up as a separately listed company.
Digital banking advisor David Jimenez Maireles examines the credit risks behind Monee’s growth and the financial questions investors should ask ahead of a potential IPO.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
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💼🚀Why Hong Kong’s next-gen wealth is shifting from property to tech (Premium read)
🏙️ Home prices in Hong Kong have gone up by more than 10% this year, yet family offices are reducing their property exposure and moving into tech, particularly AI and pre-IPO companies, with a clear path to listing.
🤖 Deloitte’s February 2026 study for InvestHK found that 22% of surveyed single-family offices plan to reduce real estate holdings; real estate provides heirs with an illiquid asset and an inherited responsibility, while pre-IPO tech investments offer a clear exit and active involvement.
Dig into the article to learn the trap in pre-IPO access—and the checks to make before making any money moves.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
🏙️ Home prices in Hong Kong have gone up by more than 10% this year, yet family offices are reducing their property exposure and moving into tech, particularly AI and pre-IPO companies, with a clear path to listing.
🤖 Deloitte’s February 2026 study for InvestHK found that 22% of surveyed single-family offices plan to reduce real estate holdings; real estate provides heirs with an illiquid asset and an inherited responsibility, while pre-IPO tech investments offer a clear exit and active involvement.
Dig into the article to learn the trap in pre-IPO access—and the checks to make before making any money moves.
Follow us @techinasiaofficial
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