May 20, 2019

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[EXIT DAEJEON 2019] Junction seeks more exposure in world’s most wired country

Junction, a Finnish nonprofit organization that has successfully organized world-leading hackathons in Europe since 2015, hopes to expand its presence in Korea. As a part of this process, the Junction Head of Global Operations Antti Hammainen will be visiting Korea and participate in EXIT Daejeon 2019, global startup event that will be held at Daejeon Convention Center from May 21 to 23. More details on the event are available at http://www.startup-exit.com.   Junction Head of Global Operations

S. Korean investors shift attention to overseas stocks

South Korean investors are turning their attention to foreign stocks, with local shares continuing to yield disappointing results amid the benchmark Kospi’s lack of long-term movement. The nation’s benchmark Kospi index inched up nearly 7 percent from the beginning of the year as of May 16, but is moving at a snail’s pace compared with other major global indexes. It was just last month that the US’ S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed at record-high levels, buoyed by reports of 3.2 percent growth

Kia launches Korea’s first EV service center

Korea’s second-largest automaker Kia Motors has established a service center dedicated to electric vehicles for the first time in the country, the firm said on May 19. The automaker has set up an EV Workbay at six service centers nationwide, operated by Auto Q. It hopes to enhance the efficiency of EV customers’ vehicle inspection and mechanics’ work convenience. The launch comes in line with the imminent launch of its new EV lineup -- including Niro EV and Soul Booster EV. While setting up five

What made 500 Startups invest in Vietnam

HO CHI MINH CITY -- Since its foundation nearly a decade ago, 500 Startups, a Silicon Valley-based global startup accelerator and incubator, has built up over 2,200 companies in more than 70 countries. Last year, its global network added seven companies to the club of unicorns -- startups valued at $1 billion or more -- bringing the total to 10 as of the end of 2018. They include Grab and Canva. Particularly in Vietnam, 500 Startups prides itself on having played a critical role in building up t

Wealth management firm Finnomena aims to diversify Thailand’s economic portfolio

Thai fintech startup says wealth management crucial in aging societyBANGKOK -- Thailand’s startups are looking to diversify a country that still depends on tourism for a large part of its growth. Last year alone, the nation attracted nearly 40 million tourists to generate more than $52 billion, with the industry accounting for some 10 percent of its gross domestic product.In particular, the Thai financial technology sector has recently seen the emergence of new startups that are trying to disrup

Line pushes Thai startups to scale up

BANGKOK -- Thailand, an ASEAN country with a population of 69 million, is messenger platform Line’s second-largest market after Japan. In fact, 90 percent of the country’s mobile internet users are connected via Line, with the monthly number of active users amounting to 44 million. However, the company is now shifting from a messenger tool to an all-in-one app that provides various services ranging from e-commerce to contents. This not only corresponds to the increasing demand by customers who w

DTAC Accelerate: Seven years of building Thailand’s startup ecosystem

BANGKOK -- In Thailand, telecommunication companies were the first pioneers to promote the startup ecosystem, because they needed support for the mobile internet era. “When we launched DTAC Accelerate, the Thai market was transitioning from 2G to 3G services but there was neither an ecosystem nor apps. So it was natural that telecom companies initiated the move to innovate,” Anattaphisa Jantathai, head of investment and partnerships at DTAC Accelerate told The Korea Herald in an interview at its

Claim Di bringing winds of change to Thailand’s insurtech landscape

BANGKOK -- Stepping into the office of Bangkok-based mobile insurance claiming service startup Anywhere To Go, one couldn’t help thinking of the Avengers, as it was chock full of superhero figurines. “These figurines kind of reflect our vision in that we want to save people like superheroes as an insurtech company,” Anywhere To Go founder and CEO Kittinan Anuphan said during his interview with The Investor. Anywhere To Go founder and CEO Kittinan AnuphanSon Ji-hyoung/The InvestorIn 2000, Anuphan

EDAF urges Thai startups to go beyond homeland

BANGKOK -- When Kulina launched its algorithm-powered online marketplace in Indonesia in 2016, there were high hopes that the startup could address the country‘s chronic last-mile logistics conundrum, while at the same time providing home-cooked meals at an affordable price,However, the startup soon ran into trouble.To turn the business around, Bangkok-born, US-educated Casper Sermsuksan rolled up his sleeves to add diversity to Kulina’s business model. During the process, he managed to score pa

Thailand pulls out all stops to nurture startups

BANGKOK -- The startup scene in Thailand is far from thriving, but industry watchers believe the next five to 10 years will bring pivotal changes to the Southeast Asian nation. Digital Econom Promotion Agency headquarters in Bangkok, ThailandThe Investor“Thailand is literally a gold mine for new opportunities,” Jayden Kang, executive director of Line’s startup investment program ScaleUp, told The Investor during a recent interview in Bangkok, just a week after the king’s coronation. Line has a h

ZmyHome aims to take Thailand property market to next level

BANGKOK -- The Thailand real estate market has a sort of Wild West feel to it. There are no appraisal standards, and self-proclaimed real estate agents fall short of being trustworthy. At the same time, property sales platforms neglect screening out fake listings. This is to keep the buyers hooked. Even the government is unable to track the transactions.Frustrated by the unstructured market, Natthapon Asswisessiwakul, a former property consultant at CBRE, decided to establish a real estate platf

Samsung unveils world’s highest-resolution image sensor

Samsung Electronics on May 9 introduced the world’s highest-resolution image sensor, with 64 megapixels for smartphones, to meet the growing demand for mobile devices with better image quality.　The tech giant unveiled two new 0.8-micrometer pixel image sensors -- 64 mp Isocell Bright GW1 and 48 mp Isocell Bright GM2 -- expanding its 0.8μm image sensor lineup, the smallest pixel size currently available in the market.The world’s biggest smartphone vendor has focused on improving camera function a

S. Korean investors shift attention to overseas stocks

Claim Di bringing winds of change to Thailand’s insurtech landscape

[EXIT DAEJEON 2019] Junction seeks more exposure in world’s most wired country

LG to launch 8K OLED, rollable TV in H2

Samsung Pay hits W40tr in accumulated transactions in S. Korea

LG develops AI chip for home appliances

Kia launches Korea’s first EV service center

Telcom firms under earnings pressure with 5G expenditure

SKT, Microsoft sign MOU on 5G, AI, cloud computing

Samsung has ample cash reserves despite Q1 slump

Pay TV subscribers hit 32.5m in 2018

Korean economy can afford additional stimulus: IMF

Financial crimes in S. Korea fall 10.5% in 2018

FIs to spend W585b to adopt new tech

Banks’ net profit dips 14.2% on investment losses

Hyundai to supply 5,000 cars to Middle East ride-hailing firm

Auto output grows on sound exports, domestic sales in April

Prosecutors raid Samsung office in accounting scandal

SK Group to invest $1b in Vietnam’s No. 1 conglomerate

SendBird doubles series B round funding to $102b

‘Time to nurture investment culture in S. Korea’: KVCA chairman

Singapore-based Swingvy draws $7m from Samsung-led investors

WeWork contributes to growth of startup ecosystem, global economy

Why birth order is a big deal at LG

New thinking needed on GM Korea

Fall of the ‘Angel of Death’?

Wherever you end up going