Hi folks,

Remember that nutty 1980s game Whac-A-Mole? It’s back - except this time, it’s not for fun. It’s society’s response to the continuing surge of COVID-19.

This disease without boundaries means that we are all Singaporeans, we are all Melburnians, and we are all San Franciscans, so to speak.

In July’s Tech Round-Up we examine the rise and rise of new tech, fueled by what increasingly looks like the new normal. Stay safe, from our home offices to yours.

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Original Thinking from North Ridge Partners:

B2B eCommerce and digital logistics set to explode in Indonesia: Shauraya Bhutani sets the scene for the rise (and rise) of B2B eCommerce in Indonesia.

I want more from my neobank! Christin Burns writes about his personal expectations of digital banking applications.

Never waste a good crisis! Chris Tran reveals some of the technologies spawned from crises that have changed our lives. COVID-19 is one of them.

From Fintech Corner:

What is the future of Fintech in China and India? Tech writer Sophie Camp writes about the PRC’s Fintech sandbox, and the explosive growth of Fintech in India.

Challenger banks, lockdown, and usage patterns: Much has been written about customers’ engagement with challenger banks during COVID-19. How much should we read into it?

“Show me the money!” Fintech scoops up $34.5bn in 2019. Jerry McGuire, eat your heart out…

Afterpay founders cash in A$250mn of chips: Hot on the heels of raising capital and bringing Tencent onto the register, founders Anthony Eisen and Nicholas Molner sell down. Onyer!

Stuff we liked:

Electric vehicles hit the road in force: Elon Musk tweets that Supercharger network utilization in North America is now at pre-COVID highs, the EU is about a week behind, and Asia-Pacific is doing well.

Kai-Fu Lee and the role of AI in fighting COVID-19: Learn from the master.

Incubate or Accelerate? What works for you? The fine line between the two. Choose the right one for your business.

Tim Cook’s business rule is to ask for forgiveness, not permission: Really?

Tech News from Asia:

Alibaba’s Ant plans Hong Kong IPO, targets valuation over $200bn: Will financial markets shrug off Hong Kong’s new security laws? We say yes - money talks in the Fragrant Harbour.

Bringing Indonesia’s 17,000 islands together - digitally: B2B marketplace GudangAda raises $25.4mn Series A.

57 million registered students and counting! Mary Meeker goes back to school in India.

Don’t use TikTok! Justin Pyvis tells us TikTok is a thinly-veiled data collection platform posing as a social network. “If there is an API to get data on you, your contacts, or your device…they’re using it.”

Talking up the startup scene in the Philippines: Are we there yet?

Tech News from Elsewhere:

Walmart’s spaghetti-based eCommerce strategy: In the words of Brad Slingerlend, Walmart tends to throw things against the wall to see what sticks, then pick up the leftovers and throw them again.

Apocalypse Almost: Google’s advertising revenues fall for the first time since 2008.

Farmers seek help from startups after food supply chain disruption: Tech to the rescue.

Big Tech monetizing hate speech and harmful content: Google, Amazon, and others have inadvertently directed over $20mn in advertising revenues to conspiracy sites.

Look out Zoom - Microsoft is coming for ya! Using AI to segment your face and shoulders, Teams will place you and your co-workers together in a virtual space.

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North Ridge Partners works with technology companies across the Asia Pacific to achieve transformational outcomes through advice on strategic positioning, raising third party funding, M&A, and direct investment. We’re experienced deal-makers who have built, run, and sold numerous technology companies.

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